Holiday Gift Guide: Self Care and Wellness Gifts
Many of our favorite people are so busy taking care of everyone else that they often forget to take care of themselves. Look out for your loved ones this year by giving them one of these health, self care, and wellness gifts.
Most are replacements for household items that you may not know are bad for you. They’ll help keep your loved ones healthier and happier longer.
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1. Stainless Steel Coffee Maker
Coffee makers are mostly made of plastic and many companies fail to specify whether or not BPA is contained in the plastic (even when you call them).
BPA is a chemical found in many plastics that leaches into food and drinks when the plastic is heated or damaged. BPA can be especially dangerous for women since it can disrupt hormone levels in the body contributing to breast cancer.
Even BPA free products contain BPA alternatives like BPS, BPF, and BPAF that may still have harmful effects.
But don’t fear, there’s a much safer option: a good old fashioned stainless steel percolator.
You can get a stove top one or an electric one that works just as well as a coffee maker.
The advantage of an electric percolator over stove top is that it keeps the coffee warm all day.
You can use percolators to make everything from tea to apple cider or even mulled wine…they also make a tastier cup of coffee than most standard coffee makers.
We ordered the electric model by Presto (above) for our mother this year. It has a body made of stainless steel so plastic never comes into contact with the coffee. It does have a small aluminum well inside but it’s made of anodized aluminum which is a sealed aluminum that doesn’t leach into food or drink.
2. Glass or Stainless Steel Water Bottle
As we said earlier BPA, and its alternatives, are found in many plastics including those in the caps of thermuses.
If you know someone who drinks their tea or coffee on the go you may want to get them a double barreled glass water bottle with an infuser like the one above. Our parents use it for both hot and cold beverages and they can take it to the gym.
3. PFOA-Free Frying Pans
PFOA is a carcinogen used in many non stick cooking pans. It can not only cause serious health problems from leeching into food but the fumes it gives off when heated can kill pet birds.
Healthy Cast Iron Skillet
The safest alternative is a cast iron skillet (pictured above). They last forever and only leech Iron, which is a vital nutrient in the food.
Cast iron pans are not non stick but you can make them more slick through a process called seasoning, in which you rub oil on them and bake them in the oven. Seasoning must be done once in a while if you want to make the pan easier to cook with and clean.
It is worth noting that too much Iron isn’t a good thing so if someone is taking Iron supplements you may want to get them another option.
Gift Stainless Steel Pans
Stainless steel pans is another alternative. They barely leech any metal at all in food unless they’re scratched or damaged so only silicone or wooden utensils should be used and no harsh Brillo pads.
As with Cast iron, stainless steel may require a coating of oil, butter, or cooking spray for dishes like scrambled eggs, we also use water. If that’s a problem there is one non stick alternative…
Stone Cookware
Stone Cookware is a great non stick alternative. Most are made with aluminum or ceramic then coated with a non stick stone coating like Granitium. This is the best option if your parents don’t want to use any oil, butter, or even extra water when cooking.
Although many stone pans allow use of metal utensils, it’s still best to use silicone or wood…but it’s good to know no damage will be done if someone forgets and uses a fork.
Stone cookware doesn’t last as long as Cast iron but you can get several years of use out of it. You just have to look for signs of damage to the surface or pay attention if the food is suddenly sticking to it and discard if you notice anything.
The best stone pan we personally use is made by Ballarini (pictured above on Amazon). The food literally slides right off these pans with little or no oil, liquid, or butter needed. It’s made in Italy of forged aluminum with a PFOA free granitium coating. It’s sold in department stores and on Amazon.
4. Air Purifiers
Chemicals, carcinogens, dust, and pollen commonly found in the air we breathe can cause or exacerbate a host of health problems like lung and bladder cancers, allergies, respiratory infections, and even heart disease.
Here are 3 simple items, some of them natural, you can gift your loved ones to help them breathe much easier.
Gift Plants
We’ve all heard of gifting plants for the holidays and for good reason!
Nasa’s clean air study found the Peace Lily and Florist’s Chrysanthemum to be the most effective in removing all of the top 5 most dangerous chemicals commonly found in our air that can lead to a host of many cancers including Leukemia.
Nasa recommends having atleast one plant per 100 square feet of living space.
Please be aware that those two plants are both toxic to Dogs and Cats as are many of the recommended plants in the study.
For GORGEOUS easy DIY flower pot ideas to gift the plant in, visit our post Easy Beautiful DIY Mother’s Day Gifts.
Gift Electric Air Purifiers
Plants aren’t the only way to clean the air. If you know someone who has allergies you should definitely get them an electric air purifier.
Along with chemicals and pollutants, electric air purifiers also filter out allergens. Be sure to look for one with an activated carbon filter.
