And now for today's health news.....

Happy Wednesday, folks! Hope 2016 is off to a great start for everyone, and that you're able to embrace the "normalcy" of a holiday-free week. So, here at the New River Naturals blog, we try to link you up with the latest articles that are deemed interesting and relevant, with relation to health. Most of these tend to relate to your diet's role in health, though on Monday, we also looked at your emotion's relationship to your diet and exercise, and how focusing on this root issue could improve the way you eat and feel. Here's another link that's not diet-related. The study this article is about looked at correlation between a rich social life, and several health factors. Surprise! It's good for you to have friends! Shocking, I know. But don't think we're neglecting the latest diet news. This article looks at the psychology of our eating habits. It's not enough to just know what you should eat. You can actually train yourself to enjoy healthy foods. In the article they call it a "hedonic shift", where something that you used to despise becomes pleasurable, such as developing a taste for coffee. Another "story of the day", looks at the role a father's diet prior to a baby's conception could play on the baby's health. Apparently mice eating a diet high in fat prior to conceiving offspring produced offspring with predispositions to diabetes. This is interesting, as I had read a couple years ago that the age of a man at a child's conception affects the probability of several health conditions, when it was previously thought to be a non-issue. If you want an inspiring story of weight loss, click here. This young man lost the equivalent of at least 2 adult males. Wow. And he did so in the public forum of the internet. And to beat that, with help from people on a bodybuilding message board. Check it out, he certainly saved his life with his decision to be healthy. And if there are any football fans out there, it's playoff time. And love him or hate him, you have to be impressed with the longevity and success of the New England Patriots Tom Brady. How does he do it at age 38? Here, his personal chef details the diet of the 4 time Super Bowl winner.  And while most of us don't have the means to hire a personal chef, it is interesting to learn about the eating habits of people whose bodies, and their optimal functioning, are their livelihood. I guess that's enough for today, folks. Keep on making 2016 your best year yet, and be healthy, my friends.