Was eating healthier one of your New Year's resolutions? Well it's not too late. With National Nutrition Month® observed during the month of March, tips for better nutrition can be found online and in books.

Check out the “Food and Nutrition Information” section on the web site of the American Dietetic Association for helpful suggestions. Set up a personal eating plan at MyPyramid, where you will find the new food pyramid from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Dietary guidelines for Americans provides links to other web sites for tips and tools to aid in living a healthier life.

The American Dietetic Association also publishes some books full of sound advice to get you started, or help you continue, with better dietary habits.

Check out the National Nutrition Month® display at the Main Library downtown for suggested books and nutrition fact sheets.

Posted by Jane at 09:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Perhaps hearts have been on your mind lately. After all, Valentine's Day is this month and February is American Heart Month. What does that mean for you? If you are a person at risk for heart problems, quite a bit. It could be the month you decide to improve your health. Did you know that heart disease is the leading cause of death of American women as well as men?

Connect with the American Heart Association to learn more about heart health, or check out the wealth of information found on the MedlinePlus site, sponsored by the U.S. Library of Medicine.

Also, check out some of these new titles or browse the “Healthy Heart” display next time you're at the main Grand Rapids Public Library.

• American Medical Association Guide to Preventing and Treating Heart Disease
• Answering Your Questions About Heart Disease and Sex
• From the Heart : A woman's guide to living well with heart disease
• Treating the Aching Heart : A Guide to depression, stress, and heart disease
• WomenHeart's All Heart Family Cookbook : Featuring the 40 foods proven to promote heart health

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The holidays are over, and if you're like me, you're regretting all the cookies, fudge and adorable chocolate Santas consumed in December. Now that the new year has begun, what better time to start eating healthy again? There are many quality websites to help. FruitsAndVeggiesMatter.gov may be one of the most creative ".gov" urls I've heard of. I really like the diagram showing what counts as a serving (1/2 or whole cup) of a fruit or vegetable. For more info on healthy eating, visit Nutrition.gov, which links you to the new food pyramid and the government's many trusted medical research sites like Medline Plus.

And stop by the library to check out the latest books on health and nutrition. Two of my favorites are Stealth Health: How to Sneak Nutrition Painlessly into Your Diet and Superfoods Rx: Fourteen Foods That Will Change Your Life. These books both have super easy recipes that taste great. Try the fabulous Patty's Pumpkin Pudding recipe in Superfoods Rx!

Posted by Lori at 04:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

January is both National Glaucoma Awareness Month and National Eye Care Month.

Millions of people are at risk for vision loss from glaucoma, a leading cause of blindness in the United States. Take this eye-q test to see how much you know about glaucoma.

The Grand Rapids Public Library will be hosting Free Glaucoma Screenings provided by the Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired. No appointments are necessary. For more information, contact Rosemary Ramos of the Association at 616-458-1187 or 800-466-8084, ext. 14, or call the Main Library at 616-988-5400.

Glaucoma screenings will be held:
Tuesday, January 8, from 10:30 AM to 2:30 PM at the Main Library
Thursday, January 17, from 10:30 AM to 2:30 PM at the Yankee Clipper Branch
Tuesday, January 22, from 10:30 AM to 2:30 PM at the Main Library

Search our catalog for information on glaucoma and eye care, and check the following web sites:

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