Health, Food, and Nutrition
A Middletown Thrall Library Blog
Health, food, and nutrition news and information we think you might find interesting.
Asthma Awareness Month
May 5, 2008
May is Asthma Awareness Month. May 6th has been designated as "World Asthma Day."
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) describes asthmas as "a serious,
sometimes life-threatening respiratory disease that affects the quality of life
for millions of Americans."
The EPA, along with CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention),
U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, the Department of Health and Human Services,
National Institutes of Health, U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), and the
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have created public information
pages addressing various aspects of asthma:
For more information on this topic, you can
click here to browse
related subtopics and titles available in the library catalog.
Traveler's Health
March 28, 2008
If you plan to do any traveling, the
Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
offer an easy and informative
Traveler's Health website
to help you become aware of potential health issues and any related advisories pertaining
to your destination.
Topics covered at "Traveler's Health" include: news and health information for specific countries and destinations,
vaccinations, diseases, mosquito and tick protection, safe food and water, illness and injury abroad,
journals and articles related to travel health, travel medicine, yellow fever,
a Yellow Book, avian influenza and travel, and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) concerning
travelers' health issues.
If you'd like to read up on the topics of health and travel,
you can click here to explore some of the many related titles available in the library catalog.
FishWatch - Seafood Facts
March 26, 2008
The
National Marine Fisheries Service of the
U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
offers a website called
FishWatch - U.S. Seafood Facts.
Here's how they describe their website:
"FishWatch can help you make informed decisions about the seafood you eat
by providing you with the most accurate and timely information available
on the sustainability of U.S. seafood fisheries. FishWatch is brought
to you by NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service, the U.S. authority
on marine fisheries science, conservation, and management."
For more information about seafood (including preparation and cooking recipes)
you can click here to explore related titles in the library catalog.
Drug Information Portal
February 25, 2008
The
U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM) has
announced a new website:
NLM Drug Information Portal.
NLM's description reads as follows:
"The NLM Drug Information Portal gives the public, healthcare professionals, and researchers a gateway to current, accurate and understandable drug information from the National Library of Medicine and other key government agencies. More than 12,000 drug records are available for searching."
You can
click here to read NLM's press release or
click here to access the Drug Information Portal.
New York State Guides to HMOs and Health Insurers
January 4, 2008
The
New York State Insurance Department
offers an
Interactive New York Consumer Guide to HMOs,
which they say can help you find "easy-to-read tables comparing HMO performance,
historical complaint data, HMO premiums and tips on how to choose an HMO."
In addition to the interactive web service, there is a downloadable version
of the HMO guide as well as a "NY Consumer Guide to Health Insurers"
that you can get from their website as well. Those documents are in the
Adobe PDF format, which you can view by using the free
Adobe Reader.
Space Food
December 3, 2007
If you ever wondered how astronauts eat in space and meet their daily nutritional needs,
NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration)
has prepared a vertible smorgasbord of information to help satisfy your curiosities:
Enjoy!
2008 National Health Observances
November 29, 2007
The
U.S. National Health Information Center (NHIC) has published
an updated list of national health observances for 2008.
Each month a number of important health topics are highlighted nationally
in the U.S. to help raise public awareness. Different health organizations,
institutes, and research centers provide information and news.
You can click the link above to view the list or
here to learn more about past and current observances
as well as to download PDF versions of the lists.
MRSA
October 23, 2007
MRSA, which stands for
Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus,
has appeared in the news lately along with phrases such as "skin eating",
"super bug," "staph infection," and "drug-resistant."
The following websites offer a variety information on this topic:
If you have a library card, you can also log into
Health and Wellness Resource Center in our databases page or any of the general
article databases (Academic ASAP or MasterFile Premiere) to locate more articles on this topic.
If you have any questions or need more information, please call our Reference Department at 341-5461 or use our online
Ask a Librarian service to ask us a question over the Internet.
Cholesterol Education Month
September 18, 2007
According to the
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI),
September 2007 is
National Cholesterol Education Month.
To help you understand more about cholesterol, the NHLBI has prepared
a
"Cholesterol Month Kit 2007" that contains
a guide to lowering cholesterol, progress charting, a goal worksheet,
question and answers about the new food label, steps to help you reduce your risk
"Heart Healthy" recipes, a resource list, as well as information for patients, the general public,
and health care professionals.
