Pickled radish has long been a staple side dish in Korean cuisine. It's sweet, sour, and crunchy, and is almost always a component of traditional sushi rolls (kim bap). It's also often served as a side dish to starch-heavy dishes like jja jjang myun, a mouthwatering dish of al dente noodles smothered in a sweet black bean sauce with sautéed chopped onions, carrots, sweet potatoes, and some type of ground meat. Read more
Such a lovely song that captures hurt. Had to share it.
Lyrics for Samson, by Regina Spektor
You are my sweetest downfall
I loved you first, I loved you first
Beneath the sheets of paper lies my truth
I have to go, I have to go
Your hair was long when we first met Read more
If anyone among your parents, siblings, or children have had colorectal cancer, it's generally prudent to undergo periodic colonoscopies as a screening measure. How often you have a colonoscopy depends on your overall health status and the quality of your bowel movements, so be sure to let your physician know what your diet and lifestyle look like as you decide on a screening schedule. Read more
In response to my article on the Top 3 Determinants of Heart Disease, a number of readers asked how they would know if they were having a heart attack or in danger of having one in the near future.
By definition, a heart attack occurs when blood flow to the heart is compromised. Without adequate oxygen and nutrients from fresh blood, heart cells are damaged and at risk of dying. Read more
Throughout the world, abandoned babies are found every day in woods, dumpsters, creeks, laundromats, and under subway seats. Poverty, psychological distress of teenage pregnancies, and undesired gender are common root causes of child abandonment.
In 2009, a South Korean pastor named Lee Jong Rak and his wife installed a drop box in front of their home, a box that has become a depository for unwanted babies, many with disabilities. The Drop Box is a heartbreaking documentary that tells their story. Please feel free to view the trailer here: Read more
If you're looking for a truly healthy, protein-rich food to anchor your diet, I highly recommend that you consider quinoa (pronounced keen wah). Called the "mother of grains" by the Incan empire, quinoa is native to South America, and is naturally rich in all nine essential amino acids - these are amino acids that we humans can't make from other nutrients, so must obtain from our diet. Quinoa is one of a few grains that are gluten-free, and for most people, it's easy to digest and utilize. Read more
Contrary to popular opinion, your eyes need some exposure to the full spectrum of sunlight to be optimally healthy. Light waves from the sun are converted to electro-chemical energy in cells in your retina, and this energy is transmitted throughout your brain and body where it has positive health effects.
Energy from sunlight travels to your hypothalamus, which is an area in your brain that is about the size of a grape and acts as the micro-processing chip that governs almost everything that happens in your body. Your hypothalamus receives information from all regions of your body and uses this data to regulate your autonomic nervous system to keep you healthy. Depending on your moment-to-moment needs, your hypothalamus adjusts your heart and lung rates, the amount of blood that perfuses your skeletal muscles and digestive organs, and whether you sweat or shiver, just to name a few of the bodily activities that it controls. Read more
If you're keen on taking optimal care of your eyes and vision, I encourage you to adopt the habit of blinking softly as often as possible.
Frequent and gentle blinking is essential to maintaining healthy eyes and optimal vision because it allows your eyelids to keep your eyes coated with three beneficial layers of tears: Read more
As widely covered in the media, 13-year old Jemma-Louise Roberts passed away last winter from Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS), which is thought to have come about from using tampons to help her prepare for swim meets.
TSS is a rare bacterial infection - typically by Staphylococcus aureus but sometimes group A streptococcus bacteria - that can quickly travel through the body via one's bloodstream. Toxins associated with this infection can damage and disrupt all organ systems, making TSS a life-threatening medical emergency. Toxic Shock Syndrome can affect men, women, and children of all ages. Beyond recent tampon use, major risk factors include skin wounds and recent surgery. Read more
Pickled radish has long been a staple side dish in Korean cuisine. It's sweet, sour, and crunchy, and is almost always a component of traditional sushi rolls (kim bap). It's also often served as a side dish to starch-heavy dishes like jja jjang myun, a mouthwatering dish of al dente noodles smothered in a sweet black bean sauce with sautéed chopped onions, carrots, sweet potatoes, and some type of ground meat. 
