Which Diet is Right for You?

With the aid of health experts, U.S. News has evaluated and ranked 35 diets.  You can find the full article here.  They rated the diets based on several criteria: Short-term weight loss, long-term weight loss, easy-to-follow, nutrition, safety, diabetes health, heart health.

To help you reach your weight-loss goals, your library has resources from three of the top-rated diets.

#1 is the DASH Diet. 

DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension.  This diet received the top scores for Safety and Nutrition.  The basic formula of this diet is:

·         Consume potassium, calcium, protein and fiber by eating fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean meats and low-fat dairy

·         Shun calorie- and fat-laden sweets and red meat

·         Cut back on salt

This diet started as a means to cut high blood pressure, but also works to reduce weight.  That sounds like a win-win.

Follow this link to your library's resources for the DASH diet.

The next two diets tied for #3.

The Mayo Clinic Diet

The first part of this diet is “Lose it!” and it focuses on 15 key habits, some to initiate and some they’ll advise you to stop.  This part restricts sugar except for those found in fruits and vegetables.  

After two weeks, you go into “Live it!”  In this part, you learn how many calories you should eat to either maintain or lose weight.  The good news is that no food group is off limits.  

The Mayo Clinic is a great source for health information.  Take a look at our Mayo Clinic Diet resources.

Weight Watchers Diet

Weight Watchers diet came out as number one for best weight-loss diet, as well as the easiest to follow.  Weight Watchers Points Plus was launched in 2010.  It gives every food a point value.  Choices that fill you up the longest “cost” the least.  You can eat whatever you want as long as you keep within your points target. 

For the most up-to-date information, we subscribe to the Weight Watchers magazine.  We also have several Weight Watchers cookbooks.  You can see what we have here. 

The world of dieting can be confusing.  A good way to get information is at your library.  In this article, we've only listed three diets, but we have information on many more. Come visit your library to find the one that's right for you.

It’s Food for Fines Time!

Always needed: Canned meats, Soup & Cereal!

February 1 – 28 is a great time at the Library, it's the month our customers can erase their overdue fines and benefit local families in need.

During the month of February, each non-perishable food item donated at one of our Circulation Desks can be used to erase $1 in overdue fines* owed to Hussey-Mayfield Memorial Public Library.  *Please read our small print below!   

All donations will benefit the Zionsville Food Pantry at Zionsville Presbyterian Church, 4775 W. 116th St. 

Launched by the Library in 1997, our Food for Fines event can’t help but make everyone involved smile. The generosity of Zionsville residents is demonstrated each year, and mounds of food are donated for the needy! 

Over 600 families seek assistance from the food pantry annually, and Zionsville residents play a key role in providing some of the thousands of bags of food used to fill that need.  Now is the best time to donate. 

With numerous food drives occurring in the fall and spring, pantry shelves can become bare during February when donations drop off.  Yet, pantry volunteers must plan ahead for the Spring Break holiday when requests for assistance increase from families who normally receive some meals at school. 

Needed items include canned meats, boxed dinner mixes, canned meals, cereal, peanut butter, rice mixes, fruit juices, and baking supplies including oil, flour and sugar. Consideration is also given to families with food allergies, so any items that are gluten free, or do not contain nuts or dairy are also welcome. Click here for a full list of suggested donations. 

All area residents are invited to drop off donations at the Library, erase their overdue fines, and help the numerous families within our community who need assistance feeding their families! 

*Here's our small print: Only overdue fines owed to Hussey-Mayfield Memorial Public Library can be erased during this program.  Lost, damaged and collection fees are not eligible.  Fines owed to other Evergreen libraries cannot be paid with food donations. We cannot accept expired food, sample sizes or items in glass containers.  Please check expiration dates before donating any food items. 

Coming Soon: 2015 Newbery and Caldecott Awards

The Library will be celebrating more than Groundhog Day on Monday, February 2 this year because the much anticipated Newbery and Caldecott Awards, along with many other awesome Youth Media Awards will be announced.  If you are as excited as we are, you can listen to a live webcast from home beginning at 8:00 AM! 

The Newbery Award is awarded for distinguished literature.  Brown Girl Dreaming has received a lot of buzz about winning the Newbery Medal this year, and it has been flying off of our shelf!  Check out other Newbery contenders on Pinterest.

The Caldecott Medal is awarded to the artist of the most distinguished picture book of the year.  Take a peek at your local Librarian's picks for the 2015 Caldecott Award.

Miss Caitlin's prediction for the 2015 Caldecott Award is Winter is Coming illustrated by Jim LaMarche.

Miss Kelli's prediction for the 2015 Caldecott Award is The Farmer and the Clown by Marla Frazee

Miss Danielle's prediction for the 2015 Caldecott Award is The Adventures of Beekle by Dan Santat

Miss Julie's prediction for the 2015 Caldecott Award is Baby Bear by Kadir Nelson

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (January 15, 1929 - April 4, 1968)

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s message of inspiration and hope lives on today in his words and memory. You can listen to Dr. King’s historic “I Have a Dream” speech, delivered on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. on August 28, 1963. For the text of this and other history-changing addresses by the champion of the American Civil Rights Movement, stop by the Library, open regular hours on Monday, January 19.