For more information on this topic, check out these links:
Lead Poisoning
August 23, 2007
Lead poisoning reentered the public spotlight after
recent toy recalls were announced.
What exactly is lead poisoning? Here are some websites that explore the topic in depth:
Related information is available in the library catalog
as well as our
health databases.
Music and the Brain
August 2, 2007
Music lovers might especially enjoy this news coming from the
Stanford University School of Medicine:
"Music Moves Brain to Pay Attention, Stanford Study Finds"
Music's impact on the brain has been the subject of numerous books and studies over the years. Some of these studies are
listed at this website.
Comparable studies and articles can be found in general research databases like
MasterFile Premiere and Expanded Academic ASAP (using Basic Search) with
music brain or
music mind as your search terms.
This might be as good a time as any to remind members of the Ramapo Catskill Library System
(RCLS) that Middletown Thrall Library has an extensive classical and jazz music CD collection
at the library. Even more musical genres can be found and requested through
the library catalog.
Thrall patrons with Internet access at home can also freely enjoy
access to a great classical music,
world music, and African American music.
If you're interested in learning how to play a musical instrument, you're also in luck! We have a number of
self-paced musical courses you can check out at Thrall. They are maintained near the audio CD collection.
Some of these courses come with instructional CDs. Books containing sheet music/guitar chords, lyrics,
arias, and simplified versions of popular songs can also be found in our circulating collections. We also
have musicals and music performances on VHS and DVD.
If you are a parent or guardian, you might also be interested in
something called the "Mozart Effect"
(this link will take you to related items in the library catalog).
The wonderful world of music is just a few steps or clicks away! Just come to the Reference Department,
and we'll be happy to show you!
Nutrition Labels
July 23, 2007
Food nutrition labels are only informative if you know what they mean about the food you are considering to purchase.
The
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
offers information to help consumers understand what these labels mean and how
to use that information more effectively:
Additional information on nutrition is available in the library catalog
as well as our
health databases.
AIDS/HIV Glossary
July 23, 2007
News reports of AIDS/HIV often involve technical terminology that can make
it difficult to understand. To help make this vital information more
accessible to the public, the
U.S. National Institutes of Health
have prepared an
AIDSinfo Glossary,
which can be browsed or searched.
Here is the NIH's description of this resource:
"The AIDSinfo Glossary is a comprehensive resource designed to help health professionals, researchers, and people living with HIV/AIDS and their families and friends to understand the complex web of HIV/AIDS terminology."
The glossary is also available as a single PDF (Portable Document Format) download (
Adobe Reader Required)
in either
English or
Spanish/Español.
Additional information regarding AIDS/HIV can be found
in our Health web guide
as well as
within our library system
and
our article databases, especially the
Health Reference Center.
Health Tools
June 30, 2007
WomensHealth.gov
offers a variety of
"Health Tools" at their site.
Their tools include: Mom-to-Be Tools, Quit Smoking Tools, Calculators and Planning Tools, Food and Diet Tools, Immunizations and Screenings, Symptoms and Tests, Working With Your Health Care Provider, Test Your Women's Health Knowledge, State and Local Resources, Dictionaries and Journals.
Each section features tips, lists, FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions), and more. For example, the Mom-to-Be Tools include:
Baby Shopping List, Basal Body Temperature Chart, Childcare Checklist, Babysitter Checklist, Due Date Calculator, National Center of Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (Learn the Signs, Act Early), Ovulation Calculator, Pregnancy Quiz, Fish Facts, Food Don'ts, When to Call the Baby's Doctor.
A
wealth of information on the topic of women's health
is always available throughout our library system.
A Healthy and Happy Summer
June 5, 2007
Keep your summer happy and healthy by planning ahead
and considering all the possibilities and potential areas of concern,
whether you intend to travel or to stay home and enjoy the great outdoors.
USA.gov (formerly FirstGov.gov)
has assembled a nice collection of links to government agency web pages
containing information and advisories on the topic of
Recreation and Tourism.
Health and safety information in this collection includes: Beach Temperatures, Beach Water Quality,
and Boating Safety.
Recreation.gov and
NPS.gov (National Park Service)
offers tips, photographic previews, and more if you're thinking about
camping, fishing, biking, visiting historic or cultural sites, rock climbing, or going on a tour.
The
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website
has some summer health and safety
for men,
women, and children.
WomensHealth.gov also has
a page of summer safety information
as does the
U.S. Surgeon General: "Health Dozen List" for children.
