Natasha Turner, N.D. is a Toronto-based naturopathic doctor. She is the founder of the Clear Medicine wellness boutique and author of the bestselling book The Hormone Diet. Each week in her column for That's Fit.ca, Dr. Turner advises readers on how to remedy common health issues as well as improve their overall health.

Losing your hair, especially as a female, is traumatic. For reasons of vanity, obviously, but then also because it's something that you feel you have absolutely no control over. This problem affects millions of women leading to depression, anxiety, a loss of self-esteem and withdrawal from friends, family and daily activities. Losing your hair can mean losing your vitality and lust for life-it's never something that should be taken lightly by your health care provider. Any sudden hair loss should be taken seriously. Some physicians might say: "It's because you're getting older" or "It's because of your hormones," but if you think you're losing hair, your physician had better listen, because most likely, you are.

A new study from the Journal of Cancer Research, supported by the US National Cancer Institute (NCI), published findings that show promise for the prevention of lung cancer. The study found that folate, multivitamins and green leafy vegetables may reduce the risk of lung cancer in current and former smokers.

The consumption of certain micronutrients may lessen a process called methylation, which has an effect on gene signaling. Since many genes in lung tumors, including those responsible for cell division and other significant cell processes, are methylated, researchers speculated that nutrients decreasing methylation may reduce risk of lung cancer.

The nutrients studied included a multivitamin rich in phytochemicals like vitamin C, carotenoids, lutein, folic acid, vitamin A and vitamin K. Researchers also showed that reduced gene methylation occurred with consumption of these micronutrients as components of green leafy vegetables.

Admittedly, artichokes are a food I haven't explored much. I've had artichoke hearts fairly often in various salads, but I could count on one hand the number of times I've actually sat down to a whole, steamed artichoke. I was served it once along with a delicious butter sauce when I went to dinner at a friend's house and really enjoyed it. Since we're smack dab in the middle of the second artichoke season right now (the biggest one being in the spring), I may just have a chance to give it another try -- and so do you.

Artichokes grow mainly in warmer climates, and their season begins in the fall, continuing through to the spring, unless interrupted by frost. While peak production happens in spring, when markets are filled with them and their prices drop, there is often a mini-season in the fall, depending on the weather.

Artichoke has traditionally been used as a treatment for digestive health disorders. They have also been found to lower blood cholesterol levels, have a preventative effect on heart disease and atherosclerosis, and a protective effect on the liver, enhancing its detoxification reactions.

More artichoke benefits after the jump...

Natasha Turner, N.D. is a Toronto-based naturopathic doctor. She is the founder of the Clear Medicine wellness boutique and author of the bestselling book The Hormone Diet. Each week in her column for That's Fit.ca, Dr. Turner advises readers on how to remedy common health issues as well as improve their overall health.

Have you ever been caught grabbing a bit of shut-eye at your desk? What was your excuse to your boss? New sleep research may be your best answer.

A 2002 study from Harvard University considered worker burnout over four days of training and the effect of napping. As the four days of training wore on, the workers began to experience burnout. But the good news is - the study found that workers who were allowed to take a 30-minute nap on the second day of a four-day training session experienced less decline in visual tasks. A one-hour nap was actually found to return performance back to normal in the last two sessions.

That is not to say that curling up for an hour or so at the office should be sanctioned, but keeping it to less than 30 minutes might not be so far-fetched. It seems that half-hour naps should not only be recognized as acceptable by companies, but also beneficial. This is old news to many European countries where afternoon siestas are standard practice and many shops close for an hour or so each afternoon.

Afternoon drowsiness is a major problem for many corporations: it is estimated that lost productivity costs billions of dollars every year. A possible solution is to allow 20 to 30 minutes of napping per day when it is deemed necessary, creating a work environment that may actually help boost workplace productivity rather than hinder it. In today's fast-paced society and tough economy, however, most companies frown on napping in the workplace rather than encourage it.

Can't squeeze in a nap? Use these nine tips to boost your energy and productivity during the day:

Each morning, we dish out a few links we love.

Think your last date was bad? This trumps it for sure -- this guy stole her car when they met for dinner.

Got a bit of a paunch? Booze isn't to blame, but your tendency to binge-drink is.

Listen up, 20-something ladies: Apparently you should be taking folic acid -- even if you're not planning on getting pregnant any time soon.

Got aches and pains? Find out if ibuprofen is OK during a workout or not.

Here's a yummy way to slim down -- apparently, blueberries help fight fat.

Each morning, we weigh in on the day's hottest headlines.

Ok, this is a bit much -- Paula Abdul recently told reporters that not only has she never done or been addicted to drugs, she's never been drunk either and has yet to do any time in a rehab facility for more than a vacation. Your thoughts?

We're told to avoid it but apparently, stress adds years to your life! Um, I'm going to pretend I didn't read that and head to the beach instead ...

Got a bad back? Apparently, acupuncture is by far the most effective treatment.

Um, ick. Researchers are saying that a single cough or sneeze can contain nearly 20,000 viruses. For the love of Pete people, cover your mouth. Yes, I'm talking to you, guy on the train this morning who sneezed all over the centre hand rail.

Ladies, thinking of starting a family any time soon? Start taking your folic acid, like, now.