Dr. Ben Kim's blog

If you've been reading my newsletters and blog for a while now, you've probably sensed that I really enjoy a good movie now and again.

Once in a while, I like to visit Variety.com to get the latest buzz on upcoming movies.

Just yesterday, I was happy to find an article on Variety that talks about Michael Moore's upcoming documentary on the pharmaceutical industry. Read more

The December 2005 issue of Pediatrics presents an important study that looks at reasons why women stop breastfeeding.

The study looked at data over 2 years (2000 and 2001) with the intent to discover:

1. If there are specific periods during which nursing moms are especially vulnerable to giving up breastfeeding. Read more

Do you know someone whose daughter is involved with cheerleading?

If so, you may want to tell him or her about a recent study in the journal Pediatrics, that reports that the number of cheerleaders that suffered concussions, broken bones, lacerations, sprains, and strains increased by more than 100 percent between 1990 and 2002.

According to the author of the study, Brenda Shields, on average, more than 16,000 cheerleaders between the ages of 5 and 18 in the United States visit a hospital emergency room with an injury each year. Read more

A recent study in the American Journal of Public health suggests that getting enough vitamin D can help prevent breast, ovarian, and colon cancer. Read more

Many plant-based eaters are under the impression that they can obtain all the vitamin A that they need from plant foods that contain carotenoids, particularly beta carotene found in foods like spinach, sweet potatoes, and carrots.

It's true that some carotenoids like beta carotene can be converted to vitamin A in your body once they make it into your blood. What you may not know is that carotenoids are not always absorbed efficiently into your blood. Read more

Have you ever wondered what makes the muscles around your eyes twitch and flutter from time to time? The answer to this question is relatively simple. And so is the remedy.

All of the six hundred plus muscles that exist throughout your body and head are supplied by nerves that originate in your brain. If you take it from the top, your brain induces a signal that travels down through your brain stem and spinal cord and out through peripheral nerves to reach each of your muscles. The flow of electricity through this pathway is what allows you to have motor control over your muscles. Read more

Almost every person who sends me a letter or calls our clinic requesting help asks some form of the following question: what can I do right now to get better?

Although I usually end up providing unique recommendations in accordance with each person's health condition(s) and life circumstances, there are six fundamental recommendations that I share with everyone who asks for help with their health: Read more

One of my wife's favourite pastimes is to read Oprah Magazine at the kitchen table while sipping on a mug of hot tea. We actually go to the library once every couple of weeks to borrow a few issues of Oprah Magazine to have for this purpose.

From time to time, I like to flip through these magazines as well. I like some of Dr. Phil's advice on relationships, as well as Suze Orman's financial guidance. Read more

One of the reasons why my wife and I decided to have a home birth was to ensure that our baby would go straight where he belonged as soon as he entered the world: to my wife's chest. It saddens me to know that providing newborn babies with immediate physical contact with their mothers is not always given the priority it deserves in today's health care system. Read more

Ingredients:

1 cup green or yellow split peas
1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
3 shallots, finely chopped
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 large clove of garlic, chopped
4 tablespoons of organic butter, softened
Sea salt and ground black pepper (optional)
6-8 sage leaves, roughtly chopped (if available)
1 bay leaf

Directions:

Put split peas in a bowl and cover with plenty of cold water. Soak overnight on kitchen counter, rinse and drain before preparing dish. Read more