Teens thinking about getting a summer job might want to check out OSHA's
Teen Summer Job Safety website.
The U.S.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) provides
A Primer on Summer Safety, which includes these areas
of information: Sunburn, Bites From Mosquitoes and Ticks, Bee Stings, Heat Illness, Burns From Fireworks and Grills
Foodborne Illness, Poison Ivy, Poison Oak, Poison Sumac, and Poisoning in Children.
Planning to barbecue? The
New York State Department of Health offers
Barbecue Food Safety Tips
How about swimming? The CDC provides
a Healthy Swimming page for the public and for health professionals.
If summer camps or traveling are in your plans, our own
Ready Reference Guide
has links to websites about
summer camps and
travel sites.
Travelers might find the Transportation Security Administration's (TSA)
Key Travel Tips useful.
With hotter days ahead, you might want to check out
EPA's Extreme Heat page (includes "Prepare for Hot Weather Before It Happens" and "Stay Healthy During a Heat Event")
as well as
FEMA's "Are You Ready?" guide.
You can track local and global weather by following links on our recently revised
News and Weather guide.
Have a great summer, and if you find yourself wondering what to do,
consider attending our
Alexander Hamilton historical exhibit (June 1 to June 30th at Thrall)
or catch up on reading by
finding out what other readers are currently enjoying or
by
going beyond the bestsellers!
Childproofing Your Home
May 22, 2007
The
Consumer Product Safety Commission
has a potentially helpful guide for parents and guardians:
"Childproofing Your Home - 12 Safety Devices to Protect Your Children".
For more information about child safety, you can
click here to view items in the library catalog or
click here to visit the Health and Safety section of our Current Interests guide, which includes information about safety advisories and product recalls for food, toys, and more.
Healthy Vision Month
May 18, 2007
The
National Eye Institute of the
U.S. National Institutes of Health
have created a website in support of "Healthy Vision Month":
Healthy Vision 2010.
This year's theme is Glaucoma Awareness. Also available at their website is information on
examinations and prevention, eye diseases, injury and safety, and vision rehabilitation.
For more information on topics related to vision, try these searches in the library catalog or use our free
Ask a Librarian service to ask us a question if you need more information:
The National Eye Institute also has some interesting information, including:
5 Seconds
May 18, 2007
The popular but scientifically debatable so-called "5 Second Rule"
suggests food on the floor can still be eaten if you pick it up
within five seconds.
Students at
Connecticut College made some news yesterday
when they reported their findings after testing for the presence
of bacteria after food was dropped on the floor for various
durations.
You can read their press release here.
Wikipedia also has an article on the topic
(as always, Wikipedia's disclaimers apply).
Sunscreening
May 8, 2007
The U.S.
Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
has a consumer alert possibly of interest to anyone
planning to spend a lot of time outdoors:
You can
read their "Sunscreens and Sun-Protective Clothing" advisory here. In it they explain sun protection factors (SPF) and much more.
For more information about these and related concepts, you might want to check out our
Health guide on the web or the
Health and Wellness Resource Center database.
You can also try these related searches in our library catalog:
Interactive Tutorials
May 3, 2007
The
U.S. National Library of Medicine,
in an arrangement with
The Patient Education Institute
is providing at NLM's
MedlinePlus website
access to
an extensive selection of interactive tutorials.
Topics are arranged alphabetically in the following categories:
Diseases and Conditions, Tests and Diagnostic Procedures, Surgery and Treatment Procedures, Prevention and Wellness.
To view the tutorials requires your computer to have a recent version of the free
Adobe Flash plug-in installed.
School Nutrition Standards
April 26, 2007
The
Institute of Medicine of the National Academies,
in partnership with the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),
published a report relating to nutrition standards in schools:
"Nutrition Standards for Healthy Schools: Leading the Way toward Healthier Youth" - at this link you can download their "Fact Sheet" and "Report Brief."
MedWatch
April 23, 2007
The
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
maintains an advisory website for medical professionals and the public
called
MedWatch,
which they describe as an "Internet gateway for timely safety information on drugs and other medical products regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration."
Their website also has a form consumers can use to report problems experienced with FDA-regulated medical products.
To learn more about FDA's MedWatch service please click here.
Emerging Drug Safety Podcasts
April 23, 2007
The
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
has
announced in this press release
newly available podcasts relating
to "emerging drug safety information."
