As a romance reader and contributor to the library's romance genre picks, I'm constantly navigating how to talk about pleasure and sexuality with general audiences. Though it's easy to swoon and joke about "spicy books" with friends, real talk about pleasure reading is tricky. I've been inspired reading Rachel Lynn Soloman's new romance Business or Pleasure in which the female protagonist is a sex-positive heroine, so I decided to write a blog post about pleasure through a health and wellness lens.

Healthy pleasure

The titles below attempt to cover the umbrella term that is "pleasure," including happiness, self-actualization, sexuality, relaxation, sexual behaviour and relationships. What has recently bolstered my understanding of all these subjects is the sex positive movement, which seeks to reframe sexuality as a healthy and natural part of the human experience.

As an aside, there is nothing more humbling than your kid earnestly asking you questions about their body and really testing your ability to put thoughts into action. My cheeks may turn red and I may stumble, but dammit, I'm doing my best! 

Pleasure Activism: The Politics of Feeling Good by Adrienne Maree Brown

This book has a little bit of everything: essays, poetry and art. It's queer and trans-inclusive and brilliantly uses Black feminist traditions to activate our thinking of sexual pleasure and relationships. I was particularly impressed by how it weaves in discussions of boundaries and moderation. 

Small Pleasures by The School of Life

I discovered The School of Life series recently, and I really enjoy it's simple, charming exploration of a number of subjects. Pertinent titles to the topic of pleasure are the books on relationships, emotional intelligence and of course, small pleasures. These books feel more like meditations on various subject matters rather than a deep dive into a subject, similar to the A very short introduction series. 

Hurts So Good: The Science & Culture of Pain on Purpose by Leigh Cowart

In this thorough psychological examination, which is peppered with anecdotal interviews and pop culture references, Cowart introduces readers to masochism. The librarian in me couldn't help but giggle at the section about Twilight fan fiction and the Fifty Shades of Grey series. Special mention goes to the great, gothic cover art and sexy author profile photo (I wish more authors would stray outside the lines of conventional headshots).

Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence by Anna Lembke

I'll be the first to admit that I am utterly lost without my smartphone, but that after a night of scrolling social media, I'm often left thinking, "Really, that's enough internet today." Lembke argues that "the smartphone is the modern-day hypodermic needle, delivering digital dopamine 24/7 for a wired generation." I hope, like me, you dive into the pursuits of pleasure in part one and stick around for lessons in balance at the end. 

The Pleasure Gap: American Women & The Unfinished Sexual Revolution by Katherine Rowland

A great exploration of modern sexuality in heterosexual women, Rowland argues that American women should fight their reported sexual dissatisfaction in the bedroom as fervently as they fight the wage gap in the workplace. This call-to-arms uses interviews with over 120 women to explore everything from the tradition of sexuality (my favourite chapter!) to the biology of sexual function.

Have a made you blush? Perhaps I didn't go far enough? Share your favourite romance and pleasure titles below!

This is an ode to the mom squad: a network of moms, both in-person and virtual, that can be relied upon for nearly anything. My own network of mom friends comforted me in my fourth trimester. They pulled me through the landmines of the terrible twos. Now, they're showing me the hilarity of living with a "three-nager." Happy Mother's Day!

Mohsin, me and our beloved mom squad member & kiddo in Rogue Valley Park, photo by author

Having a mom squad is wildly helpful — from the mundane text reminders (it's pajama day at daycare, skip the getting-dressed battle) to the downright heroic (finding supplies of Children's Advil during a global pandemic). To my own mom squad, and to all the other supportive mom networks out there, thank you for helping us thrive.

Literary Mom Squad

I've elected myself captain of your literary mom squad and curated a new list of books that exemplifies the many moods of motherhood. These books will make you cry undignified tears of nostalgia, spark a little rage at the imbalance of family dynamics, or make you laugh so hard you pee a little (because most of us still need pelvic floor physio). Enjoy!

Send Me Into the Woods Alone: Essays on Motherhood by Erin Pepler

Erin Pepler wrote a collection of essays that are hilarious and heartfelt, spanning from the time from pregnancy/birth to beating your kids at board games. I, too, was a "sobbing vomiting bridge troll" when I was pregnant, and I'm currently doing everything I can'to weasel my way into Erin Pepler's mom squad (yes, Erin, I'm available for a glass of wine anytime). For you feminist moms, check out the essay "I want to be a park dad" and imagine a world where  loosely supervising your kids in a public space results in the world thinking you're perfect.

Screaming On The Inside: The Unsustainability of American Motherhood by Jessica Grose

Herein lies your gut-check. It's also your reminder to check in on your mom squad to ensure they are actually okay even if they say they're fine. This book helped me confront the unrealistic expectations I had for myself based on what I had internalized from history and popular culture. I'd  like to blame perfectly curated TikTok videos and pandemic stressors for my feelings of inadequacy, but really, being a mom is just hard. 

Arrival Stories: Women Share Their Experiences of Becoming Mothers edited by Amy Schumer and Christy Turlington Brown

This is a fantastic collection of essays about the different ways women become mothers, including natural conception, medical intervention and adoption. This book made me mindful that not every mother becomes a mom the same way, and we shouldn't make assumptions that may prove hurtful or insensitive.

I want to place a large emphasis on the emotional toll this book may take. Personally, author Emma Hansen's experience of still birth will live in my memory forever. Her essay is made particularly powerful in audiobook format because Hansen narrates it herself. Also, it has been expanded into a full length book. 

I'll Show Myself Out: Essays on Midlife & Motherhood by Jessi Klein

I read Jessi Klein's first book, "You'll Grow Out of It," on a beach in Tofino, British Columbia, and I loved it. At the time I wasn't sure if I loved it because of where I was reading it or because of the quality of the book. With this collection of essays I am now sure that it's Klein's writing, which is both humiliatingly honest and hilarious. The librarian in me loved the essay about reading the same book six million times to your child. If Klein was a part of my mom squad, I'd wager she would support my knee-jerk instinct to burn my kid's copy of "Touch and Feel Canada."

My Body Created A Human: A Love Story by Emma Ahlqvist

I'm a big fan of graphic novels, so here is my new, standout graphic novel about motherhood. This book is honest, relatively short and simple, but it packs a punch. It nails you in the heart with the weirdness of motherhood, including the irrational thoughts that can creep in. I read this book on a 30-minute train ride with my kid. It made me nostalgic for the days when he was a tiny newborn compared to the now 40-pound preschooler who insists on a pillow wall when we watch movies together. 

Did I miss any of your favourites? Which books do would you recommend to mom squad members? Let me know in the comments.  

After getting shamelessly lured by an eye-catching new book, Butts: A Backstory by Heather Radke, I couldn't help but wonder: why do people obsess about certain body parts?

Butts: A Backstory by Heather Radke

Objectively, we all have body parts we find attractive in others. It stands to reason that we also have parts of our own bodies we like to accentuate because it makes us feel confident. Since I wanted a more well-rounded blog post (pun intended), my mind wandered to the other big obsession in Western culture: women's breasts. Though I personally find them a nuisance in my fitness pursuits, and I greatly dislike unwanted attention being paid to them, my own breasts did prove useful when I had my son and embarked on the journey of breastfeeding. To that end, here is a curated list exploring the history and socio-cultural reasons behind fetishizing these two prominent body parts.  

Books About Buttocks

The Rear View : A Brief and Elegant History of Bottoms Through The Ages by Jean-Luc Hennig

This cheeky little book is worth the trek to the Toronto Reference Library (TRL). Through a historical lens, Hennig takes us on a deeply enjoyable and witty journey of both the artistic and literary obsession with bottoms. I swear, we keep all the best books about nudity up in the Arts Department at TRL. 

Seen From Behind : Perspectives on the Male Body and Renaissance Art by Patricia Lee Rubin

For you history buffs, this book flips the usual scholarship of the male body's phallic imagery to the male backside, specifically in Renaissance art and culture. This book is perfect if you're looking for serious scholarship and about the male body in particular. 

Reading From Behind : A Cultural Analysis of the Anus by Jonathan A. Allan

Another rejection of phallocentrism, this wildly charming book analyses the anus in everything from porn to poetry. This book is filled with pop culture references that will help you reexamine sex, culture and identity but in a light-hearted tone. Jonathan A. Allan is a contributing author of another sexy little book called "Virgin Envy: The Cultural (In)Significance of the Hymen." 

Butts : A Backstory by Heather Radke

Not willing to wait in the long hold queue, this book was worth every penny of my Libro.fm account credit in order to buy the eAudiobook: "Butts : A Backstory" is 8 hours and 13 minutes of robust delight. Radke asks us, "how did a mass of muscle and fat become an aesthetic and a cultural Rorschach test for our collective feelings about what's desirable, acceptable and shameful?" This book covers anatomy, emotion and culture with particular attention being paid to female butts.  

Books About Breasts

A Boob's Life: How America's Obsession Shaped Me… And You by Leslie Lehr

A great mix of personal narrative and cultural analysis, Lehr's book considers a huge range of factors like Playboy, beauty pageants, bare breasts in American films, breastfeeding guidelines, breast augmentation surgeries, censorship laws and even breast cancer. For people still smirking at Jax's hit song "Victoria's Secret" (also covered in this book), you'll want to check this one out. 

Breasts: A Natural and Unnatural History by Florence Williams

Williams is a science reporter who tells us about the evolution of the breast from puberty to pregnancy to menopause, all wrapped in excellent cover art.  I particularly enjoyed the chapter on hormonal birth control as well as the discussion of toxins in female breast tissue. 

Boobs : Women Explore What It Means To Have Breasts Edited by Ruth Daniell

This collection of short stories made me sit down and truly consider how having breasts has impacted my life. The stories featured in this collection cover a wide range of life experiences, from surviving sexual assault to a young woman deciding to undergo breast reduction surgery to a gender non-binary paren't's ambivalent relationship with breastfeeding. Incredibly powerful, Daniell truly captured what having breasts can mean outside the usual images in pop culture. 

Cultural Encyclopedia of The Breast Edited by Merril D. Smith

A truly impressive resource, Smith argues that "because there are so many cultural aspects to the breasts, the encyclopedia is an ideal format for covering the topic." This book is a one-stop shop for dissecting cultural fascinations with breasts. Because it is multidisciplinary, drawing on medicine, sociology, media studies, gender studies, history, art and literature, Smith is able to take us on a global tour of everything from statues to modern advertisements and unpack why we are so obsessed with breasts. 

Have I neglected a particular body part you are obsessed with? Comment below!

Now in its 4th year, the City of Toronto has proclaimed March 6 to 12, Black Mental Health Week. Recognizing this week shines a light on the mental health challenges of Black Torontonians. Years of institutional, systemic and anti-Black racism have affected the mental health of many in the Black community. Societal stigma and financial disparities are a few of the reasons why Black people are less likely to seek mental health support from medical professionals.

Although more Black celebrities and athletes, like Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson and Simone Biles, have opened up about their mental health challenges, many Black people still suffer in a culture of silence. Recently, Duane Notice, a Canadian basketball player in the National League, shared about his mental health challenges after he sustained a serious injury.

Studies show that women experience depression at rates twice that of men but are less likely to seek mental health care. Black women amplify this discrepancy by being less likely to seek care when compared to white women. In addition to the daily pressures that women feel in general, Black women may also be affected by societal challenges brought on by racial inequities.

The February 2023 Toronto’s Population Health Profile: Insight on the Health of our City reveals that Black Canadians reported poorer self-rated mental health and greater financial insecurity compared with white Canadians, during the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, 32% of Black respondents, compared to 24% of White respondents, reported moderate to severe generalized anxiety disorder symptoms just two weeks prior to completing the survey. 

Former First Lady, Michelle Obama shared that she suffered from low-grade depression due to the Covid-19 pandemic, racial tensions in the United States, and the political divide. Award-winning actress, Taraji P. Henson also shared openly about the myth of the Strong Black Woman and how that label encourages Black women to suffer quietly and hide away any weaknesses. Grammy-award winner, Michelle Williams shared candidly about her battle with depression in her memoir, Checking In: how getting real about depression saved my life-and can save yours.

Taking care of our mental health is important. Read, share and seek professional help as needed. This blog post is not here to advise but rather to share that you are not alone. Check out our Black Mental Health Reading List and Anti-Black Racism & Mental Health Resources from the City of Toronto to support you on your journey of healing. 

Homecoming : Overcome Fear and Trauma to Reclaim Your Whole, Authentic Self by Thema Bryant

"In the aftermath of stress, disappointment, and trauma, people often fall into survival mode, even while a part of them longs for more. Juggling multiple demands and responsibilities keeps them busy, but not healed. As a survivor of sexual assault, racism, and evacuation from a civil war in Liberia, Dr. Bryant knows intimately the work involved in healing. Having made the journey herself, in addition to guiding others as a clinical psychologist and ordained minister, Dr. Bryant shows you how to reconnect with your authentic self and reclaim your time, your voice, your life." –from publisher's description

The Pain We Carry: Healing from Complex PTSD for People of Color by Natalie Y. Gutiérrez

"If you are a person of color who has experienced repeated trauma—such as discrimination, race-related verbal assault, racial stigmatization, poverty, sexual trauma, or interpersonal violence—you may struggle with intense feelings of anger, mistrust, or shame. You may feel unsafe or uncomfortable in your own body, or struggle with building and keeping close relationships. Sometimes you may feel very alone in your pain. But you are not alone. This groundbreaking work illuminates the phenomena of complex post-traumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD) as it is uniquely experienced by people of color, and provides a much-needed path to health and wholeness." – from publisher's description

Black Fathering and Mental Health by Dr. Michael Hannon (author/editor)

"Dr. Michael Hannon has convened a group of Black fathers and aspiring fathers, who are also professional counselors, and they offer unique and untapped perspectives about the needs, challenges, and victories of Black fathering across the family life cycle in the context of an anti-Black world. In each chapter, the contributors offer counselors and other mental health professionals a resource to assist them in providing culturally relevant and responsive support to Black fathers at various points across the family life cycle and more comprehensively understand the circumstances that might prompt—and prevent—Black fathers to seek counseling support." –from publisher's description

My Grandmother's Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies by Resmaa Menakem

"In this groundbreaking book, therapist Resmaa Menakem examines the damage caused by racism in America from the perspective of trauma and body-centered psychology. The body is where our instincts reside and where we fight, flee, or freeze, and it endures the trauma inflicted by the ills that plague society. Menakem argues this destruction will continue until Americans learn to heal the generational anguish of white supremacy, which is deeply embedded in all our bodies." – from publisher's description

Hear from an expert

Tune into our online event, Culturally Appropriate Mental Health, on Tuesday, March 7 at 7 pm with David Grant, to learn about common mental illnesses caused by racism, conflict in our relationships and biology. David is a registered social worker with a Master of Social Work and specialized knowledge in psychiatric illnesses including addictions, children and family welfare, particularly for Black people of the African Diaspora. A recording will be available after the events via Crowdcast.

David Grant 

Related links

• Black Mental Health Reading List 2022
• Black History Series
• The Rita Cox Black and Caribbean Heritage Collection

Despite using the catchphrase "no sweat," a lot, the truth is I am human and I do sweat. In fact, I sweat a lot (both physically and mentally). So of course when a title like "The Joy of Sweat: The Strange Science of Perspiration," appeared on TPL's Health and Wellness New Books page, I immediately placed a hold. Since I am also a big fan of microhistories I thought I would lean into this topic and provide you with a highly curated list of books that embrace being a hot, sweaty mess.

The Joy of Sweat: The Strange Science of Perspiration by Sarah Everts

Would it shock you to know that the world spends 75 billion dollars a year on antiperspirants and deodorants, as Evert says, "in an attempt to pretend we don't sweat and that this nonexistent sweat has no odor." The book that sparked this hair-brained blog post, I thought it was extremely well done and uniquely fascinating. 

Sweat: A History of Exercise by Bill Hayes

A remarkable writer! Hayes takes readers through the history of exercise from Hippocrates to Jane Fonda splicing in his own personal journey with spin classes and downward dogs. This award winning book was a highly anticipated new book for 2022 and after reading it, I would put Hayes up there with other great science writers like Mary Roach and Siddartha Mukherjee. 

No Sweat: How the Simple Science of Motivation can Bring You a Lifetime of Fitness by Michelle Segar

Let's Get Physical by Danielle Friedman

With an introduction simply titled, "Sweat," this book made me grateful that I don't live in a time when sweating was considered unladylike. Tracing the forward-thinking, female, fitness pioneers from the 1960s to now, Friedman tells the story of how women moved together, literally and figuratively, towards empowerment. Hooray for yet another title celebrating the power of Jane Fonda!

Set On You by Amy Lea

With a reading goal of 150 books this year, I have picked up my fair share of contemporary romance books this past year. Though I don't usually recommend fiction in this blog this is a fun exception that combines my love of Romance with my love of the gym. Not to mention it features a strong feminist lead (a curvy fitness influencer, Crystal Chen). 

Comment below and let me know if any of these books inspired you to embrace your sweaty side. 

I'm a sucker for a great book cover. I know I'm not alone. Since starting my journey into eAudiobooks though, I don't often pick up a book and judge it based on its cover. Instead, I download, double tap an airpod, toss it into my pocket or backpack and off I go.

Audiobooks I'm currently listening to, photo by author

That stops today. Let me incentivize you with these grin-inspiring book covers that will give you that "grabby-grabby" (as my toddler says) feeling. Their insides are also pretty great. Though the topics vary widely, I think we can all agree that the information inside these wellness books are very well wrapped. 

Dope Therapy by Shani Tran

Even after taking the leap and seeking out counselling, you may still experience roadblocks to your therapeutic success. Though the advice in this book may be things we already know, for example, don't hold back with your therapist, they are great reminders to get your primed for more effective therapy. 

This Is Not A Book About Benedict Cumberbatch by Tabitha Carvan

Even if this was a book about Benedict Cumberbatch, I would still pick it up off the shelf and marvel at it. The title was definitely the main reason I grabbed it, but the insides of the book are just as hilarious and thought-provoking: mothers, obsession, fears, labels and guilt. 

Chill: The Cold Water Swim Cure by Mark Harper

Think you're brave enough to dive into this simple, three part approach to improving your physical and mental health? My mother did a polar bear dip and ended up breaking her foot, though she didn't realize until she warmed up …days later. No thanks, I'll suffer through my migraines. 

F**k It: The Ultimate Spiritual Way by John C Parkin 

This author has a history of dropping wellness-related "F bombs" and starting revolutions. Also, you know a book is worth reading when it's been updated and reprinted, as this book has been. Be it relationships, food, paren'ting, your job or climate change, this book will help you embrace a new approach to wellness by saying, "F**k it."

Doctors and Distillers by Camper English

I have been known to enjoy an adult beverage or two, so this book grabbed my attention even before I read its perfect dedication, "To your health." With cocktail recipes spliced into every chapter, the author guides us through how the study of alcohol has led to medicinal discoveries in microbiology, biochemistry, herbal medicine, alchemy, germ theory, etc. 

Saved By The Siesta by Brice Faraut

I love napping, I nap every weekend (on both days) despite having an active, busy life …and a toddler. I have, of course, taught my kid to love and value sleep and napping as evidenced below.

Napping like a boss, photo by author

Think you're too busy to nap? Or maybe you have tried it but wake up feeling groggy and wondering what planet you're on. This book is a guide on both the art and science of napping. I particularly liked the cheat sheet in the back that lays out some "Golden Rules" including length, position, and optimal time of day. 

Niksen: Embracing the Dutch Art of Doing Nothing by Olga Mecking

In her deeply sarcastic introduction, Mecking states, "By the time the school bus arrives my sanity is usually hanging by a thread." Mecking draws us into this new wellness trend with her easy-to-read writing style and relatable snippets of personal narrative. One of the few wellness approaches that doesn't ask you to radically change yourself and instead just do less!

Upon further inspection, a lot of these wellness books are instructional guides for slowing down. Do you have a favourite way to unwind after a busy day? Share below! 

Since becoming a health and wellness blogger for TPL, social media now strongly advertises body positivity campaigns to me with hashtags like #BigFatFatty. I'm going to take the radical stance that most people have worried/struggled with their body at one point or another in their life. Be it body size, race, gender, or ability, the Body Positivity Movement seeks to challenge unrealistic ideals of physical attractiveness according to the Canadian Medical Association Journal. The "Fat Acceptance Movement" falls under this umbrella of "Body Positivity" but is focused on getting rid of the social stigma of fatness in particular. Since August was Fat Liberation Month, I want to do a deep dive into this social movement. 

For my June Audiobook Club meeting, we read and discussed Roxane Gay's "Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body." It's an extremely powerful book, made more compelling in audiobook format, I think, because it is performed by the author herself. From the very beginning the author's honesty and vulnerability is gripping:

"The story of my body is not a story of triumph. This is not a weight-loss memoir. There will be no picture of a thin version of me… This is not a book that will offer motivation. I don't have powerful insight into what it takes to overcome an unruly body and unruly appetites. Mine is not a success story. Mine is, simply, a true story."

There are trigger warnings for this book including sexual assault, eating disorders, and emotional abuse. Though the subject matter is difficult, I think it serves its purpose in educating readers on the extraordinary and everyday issues of living in a fat body. Everything from boarding an airplane, to buying custom clothing, to just being constantly stared at by strangers. This book, along with the others listed below, have influenced my personal opinion of the Fat Acceptance Movement and so I wanted to share it. These resources may help erode outdated and misguided prejudices against fat bodies or they may broaden your perspective, my hope is that they will at least create some empathy.

"Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body" by Roxane Gay

Deeply personal and powerful, Roxane Gay gives us the kind of non-fiction we didn't know we needed but that we are forever grateful to have read.

A Perfect 14, Performers/Contributors: Deluxe, Kerosene ; Mayday, Elly ; O'Brien, James Earl ; Vargas, Giovanna Morales ; Wells, Laura

As someone who grew up consuming fashion magazines and shows like "America's Next Top Model," this documentary set me straight. Something that has stuck with me was the comparison, "you would never tell a black person to bleach their skin to avoid discrimination so we shouldn't be telling fat people to lose weight to avoid discrimination." 

I Do It With The Lights On by Whitney Way Thore

From getting trolled online to being fetishized, Whitney Way Thore's book gives us a personal narrative of growing up and becoming a 'fabulous, fat woman.' Cheers to Thore for including colourful pictures from her life, they made the book that much more relatable and charming. 

Fat: A Cultural History of the Stuff of Life by Christopher E. Forth

The History Major in me squealed with delight over finding this book! Looking for a sweeping history of how Western culture has perceived being fat? This book is everything you thought you wanted and more. 

Calories & Corsets: A History of Dieting Over 2,000 Years by Louise Foxcroft

Another treasure for folks looking to understand how we have perceived food throughout history. Foxcroft's writing is engaging and her research is impressive. 

Lastly, for a hit of pop culture, a colleague pointed me in the direction of an article about the pressures of body positivity and how some celebrities like Lizzo [musician] and Jameela Jamil [actor] instead endorse body neutrality/acceptance terminology over body positivity, which may have some inherent flaws or be downright impossible for some folks. 

Whether this topic is brand new to you or you think I missed a great title, share your thoughts below! 

The COVID-19 pandemic has put medicine at the forefront of most conversations. Simultaneously it has left non-science minded folks like myself trying to catch up on the never ending debates over science vs. pseudoscience. On my journey to educate myself, I discovered a few curiosity-piquing books on medical misconceptions that I'm sure folks out there will love or love to hate. The list below includes great titles, killer cover art, and a wide range of perspectives on the science of medicine.

"Large as life, Ontario Science Centre worker Bill Marshall adjusts a mannequin illustrating some 20 body parts that can now be replaced surgically" by David Cooper 1983 (Photo in Toronto Star Photograph Archive)

Medical Misconceptions

Viral BS: Medical Myths and Why We Fall For Them by Dr. Seema Yasmin

From my ever growing TBR [To-Be-Read] pile, this book's cover art really grabbed my attention. I appreciated the short chapters and how it covered popular myths that I could recall being brought up in conversations or on the news. Overall it helped me feel like a more informed consumer of health news.

Hype: A Doctor's Guide to Medical Myths, Exaggerated Claims and Bad Advice by Dr. Nina Shapiro

Do we really need to drink 8 glasses of water a day and only eat Kale? Personally, I prefer spinach (and chips!) and this book made me feel like that was okay. Overall this book does a great job of helping you worry less. The author decodes popular misconceptions and promotes lifestyle choices that we can all realistically implement.   

Overkill: When Modern Medicine Goes Too Far by Dr. Paul A. Offit

Another title focused on patient advocacy, this book may leave you questioning common medical interventions like sunscreen and eye-drops for pink eye. No stranger to hot button issues, Dr. Paul Offit knows how to grab readers' attention on topics such as vaccines, religion & medicine and celebrities as health advocates. Can we say medical click-bait?

1 Out of 10 Doctors Recommends by Dr. Eric Bender, Dr. Murdoch Khaleghi and Dr. Bobby Singh

Humor really is the best medicine and this collection of hilarious essays are sure to go down like a spoonful of sugar. Warning, some topics were a little gross to read about, unless you're the kind of reader who would consider using live eels to relieve constipation?

Medical Myths, Lies, and Half-Truths: What We Think We Know May Be Hurtin Us by Steven Novella

I am a big fan of this lecture series, The Great Courses, especially since they are available in multiple formats including DVD videodiscs, eVideo streaming video files and my personal favourite, eAudiobooks! This particular course really emphasizes how you are responsible for your own health and it gives you practical tools to evaluate the accuracy of medical information that is out there in the universe. 

Curiosity Peaking Medical Histories

Kill or Cure: An Illustrated History of Medicine by Steve Parker

Talk about a front row seat to medical history, this book is an oldie but a goody. Full of remarkable chance discoveries, pioneering medical instruments and wonder drugs, this book traces the history of medical progress through notebooks and other first-person accounts. Not for the faint of heart, this hefty 400 page book also includes illustrations. 

The Wine-Dark Sea Within: A Turbulent History of Blood by Dhun Sethna

A global perspective on the history of blood may sound like a snooze, but I really enjoyed the author's writing style (having a personal interest in the topic didn't hurt). Imagine for a moment the scientist who discovered that blood is circulated throughout the body in a single direction. Now imagine how that news would have been received by folks back in 1628. Have I peaked your curiosity? The Wine-Dark Sea Within is an impactful read that will have you impressing friends at parties in no time. 

Related post

If you enjoyed this post, you may also like another recent post showcasing "6 Vintage Ads & Pamphlets for Medical Remedies Sold in Ontario." Can you tell which remedies were genuinely trying to reduce human suffering? And which ones were not?

Edited on July 6, 2022 to change "curiosity-peeking" to "curiosity-piquing."

This Mother's Day, I'd like to acknowledge the mental health roller coaster that happens when becoming a new mom. Somewhat like a job promotion, I don't think you can'truly appreciate the role of being a mom until you're actually in it. In this blog I'll take a panoramic view of motherhood and recommend books that cover everything from the brutal to the hilarious. Whether you're a Mom (formerly Momma in my case), Mommy, Mum, Mother or insert name here, I just want to say "you're amazing (and don't forget the wipes)." 

Ashbridges Bay, photo by author

The Brutal 

Motherhood is hard, brutal in fact, and there is no point in sugar-coating that fact. There are the standard gripes of motherhood including the physical toll on your body, the sleeplessness, and never getting a day off even when you get Norwalk, from your kid (twice). I have devoured books that are honest about the hardships of motherhood because it destigmatizes this turbulent time and has given me great, personal comfort and so I want to start off by sharing a couple of my top picks about the brutality of motherhood. 

Orindary Insanity by Sarah Menkedick

This book is for anyone looking to understand the neruobiological aftermath of giving birth and the ill-defined postpartum period. Investigating more than "baby blues" and postpartum depression, Menkedick did us proud with this well researched and plainspoken piece of nonfiction that will hopefully save a lot of women the anguish of doing it alone. For a feminist perspective on pregnancy specifically check out "Like A Mother" by Angela Garbes.

The Push by Ashley Audrain

I'm not a big fan of thrillers but this book was disturbingly powerful and will live in my memory forever. Extremely immersive, Audrain gives voice to all the little fears that can consume new mothers. Fans of "We Need to Talk About Kevin" by Lionel Shriver will enjoy this modern, fiction readalike. 

The Sentimental 

As someone who doesn't gush about the joys of motherhood (though it's the best thing I've ever done), instead I'll let these talented authors rhapsodize about the sentimental side of becoming a mom. 

Kid Gloves by Lucy Knisley

Lucy Knisley's graphic novels are a combination of touching storytelling and beautiful illustrations. I have recommended her followup graphic novel, "Go To Sleep, I Miss You" in a previous blog post and will likely sneak in more of her work in the future. Fans of the sentimental graphic novel should also read "Hello Mum" by Polly Dunbar.

Dear Mother: Poems on the Hot Mess of Motherhood by Bunmi Laditan

Reading this book resulted in tears, feelings of extreme validation and unsolicited screenshots being sent to my "Cool Mums" group chat. A stark contrast to her other book, "Toddlers Are A**holes," Laditan has now made me ugly cry and nearly fall over laughing. For folks looking to explore an LGBTQ+ perspective on the 'hot mess' of motherhood, check out "Stone Fruit" by Lee Lai.

The Hilarious 

"If you don't laugh you'll cry and that's a waste of energy" was sage advice I got from a pro in my new mommy network. These books acknowledge the raw, vulgar, disgusting, hilarity that is motherhood and are definitely not for the faint of heart. 

"Idiots" by Laura Clery

I have literally laughed out loud on the TTC, at the gym, and during my kid's bath while consuming this audiobook (performed by the author herself). This book gives me Amy Schumer's Netflix Special, "Growing," vibes and I have enjoyed every minute. Also don't forget to put a hold on Schumer's new book "Arrival Stories," it's next on my to-read pile!

 "Cat and Nat's Mom Secrets" by Catherine Belknap and Natalie Telfer

Honesty from the mom trenches, reading this book made me realize motherhood can always get worse and that gave me great solace. For more hilarious moms giving the rest of us hope, pick up a copy of "Rebel Mama's Handbook for (Cool) Moms" by  Aleksandra Jassem and Nikita Stanley. 

If I have missed your favourite mom books please comment below and tell me whether it made you laugh or cry (because, really, we are all on the razor's edge)!