Thesaurus Day

On this day, 236 years ago, Peter Roget, best remembered for his Thesaurus of English Words and Phrases, was born in London. What better day to celebrate the beauty and diversity of the English language than Thesaurus Day?

If you love words—the more obscure the better—you’ll love A Compendium of Collective Nouns: From an Armory to Aadvarks to a Zeal of Zebras. This delightful picture book for adults features stunning renditions of more than 2,000 curious, collective nouns.  Did you know a group of jellyfish is called a smack or a collection of pandas is known as an embarrassment? Whimsical? Yes. Eclectic? Very.  Many of the nouns come from a fifteenth century hunting guide, The Book of Saint Albans, although some (an ooze of amoebas) are newer. Fun? Absolutely!

The word “thesaurus” comes from the Greek thēsaurós meaning “a treasure, treasury, storehouse, chest.” Do you know where the word “heckling” originated?  (Hint: It has to do with sheep.)  For this, and other etymological trivia, flip through The Etymologicon: A Circular Stroll through the Hidden Connections of the English Language by Blogger Mark Forsyth (aka The Inky Fool.)  Or, for a more straight forward approach to word derivations, try the Oxford Dictionary of Word Origins.

My Winter Reading Challenge

Two years ago, in a frenzy of good intentions, I listed 10 goals on my Winter Reading Challenge sheet. Big mistake! This year I have one, simple reading resolution: Slow down!  I’m currently reading Slow Reading in a Hurried Age by David Mikics, distinguished faculty member at the University of Houston. Slow Reading is a guidebook that lists 14 rules to better reading and includes tips on how to read short stories, novels, poetry, and plays. It's addressed to people who love books and want to get the most out of reading them. I’m only on page 39—remember, I’m trying to read slowly—but, so far, I’m hooked.

Mikics's prose is accessible and his message timely. “It’s easy," he writes, "to fill the day (when you’re not working, doing chores, or talking to friends, family, and coworkers) by surfing the Internet, skimming the headlines of news stories, and checking e-mail—not to mention television and video games."  This online grazing, he asserts, is not real reading. "Scanning an e-mail or a text message is fundamentally different from the activity of reading. . . . Reading is a craft, a practice." Slow Reading in a Hurried Age offers a concrete program to help people tune out digital distractions and become better readers. You can listen to Mikics talk about his book on WNYC.

Stop by the reference desk in Teen & Adult Services, on the second floor, to sign up for the Library's 2015 Winter Reading Challenge and receive a free book!

Saturday Morning Chess Club is Back!

The Library is hosting a free Parent/Child Chess Club, which will meet every Saturday morning in January and February at 10:30 AM.  This chess club is for children of all ages, whether beginners or experts.   Local chess enthusiast, Paul Yearling, and his family volunteer their time to work with children on teaching (or improving) chess skills.  You don’t have to commit to each week; you can register for each class that fits in your schedule.  Please come and be part of the club! 

Youth Winter Reading - "Catch a Dragon by the Tale"

When: Monday, January 5 through Saturday, February 28

Who: Infants through 5th Graders

How: Read Aloud 15 Minutes for 21 Days

Register between January 5 and February 8: pick up a reading log from the Reference Desk in Youth Services or print one off from our website.

* Mark your reading log EACH DAY you read or HAVE BEEN READ ALOUD TO for at least 15 minutes.

(If you read as a family, each child listening may mark his or her log. Children may read to younger family members or pets or stuffed animals. Listening to audio books DOES NOT COUNT. We are looking for a live reading!)

* When you have marked 21 days on your log, you have completed the program. Parents MUST SIGN the completed reading log. The first 200 children who complete the program and turn in a signed log by February 28 will receive a READING BUDDY. All participants who complete the program by February 28 will earn a raffle ticket toward a $20 AMAZON gift card.

Reading is Filling

   

Do you want anything more than books or chocolate? The Library will give you both when you sign up for this year's adult Winter Reading Program, "Reading is Filling". Pick up a Challenge Sheet at the second floor reference desk between Jan. 5 and Feb. 28. Simply fill out your name and your Challenge, and you’re good to go. No computers, no passwords, easy as pie. Your Challenge is up to you. In years past, people have gotten themselves to tackle that stack of magazines that has been piling up, or read a few books outside of their comfort zones. Maybe there are a few classics you’ve always wanted to crack open, or perhaps you’d like to buckle down and try some nonfiction. Or, you can simply vow to devote more time to books, such as reading during every lunch break or always listening to audiobooks on the way home. Whatever the challenge, now is the time to conquer it. Return your Challenge Sheet by Feb. 28 for a shot at a gift basket that's sure to contain some tasty treats. The baskets are currently on display in the Sixth Street window.