Dr. Ben Kim's blog

In reading through dozens of airplane safety tips posted on government and airline web sites, it's apparent to me that the two most important plane safety tips are:

1. Whenever possible, choose to fly in the largest plane available. Planes that seat 30 or more passengers are subject to the strictest safety regulations. They also have more "meat" to absorb energy upon impact, thereby increasing the chances of passengers surviving.

About a month ago, I greatly enjoyed reading a recently published book called The Man Who Heard Voices: Or, How M. Night Shyamalan Risked His Career on a Fairy Tale, written by Michael Bamberger. Read more

Ingredients:

2 large sweet potatoes or yams, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 cup of cranberries, fresh or frozen
1 large granny smith apple, peeled and diced
2 tablespoons of maple syrup
1/2 cup of orange juice
1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Toss sweet potato or yam cubes with olive oil until evenly coated. Spread cubes out in a baking dish. Top with cranberries and diced apple. Read more

In a study to be published in this month's edition of the journal Pediatrics, researchers from the CDC say that approximately 33 percent of infant deaths can be attributed to premature births. This number is much higher than all previous estimates. Read more

Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, kale and kohlrabi - this family of cruciferous vegetables is naturally rich in indole-3-carbinol (I3C), a compound that is quickly becoming recognized as one of the most powerful cancer-fighting compounds that we know of. Read more

Ingredients:

1 package of Shanghai bok choy - approximately 8 small to medium heads
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon of minced garlic
1-2 cups of vegetable broth or water
1 tablespoon of sesame oil
Sea salt, to taste

Directions:

Cut the ends off the bok choy heads so that the leaves separate. Rinse leaves in a sink or basin full of water. Rinse a few times, using fresh water each time, as the grit tends to linger. Drain. Read more

Ingredients:

2 cups of raw hazelnuts, soaked in water for 5 hours, then dried in a towel and roughly chopped
1 cup of dried black mission figs, soaked in water for 1 hour, then drained
1/2 a cup of dates, soaked in water for 1 hour, then drained
1/4 cup of raw cacao powder
1/4 cup of water
1 cup of sesame seeds, soaked in water for 5 hours, then dried in a towel
1 cup of shredded coconut

Directions:

Use a food processor to bring together hazelnuts, figs, dates, cacao, and water. Read more

Vaginitis is a condition that often goes unaddressed by women and their health care providers due to many people often feeling embarrassed about it. Vaginitis is also frequently misdiagnosed as a urinary tract infection, which can leave a woman unaware of lifestyle factors that are chronic, recurrent causes of vaginitis. Read more

Researchers at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences report that exposure to a chemical found in mothballs, air fresheners, and toilet deodorizers can cause lung damage and possibly even lung cancer, heart disease, and stroke.

The chemical in question is called 1,4-dichlorobenzene or 1,4-DCB. If you know what mothballs smell like, you know exactly what 1,4-DCB smells like. 1,4-DCB is a volatile organic compound - a chemical that is given off as a gas from common household products. Read more

Ingredients:

2 medium red beets, peeled and shredded
1 small to medium jicama, peeled and shredded
2 medium to large carrots, peeled and shredded
3 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons of vinegar
2 teaspoons of any variety of mustard
Sea salt, to taste

Directions:

If you don't have a good shredder that can process the beets, jicama, and carrots, into neat, thin strips, you can use a good knife to julienne these vegetables into matchstick-like strips. Read more