Shows / Fork U with Dr. Terry Simpson
Fork U with Dr. Terry Simpson
Fork U(niversity) Not everything you put in your mouth is good for you. There’s a lot of medical information thrown around out there. How are you to know what information you can trust, and what’s just plain old quackery? You can’t rely on your own “google fu”. You can’t count on quality medical advice from Facebook. You need a doctor in your corner. On each episode of Your Doctor’s Orders, Dr. Terry Simpson will cut through the clutter and noise that always seems to follow the latest medical…
Episodes
Fork U with Dr. Terry SimpsonHow Breadfruit, Coconuts, and Ancient Polynesian Navigators Conquered the World's Largest Ocean
What Would You Pack to Build a Civilization? We have talked about empires before, from the ancient ones to the British, but nothing prepares you for the…
Fork U with Dr. Terry SimpsonSugar: The Sweet Taste of an Empire
Think about the last time you put sugar in your coffee or tea, a teaspoon, maybe two. Perhaps you avoided it because someone on the internet told you sugar was…
Fork U with Dr. Terry SimpsonHow to Spice Things Up
With all the spices we have access to, it is amazing how bland recipes have become. I have many cookbooks, some from great chefs, television personalities, and…
Fork U with Dr. Terry SimpsonTea: The Drink That Built an Empire—and Helped Break One
Tea: The Drink That Built an Empire—and Helped Break One China had the tea. Britain had the appetite. John Hancock had a business to protect. British TV - No…
Fork U with Dr. Terry SimpsonChocolate: From the Food of the Gods to the Candy Aisle
MesoAmerica and Chocolate In our series looking at foods that built civilizations, today we are going to stay in the Americas with chocolate. Chocolate has…
Fork U with Dr. Terry SimpsonFear Not the Potato. Fear the Person Who Fears the Potato.
I’ve been doing a series about foods that built civilizations. In this episode, we are talking about the potato. It is difficult to imagine that thousands of…
Fork U with Dr. Terry SimpsonThe Fish that Built America
In our series about foods that built civilization, we talked a lot about grains, from wheat to corn to rice. Today, we are taking you to the ocean, with the…
Fork U with Dr. Terry SimpsonThe Three Sisters
Corn, beans, and squash, the three sisters, were the Native Americans’ crop, providing a stable source of calories, protein, and farming from Canada through…
- Fork U with Dr. Terry Simpson
Fear Not Rice: It Built a Civilization
If you spent time in the low-carb world, rice is about as welcome as a toxic waste dump. It is part of those dreaded whites: white flour, white sugar, and…
Fork U with Dr. Terry SimpsonBeer, Bread, Cheese — and Penicillin
When we talk about the microbiome, people think about the colon and trillions of microorganisms. Have you ever considered that humans have other interactions…
Fork U with Dr. Terry SimpsonSalt: From the Roman Legion to Your Electrolyte Packet
Salt: From the Roman Legion to Your Electrolyte Packet You've probably heard that Roman soldiers were paid in salt—and that this is where we get the word…
Fork U with Dr. Terry SimpsonCoffee Woke Civilization
How a tiny seed changed the way we work, think, meet, and start the day Bread gave civilization calories. Beans gave it protein. Olive oil gave it light…
Fork U with Dr. Terry SimpsonThe Benevolent Bean: Civilization's Forgotten Protein
For years, beans have suffered from an image problem. They've been called "the poor man's meat," joked about for causing gas, and often relegated to the side…
Fork U with Dr. Terry SimpsonOlive Oil: One of the First Medicines
Olive Oil: The Original Superfood Before electricity lit our homes, olive oil did. For thousands of years, olive oil was far more than something people poured…
Fork U with Dr. Terry SimpsonCheese - Transforming Milk into Delicious
Cheese: Humanity's Greatest Delicious Accident What if one of the world's favorite foods happened by accident? That's probably how cheese began. Nobody knows…
Fork U with Dr. Terry SimpsonBread Built Civilization
For years, bread has been the villain of social media. Scroll for a few minutes, and you'll find someone telling you bread causes obesity, diabetes…
Fork U with Dr. Terry SimpsonSoup: The Mediterranean Diet in a Bowl
Soup: The Mediterranean Diet in a Bowl Over the past few weeks, many of us have been looking at our refrigerators a little differently. News about Cyclospora…
Fork U with Dr. Terry SimpsonHow Cooking Made Us Human
Fire didn't just change dinner. It changed us. If I asked you what made us human, you might say language. Or tools. Maybe agriculture. All of those changed our…
Fork U with Dr. Terry SimpsonThe Bank of Muscle: Your Retirement Account Isn't Your 401(k)
The Bank of Muscle: Why Your Real Retirement Account Isn't Your 401(k) I used to think retirement planning was all about money. Put enough away, let compound…
Fork U with Dr. Terry SimpsonDid the Food Pyramid Make America Fat?
