Re-visit The Natural Health Directory and discover a whole new world of natural health!

The USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University recently conducted the first study to examine the association between depression and low levels of folate (a B group vitamin) among a large segment of the general population and found that out of the 3,000 participants, those who suffered mild depression and those with severe depression, all had a folate deficiency. Depressed people were also found to be lacking in other B group vitamins, magnesium and essential fatty acids.

Try boosting your diet with lentils, asparagus, kidney beans, oranges, whole grains, nuts, leafy green vegetables, avocados, bananas, mangoes, potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, fish, seeds and beets. You may also want to consider a nutritional counselor and the use of supplements. You can also learn more about the benefits of nutrition by taking a course.

It's Grapefruit! Although scientists still need to do more research to make the connection, studies have shown that adding grapefruit to your diet can help shed weight. It seems that grapefruit has the ability to lower insulin levels and helps you use energy more efficiently.

This doesn't mean that eating nothing but grapefruit for weeks is going to really slim you down - it will just lead to malnutrition and disease. It does mean that in addition to eating healthful foods and exercising regularly, you can add, say, half a grapefruit to your breakfast or a glass of grapefruit juice to your lunch or enjoy a grapefruit dessert with your evening meal. For more healthy recipe suggestions, visit our recipe center.

Consider the fact that our traditional holiday foods deliver more than just nutrients. With each morsel we relive happy moments shared with our closest family and friends, we connect with our past and a tradition that has been practiced and passed on for generations - it's a way to slow down and realise there is something that endures even in our rapidly changing world.

Unless you have a health problem that can be made worse by eating or drinking even a little of the wrong foods, one day of "letting loose" is not going to destroy the efforts you have made toward your physical health and it just might recharge your spirits.

New research has shown that excessive caffeine use may increase your risk of developing kidney stones. Caffeine causes calcium loss and increases the risk of kidney stones developing, especially for those people with a history of this problem in the family.

Caffeine can be found in coffee, tea, cola, chocolate, energy drinks, weight loss preparations and coffee flavored drinks and ice-creams.

Caution: Balance is the key to health, however, if you think you may be at a higher risk of developing kidney stones, please consult a qualified health care provider to discuss your health further.