As we help Canton Township celebrate 100 Days to Health, Stacye (Angelica) Cranford will lead us in a one-hour session of Zumba. What's Zumba?  It's a popular form of fitness combining energetic music, Latin dance moves and super calorie burning.  Join the fun and enthusiasm on Saturday, February 2 at 1:00 PM.
Registration required.   

Canton's 100 Days to Health is in full swing and we wanted to be a part of the festivities. Julie Burt, Tai Chi instructor at the Summit will lead library patrons in a session of Tai Chi's purposeful movements. If you haven't gotten started on your own journey to health, now is the time and the library is the place. Join us on Saturday, February 16 at Noon.

Good mental health is important for everyone and totally necessary to maintain a happy outlook and balanced perspective in these stressful times. Here are some library sources and community resources that can help:

Understanding Mental Health

How to find mental health care for your child by Ellen B. Braaten

How to use herbs, nutrients, & yoga in mental health by Richard P. Brown, Patricia L. Gerbarg, Philip R. Muskin

Mental health, naturally: the family guide to holistic care for a healthy mind and body by Kathi J. Kemper

Mental health disorders sourcebook edited by Karen Bellenir

When we think of services dogs, the images that come to mind are dogs that help people with physical disabilities. But what may surprise you is that special service dogs can alert families when a loved one has diabetes. Diabetic-alert dogs are trained to detect dangerous drops in blood sugar. To learn more, read this Wall Street Journal article, read a book about service dogs, or read a book about diabetes.

Kundalini Yoga strives to develop strength, awareness, character and consciousness to the purpose of cultivating values, truth and compassion. Join certified teacher Rajwant Kaur Khalsa as we learn this physical and mental discipline on Thursday, January 31 at 5:00 PM. Registration is required. Adults and teens (age 14 and up) welcome. Come with an empty stomach, a full water bottle and a yoga mat or beach towel for your comfort. Rajwant also suggests bringing a throw or sweater to toss over your shoulders as you cool down.

You will work up a great appetite and afterward we have the perfect answer. The Sikh members of the Gurdwara Sahib Singh Sabha at 3310 Canton Center Road have invited us to go to a delicious meal known as Langar. Langar is defined as a common kitchen where food is served to all visitors without distinction of background. It is generously served for free.

This is a great opportunity to work on your 100 Days to Health, become more culturally aware of our neighbors and enjoy a great meal.

You have made your commitment to Canton Township's 100 Days to Health. Biggest Loser Contestant, Buddy Shuh shares the triumph of losing 163 pounds while overcoming the grief of losing his baby daughter. Buddy's spiritual journey is told in his book, The Story of Bella. Buddy will be speaking as well as selling and signing copies on Thursday, January 17th at 7:00 PM.

Come join the staff of Premier Athletics: Little Explorers as they jump and tumble, dance and sing.  This program incorporates music and games to inspire children to learn and grow both mentally and physically.  Caregivers and their children aged two to five are encouraged to check it out for themselves on Tuesday, December 18 at either 10:00 AM or 2:00 PM.  Please only attend one session. 

There are benefits you may be missing. The National Center for Benefits Outreach and Enrollment, a National Council on Aging program, provides a checklist for programs and benefits available to Older Adults. BenefitsCheckUp quickly finds federal, state, and private benefit programs available to help you save money on health care, food assistance, prescriptions, utilities, and more.

A new law will go into effect requiring the state to provide educational training materials for athletes, coaches and parents on concussions. Coaches will be require to remove players from the game if they are suspected of having suffered a concussion and return to the field once a doctor gives a written approval. To learn more, check out one of the health collection's newest book, Ahead of the Game. 

100 simple things you can do to prevent Alzheimer's and age-related memory loss by Jean Carper provides some simple tips that you can add to your everyday routine now that may help prevent dementia in the future. Some tips are basic to all-around good health, but others might surprise, like consuming apple juice and vinegar. Readers young and old will likely feel motivated to make some simple lifestyle changes to help push mental decline even further into the future.