If you read some low-carb sites, or Gary Taub's books, you will find the contention that the food pyramid - the last one being in 2011 - put America into a low…
Fork U with Dr. Terry SimpsonThe Scientists Who Built the Modern Snack
How We Eat Most of us think we know what we eat. However, nutrition researchers have learned a frustrating lesson over the years: asking people what they ate…
Fork U with Dr. Terry SimpsonTaste Buds Everywhere: Your Body's Hidden Food Sensors
Taste Isn't What You Think It Is Most people believe taste happens on the tongue. That idea seems obvious because food enters the mouth, the tongue recognizes…
Fork U with Dr. Terry SimpsonDiabetes, Weight Loss, Remission or Cure
Type 2 Diabetes, Bariatric Surgery, Fasting, and GLP-1s: What We Finally Learned About a Disease We Thought We Understood For years, I watched something happen…
Fork U with Dr. Terry SimpsonThe Science of Hangovers: Why Most “Cures” Fail
The Science of Hangovers: Why Your “Cure” Probably Doesn’t Work You wake up thirsty. Then, almost immediately, you realize your head hurts. Your stomach feels…
Fork U with Dr. Terry SimpsonWhy Food Became Engineered to Defeat You
The “Real Food” Protein Bar There may be no phrase in modern nutrition more ridiculous than this: “Real food protein bar.” And yet, somehow, we are expected to…
Fork U with Dr. Terry SimpsonWhat I Eat on a GLP-1 And Why It Changes
Let’s Start With What Nobody Tells You When people start a GLP-1, they are told what to avoid. What side effects to expect, and sometimes how much protein they…
Fork U with Dr. Terry SimpsonGLP-1 The First Month: Tips for the new user
It’s not a straight line. It’s not a diet. And it’s definitely not what you expect. I started my journey on a GLP-1 in October 2024. While my doctor did what…
Fork U with Dr. Terry SimpsonBeing a Foodie on a GLP-1
Why GLP-1 Made Me Love Food More—Not Less From beetroot pasta to backyard salsa, this wasn’t about eating less. It was about finally tasting more. I want to…
Fork U with Dr. Terry SimpsonThe Peptide Bazaar: Real Medicine vs. Vials from the Internet
The word “peptide” is doing too much work Let’s start with the simplest truth. A peptide is just a chain of amino acids—like pearls on a necklace. That’s it…
Fork U with Dr. Terry SimpsonFat Shaming and GLP-1 - It's Biology
The Chorus of “Just Eat Less” Spend a few minutes on social media, and you will hear it. On Bill Maher's podcast the other day, I heard it. Two people who know…
Fork U with Dr. Terry SimpsonMenopause: Estrogen Effects Satiety
Menopause, Hunger, and the Brain: Why It Feels Different Menopause changes more than temperature control. It reshapes how the brain handles hunger, fullness…
Fork U with Dr. Terry SimpsonHenry VIII, the Brain, and the Obesity
The Madness of King Henry VIII—and What We Got Wrong About Obesity The King We Forgot There is a moment in history that most of us think we understand. King…
Fork U with Dr. Terry SimpsonThe Carnivore Priesthood
When Beef Becomes Belief: The Carnivore Priesthood Nutrition debates rarely begin with money. Yet money almost always explains how they spread. That fact…
Fork U with Dr. Terry SimpsonMinnesota Starvation Experiment: Food Noise, Science
The Minnesota Starvation Experiment: What Hunger Does to the Human Mind Every few years, someone announces the solution to weight loss. Eat less. Fast longer…
Fork U with Dr. Terry SimpsonFrom Gila Monster to GLP-1 Revolution
Meanwhile, in a Laboratory In 1990, researchers isolated a peptide from Gila monster venom. Two years later, work from the Bronx VA Medical Center described…
Fork U with Dr. Terry SimpsonProtein Panic: How Much Do You Really Need?
Protein Panic: How Much Do You Really Need? Everywhere you look, protein has become a competition. Scroll long enough and you will believe muscle disappears if…
Fork U with Dr. Terry SimpsonMexican Food Is Healthy. The Taco Took the Blame.
Why Traditional Mexican Food Is Healthy — and How America Got It Wrong Every time someone says Mexican food is unhealthy, I know exactly what they’re…
Fork U with Dr. Terry SimpsonKeep Your Poop in a Group
Why Fiber Fails to Impress—and Why That’s the Point Fiber has a public relations problem. Unlike supplements or extreme diets, fiber does not promise instant…
Fork U with Dr. Terry SimpsonHow GLP-1 Quiets Food Noise
Food Noise Isn’t Hunger — and Why Broccoli Never Fixed the Brain Food noise does not announce itself politely. Instead, it hums in the background, persistent…
Fork U with Dr. Terry SimpsonWhole Milk Isn’t the Fix—Feeding Kids Is
Whole Milk Is Back in Schools But Hungry Kids Are Still the Real Problem Whole milk is back in school cafeterias. As a result, a lot of people are celebrating…
Fork U with Dr. Terry SimpsonFood Pyramid Blues: Influencers are not Scientists
When Influencers Replace Scientists, Everyone Loses Every few years, nutrition gets a makeover. First comes a new graphic. Then comes a new slogan. Soon after…
Fork U with Dr. Terry SimpsonUltra-Processed Food The Enemy
Ultra-Processed Food: Making Sense of the Madness Ultra-processed food has become the villain of modern nutrition. Scroll through social media, and you’ll hear…
Fork U with Dr. Terry SimpsonWillpower Is B.S.: A Surgeon on Zepbound
Willpower Is B.S.: Food Noise, Healthspan, and What Actually Changed My Life For decades, I started every New Year the same way. In January, I promised myself…
Fork U with Dr. Terry SimpsonIs Whoop Predicting My Death?
