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... Continue reading

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... Continue reading

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)... Continue reading

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... Continue reading

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... Continue reading

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... Continue reading

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... Continue reading

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... Continue reading

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... Continue reading

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,... Continue reading

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... Continue reading

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... Continue reading

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... Continue reading

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... Continue reading

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... Continue reading