Posture

Good posture is a defense against back pain.  There is online information from the federal government here, here and here.


Books at the Library include:

• Alignment matters: the first five years of Katy Says by Bowman, Katy,
• The posture workbook by Carolyn Nicholls
•  Pelvic power: mind/body exercises for strength, flexibility, posture, and balance for men and women by Eric Franklin
• 8 steps to a pain-free back: natural posture solutions for pain in the back, neck, shoulder, hip, knee, and foot by Esther Gokhale

Don't miss "Living Alive and Well in STL" this Wednesday, January 27!

Alive and Well is an initiative of the St. Louis Regional Health Commission. For more information, visit their website at www.aliveandwellstl.com. 

Resolution wrapup

At three weeks into 2016, it's a good time to take stock of resolutions and either pat yourself on the back or get back on track.  If keeping resolutions is tough, remember that big goals are reached one moment at a time.  Here's some tips:

Set measurable, achievable goals.
Think about your reasons for your resolutions.
Write them down.
Start small/be realistic.
Be specific.
Share your plans with supportive people, for constructive peer pressure.
Take it day-by-day.

Hopefully this series of resolution-related posts have been inspirational, informative, and helpful, or at least fun to read.

Resolution: meditation

Stressful situations can raise blood pressure and lower immunity.  Meditation is one way to reduce and manage stress.  UCLA's Mindful Awareness Research Center offers free guided meditations on their website.

Books and CDs at the Library are free as well*

• Meditation by Naomi Ozaniec
• Thoughts are not the enemy: an innovative approach to meditation practice by Jason Siff
• Beginning mindfulness: learning the way of awareness: a ten-week course by Andrew Weiss
• Get some headspace: how mindfulness can change your life in ten minutes a day by Andy Puddicombe
• Meditation for the rest of us by
• James Baltzell
• Chakra integration: meditation music from the Chakra Sound System by David Ison
• Meditations for tranquility: a practical guide to spiritual first aid by Suzanne Marbrook

*subject to terms and conditions

Resolution: learning

Brain stimulation is as important as muscle stimulation.  Programs at the St. Louis Public Library provide learning opportunities.  Hear about owls, listen to stories, learn to podcast, and more!

A handful of the programs remaining in January are below; more information on all programs is on the calendar.

Schlafly Lecture Series: The Owl Man

Wednesday, January 20, 2016

6:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Schlafly Branch - Auditorium

Storytime for Adults

Wednesday, January 27, 2016

7:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Central Library - 2nd Floor Meeting Room 2.3

Creative Experience Workshops: Podcasting & Blogging Basics

Thursday, January 28, 2016

4:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Central Library - Creative Experience 

Sustainable Backyards: Who Needs Pesticides?

Thursday, January 28, 2016

5:30 PM - 6:30 PM

Barr Branch - Auditorium 

Central Cinema: Celebrating Martin Luther King Jr.

Saturday, January 30, 2016

1:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Central Library - Auditorium 

Resolution: sleep better

Sleep is important.  It helps the brain work properly and improves learning.  Decision making, problem solving, emotional regulation are all harmed by sleep deficiency.  Obesity, heart disease, healthy growth, the immune system are all affected by sleep.  Other people's health can also be affected by someone's lack of sleep: drowsy drivers and health care workers can be dangerous.

The National Institutes of Health has a great informational page on sleep, and see the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's page on sleep hygiene for a short set of tips.

Here is a sizable selection of books on sleep; if one makes you doze off, try another!

• Sound asleep: the expert guide to sleeping well by Christopher Idzikowski
• Learn to sleep well: a practical guide to getting a good night's rest by Christopher Idzikowski
• Sleep, it does a family good: how busy families can overcome sleep deprivation by Archibald D. Hart
• A calm brain: unlocking your natural relaxation system by Gayatri Devi
• Sleeping better together: how both of you can get a better night's rest by Gerhard Klösch
• 50 tips to help you sleep well by Anna Barnes
• 50 tips for peaceful sleep: practical tips to help you sleep soundly, using natural remedies and relaxation techniques by Tracey Kelly
• The secret life of sleep by Kat Duff
• The sleep doctor's diet plan: lose weight through better sleep by Michael Breus and Debra Fulgham Bruce

Resolution: organization/decluttering

Organizing and decluttering can have surprising effects on physical health, and clutter expert and organizational consultant Peter Walsh capitalizes on this with two books: Lose the clutter, lose the weight: the six-week total-life slim down and Does this clutter make my butt look fat?: an easy plan for losing weight and living more.  For resources that focus on clutter around the home, the books below offer starting points.