Is Your Watch Predicting Your Death? What Biologic Age Really Means — and What It Doesn’t My Whoop tells me I’m eight years older than I actually am…
Fork U with Dr. Terry SimpsonGLP-1 Drugs, the Mediterranean Diet, and the Science of Living Longer
GLP-1 Drugs, the Mediterranean Diet, and the Science of Living Longer For years, anti-aging has been hijacked by supplements, hacks, and promises that never…
Fork U with Dr. Terry SimpsonAlcohol Cuts Healthspan
The Holiday Party That Turned Deadly It started at a holiday party. Laughter, champagne, a toast — then a collapse. A fifty-two-year-old, active and healthy…
Fork U with Dr. Terry SimpsonMuscle, Mitochondria, and Healthspan
Muscle is Medicine: Why Lifting Weights is Your Best Longevity Investment Clearly, your body changes as you age. I learned this lesson years ago when my son…
Fork U with Dr. Terry SimpsonTelomeres and Time: Rewind Aging
🧬 Telomeres and Time: Can We Really Rewind Aging? The Lowest Hemoglobin I’ve Ever Seen The lowest hemoglobin I’ve ever seen belonged to a young woman who was…
Fork U with Dr. Terry SimpsonMitochondria Matter: The Story of Aging
The Mitochondria Problem: Why These Tiny Powerhouses Shape How We Age Many people suddenly talk about mitochondria. You hear them in political speeches, on…
Fork U with Dr. Terry SimpsonUrolithin A - Mitochondrial Miracle in the Petri Dish
Urolithin A: What It Is, How It Works, and Why Your Gut Decides Everything By Dr. Terry Simpson Most people hear the name Urolithin A and think it belongs in a…
Fork U with Dr. Terry SimpsonNAD The Molecule of Life — and the Hype
🧬 NAD: The Molecule of Life — and the Hype How a lab coenzyme became the latest anti-aging obsession What We Mean by Longevity and Healthspan When people talk…
Fork U with Dr. Terry SimpsonFORK U #100 — The Hall of Fame and Shame
🎙 Celebrating 100 Episodes of Science, Sanity, and a Little Sarcasm This is it — our 100th episode of FORK U. Over the last hundred episodes, we’ve gone from…
Fork U with Dr. Terry SimpsonThe Global Thanksgiving Table
Thanksgiving is more than a meal — it’s a worldwide celebration of gratitude built around foods that started here in the Americas. Corn, beans, potatoes, and…
Fork U with Dr. Terry SimpsonWhen Vitamin D Isn't Sunshine in a Bottle
When Vitamin D Isn’t Sunshine in a Bottle Vitamin D is sold as bottled sunshine. Social media says it boosts immunity, prevents cancer, and makes you live…
Fork U with Dr. Terry SimpsonAnimal Protein and Cancer Risk
Animal Protein and Cancer Risk: What the Science Really Says Recently, Mark Hyman posted on X (formerly Twitter) that a new study suggests eating more animal…
Fork U with Dr. Terry SimpsonWhen Green Tea Isn’t Chemotherapy
When Green Tea Isn’t Chemotherapy Introduction Food is powerful. Eating well lowers your risk of many diseases, including cancer. Yet food is not chemotherapy…
Fork U with Dr. Terry SimpsonWhy Beans Aren’t Medicine
Food Is Powerful, But It’s Not Enough Food shapes our health. Eating beans, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains can lower the risk of diabetes and other…
Fork U with Dr. Terry SimpsonSalmon isn't a Stent Food and Medicine
When Salmon Isn’t a Stent Heart disease was four times more deadly than it is today. In those days, we had no statins, no stents, and no bypass surgery. Food…
Fork U with Dr. Terry SimpsonBananas Aren’t Beta Blockers
When Bananas Aren’t a Beta Blocker People love to believe that food can replace medicine. We talked about this in Episode One, where I explained that…
Fork U with Dr. Terry SimpsonTofu Isn't a Statin: Food as Medicine
When Tofu Isn’t a Statin People love to say “food is medicine.” Some even claim Hippocrates himself said it. But here’s the thing: he didn’t. The phrase does…