DrClydeWilson's NUTRITION BLOG

LDL cholesterol and plant sterols

A paper came out in Science this week showing that the LDL cholesterol receptor is a major player in determining LDL cholesterol levels in the body: Read the abstract here. Inhibition of this receptor in the intestine by plant sterols... Read more →

YouTube: Fueling Your Workouts

Fuel your workouts with glucose. Foods containing glucose are starches, including oats, cereal, crackers and bread. Eat any of these in the hour before your workout and immediately after your workout. Include nuts with your oats or nut butter on... Read more →

YouTube: Exercise PROTEIN

How much protein do you need to support your workout recovery and adaptation or growth? The maximum capacity of protein production in the body is equivalent to about 50 kcals per hour. Since the body does not have a storage... Read more →

YouTube: SPORTS HYDRATION

Sports hydration involves fluid and electrolyte replacement. Fluid needs are based on perspiration rates. We perspire around 1 L/hr during moderate to intense exercise, as low as 0.5 L if it is cool out or when swimming (since water removes... Read more →

YouTube: The FARMER'S MARKET

Farmer's Markets supply mainly organic locally-grown produce (fruits and vegetables), which tend to be significantly healthier, tastier and no more expensive than store-purchased non-organic produce. Research has shown that organic foods tend to be higher in nutrients. One of the... Read more →

YouTube: Seafood omega-3 vs mercury

Seafood can be a double edged sword because of beneficial omega-3 fats and detrimental mercury from pollution. Large long-lived predatory fish like swordfish, shark and mackerel accumulate more mercury from the smaller fish they eat, making them ten times higher... Read more →

YouTube: Surviving THE BUFFET

This video shows me getting the most out of a low-cost buffet in Vegas. You can see my yellow bowl with tomato salad, a larger plate with salad and vegetables, and a second plate with samples from 3 dishes, a... Read more →

YouTube: Dr. Clyde ENERGY SHAKES

For a simple 400-kcalorie energy shake, put 1 cup low or nonfat milk or full-fat plain unsweetened soy milk into a blender with 1 Tbsp nut butter (almond or PB), 1/2 cup uncooked oats (or other cereal grain), and 1/2-1... Read more →

YouTube: Fiber & Phytonutrients

The majority of many phytonutrients are on the outer surface of plants because one of their roles is to act as natural herbicides and insecticides, protecting the plant from its environment. By eating the skin of fruits and vegetables whenever... Read more →

YouTube: Dead End Diets

I am asked all the time how to most effectively lose body fat. High-protein diets drop our carb consumption, but they come with a slew of potential negative health effects described by the American Heart Association, and after 6 months... Read more →

How to order food in a steak house

This is me at a steak house last night. I ordered the salmon, which came on a coarsely-grated yam pancake: YUM (see photo). Things to keep in mind when at a steak house: Ask for the fish or meat NOT... Read more →

Managing your fluid needs: Amount & types (water vs tea, coffee, milk, wine etc)

We need about 1 liter or quart of water for every 1000 kcalories that we eat in order to hydrate the food molecules as they are separated apart i.e. digested in our intestine. Our bloodstream will not absorb nutrients that... Read more →

Water sources: Tap, spring water, etc.

There are many types of bottled water, all of which are regulated by the FDA. Artesian water comes from an aquifer (underground water in permeable rock or gravel), mineral water has at least 250 ppm dissolved solids from a natural... Read more →

Dr. Clyde's VEGGIE SHAKE

I am frequently asked what I put into my "green slurry". The photo shows what I used on one particular day, but it changes a bit from week to week depending on what produce is available at the time. I... Read more →

Pizza Management: YouTube

Pizza is high in refined carbs and saturated fat, so take the same approach to eating pizza that you would to eating any unhealthy meal to improve the health impact dramatically: Limit the portion (1 large or 2 small pieces... Read more →

Food for the SOUL: Eclaire's from HOME

I have been studying chemistry almost every day for 22 years since high school. This includes 6 years in nuclear engineering in the US Navy, 3 years as an undergraduate in Flagstaff AZ, 5 years as a graduate student at... Read more →

My Mom's Quiche: YouTube

Although the camera caught my mom dozing off (just kidding!) this QUICHE is nothing to sleep about! My mom Jeanne (pen name Dazy) is feeding me something no one can resist: Food from home! This quiche is made from olives,... Read more →

