Health Concerns

Over the past couple of years, I've had dozens of people recommend The Secret, a popular self-help book on the law of attraction. I have yet to read this book, but my understanding is that "the secret" boils down to this: we should continuously focus our thoughts on everything we want in life, as we tend to manifest what we regularly think about.

Most people would probably agree with the idea that visualizing a desired outcome is just one important step to manifesting that outcome. Visualizing all day long and not doing anything to realize one's hopes just doesn't inspire confidence, at least not for the masses.

A ganglion cyst is a fluid-filled bump that forms under the skin near a joint, most commonly in the wrist area, and sometimes in the shoulder, elbow, hip, knee, ankle, or foot regions.

The conventional medical view of ganglion cysts is that they are idiopathic, meaning that a definitive cause or causes are not known. They're usually left alone, aspirated, or excised.

Updated on December 22, 2008

With few exceptions, disease and dysfunction do not develop quickly. Disease and dysfunction tend to develop slowly, usually over many years as subtle and overt signs that mark loss of health are ignored.

I have found that many people feel that they are fine until they get diagnosed with a named condition like diabetes or hypertension. The reality is that degeneration is a fact of life - with each passing day, we lose some of our health potential. It's the pace at which our bodies degenerate that we influence through our daily choices. By understanding the main causes of disease and dysfunction, we can make dietary and lifestyle choices that promote longevity.

The main causes of acceleration of disease and dysfunction can be categorized into three groups:

Updated on December 15, 2008

If you're wracking your brain to come up with ideas for gifts that can give for a lifetime, I hope that the following suggestions come in handy.

Gifts for Children

Updated on December 9, 2008

One of the first points that I learned about during my education in contemporary medical acupuncture was GV-26, also known as Governing Vessel 26.

Note from Ben Kim: If you live in a country that allows thimerosal to be included in vaccines, and you're not aware of the dangers of injecting thimerosal into human tissue, please take a few minutes to view the following video and article on Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s coverage of the link between mercury in vaccines and autism.

Updated on December 7, 2008

Have you ever noticed that your fingernails grow more quickly than your toenails? If not, the next time you clip your fingernails and toenails on the same day, take note of how quickly they grow in the days that follow. I'm confident that you will find that your fingernails need another trim at least a few days before your toenails do.

Are you curious about why your fingernails grow faster than your toenails? The answer is simple:

Updated on December 7, 2008

As a follow-up to a previous article on optimizing blood circulation in your lower extremities, this article serves to explain several physical steps that you can take to ensure healthy blood circulation in your arms and hands.

Before I get to some specific suggestions, here is a list of some of what you can accomplish by optimizing blood circulation in your upper extremities:

Updated on November 30, 2008

Acupressure is a healing art that involves applying pressure to specific points on your body to produce health-promoting effects.

How can applying pressure to different areas of your body help your health? The answer lies in understanding your nervous system.

Updated on November 20, 2008

During my university years, I used to frustrate my parents by throwing away egg yolks and eating only the whites. No worries, I thought, as my parents just didn't know enough to realize that I was reducing my risk of heart disease by avoiding cholesterol. Looking back, I'm sure that my parents were wondering how I could so easily toss away precious egg yolks that they were able afford only a few times a year when they lived in Korea.