Healthy Debate: Carnivores VS Vegans

Dr Chaffee is an American medical doctor specializing in Neurosurgery who over a span of 20 years has researched the optimal nutritional habits for athletic performance and health.  It is his assertion that most of the so-called chronic diseases we treat as doctors these days are actually caused by the food we eat, or don’t eat, and can in many cases be reversed easily with dietary changes.

He began his University education studying Molecular & Cellular Biology with a Minor in Chemistry at the University of Washington in Seattle at the age of 15, which culminated in attaining his MD from the Royal College of Surgeons.

He is an All-American rugby player and a former professional athlete in England and America; having taken several years off from his education for the pursuit of sports between his undergraduate degree and medical school. Throughout his athletic career, he saw first hand the monumental difference that diet makes to performance and recovery, and almost accidentally came across and practiced a fully carnivorous diet from age 20 to 25, having first learned of the toxic nature of plants during his University education. Since then he has rediscovered this truth and more, and has dedicated many years and a large part of his professional practice to the study and education of diet and nutrition, and personally practices a fully carnivorous diet to this day, with amazing results.

He currently resides in Perth, Australia where he specializes in Neurosurgery and does private consultations and clinics in functional medicine and nutrition.

Natalie is a Clinical Psychotherapist, Self-Image Specialist, International Speaker and Columnist.

Dr Pran Yoganathan is a Gastroenterologist and Gastrointestinal endoscopist based in Sydney. He aims to empower his patients to embark on a journey of self-healing using the philosophy of “let food be thy medicine”.

Dr Yoganathan graduated in medicine from the University of Otago in New Zealand. His training in internal medicine was undertaken in the Westmead Public Hospital. His Advanced training in Gastroenterology was completed in major teaching hospitals in Sydney.

Dr Yoganathan has a strong interest in the field of human nutrition. He practices an approach to healthcare that assesses the lifestyle of the patient to see how it impacts on their gastrointestinal and metabolic health. Dr Yoganathan believes that the current day nutritional guidelines may not be based on perfect evidence and he passionately strives to provide the most up to date literature in healthcare and science to provide “Evidence-Based Medicine”.

Naturopath, Herbalist, Nutritionist, Gastrointestinal Consultant

Dr Jason Hawrelak is a researcher, educator and clinician with over 20 years’ clinical experience. He did his PhD examining the capacity of probiotics, prebiotics and herbal medicines to modify the GIT microbiota and teaches widely, both in Australia and internationally, on these topics. He has published extensively (including 18 textbook chapters) and his research has been widely cited. Dr Hawrelak is on the Medical Nutrition Council of the American Society for Nutrition and is a Fellow of both the American College of Nutrition and the Naturopaths and Herbalists Association of Australia. Dr Hawrelak has taught health professionals at both the undergraduate and postgraduate level for the past 20 years.

He is currently the Senior Lecturer in Complementary and Alternative Medicines at the University of Tasmania’s College of Health and Medicine (Hobart, Tasmania), where he coordinates the Evidence-based Complementary Medicine programs and also teaches natural approaches to Gastroenterology within the University of Western States Master of Science in Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine program (Portland, Oregon).

Additionally, Dr Hawrelak is Chief Research Officer at ProbioticAdvisor.com, which offers a searchable database that enables easy, evidence-based prescribing of probiotic products and online resources for clinicians, and health-conscious members of the public, to learn more about the human microbiome and how they can positively influence these ecosystems.

Dr Leila Masson is a Sydney based specialist paediatrician and author of “Children’s Health A-Z” a parent’s guide to natural therapies for common childhood ailments.

She specialises in nutritional and environmental medicine for children’s health issues, including allergies, asthma, behavior problems, autism spectrum disorders and ADHD. She sees patients at her clinic in Tamarama and mentors doctors in integrative paediatrics.

She received her medical doctorate from the Free University of Berlin and did her paediatric specialist training at the University of California in San Francisco. She received her Master in Public Health from Harvard University and her Diploma in Tropical Medicine from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Dr Masson has worked in the US, Europe, New Zealand, and volunteered for 2 years setting up a rural clinic in Pakistan.

Dr Jason Kaplan is a cardiac imaging specialist and preventative cardiologist who studied Medicine at UNSW and graduated with Honours in 1999, completing his Internal Medicine Training at St George and Prince of Wales hospitals and Adult Cardiology training at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.

Dr Kaplan has done additional training in all aspects of echocardiography at international centres including the Mayo Clinic and has been involved in training echo sonographers for the last 10 years.

Prior to training in cardiology, Dr Kaplan completed additional advanced training in medical oncology and pharmacology. Dr Kaplan is also a proponent of Integrative Cardiology incorporating principles of cardiovascular, nutritional, functional and Mind – Body Medicine in the care of his patients.