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Sparkler

Out with the old and in with the new. If you’re feeling any regret after all those Holiday cookies, or goals long forgotten in 2019, don’t worry, you’re not alone. With the change of the calendar year, many of us take the time to reflect on not only the past year, but to also look ahead and ask ourselves “What do I want to change this year?” 

Before jumping on the bandwagon and hastily filling out a list of things you want to accomplish in 2020, it might be a good idea to simply stop and think about yourself. Ask yourself: “Have I made any new year resolutions in the past, and if so, did I stick with them?” If not, why not? What lead you astray in what you set out to tackle? This may be key to not only helping you think differently about any future goals, but to challenge yourself to have a wider perspective so that you can lay out specific and measurable goals.

Not sure where to start? The National Kidney Foundation has a great example of laying out SMART goals on their website. A New Year, a New You: 5 Tips to Make Achieving Your Goals Possible

Remember, there is no need to rush the creation of your SMART goals. Attainable, realistic goals take time to measure out and to plan for. As awesome as it would be, most goals are not as simply obtained as checking off items in a shopping list. It can be difficult to be accountable to ourselves sometimes, even harder to check back in the weeks after the new years to track our progress. Don’t fret, no one is perfect. Even if you slip or miss a few steps of progress, you can always keep working towards your goal. Make it a task to set aside some time for you to ask yourself “Where am I at with this goal?”, “What is working, and what is not?”, “What are some things I need to change to make this happen?” 

No resolution is too big or too small. (Even if you’re looking to just improve your posture!) Real Simple has some excellent suggestions for smaller, and easier to obtain goals in their article: 

8 Health Goals You Can Actually Stick To in 2020

Wishing you all a safe and happy New year from the Himmelfarb Library! May all your goals this year be conquerable. 

 

Related articles can be found here: 

Making New Year's Resolutions That Stick: Exploring How Superordinate and Subordinate Goals Motivate Goal Pursuit

Sustainable New Year’s Resolutions for a Healthy 2020

Seven steps for making your New Year’s resolutions stick

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Various herbs, lemon, and salt on a white table.

Photo by Brooke Lark on Unsplash

Welcome to the end of another wonderful semester! Whatever your winter break plans, know you have earned some rest and relaxation. So instead of stressing about what to bring to that ugly sweater party or holiday dinner, why not let us do the work for you and recommend a few simple, healthy recipes?

If you really want to impress your hosts/guests, look no further than this Roasted Fennel with Charred Tomatoes, Olives, and Pecorino. This simple recipe requires just a single dish (I suggest a sheet pan), so clean up is a cinch. If you want to make it a bit more substantial, add mild Italian sausages and some chunks of ciabatta to the mix!

Looking for something even easier? This Lemon Green Bean Almondine is a sure hit, and you can prep everything the night before. The bright, acidic lemon is a lovely counterpoint to all the rich, creamy foods we usually serve during the winter.

This Winter Kale and Brussels Sprout Salad is the lunch you need to hold you over until the holiday party spread. If you’re worried about how to remove pomegranate seeds without making a mess, have no fear! All you need to do is score four lines in the pomegranate to quarter it, then submerge it in a bowl of water while you pull it apart and remove the seeds. The pith will float, while the seeds sink.  Just remove the pith and drain the seeds. Voilà! A mess-free way of de-seeding a pomegranate.

Last but not least, a delicious host gift. Everyone brings wine, candles, and cookies, but you’ll stand out with this homemade Pistachio Dark Chocolate Bark. You can trade out the pistachios for just about any other kind of topping – different nuts and seeds, your favorite candy, shattered peppermints, coconut flakes, dried fruit. Mix and match whatever sounds good. I suggest sticking with the original, and adding a sprinkle of good chili powder if your hosts are fans of spicy food!

Happy Holidays, and we’ll see you in the new year!

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Himmelfarb’s Humanities and Health Collection is much more than a leisure reading collection. These books can provide insight into the lives and experiences of those who have been sick and those who provide care.

book pages

Himmelfarb Library selectively acquires books in the Literature in Medicine genre for its Humanities and Health Collection. The collection is located on the first floor of the library, near the information desk and includes more than 200 titles that can be checked out for up to 9 weeks. 

