Health and Wellness: A Healthy Aging Series this Fall at the Library

The Topsfield Library is a great resource for so many things, especially because if you want to learn about it, we have a book about it! We also love hosting programs to give our patrons a way to learn outside of books, which is why we are hosting a series of events focusing on health and wellness as we age. 

Do you ever wish that you’d had a ‘Health Class Part 2’ when you hit adulthood? It’s not surprising that they didn’t touch on menopause, the importance of balance as you age, or the signs of early onset Alzheimer’s in high school, but there’s really no place to go for that class when you finally need it! We are hoping to fill that role a bit this fall and hope you’ll take advantage of these lectures and events, which are totally FREE to attend!

If you are looking for more resources, you can visit our Reference desk for help finding books on a particular subject, you can visit our website to train your brain with our new resource: BrainHQ (along with several other resource guides in our Research Databases), and you can also contact our local Council on Aging for personal assistance as well.

View and sign up for our upcoming wellness events!

READING LIST

Looking for some books the staff recommend on health and wellness? Here’s our list below!

Staff Picks:

You Will Get Through This Night by Dan Howell -Lindsey recommends

How to Keep House While Drowning by KC Davis -Lindsey recommends

The prediabetes diet plan : how to reverse prediabetes and prevent diabetes through healthy eating and exercise / Hillary Wright, MEd, RD, LDN.

“Although not a new book, it is full of useful information.  I learned a lot about food combinations and portion size.  Using this as a starting point for gathering information, I was able to reverse the diagnosis of my prediabetes.” -Eileen recommends

Seven steps to managing your memory : what’s normal, what’s not, and what to do about it / by Andrew E. Budson, MD and Maureen K. O’Connor, PsyD. -Caron recommends 

Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins -Caron recommends 

The New Menopause by Mary Claire Haver MD -Caron recommends 

The Indoor Epidemic: 93% Inside Steals Sleep, Focus & Years—The 7% Outdoor Rx Restores Themby John La Pama, M.D. -Noreen recommends

The New Perimenopause by Mary Claire Haver MD

“I found the information in this book easy to digest, well-organized, practical, as well as hopeful. Which might be an odd thing to say, but truly, I think a lot of women my age worry about how this next phase of life will affect them, because you either hear nothing about it, or the horror stories. Plus, as the book mentions and I think everyone has experienced, the US healthcare system is awful, and you need separate appointments to actually talk about issues, and doctors need to get through your appointments so fast that they rarely spend the time to actually talk with you about more than the simplest answer/option to whatever you are asking them about if they take you seriously at all.

I think it also helped to emphasize that even if you are doing everything right, your body is changing and you have very little control over what it is going through even with any changes you may try to make.

I really loved the last 2-3 chapters, where the author talks about lifestyle changes, WHY you should make those changes (not just for menopause, but healthy aging in general), and the author’s letter to her younger self. Her message made me feel empowered and again, hopeful that if I pay attention to my body, find the right people to assist me, and take care of myself, this ‘second puberty’ that no one prepares you for, doesn’t have to be a nightmare.” -Becca recommends

Languishing: How to Feel Alive Again in a World That Wears Us Down by Corey Keyes

“I really enjoyed listening to this book. I would like to go back and read some of the sections again, but I think the audiobook gave me the gist. I had been thinking that I was suffering from burnout for a while but when I saw this title I realized I was definitely closer to languishing. I am certainly not depressed or even unhappy, just feeling tired and uninspired, and have very little motivation, even when it comes to doing things I enjoy at times, because I feel like I have so much to do that even fun things add too much to my plate (example: If I want to do archery, I have to pack my gear, drive 30 minutes to a range, pay to use the range, get my bow set up, shoot for however long I can before I need to pack up, drive home, and make dinner/walk the dog/do laundry etc. After working and commuting all week, leaving the house alone feels like a chore!). So, if you’re feeling like you might be languishing a little yourself, definitely give this book a read, it’s very accessible and if nothing else, will help you know you aren’t alone.” – Becca recommends

Unbreakable : go strong. live long. a woman’s guide to aging with power by Vonda Wright -Caron recommends