Book Club Monday

June 18, 2021 Magdalena Konopacka

Hello, and welcome back.

At the beginning of 2021, I set some goals for myself. I kept them small and manageable, with target goals between then and the end of the year. Considering how bad 2020 was, I wanted to find small ways I could make 2021 better if it were to be anything like 2020. I knew that once I achieved, or at least partly made progress, I’d feel happy and productive.

One of my goals was to read 6 – 12 books. Looking back at that number, now in June, it seems like a lot. So far, I’ve completely read: 0. I did start 3 books, but all nowhere near finishing. I started with a sports nutrition book. It was great for when I needed to get information, but not when I needed something to grip my attention, make me invested and read on. It took me a while to realise why I wasn’t making progress. I thought back to my teen years when I’d read lots of books, and realised I needed a book that would take me on a journey if I wanted to reach my goal. Now, I am 37% way through that book and I’m really enjoying it. It’s called “The Rumor” by Lesley Cara. My goal now is to finish it by the end of the month, and hopefully from now read a book a month to reach my goal.

Now, why am I introducing a book club into Magda K Nutrition? Isn’t this place about…you know….nutrition? Yes, but it’s also about overall health. We’ve always been told reading is good for us, but how? Well, reading regularly causes increased connectivity in our brains, leading to increased cognitive abilities. According to the Theory of Mind, reading fiction allows increased understanding of feelings and thoughts of others, an important skill to have when it comes to relationships. Reading can have other effects on our health, like reduced stress and reduced heart rate. There is even speculation regarding reading reducing the odds of certain age-related diseases, however, the science isn’t at the level to fully support this yet.

From now on, on Mondays, I will be making posts over on my Instagram page about how I’m getting on with my reading. There will also be a thread on the website of what books I’ve read and what ones I will be reading. If you want to read more but are struggling because you often forget, go follow me on Instagram for that weekly reminder. Soon, we will all be book worms!