Radon Detector
Radon is a colorless, odorless naturally occurring radio active gas that forms in rocks, soil, and groundwater. It can get into your home via the air through cracks and gaps in the structure.
Radon build up in the lungs is the second leading cause of Lung Cancer in the United States.
Measure Radon levels in the home by purchasing a Radon Detection device like the one above on Amazon, or order Radon tests kits.
Radon levels at or above 4 picocuries (pCi/L) means you may want to get to work patching up cracks, opening windows, using fans, or hire a Radon specialist.
For more information on how to protect your family from Radon exposure visit CDC.Gov here.
5. Gift A Blender
Most Americans don’t get their recommended servings of fruits and vegetables everyday but a blender makes it easy. Blenders keep in all of the good stuff like fiber and pulp and also make it easier to mask the taste of not so tasty veggies.
Blending is also a great option for people with sensitive dental work.
It’s best to purchase one with a glass pitcher rather than plastic, since the acid in fruits can make the chemicals in plastic leech into smoothies.
We have the Oster blender pictured above and love it. It can not only make well blended smoothies but since the pitcher is glass, Mom can also blend soups straight from the stove.
6. Multi vitamin
Vitamins like Vitamin C, Thiamine, Potassium, and Calcium are important in keeping the heart functioning properly and our bones strong. Without them our bodies literally break down.
When our Mom found that certain vegetables upset her stomach, we bought her these GNC Women’s Ultra Mega Gummies and she now loves them just as much as we do. They melt in her mouth easier than other gummy varieties like Nature Made and contain vitamins that help her metabolize food more efficiently.
They also make them for Men. You should also consider Vitamin D and Zinc for cold and flu season.
As for the people who claim supplements don’t work or do anything…ask them if they’d skip their prenatals. While it’s always best to get vitamins from food, supplements are the next best thing.
7. Kardia- Medical Grade Portable EKG Monitor For The Cell Phone
This device captures a medical grade EKG using a cell phone in 30 seconds and sends it to any doctor with the push of a button. If someone ever suffered from A-Fib or any other heart condition, this can be especially life saving. Big bonus, it’s under $100.
8. Healthy Herb Plant or Garden
8. Healthy Herb Plant or GardenHerbs are cheap, easy to maintain, and amazing for your health. There’s a reason our ancestors used them as medicine, their antioxidants protect our cells and body.
Herb plants provide a fresh supply of healthy herbs to add to foods or smoothies.
We recommend a Parsley or Cilantro plant since when eaten they filter the blood of dangerous metals such as mercury and aluminum. Too much Mercury, like the kind found in fish, can poison the system. Aluminum has been linked to Alzheimers.
Rosemary is rich in antioxidants that prevent cell damage according to Web MD. Even sniffing it boosts brain activity due to its’ fragrance. It also makes one of the best and healthiest roasted chickens we’ve ever had in our lives. Get the recipe here.
Don’t forget to grab your Sharpie and make a cute easy DIY punny plant pot for it. Here are some ideas.
9. Vitamin C Serum For Protection
When you apply Vitamin C topically along with sunscreen it forms a complete barrier of protection from harmful UVA and UVB rays. It also repairs sun damage to the skin, which can prevent skin cancer. As an added bonus, it stimulates collagen production, brightens the complexion, and improves skin texture.
Not all topical forms of Vitamin C are created equally and other Vitamins make it even more effective when paired together.
For more information about the benefits of vitamin C and the best form for the skin, check out our post The Secret To Picking Out The Best Skincare Serums. For a list of our favorite Vitamin C products starting at just $5 sent straight to your inbox, join our newsletter below.
10. Water Filter
The quality of our tap water is getting increasingly bad. Remember the carcinogen PFOA we mentioned earlier that’s commonly used on non stick pans? When it’s dumped in the environment (and our bodies) it stays there for thousands of years and leeches into our water supply and blood streams. More and more is found in our bodies and drinking water along with other chemicals and toxins like arsenic, chlorine, mercury, and flouride.
PFOA is linked to health issues like early menopause, liver damage, high cholesterol, kidney disease, among others.
If your Parents drink water straight from the tap, now is definitely a good time to get them a water filtration system.
Different filtration systems work for different kinds of contaminants. Solid block carbon filters are best at ridding water of chemicals and PFOAs. To remove metals and bacteria you may want to try a reverse osmosis filtration system, or an installed filtration system.
The website of most water companies usually has a water report that should tell you what you need to filter out for your area. That should help you decide which filtration system is the best fit.
This concludes our list of the best health and wellness gifts for your loved ones. Along with a little exercise, these gifts will improve the quality and length of life for years to come.
Let us know if we missed any other good ones and check out our other gift guides:
The Gift Guide You’ll Use Forever
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