Dr. Ben Kim's blog

Originally published in 2006

A few days ago, I was flipping through an Oprah magazine that my wife borrowed from our public library when I came across a short piece on forgiveness by playwright and actor Tyler Perry.

Here's the part that I felt a strong connection to: Read more

Including all of the articulations between your ribs, sternum, and vertebrae, you have approximately 170 joints in your body. More, actually, as some of your joint areas like your ankles, knees, wrists, and elbows have multiple joints within their functional units.

All of your 170 functional joints have two common elements:

1. They are tightly bound by ligaments that are intended to prevent them from dislocating.

2. They are also surrounded by skeletal muscles that control their movement, as directed by your nervous system.

My wife and I haven't agreed on every little thing over the years, but there is one thing that we have always agreed on: the best experiences of our lives so far have been the home births of our two sons.

I still remember both home births as though they occurred a few hours ago.

Margaret's labor with our firstborn was about six hours long. With the help of three midwives, we sweated and huffed and puffed our way through every hour. And I mean we.

About halfway through the labor, I distinctly remember thinking, I'll never say no to this woman again...whatever she asks for from now on, my answer will be yes. I know this is a bit of a funny thought to have had while she was crushing my hands during each wave of contractions, but the point that shouldn't be missed is this: I felt some serious respect and awe for my wife as I witnessed her giving birth to our firstborn. Read more

While up north for a few days at the end of August to re-charge, I stumbled upon a song that I had longed to hear again, Now We Are Free. Little did I realize it was created for the soundtrack of Ridley Scott's Gladiator. This hauntingly beautiful piece has become my new go-to song for getting into a peaceful and inspired state.

Here's what singer Lisa Gerrard had to say about the lyrics to Now We Are Free: Read more

Originally posted in September of 2009

Of the countless varieties of kim chi that are made in Korea, by far the most common and celebrated version is made with Napa cabbage.

Kim chi that's made with cabbage is loaded with indole-3-carbinol (I3C), a compound that is well recognized as a powerful cancer-fighting compound. Numerous studies indicate that I3C can offer protection against many different types of cancer and may even stop the growth of existing tumors. Read more

Many thanks to my aunt for showing us how to make this lovely substitute for a typical potato salad. The main ingredients - buttercup squash, apple, and pear - are all rich in carotenoids, fiber, and vitamin C, and also happen to be at their sugary best for most of us toward the end of summer and beginning of autumn.

In case you aren't familiar with buttercup squash, it looks like this: Read more

Originally posted in May 2009

Close friends and family members are typically surprised when they learn that my wife Margaret and I have had a good number of fights over the years. At first glance, both of us are generally viewed as being kind, thoughtful, and maybe even a bit shy. So jaws tend to drop when people find out that we're far from being the Cleavers. Read more

I've long recommended avoiding vigorous stretching first thing in the morning; the risk of injury is significant, especially as we get older, as our muscles, tendons, and ligaments are not well perfused with blood when we first wake up. These tissues are best stretched after we have been out and about for an hour or two, and optimally, after enough of an aerobic workout where we are sweating - if we've worked hard enough to sweat, we can reasonably assume that our muscles and ligaments are flush with blood and ready to be safely and effectively lengthened through stretching. Read more

We have long known that wearing tight clothing can cause damage to the cutaneous nerves that travel just under our skin. A common type of cutaneous nerve damage is called meralgia paraesthetica, which typically occurs when tight pants compress the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve that travels along the upper outer thigh region. Symptoms of meralgia paresthetica include sharp or achy pain, a burning sensation, or a feeling of pins and needles along the outer part of one's thigh anywhere between the hip and knee. Read more

I'm often asked to name one thing that can be done right away to get healthier. With respect to food choices, the best suggestion I have is to begin drinking freshly pressed vegetable juices. Drinking just one freshly pressed juice each day is a reliable way of infusing your body with a wide variety of vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients that can protect your cells against premature aging and disease. Read more