Did you know that camping and spending time outdoors can actually benefit your health? In fact, there are many health benefits that come with a good camping trip.

Camping brings us back to the basics. It provides an escape from the daily grind. And it allows us to connect with nature and appreciate the simple basic needs of life.

Camping is an escape from the daily rat race. Stress levels can significantly decrease in nature, without all the worries and routines of everyday life.

Leave the huzzle, noise and pollution of the city behind you for a few days. Weekend get-aways are great for people who are tired with their everyday lives and are looking for something out of the ordinary to do.

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The growing interest in healthy food also ignited a huge interest in a raw food lifestyle. Raw foodists claim that a diet consisting of organic, fresh, uncooked fruits and vegetables, as well as sprouted nuts and seeds achieves maximum health, detoxifies the body and saves the planet.

Raw foods contain enzymes which are important in aiding digestion and absorption of food. This means that the body's own enzymes may work better in regulating the body's metabolism. Heating food above 110-120 degrees Fahrenheit decreases or destroys enzymes. Freezing food is acceptable, even though freezing lowers enzyme activity.

Raw foods contain friendly bacteria and other micro-organisms that affect the immune system and digestion by populating the digestive tract with gut flora. When handled and prepared properly, raw food can help to lessen and relief heartburn, gas, indigestion or constipation (check with your holistic health practitioner if you are fit for a raw or partially raw diet).

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More people are turning to herbal medicines in their search for more natural and gentle health care. Herbal remedies are cost-effective and offer relief from an abundance of ailments.

However, self-medication is cautioned, as herbal remedies can have short-term or long-term effects.

Most spices are not consumed in large amounts so the average person will not notice their effect. Large or long-term doses of any spice or herb to achieve a desired health benefit should not be taken without consulting a physician.

As every human has individual needs, the health benefits of all herbs and spices may vary from person to person. Also potencies vary among the many different preparation methods and brands.

Always follow label directions, unless otherwise prescribed by a herbologist, traditional Chinese doctor, Ayurvedic doctor, naturopathic or homeopathic doctor or other certified natural health care provider.

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People have a lot of bad theories about happiness and what makes them happy. That’s among the research findings of Harvard University psychologist Daniel Gilbert. "When we try to predict what will make us happy we're often wrong," he says.

The numbers of pharmaceutical sales confirm his theory. Americans spent $750 million on self-help books in 2006 and more than $1 billion on motivational speakers.

Gilbert, in his book "Stumbling on Happiness," writes that our culture associates happiness with buying bigger, better, newer things. However, research indicates that things don’t buy happiness.

"Researchers all over the world find the same predictable errors, whether the pursuit involves romance, a new car, or a sumptuous meal."

Gilbert says money buys happiness only for those who lack the basic needs. Once you pass an income of $50,000, more money doesn't buy much more happiness.

Another misconception is that having children equals happiness. Says Gilbert, "When you follow people throughout their days, as they're going about their normal activities, people are about as happy interacting with their children, on average, as when they're doing housework. They're much less happy than when they're exercising, sleeping, grocery shopping, hanging out with friends.”

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"Happiness pills" won't cure depression. This is among the findings from one of the largest recent study on modern antidepressant drugs.

Researchers from Canada, the U.S. and Great Britain looked at published and unpublished clinical trials and data used by drug companies. The results, which were published in the New England Journal of Medicine, showed that antidepressants were only effective in a very small percentage of the most extreme depressed. The majority of patients given placebos (sugar pills) improved just as much as patients given antidepressants.

These research results set a wave of concerns and questions throughout the medical world and patients.

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