Ordering a Sandwich: YouTube

This is me eating a Subway sandwich. I ordered it with "a lot of veggies", lean deli meat (nitrate preservatives come with a small cancer risk) for protein, avocado and olive oil for healthy fats, and had them scoop out... Read more →

Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, Plaxo

Find me at www.MySpace.com/DrClydeWilson (not case sensitive) and on www.Facebook.com (search for Clyde Wilson Palo Alto, since not putting in the city results in many pages of hits: there are SO MANY Clyde Wilsons!). You can also link to me... Read more →

My New YouTube Channel

I just created a You Tube channel at www.youtube.com/drclydewilson. This address is easy to remember: Just YouTube.com with /DrClydeWilson at the end. Read more →

Bodybuilder Quincy Taylor on Vegetables

I met Quincy Taylor (see his web site at www.QuincyTaylor.net or click on his photo) at Gold's Gym in Las Vegas a couple days ago. He is the NICEST person. Terrific personality. I asked him about his nutrition and he... Read more →

Feeding nutrition students chocolate cake

I teach 7 nutrition classes per year: 1 in the medical school at Stanford, 1 in the medical school at UCSF, 1 in Continuing Studies at Stanford (the only course I teach that is open to the public), and 4... Read more →

What, When & Water

What you eat, when you eat, and hydration are the bottom line in nutritional health. It is the concept I end every nutrition class with. An additional concept of secondary importance is processing, referring to food processing by the food... Read more →

Getting the BEST bread at Vital Vittles

The healthiest bread on the market that I have ever seen is made by Vital Vittles in Berkeley. The commitment that this company has to quality is unbelievable. It is closest thing you can get to having a mom who... Read more →

Where I go for my information: PubMed

The National Institutes of Health has an electronic library of all the biology and medical (including nutrition) scientific publications at its web site "PubMed". If you click on "limits" and select "title", then the key words you type in will... Read more →

Amazing resource: Cochrane reviews

When I am searching for the answer to a nutritional or medical question, I know that I will find the most comprehensive and unbiased review or meta-analysis of the scientific literature by The Cochrane Collaboration. This is an international non-profit... Read more →

I'm on Twitter.com so I can update you by the minute from my cell phone!

See www.twitter.com/drclydewilson to follow what I am doing; the entries are instant messages from my phone so I can share thoughts and events with you by the minute. Really cool! Read more →

The Vicious Western Nutrition Cycle

Sugars and several fats induce dopamine and natural opioid signals in the brain that lead to addiction-like changes in the emotion center of our brain. Being busy lends itself to eating convenience (including fast and junk) foods even if a... Read more →

For the 1st time in 25 years!

Clyde has gone to the DARK SIDE!!! Well...not exactly. I was visiting family recently and had just played footbag really hard for over an hour with my brother (he was competitive internationally years ago in footbag) and was famished. My... Read more →

Clyde's training drink: The Baby Boom

The recipe: A heaping 1/8 cup of maltodextrin (or 50-100 Cal of any maltodextrin product like Gu, etc) diluted into 16-32 oz of water. If using maltodextrin without any protein, sucrose or fructose already in it, add an optional 1/8... Read more →

Herb of the month: Saffron packs a powerful health punch

The red stigmas of the saffron flower have been used as a dye, a spice, and for medicinal purposes for at least 3600 years [1]. It is a traditional remedy for many conditions, including insomnia, decongestion, depression, heart disorders and... Read more →

Dr. Clyde Bars in 2 flavors: Berry Bar and Chocolate Cherry

Using slow-digesting ingredients with a nutrient balance matching the body's needs, Dr. Clyde has bridged the gap between our scientific understanding of nutrition, our hunger, and taste. Use these bars to increase energy and reduce hunger without a sugar crash... Read more →

My Stanford Continuing Studies class starts 13 Jan and is open to the public

I am looking forward to my nutrition course in Stanford Continuing Studies that starts on 13 January 09. This is the only academic course I teach all year that is OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. We will meet Tuesday evenings from... Read more →

Our sense of self that can overcome food addiction is in the brain's cortical midline