Who doesn't love a green, leafy houseplant? I recently took my love of houseplants to the next level by tattooing a sentimental Heart-Leaf Philodendron on my forearm. My husband's grade one teacher gave each of her students a single leaf cutting of their classroom plant and he (with my help) has kept it alive and thriving for 30 years!

Houseplant Tattoo, photo by author

New to Plant Paren'thood?

According to research studies, having plants around you at work, school, home or in hospital settings has been shown to reduce anxiety and increase concentration and productivity. For folks looking to embark on plant paren'thood, aka having a houseplant that you love and adore, I've curated this list for getting started including resources for folks whose thumbs are more black than green.

Plant Paren'ting by Leslie F. Halleck

"In this beginner-friendly introduction to plant propagation, Halleck details the basic tools necessary, demystifies seed starting and saving, and shares easy-to-follow instructions for the most practical techniques for cutting, layering, dividing, and more."

How to Raise a Plant and Make it Love You Back by Morgan Doane

"Indoor-plant experts and Instagrammers Erin Harding and Morgan Doane bring the subject to life alongside their beautiful photographs of happy plants in the home."

How to Not Kill Your Houseplant by Veronica Peerless

"Does just looking at plants cause them to wither and die? Peerless offers advice on keeping houseplants alive, even if you're horticulturally challenged."

A Work of Art

We recently renovated our house and in true minimalist logic, we decided to forgo artwork and only hang houseplants on our walls. I have a large array of different types of hanging plants but my favourite "living art" is the Pothos plants trailing down the walls of our main floor. Against the backdrop of white walls and black hardware, the mixture of different leaf colours adds a great pop of colour. 

House plants as art, photo by author

Feeling inspired to decorate your home with plants? The titles below are dedicated to interior design and stylish ways to incorporate plants into your home's decorating scheme.

Decorating With Plants by Baylor Chapman

The complete guide to 'greening' your space, with ideas and inspiration for adding plants to every room in your home, plus a directory of versatile, easy-to-care-for specimens."

Plant Style by Alana Langan

"This book is a guide on how to turn your home into a jungle-like retreat with styling tips from design experts."

Avid Plant Folks

For folks with a bit of experience, and similar to my journey paren'ting a child, plant paren'thood can get more complex as your plants age. Beyond just repotting or turning the pot away from the sun, sometimes houseplants need some TLC to truly thrive. My Monstera plant was well established and doing fine but when I finally trellised the overgrown mess she became healthy enough for the leaves to start splitting!

Split leaves on Monstera, photo by author

If you're feeling stuck about a plant that isn't thriving, there are now apps where you can'take a photo of your plant and have an action plan designed for your plant's specific needs based on visual markers like yellow or brown discoloration, dropping leaves, etc.

For us established plant paren'ts, I've highlighted a few obscure and wonderful books that I think you'll enjoy:

The Hidden Histories of House Plants by Maddie Bailey

"This book isn't just a dry exploration of historical cultivation; the narrative explores the plants' places in social history, art, politics, fashion and culture, showcasing the most fascinating elements of each plant's story."

Plants Are My Favourite People by Alessia Resta

"Whether you are an aspiring plant paren't or already care for a junglelike brood, plant-stagram influencer Alessia Resta (aka Apartment Botanist) has distilled everything you need to know to start and grow your collection in this plant-care bible."

My Houseplant Changed My Life by David Domoney

"Drawing on groundbreaking scientific research, this book reveals the 50 most life-enhancing houseplants and shows how they can actively purify the air and improve your mental well-being through their colour, scent, habit, and nurturing needs."

Plant Gifts

Lastly, I'll just mention that cuttings of beloved houseplants make for thoughtful gifts, be it housewarmings or birthdays. We did a cutting of my husband's prized plant for my son's first birthday and it has grown roots and a personality as large as our toddler. I prefer to gift my plant cuttings in water as opposed to a pot and soil since they are simultaneously harder to kill and it gives the new plant paren't freedom to pick the pot style that speaks to them.

Root Nurture Grow by Caro Langton

"The stylish handbook shows you how to make the most of your favourite houseplants through simple, beginner-friendly propagation techniques."

Please comment below and tell me some of your favourite houseplant varieties!

In March 2020, the City of Toronto hosted the inaugural Black Mental Health Day, spearheaded by Taibu Community Health Centre.  What started out as an awareness campaign, quickly swelled to become a time to highlight and reflect upon the effect that inequity and anti-Black racism has laid upon Black Torontonians. So much so that in 2021, the Mayor of Toronto extended this proclamation from one day to one week. Paul Bailey, Executive Director of the Black Health Alliance, shares his thoughts below in one of four video clips about Black Mental Health. 

Over the past few years, post-slavery societies all over the world have "woken" up to the reality of everyday racism that people of African descent experience. This recognition has included patterns of Black mental health that illustrate tremendous stressors and strains due to systemic discrimination. Patterns of addictions, mood and anxiety disorders are disturbingly high the world over due to inequities in income, employment, healthcare, housing, education, and criminal justice; along with incredible physical health burdens which included negative COVID-19 outcomes. Although awareness of these issues has been increasing and many organizations are looking at their policies through an equity lens, there is still much work to be done.

This post shares some helpful books from the TPL Black Mental Health reading list. I also recommend checking out this great list of Anti-Black Racism & Mental Health Resources from the City of Toronto to support those in discovery and healing. 

Lastly to learn more, tune into our event on Monday, March 7th @ 7 pm with Dr. Akwatu Khenti and Dr. Justine Joseph as they present on Understanding Black Mental Health and answer your questions. 

The Unapologetic Guide to Black Mental Health by Rheeda Walker

This book is an unflinching exploration of Black mental health. "Psychologist and professor Rheeda Walker provides a comprehensive road map to getting the care you need and deserve… over flowing with essential information for navigating the system, this is an invaluable resource that will help you recognize and understand mental health conditions, discover real tools for coping with symptoms, and show you have to advocate for yourself " – from back cover 

Black Fatigue: How Racism Erodes the Mind, Body, and Spirit by Mary-Frances Winters

"Winters describes how in every aspect of life – from economics to education, work, criminal justice, and, very importantly, health outcomes – for the most part, the trajectory for Black people is not improving. It is paradoxical that, with all the attention focused over the last fifty years on social justice and diversity and inclusion, little progress has been made in actualizing the vision of an equitable society." – From publisher's description

The Strong Black Woman by Marita Golden

This book shatters the persona that Black women need to be the back bone and chief caretakers for everyone in their lives, shouldering the load while ignoring their own pain. Through exposing the Strong Black Woman Syndrome, learn about the importance of self-care and how to break through the cultural and family resistance to seek therapy and professional mental health care. 

Dear Black girl: Letters from Your Sisters on Stepping into Your Power by Tamara Winfrey Harris

"Winfrey Harris organizes a selection of these letters, providing “a balm for the wounds of anti-black-girlness” and modeling how black women can nurture future generations. Each chapter ends with a prompt encouraging girls to write a letter to themselves, teaching the art of self-love and self-nurturing." –From publisher's description

Black Pain: It Just Looks Like We're Not Hurting by Terrie M. Williams

This book "identifies emotional pain – uniquely and profoundly affecting the Black experience – as the root of lashing out through desperate acts. Terrie encourages us to face the truth about the issue that plunges our spirits into darkness, so that we can step into the healing light. The help the community needs is here: a clear explanation and a guide to finding relief." –From Barns & Noble description

Related links

Black Mental Health Reading List

Black History Series

The Rita Cox Black and Caribbean Heritage Collection

Being a new paren't and a librarian meant that I spent the majority of my pandemic maternity leave reading and listening to paren'ting books. I did a deep dive into all types of philosophies because I was genuinely curious and because my kid's superpower was sleeping so I had some time on my hands (I never admit that to new, overtired paren'ts). This post has snippets of my favourite reads so ignore that endless pile of little person laundry and enjoy some healthy paren'ting click-bait. 

Reading while Mohsin sleeps, photo by author

For those who are new to the realm of paren'ting books, it can be overwhelming. There is a lot of advice on everything from how babies sleep to what they eat to how you should play with them as they age. I consulted books with a wide range of philosophies including:

• Attachment paren'ting
• Free-range paren'ting
• Baby-led weaning
• "One more bite"
• Ferber method
• Cry-it-out
• Authoritative discipline
• Permissive discipline
• Potty training

Recommended reads on infancy

Go To Sleep (I Miss You): Cartoons from the Fog of New Paren'thood by Lucy Knisley

Hilariously relatable and comforting as heck. Stop judging yourself for the weird things you do as a new paren't and instead find comfort in these cute cartoons. Lucy Knisley is a treasure with many other notable books including one about pregnancy called "Kid Gloves: Nine Months of Careful Chaos" and a great picture book that you can read to your little one called "You Are New."

The Wonder Weeks by Hetty Vanderijt

The only resource you need for understanding early childhood brain development. I recommend keeping this book on your bedside table (there is also an app!) and consulting it anytime your kiddo starts getting unusually fussy or doing some adorable, new thing. I read this book while pregnant and again, postpartum, choosing to read ahead once my kid was on the outside so I knew what to expect next. I must have used the phrase "He's in a leap" about 6 million times during my kid's first year of life.

The Baby Owner's Manual by Louis Borgenicht

This book seems like a joke until you discover it's full of useful information and amusing illustrations. By treating your new baby like a piece of technology, Borgenicht takes you through everything from "home installation" to programming "sleep mode" and just "general maintenance." Personally I think this book would make a great gift alternative to the What To Expect franchise that people are always buying new paren'ts. For folks who enjoyed the baby manual, buckle in for the toddler edition, The Toddler Owner's Manual. 

Trying on different paren'ting strategies 

Babies Don't Make Small Talk (So Why Should I?) by Julie Vick

Since my husband is an introvert, I sought out this book to help me understand paren'ting through his eyes. Covering topics from pregnancy to preschool, I want to shout out the chapters on the lack of alone time (babies need you even when you sleep), forced socialization aka playdates, and how to manage public tantrums in toddlerville. 

There's No Such Thing As Bad Weather by Linda Akeson McGurk

I think the title pretty much says it all but other takeaways include refusing the fear culture, leave your kid sleeping in their stroller outside even in winter, and don't over schedule your family (allow time for free play). This book actually inspired my other blog post about forest bathing.

Permission to Paren't by Robin Berman

Similar to caring for my dog, this book reaffirmed the need for consistency, rules/limits and follow through with kiddos as well. The gems of this book are that rules make kids feel safe and don't be emotionally bullied by your kids and their adorable faces. You got this (virtual fist bump)!

The one about poop

Oh Crap! Potty Training by Jamie Glowacki

This book was recommended to me by a girlfriend and mom of two and it stole my heart when it asked, did you put the stroller in your living room for your child to "get used to it" or did you put your kid in the stroller and go for a walk? Treat the potty chair the same way. Matter-of-fact and broken down into a six step process, Glowacki was the key to us doing it once, and doing it right. Glowacki also has another great book "Oh Crap! I Have a Toddler" for paren'ts looking for this particular brand of advice. 

Your turn

Have you read any of the recommended books? Have I missed one of your favourite books or advice? Like Facebook Marketplace, please comment below and take part in the beautiful, paren't sharing economy!

World Diabetes Day (WDD) is on November 14, 2021. According to the WDD's website, the campaign is marked annually on November 14 for the birthday of Sir Frederick Banting who co-discovered insulin along with Charles Best over 100 years ago in 1921. The campaign is represented by a blue circle logo, which was adopted in 2007 after the passage of the UN Resolution on diabetes, signifying the unity of the global diabetes community in response to the diabetes epidemic.

Blue Human Circle, Photo from WDD website

About World Diabetes Day

Every year, the World Diabetes Day campaign focuses on a dedicated theme that runs for one or more years. The theme for World Diabetes Day 2021-23 is "Access to Diabetes Care – If Not Now, When?" Below is a great video that helps explain the importance of the WDD campaign focus.

For people, like myself, who do not live with diabetes, I'd like to share some statistics from Diabetes Canada that I think will help put this important issue into focus:   

• Nearly 11.5 million Canadians are living with diabetes or prediabetes
• Today, one in three Canadians has diabetes or prediabetes, and young people face a greater than 50% chance of developing diabetes in their lifetime
• Diabetes is the leading cause of vision loss and blindness in those 20-65 years of age
• Diabetes contributes to 30% of strokes, 40% of heart attacks, 50% of kidney failure requiring dialysis
• Diabetes is the cause of 70% of all non-traumatic limb amputations
• Having diabetes can shorten one’s lifespan by five to fifteen years
• Diabetes costs the healthcare system $30 billion dollars to treat
• According to Stats Canada, not including accidents, diabetes is a leading cause of death for all ages in Canada

Photo from WDD site

In June of this year, Canada passed into law Bill C-237, which establishes a national framework for diabetes in Canada. According to a recent press release, this law will improve prevention, management and research into diabetes. Ryan Hooey, diabetes advocate and person living with type 1 diabetes in Ontario comments on Bill C-237, "This could give Canadians coast-to-coast the ability to manage their diabetes successfully and give them a chance to live a better life. This is long overdue and only the beginning to such great things for Canadian Health Care." Interested in learning more about this historic law? Visit the Parliament of Canada website.

If you are looking to find out more about diabetes generally, please see the Diabetes Overview resources below. For folks looking for resources on living with or caring for someone with diabetes, scroll down to the Diabetes Management section for some new and noteworthy resources at the library.

Diabetes Overview

Diabetes: A History of Race & Disease by Arleen Marcia Tuchman

"Who is considered most at risk for diabetes, and why? In this thorough, engaging book, historian Arleen Tuchman examines and critiques how these questions have been answered by both the public and medical communities for over a century in the United States."

Complete Diabetes Guide: Advice for Managing Type 2 Diabetes by Karen Graham and Dr. Mansur Shomali

"The Complete Diabetes Guide features essential information on underlying causes, clinical features, and effective management options and treatments along with personalized meal plans and lifestyle recommendations. This is a vital resource for anyone who has been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes or who is at risk of developing it."

Blood Sugar Rising: America's Hidden Diabetes Epidemic, DVD, directed and written by David Alvarado

"Diabetes is a hidden epidemic that affects over 100 million people in the US, claiming more lives than cancer and HIV combined and costing close to $350 billion each year. Blood Sugar Rising puts human faces to these statistics, presenting personal stories that showcase the struggles of living with this illness and revealing new hopes for better diabetes management and prevention."

The Discovery of Insulin by Michael Bliss

"In this engaging and award-winning account, historian Michael Bliss draws on archival records and personal adventures to recount the fascinating story behind the discovery of insulin – a story as much filled with fiery confrontation and intense competition as medical dedication and scientific genius."

Beyond Banting: Decoding Canada's Diabetes Research Superstars by Krista Lamb

"Since Sir Frederick Banting's discovery of insulin at the University of Toronto in 1921, Canadian scientists have remained on the frontlines of the development of new treatments for diabetes, and the quest for a cure. Beyond Banting takes you behind the scenes with remarkable scientists from across the country who are building on Banting's legacy and ensuring Canada remains at the forefront of this fascinating and important field."

Diabetes Management Resources

The Diabetes Code Cookbook by Dr. Jason Fung and Alison Maclean

"The Diabetes Code Cookbook makes it even easier to follow Dr. Fung’s proven advice for preventing and reversing type 2 diabetes through intermittent fasting and a low carb/high-fat diet. This cookbook features full-color photographs and includes 100 simple, delicious recipes to help manage insulin and aid in weight loss -Intermittent fasting schedules and plans (16, 24, 30, and 26-hour fasts)."

The Mindful Guide to Managing Diabetes by Dr. Joseph P. Napora

"Stress can have a huge impact on diabetes management, even when you are doing everything else right. But you can manage stress, anxiety, and depression, and learn to thrive with diabetes by practicing mindful living. This mindfulness guide will give you the tools and strategies you need to prevent and reduce stress, communicate and solve problems effectively, maintain a positive attitude, and take charge of your diabetes."

The Easy Diabetes Cookbook by Mary Ellen Phipps

"With this collection of recipes from registered dietitian nutritionist and Milk & Honey Nutrition® founder Mary Ellen Phipps, you can still make the quick, easy, and tasty foods you love while balancing your blood sugars and managing your diabetes. Diagnosed with type I diabetes when she was five, Mary Ellen uses both her professional and personal experience to create meals that will bring the joy and ease of cooking back to your kitchen, while still following a blood sugar-friendly diet."

Pregnancy & Diabetes a Real-Life Guide for Women with Type 1, Type 2 and Gestational Diabetes by Marina Chaparro

"Diabetes during pregnancy can be a scary experience for women, whether they are diagnosed with gestational diabetes or have been living type 1 or type 2 diabetes for years. This book gives moms-to-be practical, easy-to-follow, and reassuring advice to successfully manage diabetes during the nine months of pregnancy."

Diabetes: How to Help by Gary Scheiner and Diane Herbert

"Living with diabetes is complicated and challenging. In addition to a multitude of daily tasks and decisions, managing diabetes requires appropriate support from those surrounding the person with diabetes: partners, family members, friends, co-workers, and caregivers. Most aspects of diabetes care/treatment focus on the patient. There are dozens of books and online resources designed specifically for the person with diabetes, but very few address the needs and interests of their support network. This leaves the vast majority of caregivers in a quandary regarding their role. Many are under-educated on diabetes and its management, and most are unsure of where their involvement begins and ends."

As someone who prefers cold weather, I wanted to put together a cheerful blog on ways to beat the heat this summer. The books may be a bit kooky but like a nice beach read, you're sure to delight in their pages! Here you'll find out what to wear, eat and do on those stinking hot days of summer. 

Water Torture, Toronto Star Archives 1978

 

What to Eat on a Hot Day

A chilled margarita, a light salad and a delicious frozen treat is my personal recommendation for a fantastic meal on a hot day. On those extra hot days don't forget to stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water. Enjoy these titles dedicated to deliciously cool beverages and foods. 

Eat Cool: Good Food for Hot Days by Vanessa Seder

"A stylish and modern guide to eating well while beating the heat, Eat Cool gives readers easy recipes and smart tips for delicious and satisfying meals that won't chain the cook to the stove on a hot day. Vanessa Seder, recipe developer, chef, and working mom, has come to rescue summertime cooks with 100+ dishes you won't hate to cook when it's already hot as blazes. Inspired recipes focus on low- and no-heat techniques, make-ahead dishes served cold or at room temperature, smart seasonal ingredients to keep your body cool, and vibrant pairings of flavors, textures, and colors."

Aguas Frescas and Paletas: Refreshing Mexican Drinks and Frozen Treats, Traditional and Reimagined by Ericka Sanchez

"It wouldn’t be summer in Mexico without aguas frescas and paletas—fresh-made Mexican drinks and popsicles in a variety of fruity and flowery flavors. Now you can bring the refreshing, authentic tastes of Mexico to your own backyard! Ericka Sanchez of the popular culinary website Nibbles & Feasts delivers 40 easy recipes for anyone who loves traditional Mexican fare."

Drinking Water: A History by James Salzman 

The author, a professor at Duke University and an environmental policy expert shows how drinking water highlights the most pressing issues of our time, from globalization and social justice to terrorism and climate change, and how humans have been wrestling with these problems for centuries. When we turn on the tap or twist open a tall plastic bottle, we might not give a second thought to where our drinking water comes from. But how it gets from the ground to the glass is far more complex than we might think. With concerns over pollution and new technologies like fracking, is it safe to drink tap water? Should we feel guilty buying bottled water? Is the water we drink vulnerable to terrorist attacks? With springs running dry and reservoirs emptying, where is our water going to come from in the future? This book shows just how complex a simple glass of water can be.

Ever wondered about how we keep our food and beverages cool? Here's a bonus read about how the refrigerator changed the world!

Chilled: How Refrigeration Changed the World, And Might Do So Again by Tom Jackson 

"The refrigerator may seem mundane nowadays, but it is one of the wonders of twentieth-century science–lifesaver, food preserver, social liberator. Part historical narrative, part scientific decoder, Chilled looks at early efforts to harness the cold at the ice pits of Persia (Iranians still call their fridges the "ice pit") and ice harvests on the Regents Canal. As people learned more about what cold actually was, scientists invented machines for producing it on demand. The discovery of refrigeration and its applications features a cast of characters that includes the Ice King of Boston, Galileo, Francis Bacon, an expert on gnomes, a magician who chilled a cathedral, a Renaissance duke addicted to iced eggnog, and a Bavarian nobleman from New England." 

What to Wear on a Hot Day

Airy fabrics and flowy hemlines are a must-have in my summer wardrobe. Don't forget to don your hat and shades for a stylish and practical way to keep you safe from the sun. For those not stuck carrying around a diaper bag or some kind of truck like me, throw an umbrella under your arm for a smart way to keep you shaded.

Cool Shades: The History and Meaning of Sunglasses by Vanessa Brown

"Cool Shades provides the first in-depth exploration of the enduring appeal of sunglasses in visual culture, both historically and today. Ubiquitous in fashion, advertising, film and graphic design, sunglasses are the ultimate signifier of 'cool' in mass culture; a powerful attribute pervading much fashion and pop cultural imagery which has received little scholarly attention until now. Accessible and highly engaging, this book offers an original history of how sunglasses became a fashion accessory in the early twentieth century, and addresses the complex variety of meanings they have the power to articulate, through associations with vision, light, glamour, darkness, fashion, speed and technology in the context of modernity. Cool Shades will be of great interest to students of fashion, design, visual and material culture, cultural studies and sociology, as well as general readers fascinated by this iconic fashion staple"

Fifty Hats That Changed The World by Robert Anderson

"Fifty Hats That Changed the World lists the top 50 hats and headwear that have made a substantial impact in the world of fashion and design today. From Monomakh's Cap, an early fifteenth century Russian crown to Franc Fernandez's modern-day 2010 Helmet Headpiece, the book explores the designs that have turned heads over the years and the impact they've had on the fashion and design world."

The Umbrella Unfurled: Its Remarkable Life and Times by Nigel Rodgers

"Universally recognisable, the umbrella and its older, prettier sister the parasol have made their mark. Politics, religion, war and fashion have all been influenced by this modest contraption. With a beautiful collection of images, The Umbrella Unfurled follows its hero to Ancient Egypt, where at first it was for the Pharaoh's use only."

Parasols, an outdoor wedding must-have. Photo by the author.

 

What to Do on a Hot Day

There is nothing I love more than sitting in the shade of my backyard reading a good book with a cold beer on a summer day. As much as possible I like to support local Toronto businesses. And what better way to support local than trying new breweries? I recently discovered the JustBeer Toronto's Brewery map and it's proven delightfully helpful for tasting new, crafty beers. 

Books and movies to give you chills

Set out your lawn chair and chill out with these great titles that are sure to give you goosebumps! Even better, all of these recommendations have multiple formats. You can read the book, listen to the audiobook, or watch the movie to see these cool stories come to life. Maybe you're lucky enough to have cozy patio furniture and an outdoor television? A stretch of grass at your local park, garden or beach will do nicely as well. 

The Revenant by Michael Punke

"The year is 1823, and the trappers of the Rocky Mountain Fur Company live a brutal frontier life. Hugh Glass is among the company's finest men, an experienced frontiersman and an expert tracker. But when a scouting mission puts him face-to-face with a grizzly bear, he is viciously mauled and not expected to survive. Two company men are dispatched to stay behind and tend to Glass before he dies. When the men abandon him instead, Glass is driven to survive by one desire: revenge."

The Terror by Dan Simmons

"The men on board HMS Terror have every expectation of triumph. As part of the 1845 Franklin Expedition, the first steam-powered vessels ever to search for the legendary Northwest Passage, they are as scientifically supported an enterprise as has ever set forth. As they enter a second summer in the Arctic Circle without a thaw, though, they are stranded in a nightmarish landscape of encroaching ice and darkness. Endlessly cold, with diminishing rations, 126 men fight to survive with poisonous food, a dwindling supply of coal, and ships buckling in the grip of crushing ice. But their real enemy is far more terrifying. There is something out there in the frigid darkness: an unseen predator stalking their ship, a monstrous terror constantly clawing to get in."

Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier

"One of the most acclaimed novels in recent memory, Charles Frazier's "Cold Mountain" is a masterpiece that is at once an enthralling adventure, a stirring love story, and a luminous evocation of a vanished American in all its savagery, solitude, and splendor. Sorely wounded and fatally disillusioned in the fighting at Petersburg, Inman, a Confederate soldier, decides to walk back to his home in the Blue Ridge Mountains and to Ada, the woman he loved there years before. His trek across the disintegrating South brings him into intimate and sometimes lethal converse with slaves and marauders, bounty hunters and witches, both helpful and malign. At the same time, Ada is trying to revive her father's derelict farm and learn to survive in a world where the old certainties have been swept away. As it interweaves their stories, "Cold mountain" asserts itself as an authentic American Odyssey."

The Shining by Stephen King

"Jack Torrance's new job at the Overlook Hotel is the perfect chance for a fresh start. As the off-season caretaker at the atmospheric old hotel, he'll have plenty of time to spend reconnecting with his family and working on his writing. But as the harsh winter weather sets in, the idyllic location feels ever more remote . . . and more sinister. And the only one to notice the strange and terrible forces gathering around the Overlook is Danny Torrance, a uniquely gifted five-year-old."

I would be remiss if I didn't mention that the City of Toronto has great resources for how to beat the heat as well. Do you have any ways to beat the heat not mentioned here? Comment below and help your fellow Torontonians stay cool! 

Self-care is not selfish! According to the World Health Organization, self-care is “the ability of individuals, families and communities to promote health, prevent disease, maintain health, and to cope with illness and disability with or without the support of a healthcare provider.” Basically, what we do to care for ourselves outside of visiting the doctor, dentist, therapist, etc. Not to mention, Saturday July 24, 2021 is the International Day of Self-Care, so it's a great time of year to get started or improve your self-care routine!

Image by Juhan Sonin. Used on a CC license.

Self-care is very personal and so gathering resources for this blog post was trickier than I anticipated. For me personally, the areas of self-care that I enjoy most are:

• Exercise
• Cleaning
• Reading, watching movies, listening to audiobooks
• Cooking
• Showering (like, almost compulsively)

Image by Sacha Chua. Used on a CC license.

Making a self-care plan is really about finding what works best for your brain and body. If I'm being honest, I should probably amend my above list to also include eating chips and drinking cider but those are not necessarily healthy self-care choices.

For folks who are new to creating a self-care routine, I've included some titles below to help you get started on your journey. I've tried to find a cross-section of resources that may aid you in your new quest for self-care. I will not be recommending astrology, dosha, tarot or witchcraft, although those can be part of self-care too. Find out what works for you!

Starting Self-Care Resources

Wisdom From a Humble Jellyfish by Rani Shah

A fun illustrated guide that uses the habits of animals, like porcupines, and plants to promote self care. I liked the sunflower entry, to encourage us to simplify and slow down. 

Unf*ck Your Body by Faith Harper

This book recommends using science and swears to help you feel better. Sign me up! Straight-talking therapist and nutritionist Dr. Faith Harper offers practical exercises to reconnect with physical needs and make small changes that help you feel better everyday. She has other great titles in the Unf#ck series including brain, intimacy and anger, all worth browsing!

The More or Less Definitive Guide to Self-Care by Anna Borges

A great starting place for newbies to self-care, easily broken down into four manageable pieces: physical, mental, social and spiritual. Cover your bases and check this one out. 

Your Brain is Always Listening by Daniel G. Amen

A bestseller, this author uses "Thought Dragons," "Bad Habit Dragons," and "Addiction Dragons" (to name a few),  to help you recognize harmful thought processes and gives you practical ways to vanquish them. A little bizarre but entertaining too! 

Take Care of Yourself by James F. Fries and Donald M. Vickery

Since I mentioned earlier about how self-care usually operates outside of the general healthcare system, this is a great book for figuring out when you can'treat yourself and when you should go see a professional. For us folks who love organization, these charts are your best starting point. 

What are your favourite self-care tips and techniques?

For my fellow self-care doers, please share in the comments below!

Is anyone else feeling unmotivated about doing at-home workouts during the COVID-19 pandemic? Personally, I miss the gym. I miss packing my bag, donning my overpriced workout gear and going to a fitness class where I would have a brutal workout surrounded by other competitive, sweaty humans. My dog Lennon is not a very motivating workout partner, as you can clearly see.

Lennon my "fitness friend." Photo by author.

In the spirit of National Health and Fitness Day, which is Saturday June 4, 2021, I have decided to stop complaining and pull myself out of my fitness rut. I have made new, pandemic-friendly fitness goals and I encourage you to also make realistic goals!

Here are my 3 fitness goals starting today (not tomorrow):

1. Exercise for 30-60 minutes, 4 times a week
2. Cover my fitness bases every week: weight lifting, cardio and yoga
3. Eat more vegetables, drink less booze, enjoy fewer chips (I call this balance)

What I learned during the pandemic is that shifting to, or starting up, at-home workouts is surprisingly tricky. Not to mention the fact that at-home workouts require more mental preparedness and willpower. Now we can no longer rely on our former routines like using in-person fitness experts or expensive gym equipment to reach our fitness goals.

So I have curated this list of new fitness books for folks looking for at-home workout motivation! I have included titles that are available in multiple formats, including electronic for folks using our digital access card. These books require little-to-no fitness equipment and they cover a wide range of fitness levels to accommodate people at different starting (or restarting) points in their journey.

Okay team, as Barack Obama says, "Fired up! Ready to go!"

Recommended Fitness Books

Move: Free Your Body Through Stretching Movement by Lexie Williamson

I am a huge advocate for the power of stretching, after a workout but especially before. In pre-COVID times I found my best weightlifting workouts were done after I did a yoga class first. Your body is warm, loose and ready to maximize your lifting! Use this wonderful book to perform stand alone stretches or combine stretches together and enjoy a longer stretching sequence.

Conbody: The Revolutionary Bodyweight Prison Boot Camp, Born From an Extraordinary Story of Hope by Coss Marte

The ultimate accessible, high intensity workout that requires no gym equipment and you only need the space of a jail cell to get started!  The exercises in the book are "for anyone, anywhere" and so it makes a perfect at-home workout manual. Build resilience with this inspiring story of a drug dealer turned convict turned Shark Tank award winner/fitness expert. 

