Dr. Ben Kim's blog

If you connect with those who encourage a 100% raw food diet for optimal health, I hope that you'll read this post with an open mind.

In my experience, eating plenty of fresh, nutrient-rich raw foods is a huge plus for most people. But where there is a long history of gastrointestinal distress, I have consistently found that during the initial phases of healing and recovery, it's actually better to eat more cooked foods than raw. Read more

If I could choose just one exercise to do regularly to prevent low back pain, it would be the yoga pose that you see below. This simple pose - often called a form of "Warrior Pose" - combines two actions that I have found to be critical for preventing chronic low back pain. Read more

I'm constantly on the lookout for recipes that call for red beets; per ounce, few foods that I'm aware of are as dense in a variety of nutrients that can help prevent heart disease and certain types of cancer, especially colon cancer. Red beets are particularly rich in B vitamins, including folate, which makes them useful for lowering blood homocysteine and preventing birth defects. Read more

Of all the concerns that parents have contacted my office about over the years, one of the most common ones has been what to do with a child's fever.

In addressing this concern, it's vital to understand that a fever serves to protect your body against infection and trauma in three major ways: Read more

If you're staying away from gluten, dairy, and flesh meats but find yourself craving a filling sandwich, this one's well worth the effort of putting together for yourself and loved ones.

Portobello mushrooms are rich in niacin (vitamin B3), potassium, and selenium, while avocado delivers plenty of lutein and natural vitamin E for healthy eyes and cardiovascular support.

You'll need some gluten-free bread, which is becoming more readily available in regular grocery stores. But keep in mind that most varieties are made with rice and/or tapioca flour, and too much of either can be constipating for some. Read more

As a followup to our look at the root causes of autoimmune illness, this post reviews several natural ways to protect yourself against autoimmune illness. In some cases, I've found that the steps outlined below can actually reverse some of the degenerative changes that can accompany various autoimmune illnesses. Read more

Few people realize how vital their knees are to everyday activities until they suffer a serious knee injury.

Michael Jordan remembers the effect that an anterior cruciate ligament tear in a college teammate, Buzz Peterson, had on his friend's level of play. "It's like I can punch a hole in your heart," he recalls telling Buzz as a way of pointing out how tentative his friend's play had become. Read more

Most people know that blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries are naturally abundant in antioxidants, nutrients that can neutralize excess free radicals in the body, thereby offering protection against premature disease.

But few seem to realize that blackberries trump all other common berries in antioxidant content. Per 100 gram serving, blueberries contain 2.68 mmoles of antioxidants. Strawberries come in at 3.58 mmoles. And raspberries provide 2.86 mmoles of antioxidants per 100 gram serving. Read more

Acupressure is a healing art that involves applying pressure to specific points on your body. The idea is to manually stimulate blood flow to your largest nerves, which promotes healthy nerve function, which in turn, promotes optimal cellular function, as all cellular activity is ultimately governed by your nervous system.

So much like you can maintain healthy muscles through regular exercise, you can maintain healthy nerves through regular acupressure. Read more