DrCarney.com Blog

The Standard American Diet (SAD) is deficient in whole plant foods. I encourage my patients to greatly increase their consumption of vegetables and fruits many of which are delicious without being cooked. Some patients believe that they NEED to eat only raw foods in order to be healthy. This is simply not true. Raw foods are good but unfortunately many raw foodists have been found to be deficient in several nutrients, such as lycopene. In fact studies show that cooked tomatoes contain four times the amount of lycopene than raw tomatoes.Additionally, a study conducted on three different types of diets showed that even though the raw food group consumed significantly more servings of plant foods, their blood beta carotene levels were equal to those that ate the typical Western diet.

We all know that George should eat his broccoli. But, do we know how he should eat his broccoli? Deep fried? Not quite. Boiled? Maybe. Raw? Possibly. There are studies on this all important subject and our favorite go to guy for such important Nutrition facts, Dr. Michael Greger has once again provided an answer. When...

A whole-food, nutrient-dense, Starch-Smart® Diet should consist of both raw and cooked plant foods. A portion of our daily diet should come from raw plant foods. This can easily be done by eating a large salad each day and several servings of raw fruit. Eating a nutritious diet consisting of both cooked and raw plant food...

Cataracts are the leading cause of blindness and vision loss, so it's no surprise that cataract surgery is one of the most common surgeries performed today. There are several factors associated with the development of cataracts, including what type of diet we eat. Dr. Michael Greger's video clip points to a study that concluded, "Vegetarians and...

The beneficial anti-inflammatory properties of a Starch-Smart® Diet come from the avoidance of inflammatory foods such as animal products, as well as the inclusion of micronutrient-rich, whole plant foods. Plant foods are a rich source of phytochemicals, which support our endothelial cells that line the inside of our entire vascular system. These cells play an important...

Scientific evidence demonstrating the dangers associated with consuming animal-based diets continues to mount, as newer studies confirm these findings. There are several components in meat and dairy products that raise risk factors for developing serious illness. Among them are industrial carcinogens which concentrate in animal fats. The video below by Dr. Michael Greger reveals compelling...

Before switching to a plant-based diet, fast-food French fries tasted so much better than a plain baked potato, would you agree? There are two reasons that would explain this.

The first reason is due to what Dr. Doug Lisle calls "The Pleasure Trap." He says that our bodies were designed to search for three key flavors in foods that would not only satisfy our appetites, but would also enable us to survive and reproduce. However, we were designed to eat these flavors in very low concentrations that are contained in "highly-fibrous, water-dense, nutrient-rich foods."

As parents, we have the enormous privilege of shaping our children's future. This is also true for their future health outcome. What we feed our children the first ten years of their lives has a tremendous impact on whether they will suffer from chronic disease later in adulthood. Modeling good eating habits and providing a diet rich in whole, plant foods builds a strong foundation for a life time of healthy living. Many times, though, children need a little encouragement to eat those green vegetables.

Environmental estrogens (Xenoestrogens) appear to play a role in the reduction of male fertility. These estronens are man-made and primarily enter our food supply though the consumption of fish. Man-made chemicals such as PCBs and pesticides have the ability to disrupt endocrine hormones, which affets male fertility. Dr. Michael Greger explains in this short video...

Many people believe they can't live without meat. And, they eat lots of it. Or at least they think they do. However, many people including children on the Standard American Diet (SAD) are actually eating a lot less meat than they think. Certainly that is the case for SAD eaters feasting extensively on fast foods. So, you might ask, if they are not eating meat what are they eating? Are you sure you really want to know?

Daily aspirin therapy is often recommended by physicians to reduce inflammation and the risk of heart attack and stroke. Recently though, researchers found that people who don't take aspirin have low levels of aspirin in their bloodstream. How did it get there? Where is it coming from? and Why?

Researchers discovered that "aspirin is widely distributed throughout the plant kingdom". When aspirin blood levels were measured in those who eat a plant-based diet, surprisingly, some of their aspirin levels were found to be as high as other people who were taking aspirin as a drug. Therefore, researchers concluded that eating a plant-based diet offers the benefits of aspirin therapy, yet without the associated risks such as the risk of bleeding like hemorrahagic strokes.

In a recent study, Dr. Dean Ornish discovered that a whole-foods, nutrient-dense, plant-based diet had increased telomerase activity that is associated with slowing down the aging of our cells. Telomerase is an enzyme that rebuilds the telomeres at the end of our cell's DNA. Scientists believe that if we can slow down the loss of our...