Walking with Glenn Berkenkamp: 35 Wellness Walks to Expand Awareness, Increase Vitality, and Reduce Stress by Glenn Berkenkamp

Channeling my previous blog post about forest bathing, this book will help you build mindfulness into what I can only assume is everyone's daily outings to go for walks around the city. Really what else can we do?

Fitness for Everyone: 50 Exercises for Every Type of Body by Louise Green

This book is amazing because it factors in folks of different shapes, sizes, ages and abilities. Each exercise, a burpee for example, includes modifications to accommodate your current fitness level and help you get more fit. There is also some good advice for how to incorporate fitness exercises into your daily life, motivation here we come!

Get Your Yoga On: 30 Days to Build a Practice That Fits Your Body and Your Life by Kino MacGregor

Kino is a well known yogi and I find her books to be accessible and provide good instruction (both text and through pictures) for ensuring proper technique. I also love that this book includes diverse folks with varying ability. Time to start building our practice!

Train Like a Fighter: Get MMA Fit Without Taking a Hit by Cat Zingano

This book is a call-to-action for you intense fitness folks! Hard core mixed martial arts exercises that are designed to get your core ripped and your upper and lower body shredded, no sparing necessary. These routines and personal training diet are sure to keep you in fighting shape until gyms reopen!

The City Has You Covered

The City of Toronto website also has great ideas for staying fit during the pandemic. In particular, I liked the Walking Challenge where you compare your progress with popular real and fictional locations. Here's some examples:

• Toronto Island – Hanlan’s Point to Ward’s Island. 5km, 6463 steps or 47 minutes.
• High Park Loop Trail. 5km, 7013 steps or 51 minutes.
• Distance of Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) Subway Bloor Line. 26km, 36,025 steps, 262 minutes or 4 hours.
• Scarborough to Etobicoke. 35km, 48,675 steps, 354 minutes or 6 hours.
• Yonge Street. 56km, 77,000 steps, 560 minutes or 9 hours.
• Walk the Toronto border. 120km, 165,000 steps, 1200 minutes or 20 hours.
• From Winterfell to King's Landing in Game of Thrones. 2,414km, 3,319,250 steps, 24,140 minutes or 402 hours.
• From the Shire to Mordor in Lord of the Rings. 2,863km, 3,936,625 steps, 28,630 minutes or 477 hours.

Anyone up for a trip to Mordor? Start tracking your daily walks and see how quickly they add up to an adventure!

What Are Your Current Fitness Goals?

Comment below and share some of your favourite at-home workouts. To be honest, the more makeshift the better! For example, is anyone else lifting paint cans and toddlers like me? Let's keep each other motivated by sharing our fitness goals. 

May is Vision Health Month!

Did you know: 1.2 million Canadians are living with vision loss, and over 8 million, or nearly 1 in 5, are living with an eye disease that could cause sight loss? 

Vision Health Month is a chance to think about your vision health and learn how to reduce the risk of developing serious eye conditions. It is also a great time to find out about resources and supports by and for people living with vision loss.

Common Serious Eye Concerns

Here are some of the most common serious eye health concerns and how they can affect your vision: 

• Cataracts are common as we age and can cause cloudy vision. Browse books and videos on cataracts.
• Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) also happens as we age. It affects your central vision. Browse books and videos on macular degeneration. 
• Diabetic retinopathy happens when the blood vessels in the retina become damaged due to uncontrolled blood sugars. It can cause things like blurry vision or, in extreme cases, detached retina. Browse books and videos on diabetic retinopathy.
• Glaucoma is a disease of the optic nerve and relates to the pressure inside the eye. It can damage nerve fibres and lead to blind spots and vision loss. Books and videos on glaucoma.
• Eye injury can occur at home, work, school, while playing or while on the road.

Tips for Good Vision Health

Follow these tips for good vision health, adapted from CNIB and the Canadian Association of Optometrists.

1. Get your eyes checked

It is important to get your eyes checked regularly. Not all eye-related health conditions have symptoms. But most cases of vision loss can be treated or prevented if caught early. The Canadian Association of Optometrists recommends adults have an eye exam every two years. Children, teenagers and seniors should have an eye exam once every year. You can make an appointment with an optometrist near you. Ontario’s health care plan, OHIP, covers costs for annual eye exams for children and seniors and for some adults.  If you are on the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) or Ontario Works you may be able to get help with other vision care costs.

2. Wear sunglasses

Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays can harm your eyes and is linked to cataracts and macular degeneration. Wearing sunglasses can help protect your eyes. Plus, sunglasses make everyone look cool. Choose sunglasses with 100%, or UV 400, coverage.

3. Eat your veggies!

Eating well is good for your general health, including your eye health. Here are some recommended foods:

• Foods that are high in vitamin C, such as citrus fruits, peppers and broccoli
• Foods with antioxidants like lutein and beta carotene, such as in carrots and dark leafy greens
• Foods with omega-3 fatty acids, such as in walnuts, flax seeds and oily fish

All of these foods are nutritious, delicious and can help keep your eyes healthy. Need some inspiration? Check out these book recommendations from Toronto Public Health: Your Health Matters: Books on Food and Nutrition.  

4. Quit smoking

You’ve probably heard that smoking is bad for your health. But did you realize this includes vision health? If you smoke, you are at greater risk of developing eye conditions like cataracts or macular degeneration. The library has many books and audiobooks to help you quit.

5. Safety first

If you play contact sports or use power tools, remember to wear eye or face protectors to reduce your risk of eye injury.

6. Give your eyes a break

Many of us spend a lot of time looking at digital devices, like computer screens, smartphones, gaming systems and televisions. This can cause eye strain and fatigue. It’s important to give your eyes a rest. Try the 20-20-20 rule. Every 20 minutes, focus your eyes on something that is 20 feet away, for 20 seconds. 

Reading Formats and Equipment at Toronto Public Library

If you, like me, tend to read A LOT, another way to give your eyes a break is to read audiobooks. The library has audiobooks for all ages on CD and in digital formats. We also have Playaways, which are audiobooks preloaded onto lightweight portable players. Learn more about audiobooks at the library. 

If you prefer books in print but find the words are just too small, why not try large print? Browse what's new in Large Print. 

E-books give you the option to change font size and other settings like contrast. Learn more in this blog post about accessible reading options.  

People with print disabilities can also use the library’s Talking Books collection and the Centre for Equitable Library Access (CELA). A print disability is any visual, physical or learning disability that makes it difficult or impossible to read or hold a regular book. Visual print disabilities include blindness or low vision and eye conditions like glaucoma, including temporary conditions. Learn more about Talking Books, CELA and other accessible collections at the library.

The library has assistive equipment and technology to use in branches (pending Provincial regulations on access to branches). These include assistive reading devices such as hand-held magnifiers, natural spectrum lamps and computers with magnification and speech-to-text software. 

Books on Vision Health

Here are a few books to learn more about vision health:

Eat Right for Your Sight by Jennifer Trainer Thompson and Johanna M. Seddon

The Eye Book: A Complete Guide to Eye Disorders and Health by Gary H. Cassel

The Eye Care Sourcebook by Jay B. Lavine

Eyefoods: The Complete Health & Nutrition Guide by Laurie Capogna

Eyefoods for Kids: A Tasty Guide to Nutrition and Eye Health by Laurie Capogna and Barbara Pelletier

Visionary Books

Here are some books by people living with vision loss:

Beyond Vision: Going Blind, Inner Seeing, and the Nature of the Self by Allan Jones

Cockeyed: A Memoir by Ryan Knighton

Dancing After TEN: A Graphic Memoir by Vivian Chong, illustrated by Georgia Webber 

The Point of Vanishing: A Memoir of Two Years in Solitude by Howard Axelrod

Taking Hold: My Journey into Blindness by Sally Hobart Alexander

Community Resources

If you are living with vision loss, there are organizations in your community that can give you more resources, supports and connections with others. Here are some in Toronto:

• BALANCE for Blind Adults
• Canadian Council of the Blind Toronto Visionaries Chapter
• CNIB
• Vision Loss Rehabilitation
• Vision Technology Service

Bill V. and Mom both in masks. (Mom's the pretty one)

My Mom is 90 and living with dementia. This isn't a unique or even unusual story. It breaks my heart to see her decline. But I've come up with some coping mechanisms that helped me through this. I batch cook for my mom, I sing with her, I tell terrible jokes and we look at family photos.

My first language is Macedonian and, a few years ago as it became clear Mom was losing her memory, I started to get her to teach me folk songs in Macedonian from her youth. I sing the five or six songs she taught me, and she often joins in so we can sing together. We're at the point where she can remember a song if I start to sing, but if I asked her to choose a song she wouldn't be able to.

I also have about a dozen jokes (some mildly risque), many puns or word plays in Macedonian and funny stories that she laughs at. One good thing about a person living with dementia is that my humor, which is corny and repetitive, always seems new and fresh. Don't make me tell you about the three kinds of farts, and the accompanying sounds. But, if you're interested in fart books for kids you might enjoy my blog There are Three Kinds of Farts: Funny Flatulence Books for Kids.

A few years back my sister gathered boxes of photos and sorted them thematically, or by year or family. Mom enjoys looking through these. We also have some larger family photos and when Mom forgets she's a Mom we'll use these as cues to prompt her or remind her. I also show her pictures on my phone and she likes that a lot. This is a favorite one and, for some reason although it's a more recent memory, she really remembers our dog Rufus, she even kind of knows he died last year during the first wave of the pandemic. 

Mom, Bill V., Rufus the dog and Dad.

There's a lot of repetition with Mom, which I find comforting, but I know some folks get a bit impatient. I try not to argue with Mom about wrong facts, using phrases like "could be!" Sometimes she cries. I let her cry a bit, hold her hand, and then tell her a dirty joke that gets her laughing. 

If your loved one has dementia you'll have your own unique story and experience with that. But some experiences are common among many folks, or can give us some insight into our own experience, and maybe help us come to terms with our own situation. 

So, I wanted to share some memoirs of folks living with Alzheimer's or another form of dementia. For this list, I'll use the word dementia to refer to either.

All Things Consoled: A Daughter's Memoir

"Elizabeth Hay, one of Canada's most beloved novelists has written a poignant, complex, and hugely resonant memoir about the shift she experienced between being her paren'ts' daughter to their guardian and caregiver. As the daughter takes charge, and the writer takes notes, her mother and father are like two legendary icebergs floating south. They melt into the ocean of partial, painful, inconsistent, and funny stories that a family makes over time. Hay's eloquent memoir distills these stories into basic truths about paren'ts and children and their efforts of understanding."

Feeding My Mother: Comfort and Laughter in the Kitchen as My Mom Lives with Memory Loss

"Based on her hugely popular Facebook posts and Instagram photos, Feeding My Mother is a frank, funny, inspirational and piercingly honest account of the transformation in Jann Arden's life that has turned her into the primary "paren't" to her mom, who is in the grip of Alzheimer's. Jann Arden moved in to a house just across the way from her paren'ts in rural Alberta to be close to them but also so they could be her refuge from the demands of the music business and a performing career. Funny how time works. Since her dad died in 2015, Jann cooks for her mom five or six times a week. Her mom finds comfort in her daughter's kitchen, not just in the delicious food but also just sitting with her as she cooks. And Jann finds some peace in caring for her mom, even as her mom slowly becomes a stranger." You might also enjoy Jann Arden's newest book If I Knew Then: Finding Wisdom in Failure and Power in Aging.

I don't have a large repertoire of cooking. Mostly it's dishes my Mom taught me how to make, like stuffed peppers or lentil stew. Every time my mom eats one of my stuffed peppers she says some variation of, "You cook?" or "I haven't had stuffed peppers in two years (or since 1974)!" 

Stuffed Peppers by Bill V. for his Mom.

I make these in batches of eight (or more). Then I take several up to Mom, one for now and others in the freezer.

Dancing with Rose: Finding Life in the Land of Alzheimer's

"One journalist's surprisingly hopeful in-the-trenches look at Alzheimer's, the disease that claimed her mother's life. Like many loved ones of Alzheimer's sufferers, Lauren Kessler was devastated by the disease that seemed to turn her mother into another person before claiming her life altogether. To deal with the pain of her loss, and to better understand the confounding aspects of living with this disease, Kessler enlisted as a caregiver at a facility she calls Maplewood. Life inside the facility is exhausting and humbling, a microenvironment built upon the intense relationships between two groups of marginalized people: the victims of Alzheimer's and the underpaid, overworked employees who care for them. But what surprises Kessler more than the disability and backbreaking work is the grace, humor, and unexpected humanity that are alive and well at Maplewood."

All Gone: A Memoir of My Mother's Dementia with Refreshments

"Just past seventy, Alex Witchel's smart, adoring, ultracapable mother began to exhibit undeniable signs of dementia. Her smart, adoring, ultracapable daughter reacted as she'd been raised: If something was broken, they would fix it. But as medical reality undid that hope, and her mother continued the torturous process of disappearing in plain sight, Witchel retreated to the kitchen, trying to reclaim her mother at the stove by cooking the comforting foods of her childhood: "Is there any contract tighter than a family recipe?"  Reproducing the perfect meat loaf was no panacea, but it helped Witchel come to terms with her predicament, the growing phenomenon of "ambiguous loss "– loss of a beloved one who lives on."

I'll Be Seeing You: A Memoir

"For as long as Elizabeth can remember, she has watched her father trail after her mother, kissing her multiple times a day and holding her hand. She watched her mother smooth the lines in her father's face and pay attention to his every move, even when she was desperate for some time to herself. When her paren'ts began to age, Elizabeth and her siblings are placed in the difficult position of taking over more and more supportive roles and tasks. They fix their paren'ts' home, negotiate finances, eventually weather the back and forth of will they or won't they move into a nursing facility; finally they do. Berg gracefully takes readers through navigating the emotional and physical challenger of guiding paren'ts through the final stages of life."

Bird in a Cage 

"Once a sharp, strong-willed and independent woman, Roher's grandmother's life took an unexpected turn when an accident left her with a brain injury, leading to early onset dementia. An unlikely protagonist, grandma was an elderly woman trapped by her deteriorating mind, aging body and the walls around her. This story illuminates the often overlooked narrative of a senior, her complicated history and inner life. Loveable and tragic, she is determined to get back to a familiar place, to be home again."

Can't We Talk about Something More Pleasant?: A Memoir

"In her first memoir, Roz Chast brings her signature wit to the topic of aging paren'ts. Spanning the last several years of their lives and told through a mixture of cartoons, family photos, documents, and a narrative as rife with laughs as it is with tears, Chast's memoir is both comfort and comic relief for anyone experiencing the life-altering loss of elderly paren'ts. When it came to her elderly mother and father, Roz held to the practices of denial, avoidance, and distraction."

The Long Hello: Memory, My Mother, and Me

"A stirring memoir of a daughter caring for a mother with dementia that is sure to become a touchstone for many others. The Long Hello explores the emotional rewards and challenges that Cathie Borrie experienced in caring for her mother, who was living with Alzheimer's disease, for seven years. Between the two, a wondrously poetic dialogue develops, which Ms. Borrie further illuminates with childhood memories of her family, and her struggle to maintain a life outside her caregiving responsibilities."

Somebody I Used to Know: A Memoir

"Wendy Mitchell had a busy job with the British National Health Service, raised her two daughters alone, and spent her weekends running and climbing mountains. Then, slowly, a mist settled deep inside the mind she once knew so well, blurring the world around her. She didn't know it then, but dementia was starting to take hold. In 2014, at age fifty-eight, she was diagnosed with young-onset Alzheimer's. In this groundbreaking book, Mitchell shares the heartrending story of her cognitive decline and how she has fought to stave it off. What lay ahead of her after the diagnosis was scary and unknowable, but Mitchell was determined and resourceful, and she vowed to outwit the disease for as long as she could."

Children's Books

If you have a paren't with dementia, you may need to explain it to your young children. Here are a few recommended books that tackle this topic.

The ACB with Honora Lee 

"Perry's mother and father are busy people … they're impatient, they're tired, they get cross easily. And they think that only children, like Perry, should be kept busy. On Saturday mornings Perry and her father visit her gran, Honora Lee, at the Santa Lucia rest home, but Gran never remembers them. 'Who is that man?' Honora Lee asks when Perry's father leaves the room. After movement class is abruptly cancelled, Perry is allowed to go to Santa Lucia on Thursday afternoons. She discovers her Gran has an unconventional interest in the alphabet, so Perry decides to make an alphabet book with the help of Honora and the others. Soon everyone is interested in Perry's book project. The ACB With Honora Lee unfolds with characteristic warmth, quirky, surprising humor and a rich cast of 'residents'. The story is a meditation on kindness and patience and acceptance; that of the very young and the very old"

Weeds in Nana's Garden: A Heartfelt Story of Love That Helps Explain Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias

"A young girl and her Nana hold a special bond that blooms in the surroundings of Nana's magical garden. Then one day, the girl finds many weeds in the garden. She soon discovers that her beloved Nana has Alzheimer's Disease; an illness that affects an adult brain with tangles that get in the way of thoughts, kind of like how weeds get in the way of flowers. As time passes, the weeds grow thicker and her Nana declines, but the girl accepts the difficult changes with love, and learns to take-over as the magical garden's caregiver."

The Little Word Catcher

"Elise wonders why her grandmother's words keep escaping her – do they fly off to play tricks on her? Elise's grandmother used to know many marvelous words, but now she seems to be losing them all the time. Can Elise help her by catching them, like butterflies in a net? This award-winning picture book offers a gentle exploration of the effects of Alzheimer's on the relationships in a family, and the special bond it creates between a grandmother and her granddaughter. By the end, Elise comes to believe that her grandmother has used up all her words and has passed them on to her, as a gift."

Grandma Doesn't Know My Name

"This simple book written in prose helps children understand Alzheimer disease. A little girl is troubled by her beloved grandmother not remembering her name. The book explains that Alzheimer is not contagious it affects the brain and changes the way things will be done."

See also "What's Happening to Grandpa?" by Maria Shriver.

Grandpa's Music: A Story about Alzheimer's

"Although Alzheimer's disease makes it difficult for Callie's grandfather to remember things, his family keeps him occupied, and Callie's special task is to help him enjoy playing the piano and singing favorite songs."

See also Singing with Momma Lou by Linda Jacbos Altman.

Practical How-To Books

If you are caring for a loved one with dementia, these books offer help and support.

Connecting in the Land of Dementia: Creative Activities to Explore Together

"Finding the connection with a loved one afflicted with dementia is a challenge millions of people face: One in ten Americans has a family member with Alzheimer's, and one in three knows someone with the disease. This book offers care partners practical, hands-on ideas for meaningful, creative activities they can do with their patients, family members, or friends who have dementia. It also includes creative tips for busy care partners, offering quick and easy forms of renewal and respite. Too often, people living with dementia are entertained instead of engaged. Research shows that artistic and imaginative activities reduce the need for psychotropic medications. Doing activities together also increases social interactions, builds positive energy, and adds a sense of discovery to the day."

Contented Dementia

"Dementia is a little understood and currently incurable illness, but much can be done to maximise the quality of life for people with the condition. Contented Dementia – by clinical psychologist and bestselling author Oliver James – outlines a groundbreaking and practical method for managing dementia that will allow both sufferer and carer to maintain the highest possible quality of life, throughout every stage of the illness. A person with dementia will experience random and increasingly frequent memory blanks relating to recent events. Feelings, however, remain intact, as do memories of past events and both can be used in a special way to substitute for more recent information that has been lost."

Dementia Reimagined: Building A Life Of Joy And Dignity From Beginning To End

"The cultural and medical history of dementia and Alzheimer's disease by a leading psychiatrist and bioethicist who urges us to turn our focus from cure to care"

If you want to know more about my Mom please, check out my blog Always Wear Clean Underwear, Love Mom: Vintage Mother's Day Photographs.

I leave you with the photo I took of my Mom and me just a couple of weeks ago. It makes me kind of cry every time I look at it, but then I think about the three kinds of farts joke and I start to smile. 

Bill V. (in mask) and Mom kissing him.

If you have a story about caring, living with or loving someone with dementia, you are welcome to share it in the comments below. 

March 22 is World Water Day! Beginning in 1993, the United Nations celebrated water and helped raise awareness for the 2.2 billion people that are living without access to safe water (according to the UN's World Water Day Toolkit). This year the UN is asking us to participate in a conversation about what water means to us. 

Image from the World Water Day 2021 toolkit.

Water To Me

Personally, I love plants. I have an excess of them in my home and I am constantly giving cuttings of them as gifts to others. I always do my best to water my plants using rainwater in the warmer months. It's a great way to gently water the soil and wash/dust off the leaves at the same time! 

Rain watering plants. Photo by the author.

Water has recently taken on a new importance in my life, as a means to experiment with my kid. Be it painting with water or letting him try to drink out of an open cup (we don't test that emerging skill set with milk just yet), or the wildly enjoyable nightly bath time. 

Water-Themed Favourites

If you're like me, perhaps you're not emotionally stable enough to endure a lecture about the water crisis right now. Fear not, despite a few call-to-action moments, this list will not have you sinking into a depressive state. Instead, bathe yourself (get it) in the glory of TPL's collections and please enjoy this curated list of books, movies and documentaries that all have something to do with water. 

Blue Planet II : Take a Deep Breath by David Attenborough

"David Attenborough returns to the world's oceans in this sequel to the acclaimed documentary filming rare and unusual creatures of the deep, as well as documenting the problems our oceans face."

• DVD
• print book
• digital soundtrack

Water : Lawren Harris and the Group of Seven by Joan Murray

"This book concentrates on Lawren Harris, Tom Thomson and the other members of the Group of Seven's preference for painting the flowing world."

We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom

"Water is the first medicine. It affects and connects us all… When a black snake threatens to destroy the Earth and poison her people's water, one young water protector takes a stand to defend Earth's most sacred resource. Inspired by the many indigenous-led movements across North America, this bold and lyrical picture book issues an urgent rallying cry to safeguard the Earth's water from harm and corruption."

Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou by Wes Anderson

"With a plan to exact revenge on a mythical shark that killed his partner, Oceanographer Steve Zissou (Bill Murray) rallies a crew that includes his estranged wife, a journalist, and a man who may or may not be his son."

• DVD
• evideo
• digital soundtrack

Life of Pi by Yann Martel

"After the tragic sinking of a cargo ship, one solitary lifeboat remains bobbing on the wild, blue Pacific. The crew of the surviving vessel consists of a hyena, a zebra (with a broken leg), a female orang-utan, a 450-pound Royal Bengal tiger and Pi – a 16-year-old Indian boy. The scene is set for one of the most extraordinary pieces of literary fiction of recent years."

• DVD

The Shape of Water by Guillermo del Toro

"An otherworldly fairy tale, set against the backdrop of Cold War-era America circa 1962. In the hidden high-security government laboratory where she works, lonely Elisa is trapped in a life of isolation. Elisa's life is changed forever when she and co-worker Zelda discover a secret classified experiment."

• DVD
• book
• eaudiobook
• audiobook
• ebook
• art book

Water: a Very Short Introduction by John Finney

"Water dominates the surface of Earth and is vital to life on our planet. It is a remarkable liquid which shows anomalous behaviour. In thisVery Short Introduction John Finney introduces the science of water, and explores how the structure of water molecules gives rise to its physical and chemical properties. Considering water in all three of its states as ice and steam as well as liquid, Finney explains the great importance of an understanding of its structure and behaviour to a range of fields including chemistry, astrophysics, and earth and environmental sciences." 

Waterlog: a Swimmer's Journey Through Britain (ebook) by Roger Deakin

"Inspired by John Cheever's classic short story, "The Swimmer," Roger Deakin set out from his moat in Suffolk to swim through the British Isles. The result of his journey is a maverick work of observation and imagination."

The Reef: a Passionate History: the Great Barrier Reef from Captain Cook to climate change by Iaian McCalman

"A journey into the wonders of the Great Barrier Reef, as experienced by explorers, scientists, and artists"

Moby Dick by Herman Melville

"The itinerant sailor Ishmael begins a voyage on the whaling ship Pequod whose captain, Ahab, wishes to exact revenge upon the whale Moby-Dick, who destroyed his last ship and took his leg. As they search for the savage white whale, Ishmael questions all aspects of life."

• book
• ebook
• audiobook
• eaudiobook
• DVD

Have I missed any of your personal favourite books or movies about water? Share below in the comments, or tell us what water means to you!

Wednesday, February 17 is Random Acts of Kindness Day! I encourage you to set the intention to doing a kind act for another person, be it someone you know or a complete stranger, or even a kind act for yourself.

The Kindness Book by Todd Parr

According to the scientists at Cedar Sinai, random acts of kindness release dopamine, boosts oxycontin and can also increase levels of serotonin in the body. All of this results in what we call the "helper's high." So not only will this kind act help others, but it'll boost your mood too! 

A personal anecdote: I have been purging my books at home to make room for more toddler titles on my book shelves. Since I live on a street with lots of sidewalk traffic, I chose to lay the purged books on my driveway and let passersby take what they want. It was very interesting to see people from all walks of life happily pick up a book and walk home with a smile on their face.

As if that wasn't reward enough, I came home the other day to a handwritten thank you note in my mailbox from a person who had taken a book. Even more incredibly, they put a $20 bill in the card as a "donation towards me purchasing a new book!" I was floored by this very unexpected gesture. Of course I had to oblige and promptly went to my local bookshop, Queen Books, to support a local, small business. So many levels of kindness it really knocked me out and made me feel so happy! 

Since 2015 I have set a recurring calendar reminder in my phone for Random Acts of Kindness Day so I am sure to to do something nice for someone else. I hope you will do the same! I'll admit that I tend to rely on monetary acts of kindness, paying for someone's beer or coffee (and asking the server not to tell the person it was me who paid for it), bringing flowers to the workplace to brighten up people's day, sending a goofy card to a friend overseas. That said there are a whole bunch of things you can do that are totally free of charge but charged with kindness. 

Here are some suggestions from Random Acts of Kindness Foundation: 

• Compliment drivers on how well they parked (except if it's my husband, he already takes way too much pride in his parking…)
• Go to your favourite spot and make time for yourself today (kindness to yourself counts too)
• Write a positive comment on a social media post or blog (you can start with this one! It's safe to do while maintaining physical distancing)
• Wheel your neighbour's trash bin to the curb
• Write a hand written letter to someone (your local librarian would love one)
• Clean your room 
• Text someone good morning or good night (I'd add a GIF for liveliness)
• Be spontaneous! 

Be sure to be safe when practicing kindness on February 17 and follow the current Provincial and City guidelines!

In addition to these ideas, the random acts of kindness website has a wonderful printable calendar that offers tips for acts of kindness every day of the year.

I also want to recommend these books and ebooks on kindness that you can enjoy from the comfort of your home.

For adults

The Language of Kindness: A Nurse's Stories of Life, Death and Hope by Christie Watson

"In the smallest of actions, the most undervalued of professions provides the most vital care and kindness. All of us will touch illness in our lifetime, and we will all depend upon the support and dignity that nurses offer us in our most vulnerable moments; yet these women and men who form the vanguard of our health service remain largely behind the scenes and publicly unsung. Through the stories in this book comes an understanding of what we must value most dearly – the urgency of care and compassion."

Radical Kindness: The Life Changing Power of Giving and Receiving by Angela Santomero

"The beloved creator of Blues Clues and Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood and protégé of Fred Rogers explores the importance of kindness and how it can change your life in this essential guide and tie-in to the PBS special, "The Power of Radical Kindness.""

The Kindness Cure: How the Science of Compassion Can Heal Your Heart and Your World by Tara Cousineau

"Psychologist Tara Cousineau draws on cutting-edge research in psychology and neuroscience to show how compassion and empathy are hardwired into our DNA and essential to our survival. This book teaches effective skills in compassion, mindfulness, and social and emotional learning, and reveals successful social policy initiatives in empathy taking place that inform everything from family life to education to the workplace."

A Short Course in Kindness by Margot Silk Forrest

"More than simply thought-provoking, this book challenges and inspires the reader to effect change through kindness. In warm and engaging prose, the book explains true kindness as opposed to mere niceness and explores its power and benefits. It motivates individuals to exhibit and practice kindness, describing in clear and simple terms ways to integrate kindness as the response of choice. Included are techniques for developing the ability to empathize with others and strategies for being kind to oneself."

Children's Recommendations on Kindness

If you're looking for children's resources, I have personally read/watched these titles with my little guy and got many squeals of approval (and one "oh no!").

Mister Rogers' Neighbourhood: It's a Beautiful Day Collection by Fred Rogers

I think we can all agree that Mister Rogers is basically kindness incarnate. I am completely and utterly obsessed with this man and his lessons in kindness are, in my opinion, unparalleled. Please enjoy this amazing DVD collection and promptly go and place holds on some of my other Fred favourites.

Pete the Cat's Groovy Guide to Kindness by Kimberly and James Dean

"A collection of quotes by famous notables, including Henry James, Booker T. Washington, and Judy Blume, echoes Pete the Cat's thoughts on kindness."

I Walk With Vanessa by Kerascoet

"An elementary school girl witnesses the bullying of another girl, but she is not sure how to help."

ABCs of Kindness by Samantha Berger

"A diverse cast of children shows everyday acts of kindness and generosity through thoughtful and vibrant illustrations. Whether it be donating blankets to the animal shelter, helping with chores, or standing up for what's right, this is the perfect book to spark conversations at home or in the classroom about the concepts of empathy and compassion. Featuring durable cardstock pages and approachable language, this book will encourage children to be their best selves wherever they go."

Finding Kindness by Deborah Underwood 

"Illustrations and rhyming text describe acts of kindness and community."

Please feel free to comment below with any acts you have done yourself or times you witnessed acts of kindness in your community!

When I think about weed (also known as cannabis, marijuana, pot, etc.), I always think about the episode in Frasier when Niles unknowingly gets his father stoned. I simply had to re-watch the episode before writing this blog post and to my delight, it's a holiday episode! As a stoned, retired police officer, Martin Crane is dramedy gold. My favourite scene is when he reassures his son there was a good reason why his pants were in the fridge, "I had a reason (pulls out notebook from breast pocket) fridge pants."

Frasier Season 11 Episode 11: High Holidays. Property of Paramount.