 

Here’s a sampling of a few of the titles available:

Awdish, Rana. In Shock : My Journey from Death to Recovery and the Redemptive Power of Hope . First edition. New York: St. Martin’s Press; 2017. (R154.A93 A3 2017)

Day, Carolyn. Consumptive Chic : a History of Beauty, Fashion, and Disease . London ;: Bloomsbury Academic, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc; 2017. (RA644.T7 D39 2017)

Lerner, Barron H., Lerner, Phillip I. The Good Doctor : a Father, a Son, and the Evolution of Medical Ethics . Boston: Beacon Press; 2014. (R725.5 .L47 2014)

Obreht, Téa. The Tiger’s Wife : a Novel . 1st ed. New York: Random House; 2011. (PS3615 .B73 T54 2011)

Picoult, Jodi. My Sister’s Keeper : a Novel . New York: Washington Square PressBooks; 2006. (PS3566.I372 P53 2004)

Solzheni︠t︡syn, Aleksandr Isaevich. Cancer Ward . New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux; 1968. (PG3488 .O4 R313 1968)

Tweedy, Damon. Black Man in a White Coat : a Doctor’s Reflections on Race and Medicine . First Picador paperback edition. New York: Picador; 2016. (R154.T84 A3 2015)

You can browse the Humanities & Health Collection in the Online Catalog or come into Himmelfarb and browse the physical collection.

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thankfulFeeling stressed about the calories to come? Fear not, for there are abundant ways to eat well and to enjoy the food you make this holiday season. From pumpkin soup to apple salad with figs and almonds, there is no shame in indulging in savory and sweet temptations that don’t break the scale. 

Instead of the fatty foods or dishes smothered in butter, why not reinvent Thanksgiving with something that will not only taste good, but promote healthy eating? The Mayo Clinic has several recipes you can try, like their Wild Rice and Mushroom Soup, Honey Glazed Sweet Potatoes, and a Rustic Apple-Cranberry Tart. These recipes pack flavor that is low in fat and sodium. No need to reach for the stretch pants with these healthy meals!

Regardless of your dietary needs, there is something for everyone, like this low carb Broiled Shrimp with Buttermilk Remoulade from CookingLight, or the vegetarian-friendly Beet Hummus with Blue Cheese and Walnuts. The options are endless.  What hors d’oeuvres, main dishes or desserts will you decide to include on your plate this year?  

To explore additional recipes, please explore these options identified by Himmelfarb Library: 

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Chef's Station by Todd Quackenbush

As the days grow shorter, we all feel the pull of starchy, heavy foods. Whether this is born of opportunity or a left over biological instinct is up for debate, but studies have shown our caloric intakes increase during colder months.  When you feel the cold-weather munchies coming, consider trying out one of these healthy, warming recipes!

This Comforting & Cozy Fall Power Bowl is vegan and gluten free. Cook the kale and mushrooms in the same pan to cut back on clean up.

Butternut squash is a fall staple. You can make Oven Roasted Butternut Squash by itself, or use the roasted squash as the base for a delicious Roasted Butternut Squash Soup.

For those of us with a love of heat, fall is better known as hatch chile season! Try dressing up this Turkey White Bean Pumpkin Chili with roasted hatch chiles. If you can’t find hatch chiles, you can always roast your own fresh chiles using one of these techniques. It’s not as hard as it sounds, and is a simple way to dress up any recipe that calls for canned chiles!

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March_healthlivingHealth Living @ Himmelfarb's March Study Break Calendar is now available online!  Reset your brain by exploring DC and checking out one or more of these events including the Sound Health: Community yoga at the Kennedy Center, free admission to the National Museum of Women in Arts, free concerts, the National Geographic's Film Festival, the Blossom Kite Festival, and of course, SHAMROCKFEST!

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The days may be shorter and the temperatures cooler, but you can still enjoy and explore DC with events and activities from Health Living @ Himmelfarb's December calendar!

  • Enjoy the lights with Zoolights or Georgetown Glow
  • Sample DC's cultural events with Winternational, the Kennedy's Center's free Messiah Sing-A-Long, or laugh through New Year's Eve with the Comedy Shuffle
  • Keep exercising (and enjoying) winter days at the Washington Harbour Ice Rink - just a short walk from Himmelfarb Library on the Georgetown waterfront

Image: Bentley, W.A. (1885).  Snowflake Study.  Retrieved from: https://www.flickr.com/photos/smithsonian/5243239593/

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Get out and see DC via Healthy Living @ Himmelfarb’s October events calendar!

You can use the Healthy Living calendar to find free fall events including the Pumpkins Pop-Up, Taste of DC, Dia de los Muertos celebration, and an 80s Halloween Dance Party!

Get out and see DC!

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