Dr. Ben Kim's blog

Before I share a great little tip on how to stop a sore throat from progressing into a week-long cold, please know that periodically experiencing a cold or the flu can actually be helpful to your health. If you have no idea why this is, please view the following popular article that I wrote on this topic:

What Most Doctors Won't Tell You About Colds and Flus

You just won't get this information on why colds and flus can help you stay healthy over the long run from medical textbooks and mainstream media - please consider sharing it with family and friends. Read more

Mool naeng myun is a favorite summertime dish in Korea, and is best known for its refreshingly cool and tangy broth. Mool is Korean for "water," while naeng myun means buckwheat noodles.

The secret to good mool naeng myun is in the broth. My mom tells me that mool naeng myun broth is traditionally made by combining one part chicken broth with one part beef broth and one part kim chi brine. Read more

Why should you learn how to make your own almond milk? It's one of a few easy-to-make alternatives to cow's milk, and is far healthier for you than most commercially available dairy. Though you can purchase almond milk in most grocery stores these days, as you'll see below, it's a snap to make your own at a fraction of the cost. Read more

I was once asked to do an interview with a focus on what overworked and overstressed people could do to stay healthy. After giving it some thought, I decided not to do the interview because I didn't want to send the message that people can experience their best health by following a few tips on diet and lifestyle without regularly ensuring adequate physical and emotional rest. Read more

Over the weekend, I was at a park with our boys when I felt a colossal wave of pain hit one of the toes of my right foot. After scrambling to get my sandal off, I looked inside to find a bee that was curled up and unable to move.

Fortunately, I knew not to try to pluck the bee's stinger out with my fingers, and ended up feeling fine within a couple of hours. Read more

Over the last couple of years, Margaret and I have thought long and hard about the merits of home schooling vs. sending our children to public or private school.

It feels like we've been to the circus and back about a dozen times with this decision, and though we're leaning towards home-based learning for our boys, we continue to have moments of uncertainty. Read more

Over the years, I have found that many people aren't aware that soap should not be used to clean the vaginal opening, the tip of the penis (urethral opening), or the anal sphincter.

Regularly applying soap to these areas can cause the mucosal lining in these areas to become dry and unhealthy. A chronically dry mucosal lining can lead to a number of uncomfortable health conditions, such as anal fissures, lichen sclerosus, chronic inflammation, and a tendency to experience infections. Read more

In July 2008, the New York Times published an article that raised public concern over potential health hazards of living around granite countertops and floors.

At issue is whether granite emits dangerous amounts of radon, a colorless and odorless gas that is known to cause lung cancer. Read more

Are you confused about healthy vs. unhealthy sources of protein and how much you should be eating on a daily basis to experience your best health?

Before we address these issues, let’s take a look at what protein is and what it does in your body. Read more