Since weed was legalized in Canada on Oct 17, 2018 (also the day my niece Pearl and nephew Miller were born), there has been a surge of information on the topic. Everything from investing in weed shares to growing your own weed plants to cooking with weed or CBD oil. CBD is short for cannabidiol. For those of you who are new to the world of weed for wellness, I'll share some search subjects to get your started as well as highlight a few tamer CBD oil resources that I have personally flipped through. Lastly, I have curated a list of television shows and movies that feature weed use to be enjoyed alongside a joint or edible if you wish.

Weed Wellness Resources

In order to highlight the range of information out there, I thought I would share some of the top subjects for weed-related searches from tpl.ca for your clicking delight:

• Cannabis — Therapeutic use
• Cannabis — Cooking (Marijuana)
• Cannabis — Health aspects
• Marijuana — social aspects
• Marijuana –physiological effects 

From those subject searches here are a few titles that stand out as good representations of the resources that focus on the health and wellness side of weed use. I have included a personal review for the items below. The titles below focus on CBD oil use by way of introduction to weed for wellness as CBD oil has all of the anti-inflammatory properties of weed without the "high". The "high" is derived from THC, short for tetrahydrocannabinol, another compound in weed.

CBD Oil: Everyday Secrets: A Lifestyle Guide to Hemp-Derived Health and Wellness by Gretchen Lidicker

A good introduction, I really enjoyed how this book used plain language to explain the science of what CBD oil actually is and how it effects the body and brain. As a lifestyle guide this book did a good job of guiding readers through finding the right CBD oil for you and what you may experience the first time you take it. It also had a couple recipes in the back of the book that looked tasty! 

CBD oil for health: 100 amazing benefits and uses of CBD oil by Michele Ross

With 72 health uses and 28 beauty focused treatments, this more practical book shows readers how to treat specific ailments with CBD oil. Uses includes promoting sleep, easing muscle soreness, relieving menstrual cramps, calming anger and alleviating dandruff. Dr. Michele Ross is a neuroscientist who started her career studying addiction and now promotes the medicinal use of psychedelic drugs like cannabis and mushrooms. She was also the first scientist to be on Big Brother 11!

CBD & Chill: 75 Self-Care Recipes for Everyday Wellness by Chris Tarello

I will admit the design and layout of this book grabbed my attention from my "Cooking (Marijuana)" search. It's a beautiful book! It has a ton of recipes for cooking with CBD oil as well as topical applications for skin and beauty. Interestingly enough it also has a chapter on CBD oil for pets which I haven't considered before. Our dog Lennon gets anxiety on long car trips, not that we are going anywhere lately, but something worth exploring. Since it was published in 2020 there is relevant information about where and what to look for when buying CBD. It also has a good guide for measuring dosages including a weekly dosage tracker chart. 

Have you had any success with using weed for wellness? Please comment below and let me know your favourite uses or recipes!

Television Shows

Lastly, please enjoy this curated list of my favourite portrayals of weed use in television shows and movies. Although not specifically health-related, they are binge-worthy nonetheless. So despite being in a lockdown, at least we can all still safely enjoy hanging with these buds.

Atlanta (2016-)

Entourage (2004-2011)

Weeds (2005-2012)

Movies

The Gentlemen (2020)

Training Day (2002)

American Beauty (2000)

Have I missed any of your favourites? Comment below and let me know your top picks!

It’s often the little things in life that make the difference. A simple phone call can mean the world to someone, especially during these challenging times. Seniors are particularly vulnerable to isolation. So, since mid-July, a small, dedicated team of 20 or so TPL staff have been calling our senior customers to let them know we are thinking about them.

Emoke, one of our librarians and check-in callers.

We began with calling 9,000 of our customers ages 80 and over, as well as all 1,000 of our Home Library Service customers. These calls provide a friendly check-in, and our staff can also share information about our services and offer assistance. Many libraries around the world have implemented a similar service. 

We are just about to embark upon calling customers ages 70 to 79, approximately 13,000 more customers! 

Feedback from our customers has been overwhelmingly positive. These conversations are casual chats on just about anything and everything – great reads, digital services, ebooks, holds, community services, cooking, cleaning and even the weather.

Here’s what customers have been saying:

“I very much appreciate the courtesy call and am grateful to have TPL in my life. I consider TPL a lifeline through hard times and the social upside to my day whenever I enter your doors.”

“I am delighted you have taken this on as another way to help ease the pandemic’s effects. In fact, I think this kind of kindness is extremely newsworthy and deserves promotion as a reflection on TPL in general. Thanks for making our world a little bit better.”

“I’m happy to hear from the library and appreciate the call. I’m very touched that you took the time to check in and offer assistance.”

Customers are looking forward to the day when they can browse in our branches again, borrow material and connect with staff. There is lots of love for TPL – customers are missing us just as much as we miss them too!

Our staff are used to having in-depth conversations with customers about their interests and needs. So working on these calls has been incredibly rewarding for the team. Here’s what some of them have to say about their experience:

“I’ve provided some online account help and tech support over the phone that was greatly appreciated. There have been some great laughs shared. Coincidentally, I chatted with a senior who had her art exhibited at Don Mills Branch 12 years ago…I purchased one of her paintings and she actually recognized my voice. What are the chances? An added bonus to this project is that it has helped me feel connected to customers again.”

– Stefanie, Library Assistant

“On my first day of calling, I had a great few hours on the phone. I got some real chatty ones, some very interesting seniors. One was picking currants to make jam, another one told me about stamp collecting, others were just glad that the Library was reaching out to them.”

– Beverley, Library Assistant

“I have been getting a great response from customers and it feels good to know we are helping with a phone call.”

– Rubi, Library Assistant

This important initiative will be continuing well into the new year.

This fall I have been spending a lot of time outdoors so I thought I would investigate the health trend of forest bathing. Forest bathing is the practice of spending time connecting with nature through our senses with no specific destination in mind. Basically the medicine of being in the forest. As seen below, my son and I (along with my husband and our dog, Lennon) spent a wonderful Saturday in Warden Woods taking in the sights, sounds, and smells of fall in our beautiful city.

Warden Woods. Photo by the author.

To be honest, I do a lot more wandering than I used to because of my now mobile and independent toddler so this was a great experience. Previous visits to Warden Woods included plotting a hike, putting on my workout gear and racing my dog to the brink of exhaustion. This time I chose to follow the lead of my little guy and just muck about on – and off – the trails picking up a few leaves and sticks along our way. 

What is Forest Bathing?

According to the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy, forest bathing, forest therapy, or shinrin yoku, was developed in Japan in the 1980s and is a "research-based framework for supporting healing and wellness through immersion in forests and other natural environments." Beginning as a campaign to protect the forests of Japan, it has evolved into a scientific investigation of the link between forests and human health.

So not a literal bath in the forest but literal tree hugging is encouraged!

Reagan at Cathedral Grove, Tofino, British Columbia. Photo by the author.

How do I do it?

Honestly it is very simple, just take a stroll in a natural environment (preferably under a tree canopy) with no destination in mind. That is it! The great thing about forest bathing is that there is really no wrong way to do it. It is an open ended prescription for wellness so every individual can do what works best for them. You can choose the duration, location, and activity level as you see fit.

Looking for more concrete guidance? Here are a couple helpful, external links to help you plan your forest bathing experience:

Global Institute of Forest Therapy (GIFT)

Association of Nature and Forest Therapy

What health benefits will I get out of it?

Personally, I found my experience forest bathing relaxing and humbling. It's interesting how little our brain perceives of our immediate surroundings when we are focused on a destination or distracted by a good digital audiobook. After my experience, my heart rate had slowed and I felt refreshed, similar to how I feel after a yoga practice. 

Forest Bathing: The Start Here Guide for Beginners by Dr. Cyndi Gilbert. Regular print only

In her book, Dr. Cyndi Gilbert suggests that the practice of forest bathing allows you to breath in oxygen-rich air that is full of phytoncides (wood essential oils). It also increases your absorption of Vitamin D, something Canadians are often deficient in.

Forest Bathing: How Trees Can Help You Find Health and Happiness by Dr. Qing Li

Some other health benefits, according to Dr. Qing Li, are: 

• Improved mood
• Increased energy
• Boosted immune system
• Decreased anxiety, depression and anger
• Increased relaxation
• Lowered blood pressure
• Improved quality of sleep

How do I find out more?

Aside from the two books I already mentioned, here are the resources I found useful in preparing for my experience. An experience I look forward to repeating! 

Forest Bathing: The Rejuvenating Practice of Shinrin Yoku by Hector Garcia and Francesc Miralles

"Forest bathing offers specific guidelines for finding replenishment among the trees – from turning off the phone to seeking irregularities in nature – which in turn can make us gentler toward the world and ourselves."

The Outdoor Adventurer's Guide to Forest Bathing by Suzanne Bartlett Hackenmiller. Regular print only

"The first and only guide to shinrin-yoku for the outdoor adventurer With techniques tailored for hiking, mountain biking, paddling, climbing, trail-running, and cross-country skiing, this is the definitive guide to applying the healthy and rejuvenating practice of forest bathing to your favorite activities."

And two bonus books to help encourage a love of trees (said the tree hugger!)

The Hidden Life of Trees: What they Feel, How they Communicate by Peter Wohlleben

"A forester's fascinating stories, supported by the latest scientific research, reveal the extraordinary world of forests and illustrate how trees communicate and care for each other."

There's a children's edition of this book too, called Can You Hear the Trees Talking?

The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein

I once had a child in storytime tell me that the Giving Tree reminded him of his mother and I have never fully recovered. 

Have you tried forest bathing or are you planning an outing? Comment below and tell me about your favourite places! 

Forest Bathing round two: Lennon at Cherry Beach. Photo by the author.

Right now, many people are feeling worried and anxious because of the COVID-19 pandemic. We're learning to adapt to a "new normal" that's constantly changing. This guest post is by Dr. Katy Kamkar, PhD., C. Psych., Clinical Psychologist, The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). She offers some great ways to protect and improve your mental health at this uncertain time.

We’ve been living through a "new normal" since the pandemic began, and for many it was a difficult transition. Now as communities re-open, our routines are being disrupted again as we do our best to adapt to what’s next. Every new normal we create carries a sense of loss, grief and regret, but it is also a chance for new opportunities.

In my practice as a Clinical Psychologist and in my personal life, I hear a lot from people who are worried. They have concerns about facets of their lives such as return to work and school, commuting, or about their own and their family’s health.

It’s normal to have questions and concerns weighing on your mind. Coronavirus symptoms may affect our physical health, but the pandemic also has a great impact on our daily lives, routines, and our overall mental well-being. Let’s always keep in mind that our mental health and physical health are deeply connected. In fact, mental health is health. How can we maintain our wellness while we manage our daily responsibilities?

Managing Your Mental Well-being

The first step involves awareness.

Feelings of anxiety, fear, sadness, irritability, and anger are a normal part of life. It is important to be able to identify when these negative feelings become too difficult to cope with. Reaching out for help before these feelings greatly impact our lives is so important.

Awareness also means knowing what can cause stress in our life. Right now that could be things like being isolated at home, our finances, returning to work, organizing child care, or even feeling exhausted from caring for others, and playing out “what if” scenarios in our heads.

Now it’s time to take action. We should use our feelings and emotions as cues to act.

Here are a few specific strategies that may help.

• Don’t stigmatize safety.

Wear a mask when you know you’ll be close to others, and continue to practice safe social distancing and good hand hygiene.

• Keep in touch with family and friends in safe ways.

Proper socially-distanced and masked visits, calling, texting, emailing, video chat and social media are good ways to stay connected.

• Seek balance as you keep up with the news and social media, while setting boundaries to manage anxiety.

Our tolerance level varies on a continuum — at times it can be lower than other times. Be flexible and set boundaries depending on where your thermometer is.

• Give yourself time to decompress and tune out noise.

Read a book or listen to an audiobook, practice meditation, yoga, gardening or other activities that can allow you to focus.

• Make some lifestyle changes if needed.

A balanced diet, exercise and healthy sleep habits can do wonders for your mental health. Avoid substance misuse and find healthier coping mechanisms.

• Identify positives every day and encourage a mindset of gratitude.

Be kind to yourself and take time to practice self-care.

• Focus on what you have control over and put your time and energy into current problems and current worries.

Set aside any problems or worries that do not exist right now.

• Engage in mindfulness and self-compassion to avoid judging yourself.

Remind yourself you are human. The more open and kind we are with ourselves the more open and kind we are with others.

You are doing the best you can in a situation that is changing every day!

Do not hesitate to seek professional help if you are experiencing psychological distress. Some signs that you may need help include:

• difficulty starting tasks or taking care of responsibilities
• chronic low mood, sadness, or excessive anxiety that is difficult to manage
• lacking pleasure in activities
• difficulties with sleep and/or concentration
• or other symptoms that cause you concern.

As we shift into the "next normal" of this pandemic, let’s all remember that we are resilient and resourceful, and we will get through this together. Take care and stay safe!

Recommended Books

Katy’s book recommendations to learn more about mental health.

The Worry Cure: Seven Steps to Stop Worry from Stopping You by Robert L. Leahy Ph.D.

When Perfect Isn't Good Enough – Strategies for Coping with Perfectionism by Martin M. Antony and Richard P. Swinson.

The Generalized Anxiety Disorder Workbook: A Comprehensive CBT Guide for Coping with Uncertainty, Worry, and Fear by Dr. Melisa Robichaud, PHD, and Dr. Michel Dugas, PHD. Currently available in regular print only.

Looking for other mental health resources? Check out the recommended titles in Toronto Public Library's Your Health Matters: Mental Health collection. These books have been chosen by Toronto Public Health staff for the library, and can be counted on to provide clear, accurate and up-to-date information.

This is a list of online resources from organizations supporting the 2SLGBTQ+ community, mostly in the Toronto area. Many of these resources are related to the COVID-19 coronavirus and where to get help and information. It will be updated as more information is made available.

Toronto Public Library has additional COVID-19 resources, including those for families and people with disabilities.

• COVID-19 Resource List
• Helping Your Child Cope with COVID-19
• Deaf & Disability Community Resources
• COVID-19 Library FAQ

Download COVID-19 2SLGBTQ+ Community Resources (PDF, updated June 2021). 

On this page

• General COVID-19 Resources
• Community Programs & Events
• Families, Children & Youth
• Trans Resources
• Indigenous & Two-Spirited
• Financial Resources
• Mental Health & Harm Reduction

General COVID-19 Resources

Egale Canada

Second National Report on the Impact of COVID-19 on the LGBTQI2S Community

Resources, information and support from a leading Canadian 2SLGBTQ+ agency during the COVID-19 crisis.

Government of Ontario

Ontario Vaccine Booking Portal

Book your COVID-19 vaccine online.

Pride Toronto

COVID-19 Resources

Resource lists for 2SLGBTQ+ individuals, their friends and families, including financial resources, social support, mental health resources, and more.

The 519

COVID-19 Resources

Resources organized by subject, including financial information, community resources and social support, mental health resources and more.

Community Programs & Events

Buddies in Bad Times Theatre

Buddies in Bad Times Live Events

Online events running throughout May and June in celebration of Pride. Includes programs for children and families.

Glad Day Book Shop

GDTV Live Events

Ongoing online programs, events and activities hosted via ZOOM. Please see the GDTV calendar for dates, times and more information.

Flamingo Market

Pride Expo Online

A virtual marketplace for 2SLGBTQ+ business owners and makers running from June 1-30.

LavenderTO

LavenderTO QueerStream

Ongoing live and online programs, events and activities for 2SLGBTQ+ women, trans and nonbinary folks, including ZOOM parties and an online book club.

Pride Toronto

Phygital Festival 2021

Pride Toronto is taking its Pride Month events live and online throughout the month of June, including hosting a Virtual Pride Parade.

Families, Children & Youth

Government of Ontario

Ministry of Children and Youth LGBTQ+ Resources

Links to government information, resources and support for families and caregivers of 2SLGBTQ+ children and youth.

Lumenus Community Services

Lumenus Community Services

An accredited 2SLGBTQ+ youth-focused agency providing access to resources, information and services relating to mental health and wellness.

Egale Canada

Egale Youth Services

Links to resources, information, support and advocacy for 2SLGBTQ+ youth, their families and caregivers.

LGBT Youthline

LGBT Youthline

A crisis hotline for 2SLGBTQ+ youth in need of information or support.

Sherbourne Health Centre

LGBTQ+ Paren'ting Network

A part of Sherbourne Family Health, the LGBTQ+ Paren'ting Network supports lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer/questioning and two-spirited paren'ting through research, training, resources and community development.

Skylark Youth

• Skylark Youth LGBTQ Resources
• Paren'ts of LGBTQ Youth

Links to resources, information and community supports for 2SLGBTQ+ youth, their families and caregivers.

YMCA Sprott House

Providing Shelter for LGBTQ Youth in Toronto

A dedicated shelter for 2SLGBTQ+ youth located near Bloor St. and Spadina Ave.

Trans Resources

ARCH Guelph

Transgender Care During COVID-19

Information, resources and education for transgender individuals, their families and networks during the COVID-19 crisis.

Rainbow Health Ontario

Trans Health Knowledge Base

Includes health resources and FAQs for transgender individuals and their families.

Sherbourne Health

Trans Health Care

Health and support services for transgender and nonbinary clients.

Trans Lifeline

• Resources
• Peer Support Hotline

Information, support and resources for transgender individuals, their families and networks in Canada and the US. Includes a Peer Support Hotline for those in crisis or looking for information.

Indigenous and Two-Spirited

Ontario Aboriginal HIV/AIDS Strategy

Ontario Aboriginal HIV/AIDS Strategy

Information, resources and support for First Nations individuals living with HIV/AIDS. During the COVID-19 crisis, distribution of harm reduction supplies and remote support is offered.

Two-Spirited People of the First Nations

Two Spirits Resources

Links to information, resources and support for Two-Spirited individuals, their families and networks.

Financial Resources

Prosper Canada

• Managing in Tough Times: COVID-19 Toolkit
• Financial Relief Navigator

Essential resources and information for those in need of financial guidance, counselling and support, especially during the COVID-19 crisis. The Financial Relief Navigator is an online tool that enables users to browse available benefits from the government, major banks, credit unions, utilities and telephone/internet providers.

The 519

THE 519 CVTIP Tax Clinics

A community-led free tax clinic for low-income individuals in need of help completing their income tax.

Mental Health & Harm Reduction

CAMH

• CAMH & COVID-19
• LGBTQ2S+ People and Mental Health

Resources and information for people experiencing mental health challenges and in search of support, especially during the COVID-19 crisis.

Toronto PFLAG

• Crisis Support Phone Line
• Resources for Youth

Crisis hotline for 2SLGBTQ+ individuals in need of information or support. Also provides resources for youth.

Addiction Centre

The LGBTQ2S+ Community And Addiction

Free online information about the different aspects of drug and alcohol addiction for the 2SLGBTQ+ community.

Last Updated June 1, 2021.

Right now, researchers in Canada and around the world are working to develop vaccines and treatments for COVID-19 and we are all eagerly awaiting news and updates. At the same time, there have been many articles comparing the COVID-19 virus and pandemic to other viruses and pandemics throughout history. In many cases, scientists discovering treatments and developing vaccines halted the spread of these viruses, improving and preserving human life. Read on for books and online resources on historic viruses and vaccines.

For reputable, contemporary information on vaccines, be sure to check out the reading list, Toronto Public Health Recommends: Books on Vaccination.

Image by Daniel Foster on a Creative Commons license.

Books on Epidemics, Viruses and Vaccines

Epidemics and the Modern World by Mitchell L. Hammond. Print only.

This recent title by Canadian author Mitchell L. Hammond explores the relationships between epidemics and key themes in modern history. These themes include colonial structures, relationships to animals, perceptions of suffering and more.

Digital books on epidemics in history.

Edward Jenner by Rob Boddice. Print only.

"Edward Jenner is a giant of modern medicine. Throughout history, smallpox had plagued humanity with disfigurement, blindness, and death. It was an incurable blight, the suffering of which Jenner helped bring to an end. This is the story of Jenner’s life, his medical vision, and his profound legacy."

Smallpox: The Death of a Disease by Donald A Henderson.

"This spellbinding book is Dr. Henderson’s personal story of how he led the World Health Organization’s campaign to eradicate smallpox—the only disease in history to have been deliberately eliminated. Some have called this feat, "the greatest scientific and humanitarian achievement of the past century"."

Digital books about vaccines in history.

Jonas Salk: A Life by Charlotte Jacobs.

"When a waiting world learned on April 12, 1955, that Jonas Salk had successfully created a vaccine to prevent poliomyelitis, he became a hero overnight."

Digital books about polio.

Louis Pasteur by Patrice Debré. Print only.

"Distinguished French immunologist and physician Patrice Debré offers an extensive, balanced, and detailed account of Louis Pasteur’s life, struggles, and contributions."

The End of Plagues by John Rhodes.

Spanning three centuries, The End of Plagues weaves together the discovery of vaccination, the birth and growth of immunology, and the fight to eradicate the world’s most feared diseases.

Videos and Tutorials

With your library card, you can access several streaming services with lectures, courses and documentaries. To access these resources, you will be asked to sign in with your library card.

• On HSTalks, check out The History of Vaccines by Professor Stanley Plotkin, University of Pensylvania.
• The documentary Calling the Shots is available to watch online via Hoopla and explores vaccines in history and how vaccines work.
• An Introduction to Infectious Diseases is part of a Great Courses series available through Kanopy.

Our Digital Archive

You can also visit our Digital Archive for great historical photos on medical care, research and vaccinations, such as the two below.

Researcher working on a drug to combat herpes, 1980. Toronto Star Photograph Archive.

Receiving a polio vaccination, 1950. Toronto Star Photograph Archive.

COVID-19 Information

For up to date information on COVID-19, check out our information guide. Updated daily, we recommend these resources:

• Rolling Updates on Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19), World Health Organization
• COVID-19 situation update worldwide, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
• What's New, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

This is a list of online resources related to the COVID-19 coronavirus from organizations supporting people who are Deaf and people with disabilities, mostly in the Toronto area. It will be updated as more resources are made available.

If you have questions, feedback, or require this information in an alternate accessible format, please contact Toronto Public Library Accessibility Services by email at accessibleservices@tpl.ca or leave a phone message at 416-393-7099.

Download COVID-19 Deaf and Disability Community Resources (PDF)

On this page

• General information and support services
• For families and caregivers
• Autism
• Blind and Partially Sighted
• Brain Injury
• Communication
• Deaf and Hard of Hearing
• Developmental and Intellectual
• Mental Health
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Spinal Cord Injury

General information and support services

211 Central

211 Central
Search for local priority services available during the COVID-19 pandemic. Also includes a map of open food banks and information updates from the service sector.

Access Now

Access From Home
Find businesses that are accessible from home. Categories include: Groceries, Health, Courier, Entertainment, Education, Retail and Tech.

ARCH Disability Law

• Advocacy Toolkit: Advocating for Your Support Person, Attendant, or Communication Assistant to Be with You in Hospital During the COVID-19 Pandemic
• ARCH Bulletin on COVID-19: Accessible Communication
• COVID-19 and Disability: Recommendations to the Canadian Government from Disability Related Organizations in Canada

Citizens with Disabilities Ontario

COVID-19 Info for People with Disabilities
Includes plain language guides and information about: health and hospitalization, homecare and direct funding, online support, income support, emergency planning.

Centre for Independent Living Toronto

Information and Resources List Related to COVID-19
Contacts and links for government and health information and community services such as crisis, seniors and peer support help lines.

Ontario Community Support Association

COVID-19 Community Support Finder
Seniors, persons with disabilities and people with underlying medical conditions, their families or caregivers can request essential deliveries like meals, groceries, or medications.

Ontario Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services

• Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) COVID-19 Key Information
  
• Special Services and Supports (SSAH): Temporary Changes to Eligible Expenses
• Passport funding: Temporary Changes to Eligible Expenses

Information about additional resources for ODSP recipients and expanded lists of eligible expenses for people in the SSAH and Passport programs.

Partners for Planning

COVID-19 Staying Connected
Tips for staying socially connected via technology, Caremonger groups, and direct online and telephone support.

Rick Hansen Foundation

COVID-19 Useful Resources for Persons with Disabilities
Compilation of resources on topics such as: safer shopping, supporting children and youth, financial assistance and how to get help.

Tyler Littlefield

Accessible COVID-19 Statistics Tracker
Statistics regarding the COVID-19 pandemic in a text format.

For families and caregivers

Canadian Association for Community Living

#COVIDdisability: Disability-Related Resources for Families
Disability-related resources for families including: trusted information, plain language information, information on discrimination and communication rights and resources for caregivers.

Child-Bright Network

COVID-19 Resources
Resources for children with disabilities and families, including: leisure activities, online communities, ongoing research, learning opportunities and webinars, news articles, and testimonies by families and youth.

Children’s Healthcare Canada

COVID-19 and Canada’s Kids
Resources from reliable sources on: COVID-19 and children’s health, hospital preparedness, planning guidelines, as well as live webinars and recordings.

Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital

COVID-19: Tip Sheets and Resources
Family tips sheets and resources on topics that include: supporting siblings; emergency funding sources and access to basic necessities; fun and affordable stay-at-home activities; learning schedules; storybooks about COVID-19.

The Ontario Caregiver Organization

COVID-19
Tips and resources for caregivers. Includes tips for caregiver mental health and two-minute video clips on caregiving during COVID-19.

Manuela Molina

COVIBOOK
Storybook about COVID-19 for children. Available in Arabic, Brazilian Portuguese, Chinese, Croatian, Danish, Dutch, Egyptian Arabic, English, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Persian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Spanish, Turkish and Welsh.

Autism

Autism Ontario

List of Resources to Help Us Through COVID-19
Links to resources in several categories:

• 18 and Over
• Activities
• Caregiver Tip
• COVID-19 Funding Sources
• First Nation, Metis, and Inuit Resources
• Health Resources
• Learning at Home
• Mental Health

Carol Gray Social Stories

Pandemic Social Stories Direct Access
A collection of shareable social stories to support the exchange of information about COVID-19 between paren'ts, professionals and people with autism of all ages.

Kerry’s Place

COVID-19 Resources
A video social story and links to resources.

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Supporting Individuals with Autism through Uncertain Times
Toolkit to support children and young adults with autism. Organized around seven strategies: support understanding, offer opportunities for expression, prioritize coping and calming skills, maintain routines, build new routines, foster connections (from a distance), and be aware of changing behaviours.

Blind and Partially Sighted

Canadian Assistive Technology

COVID-19 Resources for People with Disabilities
Information on COVID-19 plus links to free assistive technology, webinars, and online meetings for people who are blind or partially sighted.

CNIB

Virtual Program Offerings
Free virtual programs for Canadians who are blind or partially sighted, as well as their families, friends and caregivers. Programs include: career support, tech training, book clubs, youth groups, cooking and paren'ting.

Canadian Council of the Blind

COVID-19
Posts from the Canadian Council of the Blind.

Brain Injury

Brain Injury Society of Toronto

Online Programs
Free online programs such as: yoga, mental health support, nutrition, fraud prevention, community and government resources, and community connections.

Communication

Communication Disabilities Access Canada

COVID-19 Communication Rights Toolkit
Information on rights of people with speech-related disabilities, tips for self-advocacy and accommodation request form to use in health care settings.

Deaf and Hard of Hearing

Bob Rumball Canadian Centre of Excellence for the Deaf

Deaf Services in Ontario COVID-19 Updates
Status updates and contact information for various Deaf service agencies in Ontario.

Deaf Literacy Initiative

COVID-19 Update
Information on COVID-19 in ASL.

Silent Voice

COVID-19 Stay at Home Corner: How to Fill Your Days
Information about updates to government services and tips for coping during the COVID-19 pandemic in ASL.

World Federation of the Deaf

Information on the Coronavirus
Information on COVID-19 in International Sign Language.

Developmental and Intellectual

Community Living ConnectABILITY

What to do while in isolation, COVID-19 resources
Information and resources to help support people with developmental disabilities and their families. Includes links to social stories, webinars, and resources for education, entertainment and physical fitness.

Health Care Access Research and Developmental Disabilities

COVID-19 Information
Easy-to-read information, questions and answers, tips for managing stress, tools to use in health care settings and online events.

Surrey Place

Coronavirus Updates and Resources
Information and resources to support individuals and families, including adults with disabilities, paren'ts and professionals.

Mental Health

Canadian Mental Health Association

COVID-19: Mental Health and Well-Being
Resources and suggestions to help support your mental health, including links to tips for caring for children and tools for people aged 70 and over and caregivers.

Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

Mental Health and the COVID-19 Pandemic
Information and suggestions about how to cope with stress and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Government of Canada

Mental Health and COVID-19 for Public Servants: Protect Your Mental Health
Information about self-care, financial well-being, more. Geared to federal public servants but available to anyone.

Mental Health Commission of Canada

Resource Hub: Mental Health and Wellness During the COVID-19 pandemic
How to manage your mental health, work from home and deal with social isolation.

Vivian Ngai and Susie Kim

Take Care 19
Compilation of crowd-sourced free or low-cost resources to help cope and support mental wellness in diverse communities during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. Option to filter resources by audience “with disabilities.”

Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada

What You Need to Know About Coronavirus
Quick information and guidance for people living with MS.

Spinal Cord Injury

Spinal Cord Injury Ontario

COVID-19 Update and Resources
Information resources and health guidance for people living with SCI.

Last updated May 15, 2020

Self-care is "taking time to do things you enjoy or that make you feel better, especially when you feel stressed," according to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health's (CAMH) Six ways to practise self-care (PDF) guide. The six elements CAMH recommends are:

1. Eat well
2. Move your body
3. Pay attention to yourself
4. Sleep well
5. Slow down
6. Talk to people

Right now, many Canadians are experiencing increased levels of stress and anxiety, as demonstrated in a recent survey by Statistics Canada, How are Canadians coping with the COVID-19 situation?  So here are some resources to help you practise the six elements of self-care.

1. Eat well

It's important to take the time to eat three healthy meals a day. Try to consume more fruit and vegetables. Cut down on your caffeine and alcohol intake and drink more water instead. Here are some resources to help you learn about eating well.

• OverDrive has magazines on delicious and nutritious food including Better Nutrition and Vegan Food & Living.

