Health

Librarians want to help you find the information you need. We don't judge and we keep your requests confidential. But, if you prefer to find information yourself, this guide will help.

Non-Fiction Books

Emotional and Mental Health

Sex & Sexuality

  • 155.3 (sexuality, gender, sexual relationships)
  • 306.76 (orientation, identity, LGBTQIA+)
  • 616.95 (STDs, STIs)

Relationships

  • 158.2 (friends, family, and toxic relationships)
  • 306.73 (dating)

Body and Biology

Online Resources

Lifeline

RAINN

The Trevor Project

Teen Line

Love Is Respect

Anti-Violence Project

Teen Help

  • www.teenhelp.com
  • mental and physical health
  • sex, birth control, drugs, alcohol
  • relationships and social life

Teen Health Freak

Local Resources

Save Our Youth (Livonia)

  • 800-241-4949
  • 24/7, substance abuse, mental health

Youth Shelters

  • Common Ground (R. Oak) 800-231-1127
  • Counterpoint (Inkster) 866-672-4357
  • Ozone House (Ann Arbor) 734-662-2265

Free/Low Cost STD Testing

  • Teen Health Center (Inkster) 734-729-3650
  • Wayne County (Wayne) 734-727-7100
  • Washtenaw County (Ypsi) 734-544-6840
  • Oakland County (Southfield) 248-424-7000

Your Rights  Online

Cyber Civil Rights Helpline

  • 844-878-2274
  • call if someone distributed sexual images of you without your consent

Without My Consent

Heartmob

Phone/Text Resources

Crisis Text Line

  • Text HOME to 741741
  • painful emotions and need support
  • Lifeline

  • 800-273-8255
  • distressed, thoughts of suicide
  • The Trevor Project

  • 866-488-7386
  • LGBTQIA, crisis, thoughts of suicide
  • RAINN

  • 800-656-4673
  • rape, sexual violence, or abuse

Domestic Violence Hotline

  • 800-799-7233
  • if you experience domestic violence

Anti-Violence Project

  • 212-714-1141
  • if you experience anti-LGBTQIA violence

Teen Line

  • 310-855-4673   or   Text TEEN to 839863
  • to talk to another teen

More Resources

Celiac disease is a serious condition that's caused when the body's immune system damages the small intestine. Gluten is the trigger. It's a protein found in wheat, rye and barley products. The disease can occur at any age, but it can be treated and managed by sticking to a gluten-free diet. Want to know more? Check out these resources and stayed tuned for a gluten-free program in June!

After being diagnosed with celiac disease, actress Esposito founded Jennifer's Way Bakery in New York City, where she served up delicious gluten and allergen-free delights to customers. (The bakery is currently being relocated to an as-yet undisclosed location.) Now she's sharing her favorite recipes with us. Beginning with helpful tips to living gluten- and allergen-free, like taking a look at beauty and cleaning products, the book then makes its way to the heart of the home: the kitchen. Recipes are broken down into three parts: Pure Recipes for Healing, Clean Recipes for Living, and Indulgent Recipes for Splurging. While the Pure recipes are meant to restore digestive health, and the Clean recipes are meant to maintain it, both sections offer plenty of options for delicious eating. Start your day with a fruity hemp smoothie, have some herb-lemon-honey tuna steaks for dinner, and top it off with apple honey cake. Also including recipes for homemade milks and breads, Jennifer's Way Kitchen will be a welcome addition to the shelves of anyone looking to maintain their digestive and/or autoimmune health.

Nancy Cain came to gluten-free cooking simply enough: Her teenage son was diagnosed with celiac disease. After trying ready-made baking mixes and finding the results rubbery and tasteless, she pioneered gluten-free foods made entirely from natural ingredients--no xanthan or guar gums or other mystery chemical additives allowed. That led her to adapt many of her family's favorite recipes, including their beloved pizzas, pastas, and more, to this real food technique. In Against the Grain, Nancy finally shares 200 groundbreaking recipes for achieving airy, crisp breads, delicious baked goods, and gluten-free main dishes. For any of these cookies, cakes, pies, sandwiches, and casseroles, you use only natural ingredients such as buckwheat flour, brown rice flour, and ripe fruits and vegetables. Whether you're making Potato Rosemary Bread, iced Red Velvet Cupcakes, Lemon-Thyme-Summer Squash Ravioli, or Rainbow Chard and Kalamata Olive Pizza, you'll be able to use ingredients already in your pantry or easily found at your local supermarket. With ample information for gluten-free beginners and 100 colorful photographs, this book is a game changer for gluten-free households everywhere.

