Hydrate! One of the healthiest habits is to consume fresh, pure water throughout the day. But if you haven’t given up your convenient plastic water bottle for the sake of the earth, perhaps you may after you learn the link between plastic and your weight. It seems research from Health Canada is the first to show how the body metabolizes bisphenol-A (BPA) results in fat accumulation.

BPA is a chemical found in polycarbonate plastic. Among its many uses are plastic containers to store food and for beverages like water. But it does not stop there.

Long before the media was a buzz of ads about why you need a probiotic, naturopathic doctors knew the value of an optimally functioning GI tract for immunity and a host of other health benefits. Your GI tract is teeming with billions of organisms (friendly bacteria species) which help you make and absorb vitamins and minerals, form natural killer cells to fight infection and of course, digest your food for the nutritional support your body needs on a daily basis. Everything is not all good down there in the dark!

Vitamin D3 is a controversial supplement when it comes to knowing how much to take. Supplements are available in 400 IU to 5,000 IU amounts and even the experts have conflicting recommendations, adding to the confusion for consumers who wish to supplement. So how do you figure it out? A 2017 published Canadian study specifically looked at the factors which influenced D3 levels based on individual needs.

Most of our readers know I am not one to make new year's resolutions. I believe you make your life one day at a time, one decision at a time. But the change of a calendar page is as good a starting point as any, whether it is to a new month or a new year.  Season to season. Winter holds secrets it tells only to spring, passing along a ritual of unfolding that marvels the eye. Bare, dark trees to a bloom of leaves. Will it be a promise of apples? Sweet cherry blossoms? Or simply a nest for a grateful family of birds and a haven for squirrels. Like nature, so too the human spirit goes through its season of change, perhaps from the dark to the light. From broken to healing. New growth beyond its present hibernation. Life's mystery lying just beneath the cold and the hidden.

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), flu season can occur as early as September and last as late as May. All 50 states have reported outbreaks. What's the best protection? Given its contagious nature, fortify your defenses! Supplements or vaccinate? While the CDC warns supplement companies not to tout flu protection or treatment, here are a few flu facts they offer that you should know and a few from TyH. Remember always check with your health care professional for individual medical advice.