• Clearing clutter: physical, mental, spiritual by Alexandra Chauran
• The life laundry: how to de-junk your life by Dawna Walter and Mark Franks
• Organizing from the inside out: the foolproof system for organizing your home, your office, and your life by Julie Morgenstern

And the holds list is growing for Marie Kondo's latest book, Spark joy: an illustrated master class on the art of organizing and tidying up.  Place your hold now!

Resolution: kick debt/build savings

Worrying about money (or anything else) isn't good for your health!  Here are some books with strategies to help you decrease debt, build savings, and generally manage money.

• Credit management kit for dummies by Steve Bucci
• The smart woman's guide to planning for retirement: how to save for your future today by Mary Hunt
• Zero debt: the ultimate guide to financial freedom by Lynnette Khalfani-Cox
• Deal with your debt: the right way to manage your bill$ and pay off what you owe by Liz Pulliam Weston
• Personal finance for dummies by Eric Tyson

And to help you feel less alone, read about how the federal government handles similar issues in The $13 trillion question: how America manages its debt edited by David Wessel.

Resolution: build relationships

Building relationships with family, friends, and coworkers is good for both mental and physical health.  The Library has a wide selection of books to suit every taste.

For instance:

• The lost art of listening: how learning to listen can improve relationships by Michael P. Nichols
• If someone says "You complete me," run!: Whoopi's big book of relationships by Whoopi Goldberg
• Snap strategies for couples: 40 fast fixes for everyday relationship pitfalls by Dr. Pepper Schwartz & Dr. Lana Staheli
• People styles at work: making bad relationships good and good relationships better by Robert Bolton and Dorothy Grover Bolton

The Central Library also has some fun activities planned, which are great opportunities to spend time with people doing cool stuff.  Two are shown below, and more can be found here.

Resolution: kick addictions

Addictions are hard work to fight.  Here's some help from the St. Louis Public Library:

General:

• Unwelcome inheritance: break your family's cycle of addictive behaviors by Lisa Sue Woititz and Janet Geringer Woititz
• Kick your addiction: how to quit anything by Frederick Woolverton and Susan Shapiro
• The truth about alcohol, drugs, and cigarettes!!: the realities of addiction and recovery by Mark Winkle

Smoking:

• Allen Carr's easy way to stop smoking
• The smoke-free smoke break: stop smoking now with mindfulness and acceptance by Pavel G. Somov, Marla J. Somova
• Stop smoking: beautiful music and subliminal affirmations to support your success by Steven Halpern (audio)

Alcohol:

• Seven weeks to sobriety: the proven program to fight alcoholism through nutrition by Joan Mathews Larson
• Healing the addicted brain: the revolutionary, science-based alcoholism and addiction recovery program by Harold Urschel
• First steps out of problem drinking by John McMahon

Drugs:

• Alive again: recovering from alcoholism and drug addiction by Howard C. Samuels
• Overcoming prescription drug addiction: a guide to coping and understanding by Rod Colvin
• Painkillers, heroin, and the road to sanity: real solutions for long-term recovery from opiate addiction by Joani Gammill

Sugar:

• Beating sugar addiction for dummies by Dan DeFigio
• The sugar detox: lose the sugar, lose the weight -- look and feel great by Brooke Alpert and Patricia Farris
• Sugar blues by William Dufty

Screentime:

• Internet addiction: a handbook and guide to evaluation and treatment edited by Kimberly S. Young, Cristiano Nabuco de Abreu
• iDisorder: understanding our dependency on technology and overcoming its hold on us by Larry D. Rosen

Resolution: healthy cooking and eating

From diet books to cookbooks, the St. Louis Public Library has all you need to prepare delicious, wholesome meals.  For example:

• Taste of home healthy cooking cookbook
• The good pantry: homemade foods & mixes lower in sugar, salt & fat
• The healthy sides cookbook: easy vegetables, pastas, and grains for every meal
• Healthy dish of the day by Kate McMillan

Resolution: weight loss

Losing weight is a popular resolution.  Luckily, the St. Louis Public Library has a plethora of books to help you shed a little or a lot.  Take a peek at

Books:

• Pilates for weight loss by Elise Watts
• Exercise ball for weight loss by Lucy Knight
• The juice lady's weekend weight-loss diet by Cherie Calbom

DVDs:

• Yoga for weight loss
• Beginner's weight loss transformation
• Weight loss system. Cardio dance club

And there is one book for those with the opposite resolution:

• Dr. David Reuben's Quick weight-gain program by David Reuben