DrCarney.com Blog

Headlines today proclaim that the average American's weight has increased at least 15 lbs in the past 30 years. Are you at all surprised? I personally was surprised that the number was only 15 lbs and not any higher. Unfortunately I have not yet been able to find the actual study, just a lot of press...

When it comes to nutrition, one of the most interesting phenomenon to me is the number of people with lifestyle-based health issues who believe that they eat a "pretty healthy diet." But I totally understand this. I truly believed I ate a "pretty healthy diet" back in the days of my lacto-ovo vegetarian diet. (That...

We often hear the term "lifestyle diseases" bandied about. But what are these diseases? Lifestyle diseases are defined as those negative, chronic health conditions which are brought on by our choices about food, exercise, and the use of substances like tobacco, alcohol, and drugs. We all know there are dangers associated with substance use and...

Have you ever tried to "go vegan" and found yourself failing for lack of support? You're not alone. The Humane Research Council (HRC) conducted a study to identify the key reasons people either adopt or give up a vegetarian or vegan diet. The HRC Study of Current and Former Vegetarians and Vegans surveyed over 11,000...

The classic Viagra commercials feature rugged, good-looking men with a tinge of silver in their beards facing potentially dangerous situations. In one, the rigging holding the main mast of a lone sailboat breaks free. No worries. Our capable, middle-aged man calmly rips a strap from a life vest in the hold and ties the sail...

”... the rich ate and drank freely, accepting gout and apoplexy as things that ran mysteriously in respectable families ...”  English novelist George Eliot penned this line in her novel, Silas Marner, published in 1861. More recently, the United Kingdom's Daily Telegraph is reporting that gout, a painful joint condition associated most closely with Victorian era...

Back in the 1970s, the popular Carol Burnett Show did a recurring sketch making fun of daytime soap operas. The name of the parody, "As the Stomach Turns," was itself a playful poke at a popular afternoon soap of the era. Who would have guessed that the title of the classic comedy sketch would very...

Metabolic syndrome is a term often mentioned these days when public health is discussed. We hear about it on the news and see it mentioned in blogs and articles. But have you ever wondered, "Exactly what is metabolic syndrome?" You're not alone. By definition, a syndrome is a rather slippery thing. It doesn't exactly fit...

By the age of 85, nearly half of all Americans have developed Alzheimer's, says Neal Barnard, MD. This progressive disease of the brain steals memories and breaks the connections to the important people in our lives. Dr. Barnard understands the devastating effect of Alzheimer's better than most. His parents and all four of his grandparents...

Many people pop a morning multivitamin as a very personal form of "health insurance." We figure that just in case our diet isn't adequately providing for our nutritional needs, we'll take a multivitamin to be safe. Some of us take it a step further, adding specific vitamins in the belief that "more is better," hoping...

Motivational speaker and author Zig Ziglar once quipped, "I'm so optimistic I'd go after Moby Dick in a row boat and take the tartar sauce with me." Although Zig was an optimist, he wasn't a vegan. If he had been, would he have had to forego the pleasure of tartar sauce? What would he serve...

Let's talk about trends. If you're a banana, a carrot, or a head of lettuce, the future isn't looking too bright for you right now. The Produce for Better Health Foundation (PBHF) commissioned a study and found that fruit and vegetable consumption has been trending down. According to the report, if the 50+ crowd doesn't...