How to: Under Subjects, select Magazines, then either Food & Wine or Health & Fitness. 

• Kanopy offers instructional evideos like Cooking and Children… A Learning Activity and The Everyday Gourmet: Making Healthy Food Taste Great series.

How to: Select Browse, then Health, then Everyday Health. Then select Nutrition.

• Gale Courses, an elearning resource, has instructor-led courses such as Luscious, Low-Fat, Lightning-Quick Meals or Start Your Own Edible Garden.

How to: Select Personal Development, then Health and Wellness. Courses start on specific dates.

For similar courses, select the title of a course and look under Related Products. 

2. Move your body

If you find you're sitting a lot, try to remember to stand up and move around regularly. Use your muscles. Develop a personal workout. Aim to increase your heart rate for 30 minutes a day. Here are some resources to help you get moving.

• Hoopla has a variety of evideo dance workouts (like Doonya, the Bollywood Dance Workout) as well as evideos on Pilates, yoga and other exercises.

How to: Select Movies or Television under Browse. Then select the category Health & Fitness.

In Television, you can also select the categories Dance Your Way to Health and Workouts for Women.

• Flipster and OverDrive have health and fitness magazines such as Men's Health and Oxygen.
• PressReader has similar magazines in both English and other languages, including not only Men’s Health USA but also Men’s Health Australia, Greece, Mexico, etc.

How to: In Flipster, select the category Fitness & Health.

In OverDrive, select Subjects, then Magazines, then Health & Fitness.

In PressReader, select the category Health & Fitness. You can also use the Languages category to browse by language.

3. Pay attention to yourself

Aim for a balanced lifestyle. Try to identify things that help you move towards physical and mental health and things that don’t. Be sensitive to changes of attitude and mood. Take deep breaths, stretch and meditate. Practice mindfulness. Include yourself on the list of people you are taking care of. Here are some ways to do this.

• LinkedIn Learning, an elearning resource, offers courses like Balancing Work and Life and Mindfulness Practices and short videos (parts of courses) like Breathing Properly and Strengthen your Brain Through Meditation.

How to: Search with keywords like "balancing work life," "breathing," "meditation" or "mindfulness."

• O'Reilly Learning has streaming ebooks like The Power of Having Fun and What Makes Work Meaningful — Or Meaningless.

How to: Select All Topics under Explore. Then select Career Development, then Personal Development, then Life-Work Balance.

• OverDrive has eaudiobooks like The Oxygen Advantage, 8 Keys to Practicing Mindfulness, and many books on meditation. 

How to: Search with keywords like "breathing," "meditation" or "mindfulness." Filter results by selecting Audiobooks (on the left). Further filter by selecting the subjects Self-improvement or Health & Fitness.

• Hoopla has music for mindfulness and meditation, such as Relax & Meditate.

How to: Select Music under Browse. Search with the keywords "meditation" or "mindfulness."

4. Sleep well

Get the sleep you need. Establish a relaxing bedtime routine: read a book, meditate, do something enjoyable. A good sleeping routine is most successful if you go to bed and get up at the same time every day. These resources are great for finding out about the importance of sleep as well as how to sleep better.

• O'Reilly Learning has ebooks on why sleep is so important, such as Why Sleep Is a Strategic Resource and chapters on sleep in books like Smarter, Sharper Thinking.

How to: Search with the keyword "sleep." 

• Canadian Periodical Index (CPI.Q) has articles from magazines and the news like "You Move, You Snooze" and "Lion, wolf, bear and dolphin. What sleep animal are you?" 

How to: Search with the keyword "sleep" or "insomnia." Results are distributed under the headings Magazines, Academic Journals, etc.

Make them more focused by selecting Subjects (on the right), then Sleep (or Insomnia). 

• SAGE Journals offers articles from academic journals like "Sleep-readiness signals in insomniacs and good sleepers" and "Are Poor Sleepers Afraid of the Dark?"

How to: Search with the keywords "sleep" or "insomnia."

5. Slow down

Set aside time every day to unwind and do something relaxing. Learn a new skill or start a hobby. Take breaks from watching, reading or listening to the news. Hearing about the pandemic repeatedly can be upsetting. Here are some other things to focus on for a while.

• OverDrive has emagazines of crafts and hobbies. Find titles such as Beadwork and Model Railroader.

How to: Select Subjects, then Magazines, then Crafts.

• LinkedIn Learning offers a variety of design courses like Design a Comic Book and Improve your Drawing Skills; as well as music instruction like Play the Guitar, Write a Song and Vocal Lessons.

How to: Log in. For design courses, select See All in the Popular Learning Paths area of the homepage. The select Filter Paths, then Design.

For music, select Audio + Music under Library (top left of homepage), then Music Lessons.

• Medici.tv has evideos of concerts, operas, ballets, documentaries and master classes.

How to: Select Concerts, Operas, etc. Filter results by name of composer, historical period or performer.

You can't filter master classes by instrument in Medici.tv but some of the classes can be found through the Toronto Public Library catalogue. Enter the keywords "piano instruction" or "singing instruction" in the catalogue search box. Filter results by selecting Movies & Videos under Type, then eVideo.

• Kanopy also offers music instruction evideos like Beginner's Guide to Pro Guitar and Play Hendrix.

How to: Enter the keywords "guitar”" or "piano" in the search box. Select video titles from the results that drop down as you type.

• Gale Courses has instructional online courses like Drawing for the Absolute Beginner, Instant Italian, Discover Sign Language and Mystery Writing. Courses start on specific dates.

How to: Select Language and Arts, then Arts or Creative Writing or Languages.

• Mango Languages helps you learn a language online, like Latin American Spanish, Japanese, Dzongkha, Scottish Gaelic, or Pirate.

How to: Select one of the six most popular languages on the Mango Languages homepage or select See All under Pick a Language to see all 74 language courses.

• Naxos Music Library and Naxos Music Library Jazz have streaming music for relaxation, in addition to the classical and jazz music.

How to: Enter "relaxation" in the Keyword Search box.

• The Alexander Street theatre collection has streaming eaudios and evideos of performances of plays and related documentaries:
  • Audio Drama: L.A. Theatre Works Collection. Radio theatre dramas and comedies, including Lobby Hero written by Kenneth Lonergan and Table Manners written by Alan Ayckbourn.
  • National Theatre Collection. Performances of classic plays by Shakespeare, Tennessee Williams, Chekhov and others.
  • The Royal Shakespeare Company Collection. Performances filmed at the Company’s Stratford-upon-Avon theatre.
  • Theatre in Video. Documentaries on e.g. acting, theatre history, staging and design, as well as performances of plays from e.g. Broadway and the Stratford Festival.

• For some additional ways to unwind and do something relaxing, take a look at our blog post, 38 Ways to Use the Library from Home.

6. Talk to people

Share what’s on your mind, especially if you’re facing challenges. Ask others for advice. Spend (virtual!) time with family and friends. Talk to them. Listen to their stories. The following resources are about building healthy relationships and include tech tips for connecting virtually.

• OverDrive offers relationship-building eaudiobooks like 30 Days to Understanding Other People and How to be an Adult in Relationships.

How to: Use the keyword "relationships". Under Subject (on the left), select Self-Improvement.

• Canadian Newsstream provides newspapers and magazine articles on personal relationships such as "I'm a shy 38-year-old. Is it too late to find love?"

How to: Search with the keywords "personal relationships". Limit results to Full Text on the left. Filter them under Subject, also on the left. 

There is technology that enables you to be face-to-face with others while maintaining your physical distance. See, for example, the "Tech for Talking" section at the end of the article, With cocktail hours and dinner parties now held online, there’s a new way to socialize (The Globe and Mail).

• Get instructions on using and tips on the best use of this technology in O'Reilly Learning, like the chapters "Communicating with FaceTime" in My iPhone for Seniors, "Exploring Video Calling" in Facebook for Seniors and The Google+ Guide: Circles, Photos, Hangouts, and More.
• LinkedIn Learning offers evideo tutorials for using several of these platforms, such as Google Hangouts and Skype.

How to: In both O'Reilly Learning and LinkedIn Learning, search with the name of an application or software such as FaceTime, Google Hangouts, or Skype, or with the keywords "video calling", "video communications" or "video conferencing".

Take care of yourself!

Sources

• Self care for Health (2014). World Health Organization
• Self-care for Caregivers (2005; modified 2011). Public Health Agency of Canada
• Six Ways to Practise Self-care (2019) (PDF). Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
• Stress and Coping (2021). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Additional Resources

• Canadian Perspectives Survey Series 1: Impacts of COVID-19. Statistics Canada. See also The COVID-19 pandemic and life satisfaction in Canada and other "articles on various subjects which explore the impact of COVID-19 on the socio-economic landscape" on the Statistics Canada page, COVID-19, a data perspective.
• COVID-19: Mental Health Resources. City of Toronto. "It’s OK not to feel OK."
• Indigenous Wellness Resources, in Indigenous Health Resources. University of Toronto Libraries, Gerstein Science Information Centre 
• Healthy Eating Tips, Physical Activity Basics and Tips for Better Sleep. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Meditation: In Depth. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
• Mental Health, Wellness and Addictions Support. Government of Ontario
• Resources for International #SelfCare Day 2016. Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
• Self Help. Canadian Mental Health Association
• Self-care Guides (including Self-Care Guide for Paren'ts). Government of Quebec, Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux
• Taking care of your mental and physical health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Government of Canada
• The Seven Pillars of Self-care and What is Self-care? International Self-care Foundation

Updated February 16, 2022

Has the COVID-19 crisis left you feeling pressured to maintain your and your family’s health, happiness and development? You are far from alone.  Self isolation has torn us away from many of our routines and supports. It has forced us to take on roles that we previously depended on others to provide. Kids at home need help with their development that they would otherwise be getting from teachers and guidance counselors. Preparing balanced, healthy meals has become a challenge with reduced access to groceries, restaurants and food delivery services. And without the regular contact with friends, family, classmates and colleagues, many of us have found the current crisis mentally and emotionally straining.

Fortunately Toronto Public Library and Toronto Public Health can help.

The Library and Toronto Public Health have a long history of working together to support Torontonians through good times and bad.  Our partnership, called Your Health Matters is designed to get accurate, appropriate and up to date health information out to residents of Toronto through programs, resources and collections.

One of the most valuable resources that Your Health Matters provides are lists of titles that have been carefully chosen by Toronto Public Health experts on a range of common topics and concerns. These books are chosen for their relevance and accessibility for everyone – these aren’t books you need a medical degree to read; they are designed to make sure that everyone gets good quality information that is easy to understand and apply to their lives.  And the great news is, many of these books are still available in eBook form, even though library branches are closed.

For those of us who have found our sleep impacted by the current health crisis, Robert S. Rosenberg’s The Doctors Guide to Sleep Solutions for Stress and Anxiety might be an excellent resource. This book, written by a leading expert on sleep disorders, offers “targeted solutions to help you identify the stressors that deter sleep and reduce stress and anxiety”.

Depression can be a result of COVID-19, uncertainty, and self isolation. For those who have a history of depression, staying home and losing access to support networks can be additionally challenging. The Mindfulness and Acceptance Workbook for Depression by Kirk Strosahl and Patricia Robinson uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) “includes updated research on self-compassion, mindfulness, and neuroscience to help you live a more meaningful life”.

The Mindful Way Workbook by John D. Teasdale is another excellent resource for coping with anxiety and depression. Using the Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) modality, this book guides readers through an 8-week program to “overcome depression, anxiety, and stress–by simply learning new ways to respond to your own thoughts and feelings”.

Paren'ting in the time of COVID-19 is particularly stressful for many. Fortunately the Your Health Matters collection contains many excellent resources for caregivers  struggling to find ways to keep their kids happy and healthy.  For those looking after younger children, How to Talk so Little Kids will Listen by Joanna Faber is a great resource to avoid some of the stresses created by this strange new environment.

Similarly, Promoting Young Children’s Emotional Health and Wellbeing by Sonia Mainstone-Cotton can help caregivers support children who may also be dealing with a great deal of stress and anxiety as a result of the COVID-19 crisis. This book offers “practical suggestions for games, activities and exercises designed to promote emotional wellbeing in young children”, identified as a “critical factor in their future development”.

For teenagers, the huge change in routine, separation from friends and uncertainty about the future can be incredibly difficult to cope with. Ben Sedley’s Stuff that Sucks can help teens deal with the negative thoughts and emotions that arise from this challenging time and find ways to constructively validate their experiences.

These are just a few of the excellent titles recommended by Toronto Public Health and available at Toronto Public Library. And to make it easier than ever to access these books, you don’t even need to have made a library card before branches closed to the public. You can now make a temporary digital card to access these books on Overdrive, as long as you are over 13 years of age and have a cellphone with a Toronto area code that can receive texts!

This is a challenging time for everyone. But hopefully, with some of these great resources, the library and Toronto Public Health can make things a little bit more manageable for you and your family.

For complete lists of ebooks available through the Your Health Matters collection, visit tpl.ca/yourhealthmatters.

Toronto Public Health also offers a live eChat service for health information and questions. This free, confidential and anonymous service connects Torontonians to Toronto Public Health nurses. This service is for non-emergency, non-COVID-19 related information. Please note that at this time they are experiencing a high volume of customers.

On this page

• Definition of COVID-19
• What to Do
  • Advice
  • Phone Numbers
  • COVID-19 Testing
  • Vaccination

Definition of COVID-19

COVID-19 is the disease caused by a new coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2.

Symptoms

The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, dry cough and fatigue. 

Other symptoms that are less common and may affect some patients include:

• Loss of taste or smell
• Nasal congestion
• Conjunctivitis (also known as red eyes)
• Sore throat
• Headache
• Muscle or joint pain
• Different types of skin rash
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Chills or dizziness

Among those who develop symptoms, most (about 80%) recover from the disease without needing hospital treatment. About 15% become seriously ill and require oxygen and 5% become critically ill and need intensive care.

Complications leading to death may include respiratory failure, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), sepsis and septic shock, thromboembolism, and/or multiorgan failure, including injury of the heart, liver or kidneys.

(Source: Q&A on Coronaviruses (COVID-19), World Health Organization.)

What to do

This section provides practical information: advice about staying healthy, mentally as well as physically, and who to phone if you develop symptoms.

Advice

This section provides links to advice about protecting yourself and others, including handwashing and wearing masks, talking about COVID-19 with children and keeping healthy and occupied while in isolation.

• Reduce Virus Spread, City of Toronto. “Everyone has a role to play.” See also Posters & Graphics. “Use these printable information posters, graphics and questionnaires to help the City share messages about how to stay safe.”
• What to do if you have symptoms of COVID, Government of Ontario 
• Prevention and Risks, Government of Canada. See also Awareness Resources (some of which are available in multiple languages)
• How to Protect Yourself & Others, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• Advice for the Public, World Health Organization (WHO), including Mythbusters

Resources for Families with Children

• Families & Children, CDC
• COVID-19 Resource List for Families, Toronto Children’s Services
• Helping your Child Cope with the COVID-19 Pandemic, Toronto Public Library

Hand washing

• When and How to Wash Your Hands, CDC

Mask wearing

• Mandatory Use of Masks or Face Coverings (Orders & Bylaws, City of Toronto). See also Face Masks & Coverings and What the Mask By-law Means for Residents.
• Face Coverings and Face Masks, Government of Ontario. See also COVID-19 and Masks, Public Health Ontario
• Mask Use: Advice for Community Settings, Government of Canada
• Use Masks to Slow the Spread of COVID-19, CDC
• When and How to Use Masks, WHO. See also Q&A: Masks.

Coping with stress

• Coping with Stress During the 2019-nCoV Outbreak (PDF), WHO
• Self-Care and Mental Well-Being, Toronto Public Library

Keeping occupied

• Stay, Play & Learn at Home, City of Toronto
• EarlyON Child and Family Centre Activities, City of Toronto 
• Learn at Home, Government of Ontario
• 38 Ways to Use the Library from Home, Toronto Public Library

Phone Numbers

This section contains phone numbers to call if you develop symptoms, including severe symptoms, or have questions about COVID-19 or City services.

• Telehealth Ontario. Call if you develop symptoms.

Telephone: 1-866-797-0000

• Toronto Public Health Hotline, 8:30 am – 8 pm. Call if you have questions about COVID-19. Translation is available in multiple languages.

Telephone: 416-338-7600 | TTY: 416-392-0658 | Email: PublicHealth@toronto.ca

• 311 Toronto. Call if you have questions about City services.

Telephone: 311 | TTY: 416-338-0889

Outside City limits: 416-392-2489.

• Emergency Services. Call if you’re having difficulty breathing or experiencing other severe symptoms.

Telephone: 911

(Source: COVID-19. Contact Information, City of Toronto)

COVID-19 Testing

If you have one or more symptoms of COVID-19 or think you may have been exposed to the virus, take the Ministry of Health’s self-assessment to find out if you should get tested.

Depending on your situation, you may be able to get a free COVID-19 test at your local COVID-19 assessment centre or a participating pharmacy.

To find an assessment centre or participating pharmacy, go to the following pages on the City of Toronto COVID-19 Testing page:

• Assessment Centre Locations & Details
• Pharmacy Locations & Details

Vaccination

• COVID-19: Where to Get Vaccinated, City of Toronto
• COVID-19 vaccines for Ontario, Government of Ontario
• How to book a COVID-19 vaccine appointment, includes Cancel or change an existing appointment or download your enhanced vaccine certificate with an official QR code, Government of Ontario
• Proof of COVID-19 Vaccination, Government of Ontario
• Verify Ontario App, Government of Ontario

Closures and Restrictions

This section contains links to what is open and what is closed, including hospitals, schools, colleges and universities.

City of Toronto

• Changes to City Services
• Guidelines for Businesses & Community Organizations

See also Orders & Bylaws (City of Toronto) for information on the enforcement of closures, physical distancing, etc. and for self-isolation directives.

Government of Ontario

• Public Health Measures and Advice – Find out about the latest public health measures, advice and restrictions in Step Three of the Roadmap to Reopen 
• A plan to safely reopen Ontario and manage COVID-19 for the long-term. See also: Newsroom

Hospitals

• Mount Sinai Hospital. COVID-19 Information and Resources
• Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. COVID-19 (coronavirus): Information & Frequently Asked Questions 
• UHN. COVID-19 Information at UHN. Check out Visitor Guidelines for updated visitor policy during COVID-19. The page also includes General Visitor FAQ and Visitor Vaccine FAQ.
• Unity Health Toronto (St. Joseph’s, St. Michael’s, Providence). COVID-19 Information – latest news on COVID-19 including information about protecting yourself and patients, clients and residents, outbreaks and more.

School boards, Colleges and Universities

• Elementary and Secondary Schools, City of Toronto
• Toronto Catholic District School Board. COVID-19 Advisory and Dashboard
• Toronto District School Board. Health and Safety (includes Vaccines, Testing, Masks, Ventilation). See also: COVID-19 Advisories and COVID-19 Guidance.
• Ontario’s Universities. Partnering in the Fight Against COVID-19

Travel

This section has links for current advisories and restrictions for travel in and out of the country and travel in the city.

• Travel Advice, City of Toronto
• Travelling during COVID-19, Government of Ontario  
• Travel Advice and Advisories and Travel, Testing and Borders and Travel Health Notices, Government of Canada. See also: How the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) is Affecting Immigration, Refugees, Citizenship and Passport Services 
• COVID-19 FAQs, Toronto Transit Commission (TTC)
• COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Safety, GO Transit
• COVID-19: Preventive Measures, VIA Rail Canada
• Healthy Airport, Toronto Pearson Airport
• FAQs for International Students about COVID-19, York University

Economic and Social support

This section provides information about economic relief from the City, Provincial and Federal governments for residents and businesses of Toronto as well as resources and support (Toronto) for vulnerable residents and housing help for tenants.

City of Toronto

• Financial Relief & Support Programs for Businesses 
• Income Support

Government of Ontario

• Help for Businesses in Ontario
• Ontario’s Action Plan: Responding to COVID‑19
• Supporting People and Jobs
• Support for People and Businesses to Improve Cash Flow

For additional information about the law as it relates to the COVID-19 situation, see COVID-19: Updates on the Law and Legal Services (Steps to Justice: Your guide to law in Ontario).

Government of Canada

• Canada’s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan
• Support for Individuals
• Support for Businesses. See also:
  • Business Benefits Finder (Business and Industry)
  • Managing your Business during COVID-19: Financial Support, Loans and Access to Credit (Business and Industry)
• Support for Sectors
• After CERB: Transitioning to New Benefits

Updates

This section provides links to City, Provincial and Federal updates about the pandemic and to updates from the World Health Organization and the major U.S. and European public health agencies, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.

City of Toronto

• COVID-19 Briefings
• COVID-19: Official Statements of the Medical Officer of Health and the Fire Chief & General Manager of Emergency Management
• Pandemic Data

Government of Ontario

• Daily summary of cases in Ontario. Information is updated daily at 10:30 a.m.
• Status of COVID-19 Cases in Long-term Care Homes

Government of Canada

• Current Situation (use Google Chrome to view)
• Outbreak Update

Additional Updates

• Tracking, Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center
• Weekly Epidemiological Update and Weekly Operational Update, World Health Organization
• COVID-19 Situation Update Worldwide, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
• COVID-19: What’s New, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

General Resources

This section provides links to sources of general information about COVID-19. 

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, COVID-19
• City of Toronto, COVID-19
• European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, COVID-19 Pandemic
• Government of Canada, Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19)
• Johns Hopkins University & Medicine, Coronavirus Resource Center
• The National Collaborating Centre for Indigenous Health, Updates on COVID-19
• Public Health Ontario, Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
• Ryerson Social Media Lab. Ted Rogers School of Management, COVID19MISINFO.ORG (use Google Chrome to view)
• Statistics Canada, COVID-19: A Data Perspective (includes invitation to participate in surveys on the impacts of COVID-19)
• University of Toronto Libraries, How Can I Spot Misinformation about the Coronavirus and COVID-19?
• University of Toronto Libraries, Gerstein Science Information Centre, COVID-19 (2019 Novel Coronavirus) Information Guide
• University of Toronto Libraries, Gerstein Science Information Centre, Indigenous COVID-19 Resources, in Indigenous Health Resources
• World Health Organization, Coronavirus
• World Health Organization, Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Advice for the Public: Mythbusters 

COVID-19 Deaf and Disability Community Resources

An additional page is available for online resources related to COVID-19 from organizations, mostly in the Toronto area, supporting people who are deaf and people with disabilities. It will be updated as more resources are made available.

Visit the COVID-19 Deaf and Disability Community Resources page, Toronto Public Library

Download Covid-19 Deaf and Disability Community Resources (Toronto Area) (PDF, updated May 15, 2020).

COVID-19 2SLGBTQ+ Community Resources

An additional page is available for online resources related to COVID-19 from organizations, mostly in the Toronto area, supporting the 2SLGBTQ+ community. It will be updated as more information is made available.

Visit the COVID-19 2SLGBTQ+ Community Resources page, Toronto Public Library

Download COVID-19 2SLGBTQ+ Community Resources (Toronto Area) (PDF, updated June 2021). 

Last updated February 16, 2022

Photo from Toronto Star Photograph Archive, 1988.

You may have seen in the news recently that the World Health Organization (WHO) has officially added "Burnout" to its International Classification of Diseases. As the first significant health organization to legitimize the term, the WHO defines burnout as:

"a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. It is characterized by three dimensions:
1) feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion
2) increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one's job
3) reduced professional efficacy
Burn-out refers specifically to phenomena in the occupational context and should not be applied to describe experiences in other areas of life."

Image by Forth With Life, used on a CC license.

Of course, there are many different ways to cope with workplace stress and everyone's perspective on stress and effective stress management techniques is different. Since it's difficult to address what causes workplace stress given how varied our jobs are, I will instead share a few personal stress-management favourites that I implement into my everyday work life: 

• Taking a break by going outside for a walk 
• Using my cell at meal breaks to unwind (thank you Netflix app!)
• Listening to music when working on a project
• Staying hydrated throughout the day
• Taking breaks throughout the day to stretch
• Brushing my teeth and flossing after a meal (aka taking some healthy "me time")
• Exercising before work so I arrive motivated and energized

Image by Volker Kannacher, used on a CC license.

The library has some amazing resources to help you unwind and de-stress including wonderful programming, cool apps and free Museum + Arts passes to cultural sites across this great city! If you're looking for print and eResources about workplace stress and stress-management, I've pulled some real winners for you to browse below:

Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily Nagoski

"This groundbreaking book explains why women experience burnout differently than men–and provides a simple, science-based plan to help women minimize stress, manage emotions, and live a more joyful life."

Is Work Killing You? A Doctor's Prescription for Treating Workplace Stress by David Posen

"Dr. David Posen, a popular speaker and a leading expert on stress mastery, identifies the three biggest problems that contribute to burnout and low productivity: Volume, Velocity, and Abuse. He shares revealing anecdotes and offers clear descriptions of the biology of stress to illustrate how downsizing, economic uncertainty, and technology have made the workplace more toxic than ever. Most importantly, he offers practical advice and easy techniques for managing the harmful symptoms and side effects of stress."

My Desk is Driving Me Crazy: End Overwhelm, Do Less, and Accomplish More by Sue Rasmuseen

"As an entrepreneur, you’re smart, confident, good at what you do, and you help your clients get amazing results. But you also know that being busy, stressed, and overwhelmed is holding you back from the success and the difference you really want to make. This book will help you: Work fewer hours, yet accomplish much more; Let go of things that waste your time and drain your energy; Make decisions that are right for you and your business; Eliminate “fear of missing out” and “shiny object syndrome” for good; Focus on the actions that bring you the best results – and let go of the rest."

The Stress Proof Brain: Master Your Emotional Response to Stress Using Mindfulness & Neuroplasticity by Melanie Greenberg

"Modern times are stressful–and it's killing us. Unfortunately, we can't avoid the things that stress us out, but we can change how we respond to them. In this breakthrough book, a clinical psychologist and neuroscience expert offers an original approach to help readers harness the power of positive emotions and overcome stress for good."

Stress Proof: The Scientific Solution to Protect Your Brain and Body-and Be More Resilient Every Day by Mithu Storoni

"This practical and groundbreaking guide reveals seven paths to fighting the effects of stress–to strengthen our natural defenses so that our minds remain sharp, and our bodies resilient, no matter what life throws at us. Each chapter examines a common stress agent–including inflammation, an out-of-sync body clock, cortisol levels, and emotional triggers–and presents simple ways to minimize its harmful effects with changes in diet, exercise, and other daily habits–including surprising hacks involving music, eye movements, body temperature, and more."

The Real Happy Pill: Power Up Your Brain by Moving Your Body by Anders Hansen

"Is there a foolproof way to reduce stress and anxiety while you boost your memory? Raise your IQ even as you slow down the aging process? Become more creative and train your ability to focus at the same time? The answer is simple: Move! Modern neuroscience and research has shown, more than ever, that physical exercise has extraordinary effects on our cognition."

50 More Ways To Soothe Yourself Without Food by Susan Albers

"In Fifty More Ways to Soothe Yourself Without Food, you'll find fifty more mindful and healthy activities to help you replace your need to overeat. Based in popular mindfulness practices, this book will show you how to slow down and be present during mealtime so that you end up making healthier choices. In addition, the activities in the book-such as yoga, aromatherapy, and breathing exercises-will help you gain a greater overall sense of well-being and appreciation for your body. If you're ready to stop using food as an emotional crutch, and start feeling healthy, happy, and truly fulfilled, this book offers fifty more ways!"

The Finnish Way: Finding Courage, Wellness and Happiness Through the Power of Sisu by Katja Panizar

"A practical guided tour of the simple and nature-inspired ways that Finns stay happy and healthy–including the powerful concept of sisu, or everyday courage."

Related Reading

Two-thirds of Canadians stressed by work from Weyburn Review (April 2016)
A short article including statistics on workplace stress experienced by Canadians. Ontarians reported the highest levels of workplace stress in the survey discussed.

The Best Time of Day to Take a Break from Work by Megan Elliott from Showbiz Cheatsheet.com (January 2016)
Advice on the best time to take breaks to avoid burnout.

Stay healthy friends (and don't stress about the Raptors!)

Happy National Salad Month! Personally, I think national salad month is a perfect opportunity to celebrate the end of winter and, dare I say it, turn over a new leaf…

Leafy Greens

So let's all raise a fork to the mighty and modern salad. And no, I'm not talking about the standard boring salad that people put on their plates but struggle to eat. I'm talking about the delicious, hearty, cheese-filled, protein-packed, any-type-of-green-or-grain-you-want kind of salad we can actually enjoy eating. 

First things first, a brief history of salad. The Smithsonian Library did a great blog about the history of salads including some of the earliest references to the term salad:

• According to Alan Davidson’s Oxford companion to food, the earliest reference to salad or ‘salted things’ referred to raw vegetables eaten in classical times with a dressing of oil, vinegar or salt
• Chaucer and other 14th century English writers in England used the term lettuce (“letows”) in their writings
• Shakespeare's popular phrase from Anthony and Cleopatra in 1606 gives us a laugh with, "My salad days, when I was green in judgement"
• John Evelyn's observations in his 1706 work, Acetaria: A discourse of sallets, was that “People, who to this Day, living on Herbs and Roots, arrive to incredible Age, in constant Health and Vigor”

Acetaria: A Discourse of Sallets by John Evelyn (via the Biodiversity Heritage Library)

In our own system we have an interesting book dedicated to the global history of salad that is definitely worth checking out if you're interested in food history and culture. 

Salad: A Global History by Judith Weinraub

Jumping ahead to our current year, on the heels of Canada's new and improved food guide, I think we can all agree that a shift in our interpretation of salad can be a fresh and exciting change! I myself enjoy any opportunity to infuse fruit into a meal as evidenced by my Foodie Pinterest board so a nice salad + fruit is featured on my weekly meal prep menu. If you are looking for inspiration, fruit filled or otherwise, I've got you covered with these beautifully illustrated cookbooks dedicated to salads and dressings. 

Salad Love by David Bez

"Salads take the spotlight in this visually arresting cookbook that showcases a year's worth of weekday recipes so exciting you'll want to eat salads every day"

Savage Salads: Fierce Flavors Filling Power-Ups by Davide Del Gatto & Kristina Gustafsson

"The Savage Salads team, a London-based culinary duo, believes that salads should taste amazing, look beautiful, and leave you full."