Do you want to know what it's like to live with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as a part of your daily family life? Or how you can you help yourself, your child with ASD, and the rest of your family to thrive while handling this multifaceted disorder? As the title suggests, this book is filled with practical advice from not only a physician trained in ASD but one who has a child with ASD at home. Ellis knows firsthand of what he speaks when advising parents about difficulties with family life, diagnosis, treatment choices, education, and parenting. The author also includes a chapter by his wife discussing the mother's point of view of raising three children and the challenges presented when the oldest has ASD. Other topics in this comprehensive and accessible look at all aspects of having a child with ASD and the effect on the entire family include ASD diagnosis, causes, medication, alternative medicine, education, therapies, and long-term planning. 

When photographer Carter-Johnson and her husband received a diagnosis of autism on the severe end of the spectrum for their daughter, Iris, their world quickly changed. Various therapies were implemented, and painting became an unexpected medium for Iris to express herself in a way far beyond that of the typical three-year-old. (Prints of her artwork have been bought by people all over the world.) When traditional preschools didn't work, Carter-Johnson designed a homeschooling program and worked with Iris on her own. It was the arrival of Thula the cat, however, that made the largest impact on Iris. Able to intuitively sense and respond to Iris in a unique way, Thula accompanied Iris on bike rides, during late nights of insomnia, and even in the bathtub, helping Iris overcome her fear of baths. Thula could understand Iris on a deeper level, and they became inseparable. This is the story of Iris and her amazing cat and also that of a family willing to do whatever is necessary to help their child navigate and conquer a world that so often overwhelmed and confused her. Iris' story, as told and photographed by her mother, beautifully deciphers the way a child with autism sees and approaches the world, with a deft touch that makes for compelling reading.

Naoki Higashida wrote, "The Reason I Jump," as a 13-year-old boy. Now, he shares his thoughts and experiences as a 24-year old young man with severe autism. In short, powerful chapters, he explores education, identity, family, society and personal growth. He also allows readers to experience profound moments we take for granted, like the thought-steps necessary for him to register that it's raining outside. Introduced by award-winning author David Mitchell (co-translator with his wife, KA Yoshida), this book is part memoir, part critique of a world that sees disabilities ahead of disabled people. It is a self-portrait-in-progress of a young man who happens to have autism, and who wants to help us understand it better.

Are you getting enough sleep? A good night's rest is essential for our bodies to rejuvenate and re-energize. What we do during the day can impact how well we sleep at night. Many factors can keep us awake and interrupt our natural sleep tempo such as stress or too much screen time before bed. Before you catch up on some zzz's, check out these books about sleep...but stay awake long enough to read them! Want to learn more? The National Sleep Foundation's website has great tips for helping you sleep more soundly. 

A good night's sleep is often taken for granted, but its lack can lead to a variety of health problems. In this accessible study, Barone, a sleep specialist, examines what is known about sleep, what can go wrong, and what you can do to to fix it. He begins with sleep hygiene tips, suggestions that include having a consistent bedtime, keeping the bedroom dark and cool, shutting off blue light devices an hour before bed, and trying meditation. He uses patients' medical histories to define sleep disorders (sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, narcolepsy, etc.). As he analyzes their stories, Barone offers various behavioral and medical solutions. The doctor admits that medications often have side effects and that people have difficulties adapting to sleep apparatus, including CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) machines, and experience fear of sleep testing, but he urges anyone who awakes without feeling rested to talk to a specialist. Informative without being alarming, this reassuring guide helps readers assess and take charge of their sleep issues.

Bringing her yoga and mindfulness training to shed light (or perhaps dark) on how to get a good night's rest in this 24/7, go-go-go world, the author asks us to slow down and contemplate the value and importance of how we spend one-third of our lives. Both science facts and quotes from poets lace the pages with reasons why we would want to sleep better and explore our dreams. Gover provides a linear progression of nuts-and-bolts advice on how to get to sleep, stay asleep, experience lucid dreaming, remember dreams, keep a dream journal, and wake up with a smile. It's all told with gentle prose that makes this book delightful and inspiring as well as practical. 

Sensory Snacks: A Healthy Twist on Summer Snacks

Making healthy choices can be a challenge all year round and sugary, carb-laden summer treats can be hard to resist. The library is the place to help your family achieve your best and healthiest summer ever by offering a family-friendly Sensory Snackfest! Join us in the Community Room to create your own healthy, homemade and wholesome snacks from our Snackfest stations: nut-free, gluten-free trail mix, rainbow healthful fruit kebabs, and super nutritious s’mores. We’ll take these classic summer snacks and give them a healthy twist without losing the fun. The library is where you can get your Snackfest fix! All ages and abilities are welcome; no registration required.

Upcoming sessions

There are no upcoming sessions available.

