Health Concerns

Courtesy of the late Anthony Bourdain and Korean American chef, Roy Choi, this is an inside look at the makings of one of my favourite Korean dishes - soon doo boo jji gae, or spicy soft tofu stew served with a bowl of steamed white rice.

For a look at a pictorial that my mom and I did on a vegetarian version of this dish many years ago, feel free to visit: Read more

Two points that I think all of us should keep in mind as we look to take care of our health as we age:

First, if we reach a point where we feel the benefits of taking a prescription medication outweigh the potential negative effects, it's important to monitor liver and kidney health.

Why?

Because virtually everything we put into our circulation, including prescription meds, has to be processed by our liver, and the bulk of any residual waste from said meds has to be filtered out of our system by our kidneys. Read more

I was introduced to the practice of taking cold showers for multiple health benefits by a good friend in graduate school more than 25 years ago. I still remember the shock of giving it a go for the first time in the middle of a harsh winter in a suburb of Chicago. My body immediately began hyperventilating as I summoned all of my resolve to take on that icy cold water from Lake Michigan. Beyond the initial moment of impact, what I remember most was a deep sense of satisfaction afterward for getting through the experience. Read more

First, it's vital to understand that cholesterol is not a deadly poison, but a substance that we need to be healthy.

Here are some reasons why we need cholesterol:

• It contributes to cell membrane integrity and function

• Cholesterol is used to make hormones that help us deal with stress, as well to make sex hormones

• It is converted to vitamin D, which is essential for proper growth, healthy bones, a healthy nervous system, muscle tone, and proper immune system function