Have a heart that’s healthy

February is Heart and Stroke Month and as always it is a good time to take stock of how you treat your heart.  Canvassers will be going door to door this month to raise funds once again for research.  Check here for events throughout the year sponsored by the Nova Scotia branch of the Heart and Stroke Foundatio. 

A stroke is a medical emergency and demands quick action.  What exactly is a stroke? What is FAST?  The more you know the better when it comes to dealing with a stroke.  

Read about how your heart works, this workhorse that so often goes unnoticed until something goes wrong.  When it goes wrong it can happen in a hurry so take a few steps now, it will pay off later.   You can eat for your heart, exercise for your heart, meditate for your heart.  It is truly your best friend and needs all the help you can give it.  Start with a Risk Assessment to see where you are.  

  It will be Valentine’s Day soon so make sure your heart gets the love it deserves. Here are some title suggestions about Heart Disease and about how you can cook to change your eating habits to keep your heart in good shape:

Heart Health for Canadians  

 The cardiovascular cure : how to strengthen your self-defense against heart attack and stroke

HeartSmart : the best of HeartSmart cooking

-Patricia Miner, Head of Reference Services

Why Walk? Why Not?

 Every day we are bombarded with thousands of articles, books, television ads, and social network apps all in the name of fitness.  If we do this program, that diet, work less, de-stress more,  we will become happier healthier humans.

The truth is few of us can apply ourselves to the demands of programs, food guides, group fitness and life counseling.  What we all can do is walk.  It is not magic, there is no training, no guide to follow, just put one foot in the front of the other.

Take the stairs, walk around the block – literally, take a walk in the park, explore the nearest boardwalk.  There is no down side to walking, no harmful side effects,  no records or times to keep track of.  Yet it has proven to be one of the most beneficial treatments for arthritis, depression, asthma, obesity, heart disease, and anxiety,  to name a few.  Our bodies are made to walk and it doesn't matter how little or how much you do, as long as you do it.

Wednesday May 14^th is the second annual Nova Scotia Walk Day, a program put together by the Heart and Stroke Foundation to encourage Nova Scotians to walk for 10 minutes.  Communities, businesses, or individuals can register their walk at http://walkaboutns.ca/  for a chance to win one of 3 prize packages. Check the website for groups in your area if you don't want to walk alone. Some people like to keep count of their steps by borrowing a pedometer from their local library. 

So set aside a few minutes every day to do what comes naturally – walk. And if you need some inspiration, we do have books, of course! Try The Walker Within , filled with " moving stories that reveal the joys, frustrations, observations, and sublime moments" of walking. 

Patricia Milner, Head of Reference Services

February is Heart and Stroke Month

This is the time of year when the ads will be on television, the canvassers at the door .  It is Heart and Stroke month.   Every 7 minutes in Canada, someone dies from heart disease or stroke (Statistics Canada, 2011c).  

The Heart and Stroke Foundation has been in operation for more than 60 years now and is comprised of 140,000 volunteers and more than 600 full time employees.  While the death rate has declined nearly 75% in those 60 years, heart disease and stroke still remain as two of the three leading causes of death in Canada so there continues to be a need for awareness and research.  That is why the foundation works all year round with events such as the ones on this link.

We can donate to and support these events but also start to take charge of our own health.  Fighting heart disease can be done with proper nutrition and exercise. The library can help by providing books, ebooks, dvds, and pedometers.  

 Check out the Health and Wellness database on our home page.  The more we can learn about these two conditions the better equipped we are to prevent or treat them.   It’s so easy, just visit our website and browse our catalogue.  If you don’t have a library card register for one, it’s free!  There is a wealth of material waiting to help you keep your heart healthy.  

--Patricia Milner, Head of Reference Services