Need some ideas for holiday gifts?  I often struggle this time of year with what to buy.  I strongly believe in speaking with my $$.  This is a powerful way to make a statement by opting out of products and companies that are harmful to people and planet.  Not everyone understands though, and I do not want to give gifts that aren’t wanted or appreciated.  I think we can agree that everyone likes a gift that makes them feel good.  So this week I thought I would give you some gift ideas that are geared toward wellness.  Here they are, broken down into my favorite four categories:

Good Eats

I talk a lot about putting quality, organic food on our tables and in our bodies.  If I’m going to give the gift of food I make sure it’s good food.  I look for grocery stores that carry a large selection of healthy food options, supplements and body care.  Where I live, that means Whole Foods and Fresh Thyme.  I’m not a big fan of dining out, simply because you don’t know what you’re getting.  Stay away from fast food gift cards and look for a restaurant that is transparent with their menu, and strives to use the highest quality local and organic or non-GMO ingredients.

If you want to make a gift basket I’ll try to put some of my favorite products as examples.  But for this category fresh, organic fruit is a great start.  You can also throw in some organic nuts.  If you use any dried fruits, just make sure they don’t have added sugar.  You could also find a good recipe and put the contents in a jar, so long as they can all be added at one time.  When it comes to chocolates, at least 70% organic, fair trade cacao is great.  I like the Taza organic Wicked Dark, coming it at 95%.  There is very little room for added sugar at 95%.  It’s stone ground and a little different, but less bitter than most with that high a cacao percentage.  Another super dark is Alter Eco Dark Super Blackout.  When I want a treat, I go for Endangered Species chocolate.  I stick with the darker bars to keep the sugar content down.  Sprouted seeds would be something different to turn your recipient on to as well.  Go Raw has a line of sprouted seeds and nuts.  I use them on my salads.

Get Moving

There’s a lot you can do with this category if you get creative.  If your recipient is looking for ways to incorporate more movement, or wants to try something new, there are plenty of options.

The obvious is a fitness tracker.  I talked about fitness trackers a little while back.  You can click here to review my love/hate relationship with them.  Everyone has to start somewhere, and sometimes just getting started is the hardest part.  It’s like writing.  It can take longer to get started with the first paragraph than to complete the work.  Having fun ways to track diet and fitness can be that thing that propels someone into the body of the work.  There’s a very thorough review on fitness trackers at reviews.com.  If you’re the type that needs to research, this is a good place to bone up on fitness trackers.

Other options are subscriptions.  You could, of course, send someone a magazine subscription; or you could set them up with an online subscription to a service that provides something they’re looking for or want to try.  I use Gaia for my yoga.  Their app is awesome and allows me to take my yoga wherever I go.  But there is so much more out there to choose from.  Just search on the activity.

If there is a low cost gym or YMCA near your recipient and they’ve been talking about joining, maybe that’s an option.  Just make sure they’re serious about it before going that route.  Talk to the manager and see what they can do for a gift membership.  Maybe a starter package that can be upgraded.  Or maybe they belong to a gym and just need some accountability by having a few paid personal trainer sessions.  See where I’m going here?  Get creative.  A nice new yoga mat for a yogi, etc.  Here’s a good link to an article on top eco-friendly yoga mats.  I have a Barefoot mat and I love it.

Going Au Naturale

Maybe you want to package up some spa-like essentials.  Not too long ago, we passed around candles and lotions that were full of toxic chemicals.  There are so many options now that are much safer and cleaner.  Look for beeswax candles with pure essential oils.  They will be more expensive, but you get what you pay for.  You can find clean candles anywhere that sells clean body care products.  You can also look for handmade local products.  If you can’t find any, one of my favorite places is Mountain Rose Herbs.  You can get candles, organic tea, organic essential oils and more.

Speaking of essential oils, a good quality diffuser with organic oils is a great idea.  Essential oils are nature’s way of helping us be well.  For example, diffusing eucalyptus helps with breathing; lavender is relaxing, and peppermint is invigorating (helps with exercise).  I’m planning to add a page to my website on the benefits of essential oils in the very near future.

Taking Care

My last category falls in the self-care aisle of my store.  This is the area where I encourage habits that increase health and longevity through simple daily behaviors like sleep and stress management.

A great gift here is a massage.  Another idea is a visit to a salt cave.  It could just be a night at the movies.  The idea is to engage in activities that provide relaxation or take your recipient away from the day-to-day craziness.  It can be something low key, something fun, or something that directly impacts wellness like the massage.  Maybe one of those coupon books.  There are free templates on the web to design and print your own, or design and order.  Here’s my Google search results for coupon book templates.  They don’t all have to be coupons.  Some could be words of encouragement, reminders on practicing gratitude, and things you admire about the recipient.  Mix it up and give them permission to engage in behaviors that promote self-love and self-care.

I would suggest health coaching, but that is a very personal choice; at least as far as private coaching goes.  You could ask for that as a gift for yourself.  If you did want to introduce someone to health coaching because you believe they would benefit from guidance and accountability, by all means take a look at my 30-day Introduction to Better Health, or my Build Your own Tribe group coaching option.  Health coaching is a great way to tackle a New Year’s resolution to get in shape, lose weight, kick a bad habit or two, or adopt lifestyle changes that lead to lifelong wellness.

Well, there you have it; my short list of gift ideas.  If you have more, please leave them in the Comments below.