The latest health research news from around the world, compiled by Lead Instructor and Program Director Leanne Scott, FNTP.

Most quit breakthrough weight-loss drug within a year. Time Spent in Nature Doesn’t Just Feel Good - It Heals. Studies Show Its Possible to Regulate Our Biochemistry and Facilitate Healing

Andre Obradovic, ICF PCC-level Leadership Coach, Primal Health Coach, Certified Low-Carb Healthy-Fat Coach, and Certified Personal Trainer, provides some timely questions to ponder about alcohol. Is is just a couple of beers? Can you stop anytime? Is it just social? Dive in for a honest and confronting look at all the aspects of drinking, from how it affects your physical performance, sleep and hormones, as well as the cost to our kids.

Jess Wilson FNTP gives us the real scoop on saunas and ice baths. Did you know that a lot of the research on these therapies focused on men? Jess unpacks all the pros and cons relating to women’s hormones and some important considerations to ensure you are fully informed.

For decades, women’s health has been largely understood through the lens of hormones alone. But a growing body of research is quietly reshaping that narrative - revealing a far more complex, interconnected system at work. At the centre of it all? The female microbiome.

Once thought to play a supporting role, the trillions of microbes living in and on the body are now emerging as powerful regulators of reproductive health. Scientists are uncovering how these microbial communities interact with hormones, influence immune responses, and even shape outcomes across every life stage—from fertility and conception to pregnancy and menopause.

In this feature from Nore Hoogstad FNTP, we explore the emerging science behind the female microbiome—and why it may be one of the most important, and underestimated, drivers of women’s health today.