Salad in a Jar by Anna Helm Baxter

"A collection of more than 60 illustrated recipes for simple-to-prepare salads, dressings, breakfasts, and snacks to take on the go."

Salad Samurai: 100 Cutting-edge, Ultra-Hearty, Easy-to-Make Salads You Don't Have to be Vegan to Love by Terry Hope Romero

"Life's too short for sad salad. Using whole-food ingredients and seasonal produce, these versatile meatless, dairy-free dishes are organized by season for a full year of memorable meals." 

Food52 Might Salads: 60 New Ways to Turn Salad Into Dinner-and Make-Ahead Lunches, Too by Amanda Hesser

"A collection of recipes for hearty salads features such options as charred broccoli and lentil salad, spring vegetable panzanella, grilled lobster salad with lemon-thyme butter, and curried chicken, grape and cheddar salad."

Best Dressed: 50 Recipes, Endless Salad Inspiration by Dawn Yanagihara

"Each dressing recipe is paired with suggestions for which greens work best, and add-ons (toasted nuts, roasted vegetables, cooked grains) that provide great options for the best salads all year long."

100 Sauces, Dips and Dressings by Nadia Arumugam

"As well, making sauces, dips and dressings at home from fresh ingredients reduces the amount of processed foods we consume and frees up a lot of shelf space, too."

500 Beat Sauces, Salad Dressings, Marinades & More by George Geary

"As more people get serious about cooking at home, they look to dress up old recipes. The easiest and most effective way of doing this is by using a sauce, salad dressing or marinade."

Now lettuce eat! Stay healthy friends. 

Image courtesy of Pixabay.

The days are longer, the snow is melting…it's time to get your walking shoes on and head outside. Walking outdoors is a great way to embrace nature, get your daily dose of Vitamin D, and get in shape. Did you know that recent research shows that just 5 minutes outdoors will improve a bad mood?

Before you lace up your shoes, join fitness instructor and health educator, Judy Chu, for tips and information to get the most of your walk. Registration is not required for this interactive workshop, Walking and Balance: A Solution to Your Exercise Problems, held at at North York Central Library on Wednesday, March 20 at 2 pm. There will be another session of this workshop at Bayview Branch on Wednesday, April 24 at 2 pm. This session requires registration.

Books About Walking

If you want to get a head start this season, check out one of these books:

It seems like every time I turn on the news lately, there is an article, post, tweet or podcast on the topic of vaccines. More accurately, the rapid spread of vaccine-preventable diseases and the arguments for and against immunizations. As a disclaimer to this hot button topic, the Library is here as a resource for paren'ts, caregivers and individuals to gather information and come to a decision that is right for them. That said, let me share some insights from the World Health Organization (WHO) and other resources that I found helpful coming to my own conclusions on the topic. 

Image Source: Wikicommons Shots For All

What is a vaccine? 

The World Health Organization defines vaccines as "a biological preparation that improves immunity to a particular disease. A vaccine typically contains an agent that resembles a disease-causing microorganism, and is often made from weakened or killed forms of the microbe, its toxins or one of its surface proteins. The agent stimulates the body's immune system to recognize the agent as foreign, destroy it, and "remember" it, so that the immune system can more easily recognize and destroy any of these microorganisms that it later encounters."

What is vaccine hesitancy? 

"Vaccine hesitancy refers to delay in acceptance or refusal of vaccines despite availability of vaccination services. Vaccine hesitancy is complex and context specific varying across time, place and vaccines. It includes factors such as complacency, convenience and confidence." If you are looking for a more technical analysis on the topic, you can consult the WHO SAGE Vaccine Hesitancy Working Group report.

Why should we care?

The World Health Organization has listed vaccine hesitancy as one of the top 10 threats to global health in 2019. According to WHO, "The world is facing multiple health challenges. These range from outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases like measles and diphtheria, increasing reports of drug-resistant pathogens, growing rates of obesity and physical inactivity to the  health impacts of environmental pollution and climate change and multiple humanitarian crises."

Where can I find out more?

The library has resources on the topic of vaccines and immunization from a wide range of perspectives. Here is a sampling of some recent publications:  

Public Health in the Age of Anxiety by Bettinger, Julie A., editor. ; Bramadat, Paul, 1967- editor. ; Guay, Maryse, 1957- editor. ; Roy, Réal, 1963- editor. (2017).

"Controversies and skepticism surrounding vaccinations, though not new, have increasingly come to the fore as more individuals decide not to inoculate themselves or their children for cultural, religious, or other reasons. Their personal decisions put the rights of the individual on a collision course with public and community safety. Public Health in the Age of Anxiety enhances both the public and scholarly understanding of the motivations behind vaccine hesitancy in Canada."

The Vaccination Picture by Timothy Caulfield (2017).

"Using science-informed analysis alongside original art and powerful essays, health science leader Timothy Caulfield debunks the myths and false assumptions about vaccination safety and effectiveness. Accessible, informative, and entertaining, The Vaccination Picture tells the true story of vaccines, their uses, and their positive effects for everyone."

Vaccines: Calling the Shots by Sonya Pemberton (2014).

"Diseases that were largely eradicated in the U.S. a generation ago – including whooping cough, measles, mumps – are returning, in part because nervous paren'ts are skipping their children's shots. This takes viewers around the world to track epidemics, explore the science behind vaccinations, and shed light on the risks of opting out. The vast majority of Americans – more than 90% – vaccinate their children. Yet many people have questions about the safety of vaccines."

Immunization: How Vaccines Became Controversial by Stuart Blume (2017).

"In this controversial new book, Stuart Blume argues that the processes of globalization and people's unsatisfied healthcare needs are eroding faith in the institutions producing and providing vaccines. He tells the history of immunization practices, from the work of early pioneers such as Louis Pasteur and Robert Koch to the establishment of the World Health Organization and the introduction of genetic engineering. Immunization exposes the limits of public health authorities while suggesting how they can restore our confidence. Public health experts and all those considering vaccinations should read this timely history."

Vaccines Did Not Cause Rachel's Autism by Peter Hotez (2018).

"In Vaccines Did Not Cause Rachel's Autism, Hotez draws on his experiences as a pediatrician, vaccine scientist, and father of an autistic child. Outlining the arguments on both sides of the debate, he examines the science that refutes the concerns of the anti-vaccine movement, debunks current conspiracy theories alleging a cover-up by the CDC, and critiques the scientific community's failure to effectively communicate the facts about vaccines and autism to the general public, all while sharing his very personal story of raising a now-adult daughter with autism."

The Vaccine War by Lyman, Will, 1948- ; McMahon, Kate (Documentary journalist) ; Offit, Paul A ;Palfreman, Jon (2015).

"Now, in 2015, measles, mumps, and whooping cough are all making a comeback. Building on years of research, this updated documentary explores both the roots of the vaccine debate, and the latest chapter in the heated controversy: Are paren'ts who choose not to vaccinate their children putting the health of our nation at risk? This is a compelling and timely report on an issue that remains highly emotional and deeply divisive."

Vaccines, Autoimmunity and the Changing Nature of Childhood Illness by Thomas Cowan (2018).

"Dr. Cowan looks at emerging evidence that certain childhood illnesses are actually protective of disease later in life; examines the role of fever, the gut, and cellular fluid in immune health; argues that vaccination is an ineffective (and harmful) attempt to shortcut a complex immune response; and asserts that the medical establishment has engaged in an authoritarian argument that robs paren'ts of informed consent. His ultimate question, from the point of view of a doctor who has decades of experience treating countless children is: What are we really doing to children when we vaccinate them?"

Thanks for reading friends and stay healthy! 

So, how are your New Year's resolutions holding up? If my memory serves me correctly, the end of January or start of February is when the crowds in the gym start dissipating. If you need a boost to stay motivated with your fitness goals, come out to a talk by Alex Hutchinson. Alex is a journalist and physicist who writes about the latest research in fitness and exercise in plain language that is easy for non-scientists to understand.  Some recent articles that he wrote for the Globe and Mail include: Holding Your Breath Can Improve your Performance and There's No Such Thing as Being Too Fit. His latest book, Endure: Mind, Body and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Endurance explores how we can push our physical limits and what makes us give up. Copies of the book will be available for purchase and signing.

                       Photo Credit:  Alex Hutchinson 

————————————————————

What:  Pushing the Limits of Human Performance

When: Wednesday, January 30 at 6:30 PM

Where: North York Central Library, Room 1

For more information: Call the Business, Science & Technology Department at (416) 395-5613

Registration not required.

————————————————————

If you can't make the talk or would like more information on this subject, check these out:

Does this New Year have you motivated to be a little more health conscious? Perhaps you are looking for ways to improve your nutrition in 2019. The library is here to help!

Image Source: Wikimedia FDA Nutrition Facts Label 2016

Books

I wanted to dedicate some column space to showing off  the library's ever-expanding physical collection on the subject of nutrition. I always love peeking through the new nonfiction books that come through the library so I thought I would share some of my favourites of late. Here are a choice few to tickle your taste buds:

The Whole Foods Cookbook by John Mackey

"John Mackey, CEO and co-founder of Whole Foods Market, has teamed up with nutritional experts and leading chefs to create a cookbook inspired by these values. They know that cooking food yourself is the secret to changing your diet and sustaining a new lifestyle, and are sharing their favorite recipes that celebrate nutrient-rich, health-promoting whole plant foods."

The Everything Guide to Intermittent Fasting by Lindsay Boyers

"With The Everything Guide to Intermittent Fasting, you'll learn all you need to know to start safely incorporating intermittent fasting into your everyday life. This accessible and practical guide includes information on the different ways to fast, when to eat, why fasting benefits your body, which foods to eat to help you feel your best, and can help you determine which intermittent fasting plan best suits you."

No Meat Athlete by Matt Frazier

"No Meat Athlete is the plant-based guide you need to perform at your very best, no matter where you are on your fitness journey. Combining proven training plans, easy yet innovative recipes, and motivational stories into a unique fitness guide, healthy-living cookbook, and nutrition primer, No Meat Athlete is perfect for all athletes, from beginner to elite, who want to enjoy the health benefits of a meatless lifestyle."

Food & Nutrition by P.K. Newby

"From gluten-free to pile-on-the-meat Paleo, GMOs to grass-fed beef, our newsfeeds abound with nutrition advice. Whether headlines from the latest scientific study or anecdotes from celebrities and food bloggers promulgating today's diet du jour, we are bombarded by "superfoods" and "best ever" diets promising to help us be healthier, smarter, happier, fight disease, lose weight, or live longer. In Food and Nutrition: What Everyone Needs to Know, nutrition scientist and gastronome Dr. P.K. Newby provides a sweeping overview of the many interrelationships between humans, land, and food. At the same time, Newby debunks popular myths and food folklore, challenging readers to "learn, unlearn, and relearn" the fundamentals of nutrition at the heart of a health-giving diet."

Fit Men Cook by Kevin Curry

"In Fit Men Cook, Kevin Curry, fitness expert and social media sensation with millions of followers and hundreds of thousands of downloads on his app, shares everything you need to live a healthy life each day–from grocery lists to common dieting pitfalls to his ten commandments of meal prep–as well as his personal story of overcoming depression and weight gain to start a successful business and fitness movement."

The Big Book of Paleo Pressure Cooking by Natalie Perry

"Paleo blogger and cookbook-writing veteran Natalie Perry is here to show you that you can get the same fix-and-forget convenience of slow cooking without the long hours of waiting with The Big Book of Paleo Pressure Cooking. This new book is the result of her prodigious research and testing on how to cook paleo and primal foods in electric pressure cookers."

Super Nutrition for Babies by Katherine Erlich

"Based on the recommendations of nutrition pioneer Dr. Weston A. Price and traditional food principles, Super Nutrition for Babies, Revised Edition, provides you with information on all aspects of nutrition and feeding, including when and how to introduce grains in a child's diet, healthier alternatives to soy and processed dairy, and when to begin solid foods. You'll get a comprehensive tutorial on developing digestion, naturally bolstering immunity, and the best foods for every age and stage."

Image Source: Pixabay

Programs

In addition to the amazing collections, the library hosts a number of programs on the various facets of nutrition. We have programs about diabetes prevention, using spices to brighten your life, and stress management, you guessed it, through nutrition! There are nutrition programs all across the city so check us out online or pop by a local branch and see how the library can help you be more nutritious!

Stay healthy friends!

So I jumped on the aromatherapy band wagon and bought my first diffuser last week. There is something about a burning candle (my go to relaxation technique) that didn't seem safe in the chaos of renovations with dust flying around, contractors in and out of the house, and where I have to wear shower shoes…

It's been pretty great so far, my home smells lovely and it does help me to relax. But as I sat down to write this blog post I realized there is A LOT to learn about aromatherapy.

Did you know that aromatherapy also has:

• therapeutic uses
• beauty applications
• cleaning uses
• everyday wellness applications 

Have a piqued your interest? The Forest Hill branch of is running a program dedicated to Aromatherapy and Essential Oils on Wed Nov 21st from 2-3 pm! Aromatherapist, Monika Meulman, is hosting this essential guide workshop that is a hands on way to teach you the basics of dealing with essential oils and using them effectively and safely in your home or office. Space is limited so please be sure to register by calling the branch at 416-393-7706.

Aromatherapy and Essential Oils at Forest Hill branch

If you are looking for the newest and best resources on Aromatherapy, I've got you covered:

Essential glow by Stephanie Gerber

You'll discover recipes, quick tips, and DIY projects to boost your beauty, home, and general wellness with your favorite essential oils, plus a diagnostic tool that helps you treat common ailments with the right essential oils.

Book | eBook

The healing power of essential oils by Eric Zielinski

A soup-to-nuts guide to mastering essential oils for vibrant health and well-being, featuring dozens of recipes and formulations for restful sleep, reduced inflammation, balanced hormones, and more.

Book | eBook

Moodtopia by Sara-Chana Silverstein

A popular herbalist's remedies and prescriptive program for emotional balance and overall health, using natural solutions such as essential oils, aromatherapy, and more.

Book

Stephanie Tourles's essential oils by Stephanie Tourles

This friendly, accessible introduction to the 25 most versatile oils for health and wellness highlights the key characteristics of lavender, chamomile, eucalyptus, lemon, peppermint, rosemary, tea tree, and other popular oils

Book | eBook

Nature's essential oils by Cher Kaufmann

Certified aromatherapist Cher Kaufmann demystifies the how and why behind essential oils, explaining the environmental factors that impact the chemical make-ups of herbs and plants and how they trigger our physical and emotional responses

Book | eBook

Stay calm and smell on my friends!

For me, this is the summer of babies! There are a ton of mommies and daddies-to-be in my life so I thought why not give these folks a shout out. 

As a librarian, I have witnessed the natural life cycle of a library patron. Some young adults/adults forget about us until they have a baby and then they remember that the library is a fantastic community resource. For those looking to rediscover what we have to offer you, strap yourselves in!

We have your classic kids programs:

• Baby Time (BIRTH-18 months)
• Toddler Time (19 months – 3 years)
• Preschool Time (3-5 years)
• Family Time (5 years and under)
• Pyjama Time (5 years and under)
• Recommended activities to do with little ones (from BIRTH!): talking, reading, singing, playing, writing

But even before the little one (or ones in the case of my brother and sister-in-law!) graces us with their presence, we have a ton of healthy resources for pregnant women and their pregnancy partners. In an age when you can google anything, take solace in the fact that the library is a trusted information resource.

Here are just a few of the library's offerings to get you started:

1. Living and Learning with Baby – come to the library and enjoy a talk given by a registered Toronto Public Health nurse about all things baby, including paren'thood, infant growth, health and nutrition.

   

2. MOMs: Meeting Other Moms – a free program for mothers to meet and befriend peers in their community and to discuss common issues. Join us for informative, lively and inspirational talks. 

3. Have a pressing pregnancy question? Take advantage of the eChat service available through the Your Health Matters section of the library's website (hosted by the City of Toronto). The service is available: Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. (excludes statutory holidays).

4. By signing in with your library card online, you have instant access to a ton of interest articles through the Health Reference Center. Including this pregnancy gem, "100 Women on the Wildest Ways Their Bodies Changed After Pregnancy"

To all the mommies and daddies-to-be, Lennon and I wish you nothing but healthy, smooth sailing into paren'thood (and dog kisses of course)! 

Do you have wanderlust on the brain this summer? Then this post if for you!

Perhaps for some of us, traveling is a break, a vacation, from our otherwise healthy and wellness-focused lifestyle. We indulge in a few adult beverages, we forget about our healthy eating habits and we don't even pack our running shoes! 

There ARE ways to incorporate health and wellness into your travel plans and I am here to show you how. First and foremost, the travel part:

• Pack things that will keep you relaxed in transit
• I like to incorporate a lot of stretching on long trips, especially if flying to avoid deep-vein thrombosis 
• Give yourself lots of time to get to where you are going, nothing peaks anxiety like thinking you'll miss your flight, train, shuttle
• Always carry a travel wrap (scarf, shall, sweater, poncho) and a hat for comfort

Once you're there, boost your health with one or two of the following: 

• Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate
• Walking is your secret weapon
• Take the stairs
• Get out and explore
• Limit your indulging to one treat per day 

In terms of your wellness, enjoy the break from reality: 

• Meditate (if that's your thing)
• Get lots of sleep 
• Read for pleasure (said the librarian)
• Pack the remedies to ailments
• Try aromatherapy

Looking for wanderlust destinations? TPL has a ton of amazing travel guidebooks and adventure travel resources. For those ambitious travelers who want to learn the basics of the language you're exploring, try Mango Languages. If you want more travel and health information, check out these resources…

 Living Well on the Road: Health and Wellness for Travellers by Linden Schaffer

Travel Health Guide: Everything You Need to Know Before You Leave, While You're Away, After You're Back by Dr. Mark Wise

 Travellers' Health: How to Stay Healthy Abroad by Dr. Richard Dawood

Extreme Medicine: How Exploration Transformed Medicine in the Twentieth Century by Kevin Fong

Prescription drugs with serious and/or potentially life-threatening effects were ordered by the FDA to begin dressing drug labels with black borders to draw patients attention to significant risk warnings in 1979. This is where the term "Black Boxed Drugs" (BBD) arose; an informal name given to drugs with labels indicating a significant risk or hazard. Prior to these labels many patients paid no heed to drug warnings and the thinking was that the new visible boundary surrounding the statement would lead to more awareness. In spite of the new labelling protocol, we stand here today mired in a lethal drug crisis under the banner of opioids.

Opioids contain the same addictive properties found in many BBD's and offer patients a succession plan, sometimes illicit, to satisfying their addictions long after prescribed medications have run their course. Books like The Addiction Solution by Lloyd Sederer, promote awareness of these prescription drugs addictive properties and dangers.

The Addiction Solution

The Addiction Solution offers a summary of drug abuse including treatment, clinical trials, and unbiased scientific knowledge and policy suggestions to help patients and the public deal with issues of addiction.

The highly addictive components of drugs continue to hold patients captive long after their medicinal purposes have lapsed. It is important to note that not all BBD's are highly addictive. However, it is vital to read and understand labels, even if it means going beyond the call of duty to research potential harmful effects via the web or at your local library. It is equally important is to initiate a two-way dialogue with your doctors and make the prescription process a learning opportunity, if not a full-on conversation. These interactions may unearth critical information about clinical trials, alternative treatment and most importantly, potential risk factors for the sake of your long-term health. These types of talks are particularly important given the undisclosed relationship between doctors and drug companies discussed in Doctors in Denial by Dr. Joel Lexchin.

Doctors in Denial

Doctors in Denial examines the relationship between Canadian doctors and the pharmaceutical industry. Dr. Joel Lexchin exposes the drug industry for its penetrating influence in medical school classrooms and its continued grip over drug information inculcated to practitioners in order to drive an increase in revenue. Furthermore, the book discusses the collection of sales data linked to specific doctors and a series of incentives and quotas set as targets for doctors to reach in order to be compensated by way of expensive meals and gifts. The book paints a grim pictured of the drug industry but is great for consumers in that it underscores the importance of independent inquiry and dialogue between patients and doctors. 

Listed below are a few more books of interest related to alternative medicine, opioids, pain management, and the precarious relationship between doctors and drug companies available at Toronto Public Library:

Mind Over Meds

In Mind Over Meds, author Dr. Andrew Weil advises readers about the problem of over-medication, and outlines when medicine is necessary, alternative therapies, and when to simply leave it alone.

A Nation in Pain

From neurobiology to public policy, A Nation in Pain examines chronic pain by discussing the latest scientific discoveries, advances in treatments, governmental roadblocks, and providing a plan of action going forward.

Global Running Day is on June 6, 2018 and is a worldwide celebration of running that encourages everyone to get moving! It doesn’t matter how fast you run or how far you go — what’s important is that you take part, and how you do it is up to you. 

Now for those of you who are thinking I don't run, give me a moment to change your mind. Running doesn't have to be the marathon-training, ultra-regimented, headphones in and little water bottle fanny-pack approach. It can be whatever you want it to be! You can incorporate it into your already established fitness regime or you can just step out your front door and run down the street. The true beauty of running is you can just start doing it and you can always fit it in.

Outside of the obvious health benefits of running, including strengthening muscles & cardiovascular fitness, did you know there are some serious wellness benefits to running? Here are just a few to pique your interest:

1. Runner's high is real 
2. It can be a form of meditation 
3. It keeps you sharper as you age 
4. It increases your creativity
5. It helps you sleep better

If I have convinced you to get up and try a run on June 6th (or any other day), then I've done my job! If you're already a runner and didn't know about this healthy holiday, mark your calendars! If you're looking to get inspired about running, check out these resources: 

Boston: The Documentary (DVD)

By Matt Damon & Jon Dunham

The history of the Boston Marathon from its humble origins starting with only 15 runners, to the first female runners, through the tragedy in 2013, and ultimately the triumph of 2014.

Mindful Running: How Meditative Running can Improve Performance and Make You a Happier, More Fulfilled Person

By Mackenzie L. Havey

Let Your Mind Run: A Memoir of Thinking My Way to Victory

By Deena Kastor and Michelle Hamilton

"Let Your Mind Run" is a granular look inside the mind of an elite athlete, a remarkable story of achievement, and a fascinating primer on how the small steps of cultivating positivity can lead to outsize gains in performance

Book | eBook

Running is My Therapy: Relieve Stress and Anxiety, Fight Depression, Ditch Bad Habits, and Live Happier

By Scott Douglas

There's no other book like this. Longtime running writer Scott Douglas marshals expert advice (especially his own, cultivated from more than 110,000 miles of personal experience) and a growing body of scientific research to show how running can make us happier.

Book | eBook

The 30-Minute Runner: Smart Training for Busy Beginners

By Duncan Larkin & Dr. Mike Moreno

Everything in the book, including training schedules, techniques and tips, is put forth purely in terms of minutes spent running, without any goal paces to worry about, mileage to keep track of, or anything to measure other than time spent out on the roads and trails. The book focuses on how to maximize those 30 critical minutes in order to achieve two primary goals: shedding extra pounds and completing a 5K race.

eBook

The End of the World Running Club

By Adrian J. Walker

Edgar Hill is 35, overweight, an underperforming husband and reluctant father. After a catastrophic asteroid strike, Edgar and his family find refuge in an Edinburgh army barracks. Returning from a salvage run, Edgar finds his family gone, taken to the south coast for evacuation by an international task force. Edgar must race across the 550 miles of wasteland to find the people he loves before he loses them forever.

Book | eBook | Large Print Book | eAudiobook | CD Talking Book (restricted to print disabled patrons)

Now get out there and go for a run, friends!

Here is another one to add to your list of 21st century problems: the proliferation of health and wellness related websites on the Internet. Search engines may give you the most hits in the least amount of time, but try finding something that's authoritative and reliable on Google or YouTube. Good luck. 

I'll just check Web M.D. for my symptoms. Aaand I'm dying.

While it's great that our collective interest in consumer health is rising, the sheer amount of information out there, without the necessary checks and balances needed to ensure validity, ought to be questioned. Toronto Public Library offers a few online databases for those looking who are looking for health information and want to be assured that they won't be reading something that's a paid advertisement or scare tactic. This information can be accessed remotely, from the comfort of your own home or office, by using Academic OneFile:

This database offers full-text articles from scholarly, trade and general interest magazines and journals on current events, general sciences and technology, social sciences, arts and humanities.

Health and Wellness Resource Center:

Health and Wellness Resource offers consumer health information from magazines, newspapers, fact sheets, reference books and videos. Also covers alternative health and therapies.

Health Reference Center Academic:

Looking for full-text articles from nursing and allied health journals plus a variety of medical and personal health sources? Try this academic database.

Oh, you use WEBMD to diagnose yourself? Tell me more about how you think you're a doctor.

Did you know that the warmer weather  and early spring flowers have a subliminal message: it's time for a Spring Clearing Purge! In addition to the amazing tips for spring cleaning found here, I want to talk today about stuff. The stuff that fills our closets, the stuff that we have a hard time letting go of, the stuff that you just don't need/use anymore.  

 For those of you who hold onto the stuff, this blog is meant to motivate you to throw away, donate, and/or repair your stuff. By incorporating responsible spring clearing into your already establish spring cleaning regime, I can almost guarantee that you'll feel: better, lighter, freer, and happier!

Personally I subscribe to the adage, if you don't use it or it doesn't make you feel good, get rid of it! This was not always the case, I came from an amazing family that were knick-knack displaying, basement bins keeping, stuff people (love you!). Largely as a result of owning property in the city, I simply didn't have the space to continue these familial trends.

The shift was hard at first but I can honestly say that I am better for it (as is my home). Here are three simple tips to keep in mind for Spring Clearing:

1) Avoid buying stuff that doesn't fit the criteria: can I use it or does it make me feel good?

2) Assess the stuff you already own and find responsible ways of donating or getting rid of it or repairing it so you will use it again

3) Keep a maximum of one bin, with a lid, for sentimental things (this is your stuff bin and the lid must close!) 

Don't just take my word for it though, check out these amazing new resources that will have you decluttering in no time! 

Unf*ck your Habitat by Rachel Hoffman

Finally, a housekeeping and organizational system developed for those of us who'd describe our current living situation as a "f*cking mess" that we're desperate to fix. "Unf*ck Your Habitat" is for anyone who has been left behind by traditional aspirational systems. The ones that ignore single people with full-time jobs; people without kids but living with roommates; and people with mental illnesses or physical limitations. Most organizational books are aimed at traditional homemakers, DIYers and people who seem to have unimaginable amounts of free time. They assume we all iron our sheets, have linen napkins to match our table runners, and can keep plants alive for longer than a week. Basically, they ignore most of us living here in the real world!

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The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo

Japanese cleaning consultant Marie Kondo takes tidying to a whole new level, promising that if you properly simplify and organize your home once, you'll never have to do it again. Most methods advocate a room-by-room or little-by-little approach, which doom you to pick away at your piles of stuff forever. The KonMari Method, with its revolutionary category-by-category system, leads to lasting results. In fact, none of Kondo's clients have lapsed (and she still has a three-month waiting list). 

Book | eBook | Large Print Book |Audiobook CD | eAudiobook | CD Talking Book (restricted to print disabled patrons)

Remodelista: A Manual for the Considered Home by Julie Carlson

The definitive field guide to creating simple, beautiful interiors from the team behind the inspirational home site Remodelista.com. Learn how to achieve this thoughtful aesthetic with lessons from personality-filled houses, as well as a close look at standout kitchens and baths. You will also find easy ingenious DIY and storage ideas, editors' picks of the 100 most enduring (and attractive) household objects, and a primer on the ins and outs of the remodeling process.

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The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning: How to Free Yourself and Your Family from a Lifetime of Clutter by Margareta Magnusson

In Sweden there is a kind of decluttering called dostadning, do meaning "death" and stadning meaning "cleaning." This surprising and invigorating process of clearing out unnecessary belongings can be undertaken at any age or life stage but should be done sooner than later, before others have to do it for you. In "The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning", artist Margareta Magnusson, with Scandinavian humour and wisdom, instructs readers to embrace minimalism. Her radical and joyous method for putting things in order helps families broach sensitive conversations, and makes the process uplifting rather than overwhelming.

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Declutter your Life: How Outer Order Leads to Inner Calm by Gill Hasson

Our homes and workspaces are a mirror of what's happening inside us, and "De-Clutter Your Life" explains how you can change your relationship with the things you own. Instead of being weighed down with objects and possessions that keep you stuck in the past, you can learn to think about your things in a new light, in a way that's constructive and helpful to you.

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Now everyone go and declutter your home and wish me luck on my massive purge/house renovation this spring! 

Tis the season for donating your organs and tissue. According to beadonor.ca, "in Ontario, there are over 1,500 people waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant. This is their only treatment option, and every three days someone will die because they did not get their transplant in time." Suffice to say the choice to donate your organs and/or tissue is commendable but can be a fraught, emotional process based on the circumstances of the donor. In Chris Lynch's novel Pieces 18-year-old Eric deals with the loss of his little brother Duane by meeting recipients of the latter's organs. To his surprise, his budding relationships with his brother's organ recipients helps aid him during the grieving process.

Another great read that speaks to the deep feelings involved in organ donation is The Heart by Maylis de Kerangal. Much as in "Pieces", this novel is about a teen boy, named Simon, who meets his fate in a sudden life-altering accident. The story revolves around the human moments experienced by his paren'ts, doctors, nurses and various ancillary characters. 

Another book I wish to recommend is Transplantation Ethics by Robert Veatch, which starts with a history of organ transplantation and then tackles ongoing issues, including competing definitions of what constitutes a dead person/donor, when it is ethical to procure an organ, and allocating organs in a market starved of donors. This book is available at the Toronto Reference Library only. 

I hope this post and the books suggested here may help spur if not continue the conversation about organ donation!

The first time I ever heard about aging and 'losing words' was at a Sandra Shamas performance at the Toronto Reference Library. All the audience members around me were laughing and nodding in agreement and I thought, what the heck? Now that I am in that demographic and occasionally forgetting names of objects and people, I wonder if this is normal or the start of dementia. Toronto Public Library, in partnership with the Alzheimer Society of Toronto, is offering free presentations on dementia at various branches this spring. 

