Category Archives: nutrition

Summary of my nutrition talk to runners

  • Use weight as a guide to hydration

–I’m ok with 1 lb weight loss after running

  • Hydrate with water and/or fluids with some salt in it like coconut water or apple juice.

–And Yes, you can be on a liquid diet while running, you do not need to eat solids while running

  • Some people are heavy salt sweaters.
  • I’m ok with running on fasted state (empty) but well hydrated for up to 1 hour
  • Everyone is different and nutrition is complex, and talking about nutrition is akin to religion or politics. It’s not always one size fits all, and even as our own personal health changes, our diet needs changes. So it’s not one size fits all at all times.
  • The world of nutrition research is complicated by people with agendas.
  • I choose for my own health, plants and the associated carbohydrates with whole plants: legumes, grains, potatoes, rice, fruits.
  • I choose blender over juicer for fiber. We all need lots of fiber.
  • B12 is made by anaerobic bacteria. We need B12.
  • All plants have protein even rice.
  • Just a fun fact: 1 calorie of broccoli has more protein than 1 calorie of steak.
  • Yes, athletes need more protein, but they also need for calories. By naturally eating more calories, we will naturally make up for it in protein.
  • We were made to eat plants more so than cats. Cats have protein taste receptors on their tongues but they can’t taste carbohydrates.

Nutrition lecture for runners was given 2/11/17 at Doctors Hospital in Manteca, California.

Most doctors don’t get a Nutrition course?

Let me explain why:

But we get courses in the groundwork that explains nutrition: BIOCHEMISTRY

I was in medical school 20 years ago

I got my MD degree about 20 years ago, and we did have a fundamental course in nutrition but it wasn’t a heavy weight course as I remembered it, but important enough for me to feel that at least I could say that I’m one of the few doctors maybe?? that got a nutrition course.

Biochemistry is the mother of Nutrition

I know a lot of nutrition focused doctors around the world frequently quote that most doctors don’t get a nutrition course. That is probably true, however, it’s not the whole truth. Because, all doctors I know get several courses on BIOCHEMISTRY which is the MOTHER of Nutrition. Biochemistry is the groundwork for which helps us understand how our bodies work and how our bodies interact with nutrition. And there’s biochemistry of what happens when things go wrong like CANCER.  If nutrition were a course, it would be bundled into biochemistry. We all studied the biochemistry of humans, animals, bacteria, viruses, and plants. I think back when we were in medical school, I have a feeling that the very smart doctors who were in charge of our medical education probably felt that nutrition was somehow influenced too strongly by businesses and probably felt it wise to just teach us the basics of how to evaluate nutritional claims. Now that’s wiser than cramming down our throats some information that would change from time to time as we search for the truth. I believe that search swings like a pendulum around what is the truth or the “best practice.” So we’ll go from one wild extreme to the other and back and forth sometimes.

Smart doctor colleagues love biochemistry

Many smart doctors I know even have degrees in Biochemistry such as my wife, Dr. Tammy Wu – plastic surgeon, and Dr. Monica Wood – orthopedic hand surgeon.

As doctors and medical professionals, we should all embrace our biochemistry roots and apply it to nutrition

I have had a renewed interest in Nutrition and have had this interest for the past 7-8 years as I decided to transition myself to a vegan diet. But most of that interest comes from our skills in evaluating medical studies – which is a skill I was supposed to learn in medical school, and balancing that with the understanding and reviewing of the subject of biochemistry – which is the chemistry of life. I believe that my other physician colleagues in Modesto and in the world have similar interests especially as we come more and more to the conclusion that some of the best medicines come from nature. Even BOTOX comes from nature.