Happy New Year! This is a common time of year for new beginnings, and many people make resolutions for the new year. Resolutions often involve changes to current actions or inactions, and many of us choose January as a good time to take a closer look at our health. It’s a banner month for new gym memberships and purchases of home exercise equipment and bathroom scales.
I’d like to encourage all of us to take a good look at our health. We take it for granted when our health is good, and isn’t it so much easier to get through each day when it is? But good health depends on more than luck, so if you haven’t taken stock of yourself in a while, perhaps this January is the time to do so. Ideas to get you going:
- Do you have health insurance? If not, look into it. To look at free or low-cost health and dental plans in Washington, go to www.healthplanfinder.org. (If you don’t have internet access, go to the library and use a computer there.)
- How long has it been since you saw a doctor or dentist? Schedule an appointment for a checkup; it may take several weeks to get in. Do you wear glasses? How old is your prescription? How long since you have been checked for cataracts or glaucoma? Washington has free medical, vision and dental clinics: check out freeclinics.org.
- Women: are you up to date on cancer screenings? If you don’t have coverage, you can contact pinklemonadeproject.org to find free services.
Recently, I was asked by a reader to share library resources about diabetes. Diabetes is highly treatable, but has serious, sometimes fatal consequences if not treated. In Washington state, 8.6% of the adult population have been diagnosed with diabetes. If you or someone close to you has been diagnosed with diabetes, please check out some recent books about this disease:
- Diabetes Meal Planning & Nutrition by Simon B. Poole (2024)
- Rethinking Diabetes: What Science Reveals about Diet, Insulin and Successful Treatments by Gary Taubs (2024)
- Diabetes Cookbook for Dummies by Alan L. Rubin, Fran Stach, and Denise C. Sharf (2024)
- Prediabetes: A Complete Guide by Jill Weisenberger (2023)
- The Mayo Clinic Diabetes Diet by Donald D. Hensrud (2023)
- The Plant-Powered Plan to Beat Diabetes: A Guide for Prevention and Management by Sharon Palmer (2023)
The library has a broad collection of materials related to nutrition, fitness and medical topics. Although we can’t offer medical advice, we are happy to point you toward information and resources that might help you. Look for current information and be in touch with your practitioner if you have been diagnosed with a long-term condition. A nutritious diet and regular exercise help maintain your health, regardless of age or other factors. Start the new year healthy - at the library!
New at the Library
Fiction
- Sylvia’s Second Act by Hillary Yablon
- Hunted by Abir Mukherjee
- Across the Ages by Gabrielle Meyer
Nonfiction
- The Third Gilmore Girl: A Memoir by Kelly Bishop
- Indonesian Food by Sri Owen
- Sapiens: A Graphic History by Yuval N. Harari
Children
- Thank You, Rain by Dan McCauley
- Knight by Christopher Gravett
- Shark Teeth by Sherri Winston
