DrCarney.com Blog

It is no secret that an avalanche of cholesterol is floating in the blood of millions of people. No thanks to the Western diet which encourages the consumption of animal products. Red meat, poultry, eggs, fish, and dairy foods are the main dietary sources of cholesterol. In addition to containing an abundant amount of cholesterol, these animal food...

Artificial butter-flavor lovers beware — studies show that the artificial butter flavor, diacetyl, can cause lung diseases, including a life-threatening disease called bronchiolitis obliterans, commonly called “popcorn lung.” This disease was first noticed in workers who manufactured microwave popcorn. Many who developed this serious lung disease were put on a list to receive lung transplants...

If you've been searching the Internet for relief from hemorrhoids, GERD, constipation, or other gastrointestinal disorder, you may be interested in viewing the below 15-minute session featuring Neal Barnard, MD. Dr. Barnard gives a general overview of how eating a diet based on a wide variety of whole grains, beans, fruits, vegetables, and some nuts/seeds...

Diseases like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and atherosclerosis are rather hidden -- out of sight out of mind for many of us. But osteoporosis? We've all seen an older neighbor with a bowed back or known an elderly relative whose health quickly tumbled downhill after breaking a hip. The specter of our bones crumbling,...

Aphthous stomatitis, or better known as mouth ulcers or canker sores, affect approximately 20% of the general population to varying degrees; many are plagued by recurring ulcers. These non-contagious, non-infectious sores usually last between 7-10 days, interfering with eating and drinking. Hitting these inflamed areas accidentally while chewing or brushing the teeth exacerbates the condition,...

Calcium is one of the essential minerals needed by the body to function properly. It is the most abundant mineral in the human body, with 99% found in the bones and teeth and 1% in the blood. Calcium is used for building strong bones and teeth, cell signaling, blood clotting, maintenance of heart beat, and muscle contraction. Humans get the majorit...

Controversy sells. The media is always happy to report when the conclusions of a new study fly in the face of established beliefs. But the controversy and the short-lived news stories are too fleeting to include the voices of the medical and scientific community as they meticulously review the data, the methods, the math, and...

"There was a party at work, but there was next to nothing I could eat except the Oreos. At least they were vegan!" I hear this sort of reasoning every day in my practice. And I totally understand it. For years, I was a tater-tot vegetarian and thought I was "healthy" because of my eating...

Eating a whole-food, nutrient-rich, oil-free, plant-based diet focuses on consuming foods that aren't sold in a package or have a label. As Dr. Michael Klaper likes to say "Eat food as grown!" In other words, choose food items that are as close as possible to how they are found growing in nature. For instance, corn...

Elevated blood pressure (hypertension) is an important risk factor associated with both cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease and is the most common medical diagnosis in the United States. Although most people believe that hypertension is a natural consequence of aging, hypertension is actually a symptom of diseased arteries caused by years of consuming a diet rich in saturated...

Let’s start with the conclusion: we should all eat beans. Every day. Beans help prevent chronic disease, and they provide us with necessary complex carbohydrates, fiber, protein, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Most every ancient culture of the world has depended on some form of legume as a staple in their diet. But how should we prepare beans in...

Our bodies have a miraculous ability to heal from lifestyle related diseases! We should, however, stop doing the things which brought on our disease conditions in the first place. When we stop putting fuel on a fire, the fire goes out. This is how Lifestyle Medicine works. We identify the cause, then change the behavior. Sometimes...