Dr. Ben Kim's blog

Originally posted in July of 2014 after the passing of my friend, Dr. John.

When I moved to the suburbs of Chicago shortly after my 20th birthday to begin graduate school, as much as I needed to learn about human physiology and clinical sciences, I was in even greater need of general life guidance. Having been raised by ultra conservative immigrant parents, I had more than a few things to learn about how to understand and interact with people.

I had the great fortune of having as a classmate a fellow named John who was 47 years old and excited to begin a second career. He had done well as a real estate appraiser and property flipper on the east coast, and though he never boasted of his wealth, I knew that John had earned enough to be retired, and was pursuing a career as a health care provider because he had restored his own health with alternative therapies and wanted to share his passion for natural healing with others. Read more

90/90 hip mobility work is highly effective for improving functional range of motion of your hip joints.

Before beginning 90/90 work, I suggest warming up your spine, particularly your lower spine, as sitting in the 90/90 position can put some strain on your spine and surrounding soft tissues, and thoroughly warming up your back will decrease risk of straining muscles and ligaments in and around your spine. Read more

Since sharing a detailed pictorial on making homemade almond butter and raspberry chocolate cups last year, I've received several requests for a similar but less labour-intensive recipe for producing these decadent and relatively healthy treats. Read more

Just a reminder that it's never a good idea to leave a young child in a car, even for a minute. Children are not able to regulate core body temperature and tolerate heat and cold to the same extent that grown-ups are; if left in a car in warm weather, young children are at risk of quickly experiencing hyperthermia - stroke, seizures, and even death can occur if hyperthermia is severe enough. Read more

Photo above by Shelby

If you strive to avoid gluten-rich wheat noodles but find yourself missing the occasional bowl of pasta, you may find the perfect fix in soba noodles. Made mostly with buckwheat and long used in East Asian cuisine, soba noodles are very easy to prepare and are readily available in Asian markets and grocery stores in larger cities.

Most varieties of noodles that are low in or devoid of gluten require constant attention while boiling and leave a gooey mess of cooking water to deal with after. Not with soba. Three to four minutes and they're ready to go, and unlike grainy whole wheat pasta, soba noodles have a delightfully clean and smooth feel about them. Read more

Sautéed or roasted tomatoes add wonderful flavour and substantial nutrient value to any meal, and they’re super simple to make. Read more

In response to recent posts on cleansing with freshly pressed juices and green smoothies, a number of people have written to me (benkim@drbenkim.com) asking for a way to cleanse without a small mountain of leafy greens.

As long as you don't have issues with blood sugar and insulin regulation, you can experience a solid colon cleanse as well as a systemic cleanse of all of your cells with a number of regimens that aren't "greens-centric" - our Apple Cleanse would be one such protocol if you skip the small amount of greens with your dinner meal as suggested.

But for those who want a super simple cleanse to follow, I have long found a 2 or 3 day mono diet of fresh papaya to be highly effective and easy to get through. Read more