Heart disease is a leading cause of death in the U.S for both men and women. Fortunately, it is preventable and there are many ways you can reduce your risks. Just by making small changes in diet and activity can have big impact on your heart health. Check these books out to get starting on a heart healthy month!

"Soon after she recovered from a major heart attack, public relations specialist Carolyn Thomas turned her talents to learning and blogging about heart disease in women--and, now, to writing a book based on her extensive knowledge of heart disease in women and her own experience and the experiences of other women with the disease. Her more than 600 Heart Sisters blog posts have attracted 5 million+ views from readers in 190 countries. Several of the posts have been re-published internationally, includingin the British Medical Journal. She has been an invited participant at Mayo Clinic's medical conference on women's heart disease, and her story has been picked up by WSJ, NPR, CBS TV and radio, among other places. This evidence-based book combines the personal, emotional, and medical to create an engaging and timely view of women's heart health and disease"--.

Evangelical and passionate, Mackey, cofounder of Whole Foods Market, along with Pulde and Lederman (co-authors of The Fork Over Knives Diet), reaches beyond the typical diet plan tenets of eating right to feel better and lose weight; this plan is expressly intended to help save and extend lives. The impetus for writing the book, the authors state, comes from the nation's high chronic illness rates, particularly in obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. They introduce the work and ideas of numerous like-minded health experts, highlight the world's healthiest societies, and include stories of Whole Foods employees successfully using the plan. The Whole Foods Diet, a play on the maternal admonishment to "eat your fruits and vegetables," is deceptively simple: consume a diet that's at least 90% plant-based, eat whole foods, and avoid highly processed foods. In reading further, readers may feel daunted: don't just limit dairy and meats to less than 10% of your diet, but also avoid oils (including olive oil!) and refined flour and sugar. And perhaps you'd like to make your own nut milk? Even if this health treatise's recommendations are unlikely to become universal, its tone is inspiring.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of one of the most devastating global disasters in world history, the Flu Pandemic of 1918. During the fall of the Great War in 1918, an extremely virulent strain of influenza began to spread worldwide. The H1N1 influenza virus also known as the Spanish Flu caused such widespread outbreaks that it killed one fifth of the world's population. This year's influenza strain, the H3N2, is not a new strain, but it's one of the most lethal. Already it has affected every state in the U.S. and is on track for surpassing previous flu seasonal records. What to learn more about viruses? Check out this list!

Also available in: e-audiobook

The history of "the greatest massacre of the twentieth century," an illness that infected more than 500 million people.Between 1918 and 1920, the "Spanish flu" killed more than 50 million people, far more than in the world war then raging. Unlike the familiar flu, which targets infants and the elderly, it killed healthy adults. It was mankind's worst epidemic, writes Paris-based science journalist and novelist Spinney (The Quick, 2007, etc.) in this fine account of influenza's history, its worst attack (so far), and its ominous future. Despite the name, Americans were probably the first to experience the fever, cough, headache, and general miseries of the infection. During spring and summer, it behaved like the usual flu, but in fall 1918, it turned deadly and spread across the world, killing 2.5 to 10 percent of victims, a fatality rate 20 times higher than normal. Scientists have offered countless theories about the illness, but Spinney looks favorably at a recent theory that the 1918 virus provoked a "cytokine storm," a deadly overreaction of the immune system. This may explain why infants and the elderly, with their weaker immune systems, had an easier time. In the middle sections of the book, the author describes how a dozen nations dealt with the epidemic. Heroism was not in short supply, but superstition, racism, ignorance (including among doctors), and politics usually prevailed. In the concluding section, Spinney recounts impressive scientific progress over the past century but no breakthroughs. Revealing the entire viral genome opens many possibilities, but so far none have emerged. Researchers are working to improve today's only modestly protective vaccine; Spinney expresses hope. Readers who worry about Ebola, Zika, or SARS should understand that epidemiologists agree that a recurrence of the 1918 virus would be worse. Short on optimism but a compelling, expert account of a half-forgotten historical catastrophe.

The author unpacks the complex cultural, social and scientific effects of the 1918 influenza epidemic and reveals the American voices that fill the gap of a suppressed national memory. In less than two years, influenza killed more than 50 million people worldwide, shocking existing medical infrastructures and destabilizing the trust that citizens had in science. Physicians were at a loss to prescribe effective treatments; racial and gender divides grew as misunderstandings about the spread of disease exacerbated existing stereotypes; and fear of contagion threatened to collapse the kind of community support that had helped the nation endure past hardships. Simultaneously, the rise of public health care employed the rhetoric of opportunity and optimism, further destabilizing social boundaries as the death rate climbed. A combination of media emphasis on looking toward the future and a public call for increased funding for new scientific research assisted in whitewashing the deep sense of loss and despair that afflicted most Americans as they dealt with the aftermath of the pandemic. Bristow, whose great-grandparents succumbed to influenza in 1920, writes with depth and feeling. By researching dozens of primary sources, she reveals the human circumstances and personal stories behind the history of this tragic era. It's a much-needed addendum to pandemic literature and an important perspective to understand as new and ever-evolving flu strains hover over our collective understanding of disease. 