Food addiction is associated with dopamine and natural opioids in the emotion center of the brain, the limbic system. Tested therapeutic methods for overcoming addiction (such as 12-step facilitation therapy or cognitive behavioral therapy) show that the key component to... Read more →

Clyde’s groceries: Vegetables and fruits for 1 week

I just got back from the grocery store. Here is my produce (pictured), all organic when available, all as dark in color as possible, and usually smaller so I get more of fiber- and phytonutrient-rich outer shell: Red kale, green... Read more →

Café Gratitude: Restaurant Review

This meal was great! More soon… Read more →

Book comment: Neutral score (5 out of 10) for Chef MD’s Culinary Medicine

Dr. John La Puma’s book has many positive qualities: It gives sound basic advice, has interesting notes in the margins, questionnaires to engage the reader, information on specific foods, recipes with nutrient information, and an 8-week plan for those who... Read more →

Coconut is a very healthy saturated fat

Coconut is both very healthy and very high in saturated fat. That might sound like a paradox, but the saturated fats in coconut are physically shorter than the saturated fats in animal products, which changes everything. In a meta-analysis of... Read more →

Coconut Shrimp & Squash: 'Culinary Recipe of the Month' by Dr. Clyde and Chef Andrea

Andrea Litto, a personal chef in the Palo Alto area, created this recipe and will be providing monthly “Dr. Clyde meals” that I adjust so they provide the nutrient balance needed for optimum health and disease reduction. Read about Andrea... Read more →

Culinary Dr. Clyde meals by Andrea Litto of TailoredCuisine.com

This week I visited Chef Andrea Litto and her husband Wedge to try our Recipe of the Month. Andrea is creating recipes that taste great using natural foods, and I am adjusting those recipes so that they provide the full... Read more →

Solving food addiction: From self-destructive to truthful self-nurturing

There are many barriers to healthy eating in our environment, such as social pressures and a low availability of convenient healthy foods. There are also many barriers within ourselves, such as habit and low expectations of one’s ability to improve.... Read more →

Caffeine reduces Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Weak signaling of the neurotransmitter dopamine is a main contributor to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The two main prescriptions for ADHD, methylphenidate (Ritalin) and amphetamine, both target dopamine (stimulating its release into, and inhibiting its re-uptake from, the synapse).... Read more →

Nutrition for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

As many as 18% of children in the United States suffer from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), making it the most prevalent childhood medical condition. I know many people personally who feel that they or their children suffer from ADHD,... Read more →

Vegetables Reduce Exercise Damage

The saying “use it or lose it” certainly applies to our body, since exercise strengthens bones, muscle, the immune system, life quality and even lifespan. On the other hand, exercise produces free radicals, which damage us and may cause aging.... Read more →

Many think healthier eating will only help OTHER people

A person’s attitude (perceived consequences) about nutrition is a main predictor of eating habits. But how much we think eating healthy will benefit us can be very different from how much we think it will benefit others. This was clearly... Read more →

Attitude is a main predictor of eating habits

Ideally, life should be long and lived to its fullest. We can then experience and share more with family and friends. Achieving this goal is a natural instinct, but is re-enforced in childhood (attachment theory) and is psychosocially influenced as... Read more →

How we view ourselves affects how we view our environment, which affects how we eat

Eating an unhealthy diet is a high-risk behavior. It offers a dopamine reward-response, is addictive, and has inevitable drawbacks that literally outweigh the rewards. Unfortunately, wanting to eat healthy is not usually enough to actually achieve nutritional health. We live... Read more →

Scoring the quality of research papers

The editors of the US family medicine and primary care journals (i.e. Journal of Family Practice, Journal of the American Board of Family Practice, American Family Physician, Family Medicine, and the British Medical Journal-USA) have developed a grading scale for... Read more →

Sports Nutrition Seminar information

If you are requesting a sports nutrition seminar from me, use this information in your ad: Title: "Performance Nutrition" with the optional subtitle "Fueling Muscle Not Fat" or "What, When & Water" Description for 60 min seminar: "Dr. Clyde Wilson... Read more →

My brother Xavier's footbags & poetry

My brother Xavier's footbags and poetry have been inspiring to all those who come in contact with them. SEE HIS FOOTBAGS HERE. HEAR HIS POETRY READINGS HERE. Read more →