If you'd like to learn more about memory, Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, check out the following: 

On Thursday March 8, we all celebrate International Women's Day

What is International Women's Day you ask? Starting in the early 1900s, this day marked a global day of celebration of the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity in things like education, political representation, business positions of power, etc. We have certainly seen women's issues on the rise of late, especially with Hollywood's #MeToo and #TimesUp movements. So in light of this important celebration, I thought I would focus our attention on women's health and wellness issues. 

 A quick scroll through our library's catalogue subject headings "Women's Health and Hygiene" and "Women's Wellness," we see topics ranging from heart health, self care, aging, beauty, physical fitness, cooking, family & reproductive health, and holistic approaches to health & wellness. 

Side Note: Is my feminism showing or did anyone else cringe a little bit seeing the type of books geared towards women's health & wellness? Surely we should focus on more than aging, beauty and cooking (/weight loss), which make up the majority of published topics!

via GIPHY

Nevertheless, here are my picks of fantastic TPL resources, on an array of topics, geared towards women's health and wellness!

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Stay healthy folks and let's all celebrate the women in our lives! 

In an era of time saving, high impact, revolutionary workouts to help you keep fit in the shortest amount of time, look no further than the old fashioned push-up. Push ups have been part of workout routines for as long as the idea of building muscle has existed but maintaining the correct form and staying committed on a path to excel, like most other workouts, seems to be eveyones achilles heal. Fear no more; "7 Weeks to 100 Pushups" by Steve Spiers has got you covered. The book features the history of push-ups, tips and tricks to perfecting your push-up, and a handy routine guide.

7 Weeks to 100 Push-Ups

As a spin off due to the high success enjoyed by '7 weeks', author Brett Stewart created guides dedicated to strength/body-weight training for other muscle groups called '7 Weeks to 50 Pull-ups', '7 Weeks to a Triathlon', '7 Weeks to Getting Ripped', '7 Weeks to 300 Sit-ups', '7 Weeks to a 10k', and '7 Weeks to 10 Pounds of Muscle'.

Truth be told, I have always been a good sleeper. In a lumpy bed, with or without a pillow, even on the floor, I can sleep just about anywhere. But when life throws you a curve ball and suddenly this thing you have taken for granted is now something you have to work for, everything can seem out of balance.

So I thought I would dedicate a little room in this blog to talking about sleep. Surely I can't be the only one that is struggling to sleep at night? 

Why Do I Need Sleep? 

First, the big why question: why do we spend one-third of our lives doing this thing called sleep? From what I gather, there are a number of reasons and scientists are still working on an answer. 

• "Psychology Today" puts it rather simply, "We know that sleep has restorative effects on our bodies down to the cellular level."
• According to Harvard scientists, inactivity at night is an adaptation that served a survival function by keeping organisms out of harm’s way at times when they would be particularly vulnerable.
• BBC reports that "during the day, brain cells build connections with other parts of the brain as a result of new experiences. During sleep it seems that important connections are strengthened and unimportant ones are pruned." 

What I take from all this, as an English/history major, is that we need sleep because science says so. If you want to read more about the mystery of sleep, check out these titles. 

So Why Can't I Sleep?

I have done my research and I can get behind what the good people at "Forbes" magazine list as some of the top reasons you can't sleep:

          Your room isn't dark enough 
         You're exercising too late
         You're drinking alcohol too late
         Your room is too warm
         You still have caffeine in your system
         You're watching the clock ("if I fall asleep in ten minutes, I'll get four hours of sleep")
         You're watching television as part of your sleep routine
         You're trying to problem-solve in the middle of the night
         You're eating protein too close to bedtime
         You're smoking before bedtime.

Since I am a librarian who loves organization, let's group these reasons into categories. First and easiest to remedy are the physical space reasons why you're not sleeping. Make sure your room is dark, on the cooler side, and remove any clocks from your bedroom. I have a friend who swears by lavender essential oils (on her pillow case, in a diffuser, in her detergent); personally, it's not my favourite scent but it may be worth exploring?

Next let's tackle the technological reasons for our sleeplessness. Cut out the television and try a book as part of your bedtime routine (said the librarian). I would chime in here and say that all the technological clicks, swipes and scrolls before bed on your smart phone or tablet definitely fall under this category. 

Lastly are the lifestyle reasons. We are all creatures of habit and if our lack of commitment to New Years resolutions means anything, I know these are the hardest to break. Do your best. Save problem-solving for the daytime, avoid exercise (just before bed, not in general, nice try!), stop smoking (I would say this generally), stop the caffeine after dinner time, and avoid protein close to bedtime. The caffeine is kind of a no-brainer but the no exercise or protein I thought was interesting!

What Do I Do Now?

I think the key is to not stress yourself out about your lack of sleep. I know, I can't believe I just wrote that too but it's true! Don't put too much pressure on yourself as stress will hinder your ability to sleep. It's important to not give up too quick, stick with one of the above techniques for a couple of weeks and see if your sleep improves. At the end of the day, please consult a health care professional if you are having a hard time sleeping. Sleep deprivation obviously impedes our overall wellness, but it can also lead to serious health risks.

As I have told myself many times in the middle of the night, take a few deep breaths and try to focus on relaxing without obsessing about falling asleep. 

If you're looking for some more in-depth techniques, considering placing a hold or checking out these resources:

and the ever controversial solution, take a nap. 

Stay healthy friends and good night!

Like my colleague Reagan, I did not make any New Year's Resolutions this year. But just in case you made resolutions or if you are looking for some interesting science books, check out the following:

Ever wonder why the latest nutrition research seems to contradict the findings of other studies? In The Bad Food Bible: How and Why to Eat Sinfully, author Dr. Aaron Carroll gives a quick primer on science literacy: different types of research, causation vs correlation. Then he focuses on a different food group or topic in each chapter, discussing the history research for that food and ending with recommendations based on the latest and best research. In the last chapter, Dr. Carroll provides a synopsis of all of the chapters. For example, don't eat too much red meat when you are young, but it is beneficial for seniors to eat more meat. And best of all, it's okay to have a drink or two a day!

How We Eat With Our Eyes and Think With Our Stomach: The Hidden Influences That Shape Your Eating Habits is a quick and fun read on how everything from sound and smell to restaurant menus can influence how we eat. If you are trying to eat less, use red plates.

 
Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst  is not a step by step guide on how to change your behaviour, but is an interesting read for those interested in learning more about why we behave the way we do.

Is it just me or are we all dreading the upcoming “New Year, New Me” posts, tweets, snaps, Insta pics and conversations? Fear not, this is not that!

I was listening to CBC radio when Svend Brinkmann came on talking about his new book, “Stand Firm: Resisting The Self-Improvement Craze” and I thought to myself: YES! Maybe it’s that I’m getting older or perhaps it is my terrible track record with sticking to resolutions, but this upcoming year I say #YouDoYou.

Truth be told, I am guilty of talking about self-improvement and News Year’s resolutions as recently as last year …on this very blog! This year, I say we should all embrace who we are. That does not mean give up. That means we should try to be our best self, find time for self care and focus on self-realization over self-help. 

Not sure how to say no to the self-improvement movement? My view is a little less bleak than Svend Brinkmann so here are my tips:

• Don’t set unrealistic goals for yourself
• Relax (any way that works for you)
• Feel free to say no to things you don’t want to do
• You’re awesome, so take time to revel in that!

If you’re looking for a little more support, here are some great titles for getting started on your journey to saying no to self-improvement and embracing the greatness that is already you. 

Emmet’s Guide to Being Awesome by Ace Landers

Emmet, the main character from “The LEGO movie”, outlines his philosophy of life and reveals what he has learned from his adventures and his relationships with the Master Builders about friendship, travel, identity and other topics.

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You Do You: How to be Who You Are and Use What You’ve Got to Get What You Want by Sarah Knight

 

Being yourself should be easy, yet too many of us struggle to live on other people’s terms instead of our own. Rather than feeling large and in charge, we feel little and belittled. Sound familiar? Bestselling “anti-guru” Sarah Knight has three simple words for you: YOU DO YOU. It’s time to start putting your happiness first — and stop letting other people tell you what to do, how to do it, or why it can’t be done. And don’t panic! You can do it without losing friends and alienating people.

 

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 Stay healthy friends and remember

Myofascial therapy, better known as 'cupping', is an ancient Egyptian and Chinese alternative healing method that helps restore healthy blood flow and assists in quickly removing inflammation from the body. This is achieved by placing a cup over specific trigger points or sites of pain and imbalance, adding suction to the cup via an air pump or changing its internal temperature, thereby drawing toxins to the surface of the skin.

Cupping

Some cupping therapies use a variety of oils or topical substances for added effect while the ancient Egyptians and Islamic traditionalists even went to the extent of making incisions after cupping, then reapplying the cup to draw out clotted blood (known as wet cupping).  Anecdotally, I have tried both dry and wet cupping and have achieved desirable effects in treating both a severe ankle injury and chronic lower back pain. Cupping is also known to be effective in loosening and removing scar tissue as well as being a commonly used massage technique (known as slide cupping). Though the consensus among western medical professionals is that science does not support the validity of cupping, the practice has experienced a resurgence due to it being popular among Olympic athletes most notably Michael Phelps (notice the cupping marks over his collarbone below).

Olympic champion Michael Phelps

Learn more about cupping by checking out these two reads:

A Practical Guide to Cupping Therapy

The Guide to Modern Cupping Therapy

Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

As a child, I suffered from apiphobia or melissophobia — the fear of bees and bee stings, but now I fear for the health and well-being of the honey bee. I must admit that many of the useful roles bees play in agriculture, I first learned about in Bee Movie. As bees gather pollen and nectar from flowers, some of the pollen from the stamens (the male reproductive parts) is transferred onto their bodies. The pollen is then deposited onto the female parts of other plants they visit. Bees help to pollinate the plants we eat everyday, such as cucumbers, cherries, apples, broccoli, blueberries and pumpkins. So bee health is directly tied to human health.

Honey bees are suffering from Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) in which the queen bee and immature bees remain, along with a health supply of honey, but the majority of the worker bees have disappeared. There are several theories about why CCD happens including: honey bee pests and viruses, pesticide poisoning, changes to the bees' foraging environment and poor nutrition. Dr. Amro Zayed studies the honey bee in his laboratory at York University's Department of Biology and will be speaking about his research at Hillcrest Branch on Tuesday, December 5th at 7 pm.

If y0u can't attend Dr. Zayed's presentation, learn more about bees by checking out the following:

image courtesy of Flickr

It seems like every week there is a new app available to help us with our health. But how do we know which ones we should use, if any at all? This was an issue raised at a health librarians' conference a few years back. The doctors they worked with were recommending various health apps to their patients and the librarians were concerned about the reliability of the information that the apps provided. At the time, the health apps with which I was most familiar were Fitbit and one which tracked your sleep so I hadn't given the issue much thought. But as the number of health apps grows and their use by health professionals and patients becomes widespread, the importance of their validity and reliability increases.

The Ontario Telemedicine Network (OTN) created Practical Apps, a review column that takes a critical look at health apps. Learn more about health apps with Practical Apps lead Dr. Payal Agarwal:

What: Practical Apps: Helping Doctors Help Patients Manage Their Health

When: Tuesday, November 28 at 7 PM

Where: Hillcrest Branch

For more information: Call  (416) 395-5830

Registration not required

Presented as part of The Cutting Edge program series: Exploring new ideas at the intersection of health and technology. Supported by the Krembil Foundation.

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If you can't attend the talk, you may be interested in reading the following:

Image Credit: Environment CC BY-SA 3.0 Nick Youngson

When people resolve to be more healthy, they usually think about diet and exercise. But the environment plays an important role in our health. Learn what you can do to create and maintain a healthy environment in a presentation by Health Canada.

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What: Is Your Environment Healthy?

When: Tuesday, November 21 at 7 p.m.

Where: Hillcrest Library

For more information: Call  (416) 395-5830

Registration not required

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In the meantime, eat healthy, get exercising and read the following:

I don't know about you, but as soon as the cold weather hits and the leaves start to change colour I start obsessing about getting cozy. No I don't mean the cozy mystery books, to me cozy means a feeling of comfort, warmth and relaxation, which is definitely something that is applicable to a health and wellness blog! This time of harvest and foliage and cool temperatures always makes me want to get downright cozy.

Maybe it's because we all know what is around the corner, SNOW! My favourite cozy customs are wearing scarves, lighting candles and making tea …or partaking in an adult beverage, a.k.a. red wine!

I have a rather large scarf collection…

Since fall is already a well-hyped time of year, I thought I would make a short Ode to Cozy, for the sake of our health. Sure, millennials have dibs on everything from pumpkin spice lattes to plaid this time of year, but being #Basic is also beneficial to your health if it means you become more relaxed and enjoy the moment. 

So put on a warm pair of socks, pour yourself a glass of tea (*cough* wine *cough*) and enjoy some cozy books! 

Cozy Knits by Tanis Gray

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All of the designs in Cozy Knits are knit with Cascade Pacific and Cascade Pacific Chunky yarns. These affordable yarns come in an endless array of colors and are a blend of superwash merino wool and acrylic, making them ideal for creating projects for babies and kids, gifts, home decor items and everyday accessories and garments.

 The Year of Cozy by Adrianna Adarme

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From the author of the popular blog, A Cozy Kitchen, comes a beautifully photographed one-stop-shop book with all the recipes and projects you'll need for some cozy inspiration this holiday season-and all year long. You'll love Adrianna Adarme's easy-to-follow instructions and will enjoy getting lost in her warm and comforting photographs

Cozy Cabins and Rustic Retreats by Jo Denbury

Escape to the mountains or the seaside, the forest or the desert – places where you can create a personal sanctuary, at one with nature.

The Cozy Cookbook by various mystery writers

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If you’re looking for a side of mystery with a heaping helping of some truly delectable recipes, you’ve come to the right place. Within these pages you’ll find scrumptious offerings for breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as delicious desserts, appetizers, sides and drinks. You’ll also get to spend a little time with your favourite cozy mystery characters and meet some new ones as you peruse over 100 mouthwatering recipes from our bestselling authors.

A Cozy Book of Herbal Teas by Mindy Toomay 

Beautifully illustrated and delightfully written, Prima's "Cozy Book" series is designed for those special quiet moments at home. Each book offers dozens of ways to take it easy, including luscious, creamy coffee drinks, soothing herbal teas and infusions, and scrumptious pancakes and waffles. Filled with wonderful ideas, folklore and anecdotes, "Cozy Books" are perfect treats for any day and make wonderful gifts.

Stay cozy friends!

Recently, I read many of the popular science titles the library received this year to help my colleague compile a Popular Science recommended reading list. There were so many good titles that I decided to make a separate list of health books. Here they are: 

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Last, but not least, I highly recommend One Hundred Million Years of Food: What Our Ancestors Ate and Why It Matters Today by Stephen Le, which was published last year. The book is a combination of his entertaining food trips, (similar to Anthony Bourdain’s writing style without the swearing) and the latest nutritional research on topics such as alcohol and caloric intake and whether we need dairy products. 

Image Courtesy of Wikipedia

Did you know that radon exposure is the leading cause of lung cancer of non-smokers in Canada? (Canadian Cancer Society) Radon is a radioactive gas that is invisible, odorless and tasteless. Learn how to protect yourself from radon exposure in a presentation by Health Canada specialist, Mainul Husain.  

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What: Do You Have Radon in Your Home?

When: Tuesday, September 26 at 7 PM

Where: Hillcrest Library

Registration not required

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If you can't attend the presentation, check out the following:

For information about radon from Health Canada, click here.

Originating in Australia in 2001, International Overdose Awareness Day is observed annually on August 31. The day serves to raise awareness of overdose prevention, to commemorate and remember individuals lost to overdose and to acknowledge the impact of the issue on family, friends and communities.

The City of Toronto formally adopted Overdose Awareness day in 2016, through a proclamation by Mayor John Tory, acknowledging drug overdoses as a significant public health issue and an increasing cause of death for residents in Toronto and Ontario. The proclamation advocated for a rededication of efforts to prevent future loss of life.

Last fall, in response to a dramatic increase in overdose-related deaths, the city began work on the Toronto Overdose Action Plan, which was approved by the Board of Health on March 20, 2017.  The plan is based on international research and best practices and was informed by a number of open invitation community consultation sessions. Read a summary of the plan’s key strategies.

Each year, events are held globally on August 31 and supporters wear silver to promote awareness and acknowledge the grief of those who have been affected. The day marks an opportunity to learn more about the current crisis and the efforts of harm-reduction and health workers across Canada seeking solutions and advocating for change.

Those affected by opioid overdoses have sought to remember loved ones through public education and promotion, attempting to combat the stigma and shame related to drug use. An Ontario mother who lost her son created this interactive map to show that overdose victims are everyday people whose passing has affected communities across North America.

The websites for the Toronto Drug Strategy and The Works (Toronto Public Health’s harm reduction program) are good starting points for information and resources with a local focus. The Centre for Addition and Mental Health (CAMH) also has an excellent FAQ and links to resources relating to opioid overdoses, including their own resource hub. For information about naloxone, an antidote medication that temporarily reverses the effects of opioid overdoses, see the Government of Ontario’s page.

More information can also be found by searching the Health and Wellness Resource Center, a database available for free with your Toronto Public Library card. As well, the following titles may be of interest to those seeking to learn more about the opioid crisis, Canadian drug policy and harm reduction strategies:

Like The Beatles song Good Day Sunshine goes,

I need to laugh and when the sun is out
I've got something I can laugh about

Of course sunshine effectively lifts our spirits. However, the song goes on to warn us, 

We take a walk, the sun is shining down
Burns my feet as they touch the ground

Safe sunning: no matter what your age or skin type, no one should risk getting a sunburn. Image from TPL's Digital Archives

The dreaded sunburn! Most of us have been there right? Nothing can spoil a vacation or a good nights sleep the way a sunburn can. For me personally, gone are the days of my youth when I would sit outside roasting myself in order to get a tan (a.k.a. burn then have some colour for a week then go back to being my pale self). In 2017 we know better!

The sun is a powerful force that we need to protect ourselves from. And to keep us safe, I figured we should debunk any myths about sun safety. Check out the great Sun Safety Recommendations page a Toronto Public Health nurse recently told my Toddler Time paren'ts about last week.

Is it just me or do others always forget to put sunscreen on your lips? Augh, up there with burning your ears!

The Government of Canada's Sun Safety website is also an excellent resource. This website has information about: 

• Extreme Heat
• Health effects on ultraviolet radiation
• Tanning beds and lamps (I didn't know they still existed!)
• Skin Cancer
• First Aid for sunburn and heat illnesses

In preparation for this blog post, I checked out all the books my branch had about the Sun. Since I am usually in the kids' department, I went and found a ton of information about the Sun. I thought I'd spice things up with a little trivia. 

Did you know? 

The Sun accounts for 99.86% of the mass in the solar system!

OR

That over one million Earth's could fit inside the Sun!

In case you found those tidbits of Sun trivia interesting, I thought I'd share where I got them from. Who says we always have to read books intended for adults…  

Lastly, these reference books were too good not to share; worth the trip to the Toronto Reference Library I'd say!

I hope everyone gets a chance to enjoy the sunshine SAFELY this summer! 

Stay healthy friends :) 

License: CC0 Public Domain

Warm summer nights remind me of the outdoor concerts I attended when I was young. I’ve always found music to be relaxing or energizing but I never thought of it in therapeutic terms.

But music definitely has mental and physical health benefits. According to a McGill University review of the research literature on the neurochemistry of music, listening to music can be used to “improve the body’s immune system function and to reduce levels of stress.”

According to a Medical News Today article, The power of music: how it can benefit health, listening to music can reduce pain and anxiety. For example, listening to music is more effective than prescription drugs in reducing anxiety prior to surgery. The amount of pain felt by fibromyalgia sufferers decreases when they listen to music. Two theories on how music reduces pain are: 1) music distracts the person from focusing on pain; and 2) brain opioids, natural pain relievers, are released when a person listens to pleasurable music.

Listening to music can reduce cognitive decline and may be beneficial for people with Alzheimer’s disease. Research published by the US National Library of Medicine (PMC) shows that exercising with music is more effective than exercise alone in reducing the amount of grey and white matter loss (brain tissue) in the elderly.

Another PMC study found that listening to music in the presence of other people provides the biggest benefit in stress reduction. However, listening to music by yourself for the specific purpose of relaxation also reduces stress.

To learn more about music and your health, check out the following:

And if you haven’t read it yet, I highly recommend Bad Singer: The Surprising Science of Tone Deafness and How We Hear Music  by Tim Falconer. Falconer discusses his experiences trying to learn how to sing despite being tone deaf. It’s an interesting and funny book on how the brain experiences music.

Creative Commons Zero – CC0  courtesy of Max Pixel

Recent research indicates that smiling, even when you don't feel happy, may do you some good. In a recent Nature of Things episode, Harvard University social psychologist Amy Cuddy discussed posture therapy for people suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. In a nutshell, walk like you are happy, smile even though you aren't and you will feel happier.

Watch the episode Body Language Decoded.

Watch Amy Cuddy's Ted Talk: Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are.

A few years ago, North York Central Library had a couple of Laughter Yoga sessions. I  felt ridiculous but forced myself to laugh and take part in various laughing exercises with the audience. I was surprised at how happy I felt at the end of the session and strongly recommend attending a laughter class at the library. Researchers have found that laughter therapy helps to boost the quality of life of nursing home residents. Another study looked at the effects of laughing, smiling and howling on mood. While smiling substantially improved mood, laughing resulted in an even greater positive boost. Howling had no effect.

One last reason to smile–according to this study, a person receives more help when smiling!

For more information on smiling, the mind and mental health, check these out:

This June, we celebrate Seniors' Month!

Toronto Public Library has an array of special programs this month to help celebrate Seniors' Month. Health topics include important workshops on diabetes prevention, late life depression and fall prevention. Now we don't just want to focus on the concerns of aging, so TPL is also offering a number of fun and engaging programs like preserving family heirlooms, board game parties and movie matinees!

Now if you are like me and you are fortunate enough to have active and healthy paren'ts or grandparen'ts that just happen to be seniors, you know that healthy living is not defined by your age. If I can gloat for a moment, my paren'ts are world dragon boat champions, they just took a month-long cycling trip around the Netherlands and Germany, and my father is entering his first body building competition at the end of the month; oh did I mention they are both in their sixties! Talk about healthy role models.

So although it is important to support seniors in later life, let's not forget that healthy living is a lifelong goal. Looking for a little inspiration? Here are some new books to keep us all living healthy and feeling young. 

Stay healthy friends! 

License: CC0 Public Domain

Despite what the title suggests, this blog post is for all the people who are used to putting the needs of others before their own. Yep, caregivers – I'm talking to you! When flight attendants demonstrate what to do if the cabin pressure in the airplane drops, they mention the importance of you putting on your own oxygen mask first. If you pass out, how can you help your children put on their oxygen masks? 

A few years ago, a friend sent me this video. It depicts the morning craziness for a working mom trying to get her kids off to school and doing a few household chores – all while having a heart attack. I thought it was funny and a bit like my own life but did I slow down and try to take care of myself – of course not! After all, my life motto has always been 'I'll rest when I'm dead'.

But now that I am part of the sandwich generation, taking care of my children and my aging paren'ts, I am forced to deal with my stress levels. It would be oh-so-easy to deal with my stress by treating every day as though it was July 11 and eating lots of junk food, but I try to practice what I preach, everything in moderation. I even signed up for the 21 day Vegan Kickstart. Everyday I received an email telling me what to eat along with simple recipes and motivational advice. I have to admit that I didn't make any of the recipes, but I have been inspired to eat healthier, that is, more fresh vegetables and fruit. 

I also exercise every day.  As I have no time to go to the gym and their fitness class schedules do not fit my schedule, I follow online exercise routines. The work-outs vary in length, (as short as 10 minutes!) and difficulty. I always feel better after exercise, no matter how tired I am at the start. 

I am looking forward to Saskia Jennings' presentations at the library. Saskia is a Life and Wellness coach who will discuss how to make your life as a caregiver easier, find balance in your life and make your life a priority.

Hillcrest branch: May 31, 6:30-8:00 pm

Brentwood branch: June 8, 2-4:30 pm

If you can't make either of the presentations, look out for number one (yourself) with the following:

Last but not least, I found the following image online. How would you answer the question?

May is Foot Health Month  …I know, I had no idea either!
Whether you are a foot lover (no judgement) or a foot hater, I think we can all agree that feet are an important part of our body that we should take care of. But if you're like me, you never really gave your feet much thought.

 So let's spend some time this May thinking about and taking care of our feet, shall we?

 
Kathy Vanderlinden states, "physically, our feet are unsung heroes, absorbing some five million pounds of pressure per day as they do their job of carting us around." Her book, Foot: A Playful Biography, covers everything from foot afflictions (bunions, corns and calluses), foot rituals and symbolism (from foot washing to sipping champagne from a lover’s shoe), foot fairy tales and folklore (Cinderella being the pre-eminent example), and foot beauty treatments (Cleopatra had a slew of them). I think you'll agree, that is a lot of information about feet!

 Since this is a Health and Wellness blog, I figure we would jump right in (see the pun) and discuss how to care for these unsung heroes. 

Caring For Your Feet 

You may not give much thought to your feet, that is, until you start suffering from foot pain or other afflictions. For an accurate diagnosis, please consult your doctor or podiatrist. But if you are just looking to better educate yourself and thus take better care of your feet, I have compiled for you these resources:

Those of us who are into sports often deal with foot injuries. It's amazing how something as small as a broken toe (thank you soccer) or a missing toe nail (thank you marathon training) turns your whole world upside down. Here are some specialized resources for us jock-types:

Reflexology 

For those who want to take caring for their feet a step further (another pun!), let's look at reflexology in order to improve our overall well being. In case you don't know, reflexology refers to the massage of the feet (or hands) based on the belief that pressure applied to specific points on these extremities benefits other parts of the body.

Interested? Check out these resources: 

Now I will admit, it's rather difficult to perform reflexology when you're thumbing through a book. So here are a couple of handy (I'm on a pun-roll) DVDs all about reflexology. 

Shoe Me

A natural segue, feet > shoes. My dad would agree, my mother has owned every pair of shoes ever invented and as a result, I have developed a kind of fascination with shoes. So I thought I'd finish by including some of the more interesting books about feet/shoes that have come through the library. Carrie Bradshaw, eat your heart out! 

Tickled your interest (last pun, I promise)? You can get free Museum and Arts Passes to the BATA Shoe Museum at various TPL branches! 

^{image courtesy of Wikipedia}

Recently, friends recommended turmeric to alleviate irritable bowel syndrome and arthritis symptoms. I was surprised that turmeric was touted as effective for such different health conditions so I searched Dr. Google for "health benefits of turmeric". The results included a wide range of ailments: diabetes, arthritis, digestive problems, cancer, heart disease and kidney problems. As this sounded too good to be true, I did further research, using reputable and authoritative sites.

PubMed and MedlinePlus are two of my favourite sites to search for health information. PubMed is a database of citations and abstracts of articles and online books in the National Library of Medicine.  The information is from scholarly and academic journals and can be challenging to read, but this is the place to look for the latest health research. While many of the citations require a fee or subscription to read the entire article, you can choose 'Free full text', to find full-text articles. One recent article notes that curcuminoids, the active ingredient in turmeric, is beneficial for ulcerative colitis. Another article reviewed all the research conducted on curcurminoid's  anti-cancer, anti-diabetic, anti-depressant, anti-inflammatory, anti-arthritic properties and its effects on Alzheimer's disease. It concluded that while curcuminoids are promising "with a large variety of therapeutic properties", their usefulness is limited by "poor solubility, low absorption and bioavailability".

MedlinePlus provides information about the human body, diseases and drugs for patients. The information on turmeric in MedlinePlus is from the National Institute of Health's National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.  This is a good website to search for evidence of the effectiveness of various natural or herbal remedies. According to their fact sheet on turmeric, curcuminoids may reduce the number of heart attacks after bypass surgery and reduce knee pain as well as ibuprofen.

If you don't want to remember various websites and prefer to do a Google-like search, try Health on the Net Foundation, a non-profit non-governmental organization whose mission is to promote reliable online health information. When you do a search on their website, the results that appear are ones they have deemed to be from reputable and reliable sites.

For books about turmeric, take a look at the following:

For more information on complementary and alternative medicine (which includes turmeric), these may be of interest: 

Full disclosure, I'm a bit of a tree hugger. Literally, this is me: 

So when it came time for me to craft a Health and Wellness blog post for April, I immediately thought to incorporate Earth Day, which has now been extended to Earth Month (aka April).  

Now it's not a difficult feat to tie health and wellness to our own planet's health and wellness. So here are just three easy tips to make your April more Earth friendly. And remember, we don't have to save these tips for April, try to incorporate change year round and help improve our planet's health and your own wellness simultaneously! 

Earth Month Tip #1: Volunteer at a Community Garden!

In a crowded housing market like Toronto, not everyone is fortunate enough to have a garden plot to call their own. Luckily, there are community gardens sprinkled throughout this amazing city! Now, now, I'm not suggesting everyone has a green thumb and should sign up for a plot themselves, but a lot of community gardens could use your help in other ways:

1. Financial assistance
2. Identifying and developing a new community garden space
3. Providing technical assistance to existing community gardens
4. If you've got a green thumb, you can help design/tend to a garden plot

Not sure if there are any gardens in your area? Check out the City of Toronto's Community Garden Map and find out!

Feeling ambitious about starting up your own community garden? I highly recommend reading up on Toronto's own The Stop Community Food Centre. It's a wonderful organization and the cookbook is full of delicious/seasonal recipes. 

With commercial campaigns like Cheerios' Bring Back The Bees and Toronto's own Every Tree Counts program, there is a real push to start planting more for our environment. This comes with the added incentive of being good for the planet and yourself  – there is nothing sweeter than enjoying your own garden. Worried you don't have the space to plant for the planet? Check out these resources on gardening in nontraditional spaces. 

