Ask Me Anything #1

1. What should I have my primary care physician check along with my regular blood work?

If you have your vitamin D status under control via healthy sun exposure and/or supplementation with vitamin D-3, I would suggest checking homocysteine. High homocysteine is a reliable risk factor for a number of degenerative conditions including heart disease, dementia, and chronic inflammation.

For more information on homocysteine, please feel free to view:

https://drbenkim.com/articles-homocysteine.html

For those needing guidance on ensuring optimal vitamin D status, please view:

https://drbenkim.com/vitamin-d-facts.htm

2. Why do you only wear blue t-shirts in your videos?

I once read that we are limited in the number of good decisions we can make each day, so it's best not to use up one of our decisions on what we choose to wear. I believe this is why Steve Jobs wore mostly black turtlenecks. I'm no Steve Jobs, but I appreciate minimalism and like blue above most other colours, hence the blue t-shirts. My closet has 7 blue t-shirts, 3 hoodies, and 5 pairs of super comfortable track pants.

For more on the magic of minimalism:

https://drbenkim.com/goodbye-things-minimalist-fumio-sasaki.htm

3. What shoes do you recommend for people who need extra cushioning while they jog?

I like Hoka One runners for jogging at a steady cadence on a relatively even surface:

https://amzn.to/3gqbpVa

For uneven terrain, I prefer something closer to the ground like Mizunos:

https://amzn.to/2EnwOBa

4. What are you doing about school for your children this coming year?

Both of our boys are happiest at home so we will be doing 100% remote learning this coming year.

5. If they come out with a vaccine for covid-19, will you and your family get vaccinated?

As of right now, the vaccine that looks most promising and seems to be without lasting negative effects appears to be the one developed by a team at Oxford, to be made and distributed by AstraZeneca.

My feeling is that we won't have to make a decision on a vaccine any time soon. If pressed to guess, I think that infections will continue to rise globally while the death rate will continue to decrease for a number of reasons, with natural herd immunity being the endgame for covid-19. Though the economic impact will be felt by many people for years thereafter, I think that for the most part, everyday life will mostly normalize by the second half of 2021 or 2022.

6. Do you wear a mask when you go out?

Without fail. I find it difficult to understand why wearing a mask is such a contentious issue in parts of the States. My understanding is that wearing a mask when we are around others significantly decreases the spread of viruses through respiratory droplets. For most of the world outside of the States where the general population has adhered to mask wearing, infection rates for the flu and the common cold have plummeted, and I expect the same to happen for those of us living above the equator this coming fall and winter.

7. What do you think of grounding to support healing and better health?

A basic understanding of the natural flow of electrons through the atmosphere and lithosphere as is taught in high school science class makes it abundantly clear that there are significant benefits to grounding, defined as being in contact with the earth with our bare skin, be it our hands, feet, or any other part of our body.

I strive to walk barefoot on grass for at least 15 minutes daily. For those who have chronic issues with sleep quality or emotional health challenges like intermittent anxiety and depression, I highly recommend learning more about grounding or earthing.

Nothing beats being in direct skin contact with grass, sand, or soil, but for those whose circumstances make this difficult to experience on a regular basis, there are grounding sheets that can be plugged into the grounding hole of a 3-prong socket, allowing for indoor utilization while resting or sleeping:

https://amzn.to/3aWRmww

For those who are new to the idea of grounding or earthing, I can suggest viewing the following documentary:

https://drbenkim.com/grouding-earthing-health-benefits.htm

For those who wish to see more "Ask Me Anything" newsletters, please feel free to send your questions to: benkim@drbenkim.com.

Sending best wishes to all,

Ben