Last week, more than 1300 vendors and some 23,000 attendees descended on the Baltimore, Maryland Convention Center to participate in three action-packed days of education seminars and show floor displays, all about the latest trends, science, and concerns involved in the natural health industry.

Betsy and I have returned from this always wonderful experience full of new information on products you already love, as well as nabbing some new product ideas we think you are going to appreciate.

Here are three of the top pieces of information we thought you would be most excited about:

1. We found several new items that are coming soon to our shelves:
   • Country Life has a complementary product to its popular Maxi-Hair that you won’t want to miss, coming in early November.  Let’s just say, wrinkles beware!
   • Trace Minerals has a non-GMO food bar that can be used as a meal substitute and is so tasty, you might not want to tell the kids it isn’t a candy bar.
   • We’ve found some exciting, tasty liquid supplements, including fermented vitamins, that will bring a whole new variety of choices to those of you who are looking to reduce the capsules in your supplement mix.
   • A. Vogel’s pine cough drops taste so soothing, you just might not mind your sore throat.
2. We enjoyed great lectures where we learned new facets to key health issues:
   • Did you know that the only time you really can build your vitamin D stores through sun exposure is between the hours of 10 am and 3 pm?
   • We always think about general immune health as winter approaches, but what about also supporting that other aspect of health that often suffers during the short days of colder weather–mood?  And studies show that nutritional support for the coming winter season should begin NOW.
   • Did you know that your skin can be your first line of defense during cold and flu season?  Your GI tract also plays an important role because whatever microbes make it past the defenses in your nose drop down into the stomach to be killed by the acid there to help you from catching the latest bug.
3. We learned three things about mushrooms that everyone should know:
   • They have been used for thousands of years
   • They offer nutritive support to every system in the body
   • They provide basic, cellular building blocks, like antioxidants, enzymes and prebiotics

Our recent trips to trade shows in New Orleans and Baltimore allow us to stay educated and bring you the latest and best in nutritional supplements.  We look forward to seeing you at your next visit to our stores.

In health,
Ramona