If you are new to the concept of podcasting, the FDA
has a page that explains the concept
and what you need to download their broadcasts.
On their podcasts page are listed only a couple of entries so far. You can click the "More" link
on their page to view more podcasts. You can also view podcasts by date or by topic by clicking
on the "date" or "topic" links on that same page.
For more news and other information about medicine and related topics check out sites
linked to in our
Health Guide and the
Health/Safety/Fitness section
of our
Current Interests and Events web guide.
Members of Thrall Library can freely access high-quality articles in
our article
databases, which include
Health & Wellness Resource Center,
Gale Encyclopedia of Children's Health: Infancy through Adolescence,
and
Virtual Reference Library: Health.
The library catalog also contains
titles on the topic of medicine.
Alcohol Awareness
April 20, 2007
April is "Alcohol Awareness Month."
In support of this,
Medline Plus, an information portal from the U.S.
National Library of Medicine,
has
a collection of alcohol awareness resources.
Sections include "Alcohol: What You Don't Know Can Harm You," "Questions and Answers on Alcohol Consumption,"
"GetFit Glossary of Terms for Alcohol," News, Prevention and Screening, Health Check Tools, articles, statistics,
and links to related issues.
There are
related titles in the library catalog
you might also consider if you want to research this topic further.
Our
article databases include the
Health and Wellness Resource Center
and
Opposing Viewpoints, both of which contain many informative full text articles on the topics.
You can also try more general article databases such as
Expanded Academic ASAP and
MasterFile Premiere
to access journal, newspaper, and magazine full text articles and abstracts.
National Health Week
April 3, 2007
New York State Department of Health has published some information in the
"Public Health Works!" section of their website
about National Health Week.
Included here are information on how National Health Week began, as well as answers to questions such as
"What is Public Health?" and "How is Public Health Different from Health Care?"
Daily Health Tips
March 30, 2007
Daily HealthBeat Tips are published
on the web by the
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
Recently published tips include: "Tai chi and good nerves," "Low carbs," "Getting teens to quit,"
"The stages of grief," and "Kids, weight, and TV."
Spinach Outbreak Report
March 30, 2007
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
has
released a report
in conjunction with California's
Department of Health Services (CDHS) regarding
the e.coli spinach outbreak of 2007.
The report is hosted at California's DHS website on their
Environmental Investigation Reports page.
There are three reports provided in
PDF format, with the most recent report
dated March 2007.
Common Food and Safety Questions
March 30, 2007
The
U.S. Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS)
maintains
a list of common questions concerning food safety.
On that page they provide answers to question like "How do bacteria spoil food?" and "Is it safe to refreeze food that has thawed completely?"
There are some related
government documents and other items in the library catalog that might interest you as well.
Food and Nutrition Research Briefs
March 30, 2007
Food and Nutrition Research Briefs are published by the Agricultural Research Service,
USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture).
They are described as summaries of "results of food and nutrition research conducted by ARS scientists."
You can browse through their quarterly published newsletters and search to locate articles on related topics.
The January 2007 issue contains such articles as "Fish: Food For Your Brain," "Ground Beef Calculator Tallies Nutrients for You," and "Blueberry Compound Shows Cancer-Fighting Promise."
If you're interested in learning more about food and nutrition,
click here to browse some titles available in the library catalog.
Organic Foods
March 30, 2007
The National Organic Program website, part of
USDA.gov,
has
information for consumers about organic food standards
and labels on products.
Fact Sheets are available in English and Spanish.
You may also be interested in
books on organic food in the library system. Organic foods are currently classified in the catalog under "Natural Foods" in the Library of Congress subject headings, so you can follow that link once the catalog page appears to see what titles Thrall and other libraries own.
Up in Smoke
March 29, 2007
Healthfinder.gov is featuring
a report on the negative effects of smoking on job performance.
In the article "Job Performance Can Go Up in Smoke" smokers are said to "take more sick leave" and "perform more poorly."
Click here to read more about that study.
Healthfinder.gov also provides
another link for more information from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) on smoking and health.
Also worth noting: the CDC recently revised its
Smoking & Tobacco Use web pages to provide easier access to related information.
Climate Change and Health Threats
*March 28, 2007
WomensHealth.gov featured an article of the health impact climate change might brings.
Click here to read "Global Warming Poses Health Threats."
(* Post included here from an earlier listing in our Current Events guide.)