Interested in trying a vegan lifestyle? There's a reason for everyone to go vegan and what better time to try because January is Veganuary Month! Check out these eResources and books to get started on getting healthier this year! 

"Brian Kateman coined the term "Reducetarian"--A person who is deliberately reducing his or her consumption of meat--and a global movement was born. In this book, Kateman, the founder of the Reducetarian Foundation, presents more than 70 original essays from influential thinkers on how the simple act of cutting 10% or more of the meat from one's diet can transform the life of the reader, animals, and the planet. This book features contributions from such luminaries as Seth Godin, Joel Fuhrman, Victoria Moran, Jeffrey Sachs, Bill McKibben, Naomi Oreskes, Peter Singer, and others. With over 40 vegan, vegetarian, and "less meat" recipes from bestselling cookbook author Pat Crocker, as well as tons of practical tips for reducing the meat in your diet (for example, skip eating meat with dinner if you ate it with lunch; replace your favorite egg omelet with a tofu scramble; choose a veggie burrito instead of a beef burrito; declare a meatless day of the week), The Reducetarian Solution is a life--not to mention planet-saving book.

From the founder of No Meat Athlete: plant-based recipes packed with nutrition to help athletes perform better and recover faster A fast-growing global movement, No Meat Athlete (NMA) is inspiring everyone from weekend joggers to world-class competitors to be healthier and fitter and perform better on whole plant foods. Written by NMA founder Matt Frazier and longtime health coach, yoga teacher, and nutrition writer Stepfanie Romine, The No Meat Athlete Cookbook features 150 whole food, vegan recipes that are affordable and quick to get on the table, even on busy nights. Here are: Breakfasts to power you up (Almond Butter-Banana Pancakes), mains that aid recovery (Beet Bourgignon), and natural sports drinks, portables, energy bites, and bars (V9, Umeboshi Electrolyte Drink, Calorie Bomb Cookies) to take you further and help you get the most from every workout. Minimal gluten, soy, and sweeteners, plus oil-free options throughout (ideal for followers of the Forks Over Knives diet)Meal-planning guidelines, nutritional info, adaptable "blueprint" recipes-and more!.

Is getting healthier this year part of your New Year's resolutions? U.S. News & World Report ranked the best diet plans based on their expert panel's analysis of long-term weight loss results, the impact on overall health and well-being, and how easy it is to follow. Here's a list of books to help you get started on your pathway to better health!

An ultimate guide to common sense-lifestyle changes that will improve the health of the entire family. With a special emphasis on prevention, this book is written for parents, teachers, and anyone concerned about protecting themselves and their children from the health risks of obesity.The DASH Diet has soared in popularity because not only does it allow people to take charge of their own health and that of their families, they can do it while eating delicious food. The plan emphasizes seasonings, spices, healthy oils, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and other flavorful food choices. But unlike a mere recipe book, The DASH Diet explains the science and psychology of how to find success with the DASH approach. Author Dr. William Manger and his three distinguished colleagues have crafted a reader-friendly book geared to motivate people to make healthy, informed changes in their daily lives. The book offers in-depth information about fats, cholesterols, vitamins and minerals, omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, and more. An entire section is devoted to the role of salt and the dangers of consuming too much salt, especially for people who are overweight. 

Proven to lower blood pressure and cholesterol without medication, the DASH diet now is combined with cutting-edge research to develop a program that can halt and even reverse many of the effects of aging. Heller shows you how enjoying a diet of antioxidant rich superfoods, satisfying plant-based meals, and foods that promote healthy gut bacteria will provide visible and measurable results.

Fitting in fitness into a busy lifestyle is easy with these workout DVDs you can do at home. It's convenient, no cost and we have a fun variety here at CPL. Now get moving...

Head back to the Move Your Body square or the  62 Days of Summer home page for more ways to participate in the summer program!

Fitness instructor Hemalayaa Behl combines yoga with Bollywood dance moves for a workout designed to improve strength, flexibility, and cardiovascular health.

Designed to boost heart rate and blast calories while challenging all the major muscle groups. Works to slim down the lower body and firm the core and upper body. Includes a yoga stretch segment to help feel refreshed and energized.

Subscribe to RSS - Health