Dr. Ben Kim's blog

A report issued on Tuesday, December 5, 2006 by Ontario's auditor general indicates that children in Ontario are often exposed to unnecessary amounts of ionizing radiation when they get a CT scan, also known as a CAT scan. Read more

When you have to sit for long periods of time, do you naturally tend to slide your bum forward so that your lower back is slightly reclined? If so, you might consider purchasing a chair that has a built-in reclining feature. Read more

If you are not yet aware of the potential dangers of triclosan, you should know that this antibacterial agent has been strongly linked to the following effects on human health:

* Abnormalities with the endocrine system, particularly with thyroid hormone signaling
* Weakening of the immune system Read more

Ingredients:

1 cup of pitted and roughly chopped black olives (sun-dried is best, but canned will do)
2 tablespoons of sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
2 tablespoons of sun-dried red peppers, chopped
2 green onions, finely chopped
1 tablespoon of finely chopped parsley
2 Roma tomatoes, finely chopped
1 tablespoon of cold-pressed, extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and pepper, to taste Read more

Have you ever wished that you knew of an easier way of peeling pomegranates? Or at the very least, a method of preparation that didn't leave small splashes of ruby red on your clothes? Read more

Generic brands of acetaminophen sold at major retailers like Wal-Mart, Safeway, and CVS have been recalled because of possible contamination with fragments of metal. Read more

Please take a minute to view the following video that describes the incredibly cruel practice of pulling sharks onto a boat, cutting off their fins for the Asian soup market, and throwing these finless sharks back into the water to die. A warning: this video contains actual footage of a shark having a fin cut off in gruesome fashion - I don't believe it's appropriate for children to view. Read more

Ingredients:

2 1/4 pounds (1 kg) tomatoes
1 cucumber
1 red pepper, seeded and chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
Juice of 1 lemon and 1 lime
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and ground black pepper (optional)
1 ripe avocado
1/4 red onion

Directions:

Peel cucumber, then cut it in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds with a table or teaspoon. Chop remaining cucumber flesh into small, bite-size pieces. Read more

Please note that it's best to avoid eating persimmon skins as explained in the following post:

Persimmon Skins and Other Foods that Can Cause Obstruction in the GI tract

Crust:

Ingredients:

1 cup of almonds, soaked for 6 to 12 hours, then drained
1 cup of dates, soaked for 1 to 2 hours, then drained

Directions: Read more