Dr. Ben Kim's blog

When made with the right ingredients, hot chocolate can be a soothing and healthy evening drink, perfect for warming up your bones during colder months.

This recipe is rich in flavonoids and potassium, nutrients that are essential to supporting healthy heart function. Be sure to include nutmeg and cinnamon - both combine beautifully with banana and raw chocolate powder.

Ingredients: Read more

A recent report by the associated press warns about the danger of riding escalators while wearing soft-soled clogs.

Here are the highlights from this report:

1. The flexibility and grip of soft-soled clogs can cause them to become entrapped at the top, bottom, and sides of escalators.

2. A four-year old boy in northern Virginia got his clog-clad foot caught in an escalator in August of 2007 at a local mall. His mother was able to pull his foot free, but the nail on his big toe was almost completely torn off, and he experienced heavy bleeding from the injury. Read more

Not sure what to do with a batch of green tomatoes that the cool fall season just isn't going to allow to turn red? Try combining them with some red tomatoes from the market, along with some fresh corn kernels, to make this delicious green and red tomato soup.

The quantities listed in the ingredients section produce approximately 6-8 small bowls of soup. Read more

This salad recipe is rich in a variety of minerals, including calcium and phosphorus, making it good fuel for the development and maintenance of healthy teeth and bones.

Sardines are naturally plentiful in omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D, which are also needed in your system to support your teeth and bones.

Ingredients: Read more

This salad brings together a rich blend of antioxidants, easy-to-digest protein, and cucumbers that make it cool and refreshing for after a workout or on a hot day.

Be sure to dry the berries before combining them with the dressing ingredients. Read more

Tomatoes, tomatoes, and more tomatoes. This delicious salad recipe brings together three varieties of one of summer's healthiest fruits to make for a light but satisfying meal. Read more

Looking for a delicious, dairy-free risotto? With the right amount of time and love put into this recipe, I'm willing to bet that this creamy rice dish is as good as anything ever made by Jamie Oliver or Tyler Florence.

I strongly recommend that you use fresh basil for this recipe - it really enhances and brings together the flavors of the peas, rice, and broth.

Ingredients: Read more

This tropical smoothie recipe calls for just four ingredients, all of which are foods that are indigenous to tropical regions. If you can't find coconut milk at your local grocery store, try an Asian food market. Most Asian markets now carry brands that contain only trace amounts of preservatives, if any.

Coconut milk contributes loads of healthy fatty acids, richness, and a wonderful coconut aroma to this smoothie.

Ingredients: Read more

A freshly pressed vegetable juice that is meant to stimulate the elimination of toxins from your body should have the following properties:

1. The ability to encourage movement of waste products through your intestines.

2. The ability to encourage your digestive organs to release digestive juices that can help to optimally break down recently ingested food.

3. The ability to draw toxins out of your tissues.

With these properties in mind, here is one of the most effective detox juice recipes that I know of: Read more

According to reports by the Center for Environmental Health, the New York Times, and the Canadian Broadcasting Association, baby bibs imported from China and available for purchase at Toys 'R' Us stores in the United States contain high levels of lead.

According to test results by the Center for Environmental Health, the vinyl bibs in question contain up to three times the amount of lead that is allowed in paint. Read more