Dr. Ben Kim's blog

Take a look at the keyboard that sits in front of you. Is it on an angle that is causing your wrists to be an inch or two lower than the rest of your hands? If your hands are extended like this on a regular basis, you are at risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome.

Here are two simple measures that you can take to avoid this: Read more

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of cold-pressed, extra virgin olive oil
2 and 1/2 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon of dijon mustard
Sea salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Mix mustard and lemon juice in a bowl. Add olive oil in a slow, steady stream while mixing. Add sea salt and black pepper, to taste. Enjoy this dressing ov Read more

Ingredients:

4 cups raw pecans
2 teaspoons sea salt
Spring or filtered water

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. You should use enough water to fully cover pecans plus about two inches of extra water above the pecans. Leave mixture to sit overnight or for eight hours.

Drain mixture well with a colander and spread pecans out on a large cookie tray.

Keep tray in a warm oven (less than 150 degrees Farhenheit) for 12 hours or until completely dry and crisp. Be sure to turn the pecans a few times during this time.

Store in an airtight container.

I know that this seems like a lot of work for a few crispy nuts, but once you try them, you'll probably be making more.

By the way, you can do the exact same thing with other nuts like almonds and organic peanuts. Read more

Ingredients:

1/2 cup frozen peas
3 organic eggs
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
1 tablespoon of organic butter, coconut oil, or olive oil
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Boil peas in water for a couple of minutes or until tender. Be sure not to cook so long that you lose their bright green colour. Drain well and keep to side. Read more

Ingredients:

1 bunch or two cups of fresh basil
1/2 clove of garlic
3/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons of raw pine nuts, walnuts, or almonds
Sea salt, to taste (optional)
1/3 cup of organic parmesan cheese (if you can tolerate dairy)

Directions:

Blend all ingredients. Try it on toasted whole grain bread with tomato slices, or with your favourite pasta. Read more

Here are some facts that you won’t find advertised on most of the vitamin supplements at your local vitamin store:

• The majority of commercial vitamin supplements are made up of synthetic vitamins
• Synthetic vitamins do not perform the same functions in your body as vitamins found naturally in whole food

Ingredients:

2 large stalks of broccoli
2 tablespoons of raw tahini
Spring water
Sea salt, to taste

Directions:

Steam broccoli until bright green and slightly tender. Combine steamed broccoli and raw tahini in a blender with spring water and blend until desired consistency is reached. Add sea salt, to taste.

Enjoy this rich and delicious dressing over other steamed vegetables or a whole grain dish. Read more

Have you ever taken a careful look at the list of ingredients on your shampoo, lotion, toothpaste, lip balm, or make-up? I don't know about you, but I'm a bit nervous about putting anything on my skin or near my mouth that has a long list of ingredients that I don't recognize. Do you know that whatever you put on your skin or near your mouth has a real chance of getting absorbed into your blood stream? Considering that some of the chemicals used in commercial personal care products are highly toxic and can cause cancer, this is an extremely important issue to consider. Read more

We recently had a guest visit our clinic with chronic eczema. Eczema, also known as dermatitis, is a condition of itchy and dry skin that can progress to a rash, sometimes cracking and bleeding. This particular guest had a severe rash with painful cracks on the palms of her hand, as well as on the soft, inside part of her elbows. Read more

As my wife and I sanded the trim around our windows before painting this past summer, I was reminded of the potential danger of arsenic exposure around homes and playgrounds. For the past seven decades, a form of arsenic has been used as a pesticide in pressure treated wood used for playground sets, picnic tables, and wooden decks and porches. The concern is that arsenic – a known carcinogen – can rub off of treated wood and be ingested with hand to mouth contact. Considering that children touch their mouths sixteen times per hour when they are out playing, this is an important issue for all families to consider. Read more