DrCarney.com Blog

A common question for those of us who eat a whole-food, plant-based diet is "Where do you get your protein from?" This question is based on the fear that animal-free diets won't meet our daily protein recommendations. This fear is based on misconceptions and myths rather than facts.

Most people are perplexed when they find out that plants contain more than enough protein to meet our daily needs. Dr. John McDougall's article, "When Friends Ask: Where do You Get Your Protein?" points out that "protein deficiency is really a food deficiency." He reinforces his position by saying: "How many cases of the so-called 'protein deficiency state,' kwashiorkor, have you seen? I have never seen a case, even though I have known thousands of people on a plant-food based diet. Sixty percent of people alive today and most of the people who have lived in the past have obtained their protein from plant foods. They have lived successfully; avoiding all the diseases common in our society. Even today plant sources provide 65% of the world supply of the protein we eat. The picture one often sees of 'protein deficient' children in famine areas of Asia or Africa is actually one of starvation and is more accurately described as 'calorie deficiency.' When these children come under medical supervision, they are nourished back to health with their local diets of corn, wheat, rice, and/or beans."

Are eggs really that "incredible" or are the industry's marketing strategies "incredible?" You might be surprised to learn how big industries use clever marketing strategies to boost the sale of their products. One technique that Dr. John McDougall talks about is called "unique positioning," which involves highlighting a particular nutrient which is plentiful in the product....

You will absolutely love this one-hour presentation given by Dr. John McDougall. Based on the latest scientific research, Dr. McDougall passionately describes in detail why human beings thrive on consuming a starch-based diet. His message affirms that, "All large successful populations of trim, healthy people, throughout verifiable human history, have obtained the bulk of their...

Scrambled, fried, hard boiled, or poached - there seems to be a way to prepare eggs to satisfy even the pickiest of eaters. I'm sure many of you have fond memories of eating bacon and eggs for breakfast with your families on weekend mornings. Eggs are a comfort food. When asked what is wrong with eggs I sometimes flippantly reply "besides the yolk, the whites and the shell?" But, seriously, let's delve a little deeper...

Eliminating nutrient-deficient foods from our kitchen is a good way to begin making the transition to a health-supporting diet, but we must not stop there. In order to achieve optimal health, we must also replace those foods with whole, nutrient-dense, plant foods. These foods contain a symphony of micronutrients, antioxidants, phytochemicals, vitamins, minerals, essential fats, phytosterols,...

Many years ago, it was once thought that vegetarians had to combine certain foods in order to make a "complete protein." This is just a dietary myth that has been disproved. It originally surfaced in 1971 in the book Diet for a Small Planet, written by Frances Moore Lappe. By the 10th edition in 1981, Lappe renounced the myth as follows: "In 1971 I stressed protein complementarity because I assumed that the only way to get enough protein ... was to create a protein as usable by the body as animal protein. In combating the myth that meat is the only way to get high-quality protein, I reinforced another myth. I gave the impression that in order to get enough protein without meat, considerable care was needed in choosing foods. Actually, it is much easier than I thought."

Contrary to popular beliefs, human protein requirements are actually quite low. Dr. John McDougall explains by saying, "Our greatest time of growth, which is the time of our greatest need for protein - is during our first 2 years of life - when we double in size. At this vigorous developmental stage, our ideal food is human...

What does your typical diet look like for one day? If you answered bacon and eggs for breakfast, turkey and cheese sandwich for lunch, and chicken fried steak for dinner, you're not alone. Basing every meal around an animal-based protein source is believed to be a necessary component in the human diet. Dr. Michael Klaper...

This short video excerpt is from Dr. John McDougall's presentation "The Starch Solution." Dr. McDougall describes the results of an archaeological excavation in Turkey, where they discovered a grave site containing the bodies of 60 Gladiators. Examination of the mineral content of the bones, they concluded that the Gladiators ate a vegetarian diet, which included...

A whole-foods, Starch-Smart® diet supplies more than enough protein to meet our daily requirements. "Protein Overload" is an excellent article written by Dr. John McDougall. He explains that "A little protein is good, but more is not better. Protein consumed beyond our needs is a health hazard as devastating as excess dietary fat and cholesterol. Unfortunately, almost everyone on the typical Western diet is overburdened with protein to the point of physical collapse. The public has almost no awareness of problems of protein overload, but scientists have known about the damaging effects of excess protein for more than a century." 

Stop for a moment to think about what milk is and what it was designed for. Milk is the white liquid produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It provides the primary source of nutrients for suckling mammals "before their digestive system has matured." As their digestive system matures, they are able to eat and...

For most men, consuming meat (protein) is associated with "muscle, vitality, strength, power, energy, vigor, aggressiveness, and liveliness." This image comes from clever marketing tactics, promoting the sale of meat as superior protein that sustains masculinity. The truth is, a Starch-Smart® diet provides sufficient nutrients for men of all ages to thrive and build muscle....