DrCarney.com Blog

Dr. Jay Gordon, is a pediatrician that uses whole-food, plant-based nutrition as preventative medicine in his medical practice in California. He's a nationally recognized pediatrician, nutritionist, lecturer, teacher, magazine columnist, and the author of numerous books. 

We first learned of Dr. Gordon's passion regarding nutritional medicine from watching the Processed People documentary. Dr. Gordon is one of the many plant-based physicians that are featured in this documentary. The one minute video excerpt below highlights Dr. Gordon speaking about protein needs and how we don't need to consume animal products in order to be healthy. The above video clip was taken from the "Processed People" documentary.

Many fad diets come and go, but one diet in particular has stood the test of time.  Anyone familiar with the Mediterranean diet will most likely tell you that by pouring olive oil over your salad and including a glass of wine with your dinner will transform your present diet into a "heart healthy" Mediterranean...

Think of a heart healthy diet, and I bet the Mediterranean Diet comes to mind. Its popularity comes from the foods that were once typically eaten in countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea.

Looking back at the data collected from the 1950s-1960s, we see that the Mediterranean Diet was based largely on whole plant foods, with the emphasis on fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans, legumes, whole grains and breads. Olive oil, fish and wine were an additional component to this diet. Highly processed foods and unhealthy hydrogenated and saturated fats such as butter and coconut oil were avoided as well as salt and sweets. Eggs, meat, and dairy were eaten in limited amounts. Exercise was also an important constituent of the Mediterranean diet. Americans looking for a "heart healthy" diet believe they are consuming the Mediterraniean diet by pouring olive oil on their food and adding a glass of wine to their meals.

We hope our recent blog on the Forks Over Knives documentary will encourage you and your family to watch the documentary together. The above five minute video gives a brief overview of why the film was made and the background of the scientists and doctors that were featured in the film.  It's never too late...

Despite new advances in medical technology, and U.S. healthcare costs exceeding that of other countries, Americans are sicker than ever before. It's estimated that 80% of adults are overweight, and more than 70% of office visits involve prescription drug therapy.

Tens of thousands of patients die every year due to unintentional drug overdose, drug interactions, or from the side effects from these drugs. The majority of today's office visits reflect lifestyle driven diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. Tragically, these degenerative diseases are the leading cause of death, yet can largely be prevented through dietary excellence. 

The "Paleo" diet or "Caveman" diet has recently become a popular diet, especially among some fitness groups such as CrossFit.  The Paleo diet is a modern day diet based on the presumed ancient diet of early man during the Paleolithic Era.

There are many aspects of this diet which are health promoting, such as the addition of fruits, vegetables, and nuts and seeds.  Other beneficial attributes include the avoidance of dairy products, processed snack foods, and alcohol.  However, legumes, grains, and starchy vegetables have also been eliminated which are beneficial and are a significant part of a whole-food, Starch-Smart® diet.  The Paleo diet centers its meals around animal products, much like the typical American diet, and is high in saturated fat and low in carbohydrates.  Advocates state that the high percentage of animal products to whole plant food is a key feature of this diet with sausage, bacon, lard and tallow being acceptable. 

Debbie Cockrell spent many years suffering from numerous health conditions including pneumonia, depression, breast cancer, bronchitis, sinus problems and considerable crippling pain from her rheumatoid arthritis. She would wake up crying, with terrible joint pain, convinced she was dying. She took a powerful immune system suppressing drug, which made her "crash hard and feel very...

A fascinating study showed that, "During sleep, the flow of cerebrospinal fluid in the brain increases dramatically, washing away harmful waste proteins that build up between brain cells during waking hours."

Dr. Maiken Nedergaard, a professor of neurosurgery at the University of Rochester, along with a team of scientists, discovered this "washing away" process when they studied the brains of mice that were sleeping. Dr. Nedergaard states that the scientists noted that during sleep, cerebrospinal fluid circulated through the brain and nervous system at a "very rapid pace." They believed this to be partly due to the brain cells of the mice actually shrinking when they fell asleep, making it easier for the cerebrospinal fluid to circulate. She goes on to say, "The process is important because what's getting washed away during sleep are waste proteins that are toxic to brain cells. This could explain why we don't think clearly after a sleepless night and why a prolonged lack of sleep can actually kill an animal or a person."

Atherosclerosis (or hardening of the arteries) is a disease caused by years of eating the rich Western diet. Fatty plaque deposits accumulate and coat the inside of the blood vessel walls beginning in early childhood. These fatty plaque streaks can be seen in children as young as three years of age, and by the age...

Kelly Binkoski was diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma in January of 2012. Her surgeon scheduled her for surgery with an aggressive chemo and radiation plan following surgery. She and her husband inadvertently watched Forks Over Knives two days before her surgery, and their lives were forever changed. The documentary introduced her to the work of Dr....

Making the transition to a whole-food, plant-based diet, involves a process known as detoxification. It is not unusual for a person to experience feeling ill shortly after beginning their healhier lifestyle. Some of the most common symptoms are fatigue, headache, shakiness, and GI symptoms of gas, bloating, and diarrhea.

It has been noted that some symptoms can even mimic those of the flu including an elevated temperature.  Generally speaking, the severity of the symptoms is directly proportional to how toxic a person is and the richness of their previous diet.  Some choose to make positive changes in their diet quickly which may intensify the symptoms.  Making changes more gradually may work better for those who need a slower adjustment period.

If you or someone you love has heart disease, please watch and share this video. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in America. Approximately 1.5 million people will suffer a heart attack this year. From these, approximately 1 million deaths will occur, resulting in one death every 30 seconds. Tragically, the majority of...