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Tag: Dr. Ben Kim

A Natural DEET-free Insect Repellent That Works

A jaunt up into the Rockies this weekend showed us that our recent rains have led to a booming crop of mosquitos. Oh, the air was thick with them, particularly as the day neared dusk. Luckily, we had a good insect repellent with us that worked amazingly well.natural insect repellent

Dr. Ben Kim’s Anti-Bug Spray Version 2.0 contains a high concentration of essential oils in an easy-to-apply pump spray bottle. It smells good and visibly kept the hordes of mosquitos at bay, without any toxic chemical or DEET, a known toxin that has been shown to cause brain cell death in rats.

I have seen how DEET will melt the hard plastic casing of a flashlight to create fingerprints where it was touched by hands covered in insect repellent. I don’t need to wait for the government to confirm my bad feelings about this powerful chemical or its effect on human bodies, especially the developing bodies of babies and children.

No one out there is measuring the accumulated exposure to the multiple chemicals we come into contact with every day through everything from the shampoo we use, the toothpaste we brush with, the air we breathe, the water we drink, the pesticides on our foods… and on and on. A little DEET here, a little Aspartame there, a bit of BPA on the side… it all adds up in our body tissues.

It’s up to each of us to avoid exposures where and when we can to safeguard our own health. A DEET-free insect repellant that actually repels insects is a good place to start. Try this one.

Natural Wart Removal Remedy

It’s funny to me that my post on removing plantar warts with apple cider vinegar is consistently one of my most visited and commented upon posts. I love that so many have offered their own wart removal advice in the comments! The post has really become a great resource page because of all the input.

Sliced garlic.

It would seem that a lot of people are searching for natural wart removal solutions, probably after having found no lasting relief from following conventional therapies of freezing them with liquid nitrogen or burning them off with acid, like Compound W. Both of these options are painful, can leave scars, and don’t guarantee that the wart won’t return.

In previous posts, I’ve explored using apple cider vinegar and duct tape, and salicylic acid to remove warts, but I just saw this post by Dr. Ben Kim on using raw garlic and athletic tape for wart removal. Apparently, this method works on all kinds of warts, including plantar warts.

In a nutshell, each night before bed, clean your hands and slice a clove of raw garlic. Rub the released garlic juice onto and around the periphery of the wart until it is covered. Then, affix a fresh slice of raw garlic onto the wart using athletic tape. Ensure that the slice of garlic is large enough to cover the wart, even if it slips around somewhat while you sleep. Remove the tape and garlic in the morning and expose the wart to air during the day.

I have not tried this wart remedy myself, but if you do, please leave a comment below and tell us how it went!

Building Healthy Bones Naturally

Whether you are at risk for osteoporosis, a growing kid, or recovering from bone trauma like my son with his broken arm, there are natural ways to increase your dietary calcium intake to help your bones build and repair themselves.

I’m not a big fan of supplements in general as I believe wholesome foods are the best sources of vitamins and minerals for human bodies. Supplements may not be bio-available and it’s hard to know the source of the ingredients inside the supplement (i.e., did it come from a developing nation with questionable purity standards?). I’d rather look toward foods for my nutrients every time.

Dr. Ben Kim gives a great overview of how bone growth happens and offers 9 ways you can keep your bones healthy naturally:

  1. Be physically active.
  2. Stretch large muscle groups daily.
  3. Eat mineral-rich foods: green vegetables.
  4. Drink mineral-rich bone broths.
  5. Ensure adequate vitamin D by spending enough un-sunscreened time in the sunshine.
  6. Eat high quality fats and cholesterol: avocado, fish, coconut oil, etc.
  7. Learn how to effectively manage stress.
  8. Avoid calcium-leaching foods such as: soda pop, artificial sweeteners, sugar, non-sea salt.
  9. Eat foods rich in vitamin C.

Good advice all around, whether or not you are specifically concerned about the state of your bones.