Top Ten Healthy Holiday Gift Ideas
Still looking for gift ideas for that special someone on your list? Or maybe you just want to treat yourself with a little something to help transform your health. Here are some of my favourite healthy things to give and receive.
1. Spiralizer
One of my favourite kitchen tools is a spiralizer. This tool allows the cook in your life to create all sorts of culinary creations, from zoodles (zucchini noodles) to yam “linguine” to beautiful raw beet nests for salads. They are especially helpful for anyone who is going gluten free or trying to lower their carbohydrate consumption.
2. The Five Minute Journal
Journaling itself is a powerful practice, and the Five Minute Journal is an incredible tool for anyone who is interested in manifestation and gratitude. The book takes very little time each day, hence the title, and I can personally attest to the power of this book to change your life.
3. Cookbook
There are so many excellent cookbooks out there. When I shop for a cookbook, I look for easy recipes that fit with certain health criteria, and that include lots of glossy pictures! Pictures are especially helpful for beginner cooks, so they can see what the end result should look like. Some of my favourites to give include Practical Paleo by Diane Sanfilippo, The Paleo Kitchen by Juli Bauer and George Bryant and The Primal Blueprint Cookbook, by Mark Sisson and Jennifer Meier.
4. Fitness Tracker
Walking is one of the easiest and safest ways to keep fit, especially for those suffering from stress and exhaustion. Fitness trackers, such as a FitBit, can help motivate you to reach your target steps for the day, and are especially fun if you are in competition with friends. I have had clients lose weight and improve their moods simply by increasing their daily steps.
5. Glass Water Bottle or Food Storage Containers
Say buh-bye to plastic containers! Storing food and water in plastic can increase estrogen in the body and lead to hormone imbalance and weight gain. Glass water bottles and food storage containers are a beautiful and easy way to reduce the toxic load on the body. For a lovely gift presentation, fill bottles with homemade treats like mixed nuts or gluten free cookies.
6. Kitchen Micro-planer
A stainless steel kitchen micro-planer makes a wonderful and inexpensive stocking stuffer! I absolutely love mine, and use it just about every day to add zest and nutritional benefits to my cooking. Micro-planers can be used to grate citrus, garlic, ginger, dark chocolate and spices like nutmeg.
7. Cast Iron Pan
Many years ago, my Mom gave me a gorgeous cast iron pan from France. This is another of my favourite tools to use, and I pretty much use it every day! A healthy alternative to dangerous non-stick pans, cast iron pans can help add iron to your diet, and are extremely versatile for cooking.
8. Blackout Curtains
This might sound like a strange gift, but believe me, if I didn’t already have blackout curtains in my bedroom, this would be a gift that would make me jump for joy! Especially if the giver of the gift were to install them as a surprise. Blackout curtains or blinds can help make a bedroom completely black at night, making for a very restful and restorative sleep.
9. Lessons
Whether it is dance lessons, a cooking class or even a seminar on fermentation, a gift certificate for lessons can be a wonderful healthy gift for the person who has everything, and doesn’t want more “stuff”. Look for something fun that will bring them joy, and if it is a cooking class, make sure it is in line with their eating values.
10. Light Box
During the shorter days of winter, it can often be difficult to get enough light stimulation for a healthy circadian rhythm, and many people suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Exposure to a blue-wavelength light box in the morning can help improve mood, sleep and overall health.
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