Earth Month Tip #2: Bike to work, school and home

Even if you don't have wheels of your own, or wheels as cool as mine,   Toronto's Bike Share program makes it easy to make this earth-friendly switch. Now, if you're like my sister-in-law (aka "Safety Sinker"), you worry about how safe it is to bike anywhere in the bustling city, bike lanes or no bike lanes. Fear not friends, here are some handy guides to keep yourself safe on your commute: 

All library branches also have this free resource for cyclists in Toronto:  
…or if biking is completely out of the question, dare I suggest take transit? Obviously biking or walking is the most earth-friendly choice, however if that is not an option for you, switching to public transit would lower your ecological footprint considerably. Being a long time TTCer myself, I am well aware that the transit suggestion comes with some, let's call them quirks.

Earth Month Tip #3: Switch to environmentally friendly consumer products!

Personally, I'm a huge fan of vinegar to clean just about everything. Though my partner will happily agree that I'm not a purist anymore and there is a time and place for bleach, by switching to natural consumer products when and where you feel comfortable, we can improve our planet's wellness. More to the point, we can improve our own wellness as well. 

And remember, there are a ton of fun, Earth-friendly things to do this month, including Toronto Zoo's Party for the Planet and of course TPL's wide array of Our Fragile Planet programs, classes and exhibits! Don't forget to check out our recommended reading list too!

^{Creative Commons CC0}

The evidence for the mental health benefits of exercise continues to grow. As my colleague Jeannette mentioned in her post Your Brain on Exercise: How Physical Activity Can Improve Your Mental Well-being, exercise plays a role in brain health.  Recent research shows:

• increasing the physical activity of widows "energized their mental status, improved sleep quality and quantity, reduced depressions and the need for psychoactive drugs"¹
• there are low levels of the neurotransmitters, glutamate and gamma-amniobutyric acid (GABA), in depressive disorders but these levels increase during intense exercise²
• aerobic exercise improves memory³

Join us for a presentation by Dr. Catherine Sabiston who is the Canada Research Chair in Physical Activity and Mental Health at the University of Toronto.  Dr. Sabiston will discuss the latest research in this field and provide suggestions on how to get moving.

When: Tuesday April 11, 7-8 pm

Where: Hillcrest Branch

If you aren't able to attend the presentation, you can read up on the effects of exercise on mental health:

image courtesy of bodybuilding.com

I love how the United States seems to have a "National  Day" for every type of food and drink.  March 1, 2017 is National Peanut Butter Lover's Day. Unfortunately, not every one can enjoy peanut butter.  

Peanut allergy is one of the most common food allergies. Pediatricians used to recommend that paren'ts not give their baby peanuts until after they were one year but there is growing evidence that introducing peanuts at a younger age might prevent peanut allergy. Babies born to mothers who ate peanuts during pregnancy are also less likely to have peanut allergies.  

To learn more about food allergies:

For those who would like to celebrate today in style, check these out: 

A little back story, when I applied to do my Masters of Information Science, I pulled the classic quote-a-book on the application move. Since I was applying for library school, I strategically chose a bookish quote from one of my favourite fiction authors, JD Salinger's Catcher In The Rye:

"What really knocks me out is a book that, when you're all done reading it, you wish the author that wrote it was a terrific
friend of yours and you could call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it."

Suffice to say I got into the program. But the real reason I take you on this trip down memory lane is to discuss fiction therapy – something the vast majority of readers engage in without even realizing it! A recent Star article shed light on the health benefits of reading, proven to foster empathy, make us live longer and reduce stress. Now I know what you're thinking, of course the librarian says there are health benefits to reading fiction, but where is the proof? Don't just take my word for it, there has been a ton of research on Fiction Therapy of late.

So let's break this down into manageable sessions:

Session 1 – Reduce Stress

The first benefit of reading fiction is probably the most evident; when you read fiction, you focus on something other than your day-to-day life and thus give yourself a break from any worries or stress. In fact, recent studies have shown that reading a book can be more effective at reducing blood pressure than going for a walk or stroking a dog; sorry Lennon, these hands were made for reading!   

As little as six minutes of reading can be enough to reduce your stress levels by two-thirds, according to a University of Sussex study. Basically, since your mind has to work to imagine another world complete with interesting characters and developing plots, it leaves little room for your worries to creep in.

Of course this isn't always the case. I'm sure more than a few of us have suffered from distracted reading, where our mind wanders and we end up rereading pages (similar to the meditation track at the end of my yoga practice sometimes…)

If you are looking to boost your fiction therapy and combat those winter blues, try reading under the library's new Light Therapy Lamps!

Session 2 – New Perspectives

One of my favourite things about reading fiction, especially first person narrative, is that you can become completely immersed in another person's consciousness. According to Bibliotherapist Ella Berthoud, author of The Novel Cure, fiction is the ultimate cure because it gives readers a transformational experience. Transported by the story, we see through other eyes, feel another set of feelings and experience different lives than our own and therein lies another health benefit, according to The Guardian. In fact, brain scans in the Annual Review of Psychology study showed that when people read about an experience, they display stimulation within the same neurological regions as when they go through that experience themselves. Relaxation and new perspectives, I'll take a double dose!  

Here are just a few of my favourite narrations that gave me a new perspective:

Interestingly, and more radically, some researchers believe that through engaging in fiction therapy, we may also discover that a book shadows aspects of ourselves that we failed to acknowledge or recognize. 

Session 3 – Companionship

In our contemporary, mobile-friendly world, social isolation is a real dilemma for a number of us. Luckily, we have to look no further than your local library to find shelves upon shelves of potential new friends (and friendly staff). According to researchers, fiction can break down barriers of social isolation and produce a sense of belonging in the same way friendship does. Fiction books also "give us a chance to rehearse for interactions with others in the world, without doing any lasting damage" according to The New Yorker article, Can Reading Make You Happier?

Looking to enrich your fictional companions? Join one of the library's Book Clubs and engage with other fiction lovers. There are a number of different formats including family book clubs, cookbook clubs, nonfiction book clubs, feminist book clubs and book clubs in other languages! Looking for less commitment? Drop-in to one of our Tea & Books or Coffee & Books sessions and just listen to librarians gush about their favourite reads. 

Warning: Side effects

Indulging in fiction therapy can be a beneficial health choice, however similar to other types of therapy or medication, there are potential side effects. Namely the dreaded book hangover. According to the hilarious people at epicreads.com, a book hangover is a condition in which attachment to a book or series that has ended causes the reader traumatic emotional distress; it usually lasts for one to two weeks, or until a new book of higher-than-average quality enters the reader's life. For more information, please consult the following video: 

Lastly, if you are looking for fiction book recommendations, I highly suggest utilizing the library's Novelist subscription. Through Novelist, you can search for books by genre, subject matter and various appeal factors like pacing or tone. You can even find read-alikes for some of your favourite fiction books, so you can remedy that book hangover; it really is an amazing resource.

Stay healthy friends! 

Toronto Public Library is launching a new pilot project which will bring a set of two therapy lamps to the Brentwood and Malvern branches starting on Monday, February 6. The lamps are available on a first-come, first-served basis and offer an opportunity for people suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) to combat "winter blues" thanks to the benefits of exposure to intense levels of light similar to sunshine. This service has been tried at public libraries in Edmonton and Winnipeg and the response from the public was very positive. Customers who used the lamps commented that exposure to the bright lights helped them improve their psychological well-being.

Why Toronto Public Library is offering this service

Providing access to light therapy lamps is one way the library contributes to the preservation of the mental health of Torontonians during the winter months. This initiative is in fact consistent with the library's vision for the future as stated in the Toronto Public Library's 2016-2019 Strategic Plan, which is to inspire the city and its community and to make the residents of Toronto "more resilient…and more successful".

In addition, offering access to lamps is in keeping with the City of Toronto's Poverty Reduction Strategy which strives to offer "equitable access to services" and to create "a city where everyone has access to…supportive services". With this service, the library is offering Toronto residents an opportunity to use lights that they may not otherwise have access to. In addition, according to an article in the Edmonton Sun, the library is the perfect environment for people to relax and experience the lamps, as well as the appropriate public space "to get a discussion going about mental health".

Information about the use and benefit of therapy lamps will be available at branches. The pilot project will run until April, at which point Toronto Public Library will evaluate whether to continue with this service and to expand it to multiple branches. To make an informed decision, the library feels it is important to have as much information as possible, we therefore encourage patrons who make use of the lamps to provide feedback by completing a questionnaire that will be available at the branches and online.

What is Seasonal Affective Disorder?

SAD is a form of depression that usually occurs in the winter months when the amount of natural light is limited to a few hours a day. Human beings suffering from natural light deprivation can display the following symptoms:

• lack of motivation
• difficulty to concentrate
• lethargy and tendency to oversleep
• change in appetite patterns and cravings for starchy food
• fatigue
• sadness
• apathy
• feelings of anxiety and despair
• desire to avoid public situations and social interaction.

According to the Canadian Mental Health Association of Ontario, research shows that between two to three per cent of residents of our province suffer from SAD; 15% of Ontarians have a less severe form of SAD known as the "winter blues". SAD has been recognized for almost 150 years as a condition; however, it was only in the 1980s that it was designated as an actual illness.

Treatment of SAD and Light Therapy

There are many ways to combat SAD such as regular exercise, a healthy diet and taking every opportunity to be exposed to natural light. Treatment for SAD also includes light therapy. According to some experts, lack of sunlight affects a person's biological clock and his or her sleep cycle, hence, exposure to the bright light emitted by therapy lamps will contribute to restoring a healthy cycle.  Experts suggest sitting or reading a book approximately one to two feet away from the lamp for no more than 20 to 30 minutes a day. It is important that the light reaches the eyes, however, it is also crucial not to stare directly at the light. For best effectiveness, it is also recommended that  therapy lamps be used daily.

Therapy Lamp Safety

Light therapy is safe. Experts, however, point out that before undertaking light therapy, people with bipolar disorder and certain medical conditions such as retinal disease, macular degeneration and diabetes should consult with their doctors.

For more information, visit the Canadian Mental Health Association website section on SAD .

Bell Let's Talk day is their annual initiative to promote awareness and action on mental health. On January 25, Bell will donate 5¢ towards mental health initiatives in Canada for every text, call, tweet, Instagram post, Facebook video view and Snapchat geofilter using #BellLetsTalk. One of Bell's goals is to support research to discover and better understand treatments and cures.  

Research shows that exercise has positive benefits on mental health by relieving stress and reducing the symptoms of depression and anxiety. The library carries the following books on this subject: 

 For more on alternative treatments in mental health care:

For general information on mental health:

Each of us meets a new year in our own way; but some, like this young boy, want to wish everyone happiness. Toronto Star Archives 24 December 1975.

It’s that time of year, “New Year, New Me!” Whether you want to try to quit smoking, or exercise more, or learn to save money, Toronto Public Library has your back. Now as someone who is a classic resolution maker (then breaker), this is usually how my year unfolds:

January: I am eager and focused on my resolution/goal!
February: I start to loose motivation and have a cheat day here and there.
March: comes “in like a lion, and out like a lamb,” aka I'm doing very little to work towards my new goal by the end of the month.
April: I think  

So why is 2017 going to be different? How do we make a lasting change you ask? I have researched a number of New Year's Resolution, self-help and motivation articles, including past TPL blogs on the subject found here, here and here, in an attempt to find the right tips to share with you. Basically I've gone ahead and done the legwork for you, so no excuses this year, team! These are the tips that I think are the most useful for our purposes of making an ACTUAL change in 2017:

1. Be specific and realistic. This entails planning and taking small steps towards your resolution/goal every day.
2. Talk about it …that means out loud …to other people! Yes, my dog Lennon is also excited about our 2017 running goal but we need real people to make us accountable. 
   
   Don't be like Hagrid, in fact go ahead and comment below and tell me what your goal is for 2017! 

3. Keep trying. Even if you have a bad day, week or month, don’t write off your resolution/goal. You had this resolution/goal for a reason, so remind yourself why and recommit.
4. Stop all or nothing thinking. This is similar to tip #3 but equally critical to success. If you get off track, forgive yourself and recommit. As my favourite gym instructor says, even if you don't have the best workout, you're still lapping everyone on the couch. 
5. Plan rewards for yourself when you reach a milestone, especially in the beginning! Rewards are different for each person, but try to avoid a counterproductive reward system, like if you quit smoking for a whole month, avoid rewarding yourself with a cigarette. I plan on rewarding myself with a new piece of gear for every 50 km Lennon and I run this year …don't worry, he'll get something too. 

Looking for other resources to help you? Check out these new books and learn even more tips for breaking bad habits and changing behaviours, with the convenience of multiple formats to suit your needs.

The Here and Now Habit: Book | eBook | eAudiobook    
The Little Book of Big Change: Book |eBook 
Smart Change: Book | eBook |eAudiobook

Rewire: Book | eBook
Making Habits, Breaking Habits:   Book | eBook | eAudiobook
Choose The Life You Want:   Book | eBook | eAudiobook

With these tips and resources in mind, let's get started, or get back on track, with our resolutions/goals! I wish you real success in 2017. Feel free to comment and tell me about your own resolutions/goals or tips/resources you find useful. 

Happy New Year, Team!
-Reagan (& Lennon)

Photo by funky_abstract [CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 ], via Flickr

Thinking about making some New Year's resolutions? Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) may help you make the changes you want to make. Mayo Clinic defines CBT as a type of psychotherapy which "helps you become aware of inaccurate or negative thinking so you can view challenging situations more clearly and respond to them in a more effective way."  

CBT can be used to treat mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. Cognitive behavioural therapy can also be used to generally improve your life - for example, reduce stress and break bad habits.

The following are just a few of the many titles the library carries: 

As an adult, the holidays sometimes lose the magical whimsy that we so looked forward to as a kid. Things like huge snowfalls, playing with friends outside, holiday treats (candy canes were my favourite), and who could forget shaking a couple presents. Now, as an adult, the holidays are filled with grown-up obligations like stringing up your own holiday lights (white lights like my mom insisted), making treats using a new Pinterest recipe (#Pinterestfail), and trying to come up with the best White Elephant present. Lest we forget those brave souls who offer to host holiday gatherings, you all deserve a medal! Looming in the background of all these adult, holiday responsibilities is something that some of us just try to ignore: holiday stress. Let's face it, adult-ing during the holidays is tough.

Holiday stress is certainly not a new phenomenon. Check out this 1983 Toronto Star photo that perfectly encapsulates what I’m referring to; take special note of the headline below.

Strung out: The holidays near; lineups grow and stress lengthens the faces of shoppers. Columnist Sharon McKay offers tips today to counter the Four Os that put it there: Overworking; overeating; overdrinking; overspending. Toronto Star, 1983. 

So what are we, as adults, to do? Let’s spend some time talking about the very real phenomenon of holiday stress. This way we can learn new ways to prepare, cope and actually enjoy what’s ahead this holiday season.

Step 1: Prepare. Prepare. Prepare.

Okay, now that we have acknowledged that tensions may run high in our homes this holiday season, let’s actively combat unnecessary holiday stress by preparing for at least some aspects of the holidays in advance. I know, I know, I procrastinate to the point of total annihilation too. But let’s be realistic, there is a lot of “stuff” associated with being an adult during the holidays: festive meal planning, thoughtful gift giving, decorating our homes/apartments/condos, holiday card mailing (physical or electronic), the list really does go on and on. So let's get started, now! For help meal planning, gift giving and decorating, check out these creative, step-by-step guides.

     
     
     

Don’t forget, another thing that we have to consider as adults this time of year is budgeting. If you noticed, the above suggestions have a definite focus on homemade, green, and handcrafted food, gifts, and decorations. This is in an attempt to bring us all in under budget this holiday season (as well as keep things environmentally friendly during a season of consumption).

Need more help avoiding the added holiday stress of going over budget? Check out these library resources:  

Business & Personal Finance blogs: Six Tips to Avoid Holiday Debt & Start Saving Now for Next Christmas

Step 2: Cope 

Everyone thinks that their family has the most oddballs or the worst passive aggressive in-laws or down-right obnoxious siblings. The truth is, we all have them in one form of another. It's somehow different now that we are adults during the holidays, it can make us a little more anxious about getting together with family, am I right? Not to worry, there are ways to cope and I've got you covered. These titles have advice for how cope with the holidays and actually get along with any family member this year.

Step 3: Enjoy

Along with all the hard work we put in as adults this holiday season, don't forget to schedule a little downtime. Sit back, relax and take some time for yourself, we all deserve it! Maybe that includes enjoying an adult beverage while watching/reading these very-adult holiday titles? I know I sure will! 

Last but not least, even though we are adults, we can still enjoy the holidays this year. Prepare, cope and be mindful of your holiday stress levels. Remember, your local library has great holiday-themed programs for everyone, even us adults! So let the library help put you in the holiday spirit …now that the holiday spirit is a stress-free place to be! 

Image By: ccPixs.com

Have you ever looked up and around at some of the beautiful trees in Toronto? Have you ever wondered how they can benefit us and future generations?

In fact, trees can benefit us, our families and future generations in more ways than one! Not only are trees our anti-climate change tools, but they improve our way of life, especially in cities.

Trees have the ability to absorb excess carbon dioxide (the main cause for the warming of the earth's surface) from the atmosphere. In exchange, trees release oxygen and absorb other particulate matter, resulting in cleaner and cooler air for everyone!

Studies even show that when in the presence of trees, hospital patients will recover at a faster rate, when compared to patients that are not in the presence of trees. Trees even improve our mental health!

Researchers are finding new ways to measure and evaluate the human, social, environmental, and ecological benefits of trees and other green infrastructures. Learn more about this research and other studies in our GreenFILE database.

Image courtesy of the Toronto Parks and Trees Foundation.

For further reading, check out the Trees Ontario field guide and see which Toronto trees you are able to identify!

 

 

image courtesy of flickr, nagdr

Recently, I took a health book to read on my vacation. I had enjoyed Siddhartha Mukherjee's Pulitzer Prize-winning The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer and was looking forward to his latest book The Gene: An Intimate History. Well, let me tell you that reading a 592 page tome at the beach is no easy feat, no matter how interesting the subject matter and well-written it is. Don't get me wrong — I highly recommend both books for non-beach reading and I plan to hear Mukherjee's talk at the Toronto Reference Library on October 17, 2016.

I found some interesting health and wellness titles that are easier to read and less than 600 pages. Many of them are available as e-audiobooks. Happy reading!

Staying hydrated in this heat can be as challenging or easy as you choose, especially with the LCBO's announcement of an online ordering and delivery service. National Mojito Day was on July 11th, but there are many different delicious options available for the rest of summer:  

Trying to stay healthy and cool? Check these out: 

Exercising in extreme heat or under the hot sun or for a very long time may be when sports drinks and their electrolytes would be beneficial. But for the rest of us who exercise moderately and in the gym, water is all we need.  If you find water boring and tasteless, never fear, we have books about flavoured water and drinking water: 

Ever wondered how long you will live or how you might die? I have and it appears that there is at least one other person who shares this morbid interest. Nathan Yau is a statistician who used data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Underlying Cause of Death database to create graphs which show the most common causes of death at various ages.  

Nathan also created a simulator in which each dot "represents one of your simulated lives, and as each year passes, more of your simulated selves pass away. Colour corresponds to cause of death, and the bars on the right keep track of the cumulative percentages. By the end, you’re left with the chances that you will die of each cause". Click on the image below to go to Nathan's website. Scroll halfway down the page and enter in your sex, race and age to see the simulator in action. 

flowingdata.com

There are many websites that estimate how many years of life you have left. Some are general, such as Nathan's website; others ask for various data to provide a personalized prediction of your life expectancy. Physical activity, diet, smoking and stress are some of the factors that influence how long you will live. 

Because flexibility and balance are indicators of health, a sitting test can be used to predict longevity. Click here to try it yourself.

Some recent research

Researchers discovered that they can predict test subjects' "biological clock age" by looking at chemical changes to their DNA. Then they compared the individuals’ actual ages with their predicted biological clock age. If their biological age was older than their true age, they were more likely to die sooner than those whose biological and actual ages were the same– even after taking into consideration other factors such as disease and smoking.

There is an increase each year in death rates during adulthood. But, in later life, there is a mortality plateau–that is, a 100 year old is not more likely to die than a 90 year old. There is no consensus on why this happens. Researchers studying fruit flies found a large decrease in fertility two weeks before death. This occurs in males and females and in young and old fruit flies.  Some researchers suspect that the mortality plateaus are connected to fertility rather than age. 

On the good news front, researchers found that a person's own evaluation on how healthy he/or she felt was the most sensitive predictor to longevity, so think positive about your health!

Here are some suggestions for books about longevity as well as titles that may help you improve your health and hopefully, increase your lifespan: 

image courtesy of iconfinder.com

Sleep — I just can't seem to get enough! I love reading about how to get the best sleep possible. I'm not the only person interested in sleep — my colleague Emoke did a great blog post on the health effects of sleep deprivation and how to foster better 'sleep hygiene' a while back. Since then, there has been a lot of sleep research. 

According to the Mayoclinic.org, teenagers should get between eight and ten hours of sleep each night. I remember sleeping until noon during the summer when I was in high school. Little did I know that my desire to sleep and wake later was due to "sleep shift delay". Some high schools have changed the start time to later in the morning. Even so, one study shows that teens are getting less sleep than before, due in part to the increased use of social media and electronic devices.  

In Japan, researchers studied the effects of a sleep education and self-help treatment programs for elementary and junior high students. For the elementary students, the "sleep education group showed significant improvements in bedtime and sleep duration and their… irritability significantly improved." After treatment, the junior high students went to bed earlier and the difference between holiday and weekday sleep times decreased. Sleep satisfaction, moods in the morning and sleepiness during the day also improved. Click here for the entire paper.

Why is sleep important for teens?  Besides the health effects (discussed below), sleep deprivation has been linked to an increase in risky behaviour.

Health effects of sleep deprivation

Lack of sleep is known to affect cognition, but may also cause brain cell death (at least in mice). A more benign effect is the link between sleep and colds.  Researchers at the University of California Riverside reported how deep sleep promotes the consolidation of recent memories.  Another recent study showed an association between insufficient sleep and an increased risk of obesity. And last but not least: sleep deprivation makes us appear unattractive and sad.

If you'd like help improving your sleep quality, you can look into the services of a sleep coach or choose the pillow and mattress that best matches your sleeping posture, whether it be back, side or stomach. 

If you'd like to read more about sleep, here are a few titles to get you started: 

Image courtesy of http://www.worldislandinfo.com

It's Earth Month 2016 and the time has come to take seriously our impact on the planet. Toronto Public Library is happy to present the best of our collections on environmental education, geared to children, teens and adults. Watch for environmental displays in branches across the city and pick up some reading material. At the same time, please join us for Our Fragile Planet, our free environmental programming series. Learn about issues that impact our city, and what you can do to tread lightly on our planet.

North York Central Library recently hosted a program about the effect of transportation systems on wildlife. Dr. Namrata Shrestha, a senior landscape ecologist with the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA), spoke about the habitat loss and fragmentation for wildlife caused by roads and railways. Being limited to a small area may result in a species dying out because they cannot find enough food or mates; this in turn has a ripple effect on the ecological health of other species in our green space.

Some transportation planning initiatives undertaken by TRCA and local municipalities include: closing roads during breeding seasons, determining the best locations for future roads which minimize the impact on wildlife for the present and in the future, retrofitting pipe structures so they can be 'paths' for critters to travel along (who knew that there were peacocks in the wild in Ontario?). These measures reduce biodiversity loss. What caught my attention was when Dr. Shrestha asked, "Why do we care about biodiversity loss? Because it's the right thing to do? For biodiversity's sake?" Well, it turns out that biodiversity is connected to human health. 

Biodiversity is defined as the variety and variability of life on Earth, including the genes in all living things, all species and the ecosystems these species comprise. Three ways in which greater biodiversity helps us:

1. Infectious Disease

Some diseases/pathogens are spread by vectors such as ticks and mosquitoes. Greater animal diversity means there is a larger pool of hosts for vectors to bite.  Some of these hosts are unable to pass along the disease to new vectors, and thus the cycle of infection ends. This reduces the chance of people becoming infected. An example of this process is Lyme Disease, which is spread by ticks. "People are at greater risk for getting Lyme disease in, and at the edge of, fragmented forests and other degraded habitats that favor mice that are … competent hosts for Lyme. By contrast, large, intact forests are associated with greater vertebrate diversity, more incompetent hosts, fewer infected ticks, and less disease risk" (Chivian and Bernstein, 2010).

2. Food Production

A greater genetic diversity in our crops lessens the chance of crop failure due to plant diseases, plant pests and changing weather.  

3. Medical Research

Herbs and other plants are used in traditional medicine and complementary medicine. Decreasing plant biodiversity may mean the loss of plants with potential health benefits.

To learn more about biodiversity and your health, here are a few titles:

For information on  Earth Month programs, click here.

Image courtesy of Wikipedia

Health literacy is "the ability to access, comprehend, evaluate and communicate information as a way to promote, maintain and improve health…" (Public Health Agency of Canada). 

People with low health literacy levels are less able to manage their health conditions, more likely to rate their health as poor and they have higher rates of hospitalization. They are less able to make informed decisions.

Good communication skills (both the health care provider's and the patient's) are essential for a patient to understand what he/she is being told and to feel comfortable asking questions. I recently heard about the consequences of health illiteracy for a woman who, despite having high levels of education, did not understand the forms she was asked to sign at the doctor's office. She was too embarrassed to ask questions. It was only at her six-week follow-up appointment with her surgeon that she learned that she had had a hysterectomy.  

To learn more about health literacy, click here and here.

Getting information may be the easiest step; anyone who has access to the Internet can use "Dr. Google" to search for health information. Understanding and evaluating information is much trickier. One can evaluate information on the Internet (or from books) using the CRAAP Test (Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, Purpose). Having a medical dictionary is helpful when the only health information that can be found is written at a technical level, for health professionals.

The library carries several good series of health books that are written in simple language for consumers or the lay public (Health Reference Series, Johns Hopkins Press Health Books, 100 Questions & Answers, Scientific American White Papers). Books published by associations such as the American Cancer Association or Canadian Diabetes Association are also easy to understand and written by authoritative sources.  Here are a few examples but don't hesitate to ask staff for more information on your particular concerns.

I remember the first time I was ever in a health foods store and looked at bottles of compounds such as Coenzyme Q10 and St. John's Wort Oil, and thought that any claims for these remedies for colds or allergies must be due to the placebo effect. I was similarly skeptical when I saw ads in the window advertising acupuncture as a cure for numerous ailments. However, nowadays, these treatments have become more accepted in the mainstream and information about alternative medicine can be found on authoritative health websites, such as Mayo Clinic.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) defines alternative medicine as "non-mainstream practice…used in place of conventional medicine." Complementary medicine refers to non-mainstream practices used in conjunction with conventional medicine. When people are sick and conventional treatments are not working, they often seek alternative medicine treatments. But who knows if they are effective or not and more importantly, whether they do more harm than good? To learn more about alternative medicine and its effectiveness, join us for a presentation by Dr. Mel Borins who has examined the current research and written the book, A Doctor's Guide to Alternative Medicine: What Works, What Doesn't and Why.  

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What: A Doctor's Guide to Alternative Medicine: What Works, What Doesn't, and Why

When: Wednesday, March 2^nd at 7 – 8 PM

Where: North York Central Library, in the Auditorium

To register: Call the Science & Technology Department at (416) 395-5649

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If you can't make it or would like to read ahead on the subject, take a look at the following:

image courtesy of Wikipedia.com

The microbiome is "the complete genetic content of all the microorganisms that typically inhabit a particular environment, especially a site on or in the body, such as the skin or the gastrointestinal tract" (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 2011). I first heard the term microbiome a few years ago with respect to the Hygiene Hypothesis–basically that our 'cleanliness' was causing the good bacteria in our gut to be wiped out and allowing the bad bacteria to colonize/overgrow. Since then, a slew of journal articles and books have been published about the (gut) microbiome. The latest research has found that sociable animals such as chimps have a more diverse microbiome and there may be healthier microbiomes–this may explain why humans who have strong social connections live longer.

Our microbiome is affected not only by exposure to external sources such as other humans and our environment but also by our diet. Fibre is required to feed the microorganisms in our gut. Recent research indicates that a diet low in fibre may have long lasting effects on not only our microbiome but also those of successive generations. An increase in fibre may not do much to increase diversity of the microbiome.  As my colleague Emoke mentioned in a previous post, probiotics are bacteria which help keep the natural balance of organisms in your intestines. Besides taking probiotic supplements, one can eat foods rich in probiotics, such as kefir, yogurt, miso, sauerkraut and kimchi.  

To learn more about the microbiome, probiotics and fermented foods, check these out:

When one is searching for health information, the usual suspects come to mind–books, encyclopedias and magazines.  The latest research is available in journal articles which can be found in the library's databases, Health Reference Center Academic and Health and Wellness Resource Center. Health information can also be found in eBooks and eAudiobooks in Overdrive or Hoopla, and eMagazines in Zinio. 

The Virtual Reference Library lists recommended health websites, which includes organizations and associations. Associations, such as the Canadian Cancer Society, provide factual health information, the latest research on a disease or condition and support groups for patients or their family members. If there isn't a local support group, an option might be to join an online forum where patients can post questions and share their experiences.  Another option is health-related memoirs.  

image courtesy of ocpe.vcu.edu

Reading about someone's experiences in dealing with a health condition might provide some coping techniques or solace that one is not alone in their situation or feelings. One of my favourite books as a teenager (because it was such an inspirational read) was The Other Side of the Mountain, the memoir of Jill Kinmont, a skiing champion who became a quadriplegic after a terrible fall. The library has the eVideo of the film based on her story.    

Here are a few health-related memoirs you might enjoy:

Miners used to bring caged canaries with them into the coal mines. If there were any dangerous gases, the canaries would die before the miners and thus the miners would be warned that they should vacate the mines. Now the term canary in a coal mine refers to "something whose sensitivity to adverse conditions makes it a useful early indicator of such conditions; something which warns of the coming of greater danger or trouble by a deterioration in its health or welfare" (wiktionary.org).

The evidence for the link between health and the environment is growing. The website The Collaborative on Health and the Environment has a toxicant and disease database which lists the strength of evidence for a toxicant as a cause of a disease.  

In his book, 12,000 Canaries Can't Be Wrong, environmental medicine specialist, Dr. John Molot explains how the environment contributes to the development and progression of many common conditions and illnesses. Dr. Molot will be speaking about the environmental impact on our health and what we can do about it at North York Central Library on December 2, 2015 at 7 pm.