Tiana Rockwell, FNTP
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Holiday Gift Guide for the Health Conscious: UNDER $25

11/30/2020

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Sometimes we need inexpensive gift ideas that still have a lot of meaning for the people we care about in our lives. If you haven’t already read the blog on gifts over $25 for the health conscious, you should.

We talk about how price doesn’t matter when it comes time to gifting.

More important than finding a gift under or over $25, is finding the right gift that is most appropriate and meaningful to the one who gets to receive it. If that means homemaking a gift from scratch with all reusable items for someone, you should! And you can check out some of my suggestions for that HERE. 


So onward with more gift ideas that just happen to cost lest the $25. :) 

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image from Unique Health Products

In our family, we’re big on stockings...so I very much had that in mind as I compiled this list:

Chocolate- I don’t know a single person who wouldn’t appreciate a good bar of chocolate in their stocking around the holidays! When I look for chocolate, I personally look for organic, dark (over 70%) and soy free versions. If you happen to live in a town or city that has a local chocolatier, I highly recommend checking in with them to see if they have any quality chocolate bars for purchase. My personal favorites are:
  • Black and Green 85% Dark Chocolate
  • Alter Eco Dark Chocolate Sea Salt
  • Beyond Good 92% Chocolate 

Four Sigmatic Mushroom Coffee and Elixirs- Mushrooms have long been a powerful superfood loaded with tons of nutrients and we certainly don’t eat enough of them! This company has tastefully found a way to blend various beneficial mushrooms with other ingredients (like coffee) to provide you with high levels of antioxidants and other compounds.

Their coffees are ½ the caffeine with more of the focus and energy!

Depending on the blend you choose, they can enhance your focus and thinking capabilities, help you sleep and even lower your anxiety and support your adrenal glands. Perfect for any health focused friend of family member!

These come as bags or individual packets, which are great as stocking stuffers! You can get the
mushroom elixir sample pack, latte and hot cocoa sampler, or a pack of lion's mane and chaga & cordyceps and chaga coffee blends (my personal favorites).

 
Clay Facial Masks- self care is a pretty important piece of living a healthy life. And for athletes, health care of the skin can be crucial. We sweat a lot. And most of us spend a lot of time outdoors training. That means we need to take care of our skin! For that, small packs of natural facial clay masks do the trick! This derma e Purifying 2-in-1 Charcoal Face Mask with Activated Charcoal all natural, 100% vegan and cruelty free, and does not contain parabens, sulfates, mineral oil, lanolin, gluten or GMOs.

Books- All health enthusiasts generally have 1 thing in common: they like to eat healthy food. These food-focused books are just a few of my favorites that can be used by anyone interested in being active and healthy (triathletes, runners, hikers, yogis, etc).
  • Run Fast Eat Slow by Shalane Flanagan 
  • Feed Zone Portables by Allen Lim- this is easily the book I’ve personally gifted most. I love it. 
  • The Real Food Athlete by Steph Lowe
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Silicone Popsicle Molds- I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my silicone popsicle molds for any extra post workout smoothie that I might not be consuming in the moment. They can oftentimes get me through the last few minutes of a hard workout in the heat! For any of your active friends of family members that complete hot workouts, these popsicle molds will be much appreciated!!!

Biodegradable Natural Body Wipes- These no-rinse body wash wipes are a perfect gift for an athlete constantly on the go. Bonus that they are biodegradable, so they break down naturally. These wipes will leave an athlete feeling a full-body cleanse while also supporting the planet the planet. 

Coffee- If your loved one is a coffee drinker, specialty coffees make a great gift! Many sustainable coffee growers offer online ordering 
  • Peak Performance High Altitude Coffee
  • Larry’s Organic Fair Trade Coffee 3 Pack- Larry’s Coffee is an eco-friendly and sustainability-minded company that creates small-batch Fair Trade, Organic, Shade-Grown coffee.
  • Ethical Bean Fair Trade Coffee
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Image from Brothers Coffee Blog

Hopefully this guide helped you find the perfect gift, or even inspired your own wish list!  If you’re feeling like you can spend a little extra, don’t forget to check out my OVER $25 GUIDE. 

And, if you’re feeling extra giving and want to spend time making a gift for your health conscious friend or family member, then head on over to my DIY GUIDE.


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Please note that some of the links are affiliate links.
​Meaning, if you buy someone a gift by using those links, you’re also giving us a gift (a small commission) in return – at no cost to you! I appreciate your support in this way!
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Holiday Gift Guide for the Health Conscious: OVER $25

11/30/2020

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The holiday season is upon us which means gift giving is on the mind. There can be a lot of pressure to give big gifts this year, especially if you feel like your loved ones have been suffering.

But here’s the thing, we’ve all been suffering in our own unique way this year. So just because 2020 has now officially become a cuss word (okay...that’s not true, but maybe it should be!!!), doesn’t mean you should feel obligated to go into debt (or more debt) this holiday season. 


Remember it’s the thought that counts so do your best to stay within your means.  One option is to DIY your gifts.  If that’s up your alley, check out my DIY guide.  If you’re not feeling particularly crafty, and you’re on a tight budget, head on over to my UNDER $25 guide. Whatever you choose to do, make it meaningful and by all means, don’t add stress to your life over it!

James and the guys over at the BroBasket said it best when they wrote ‘there’s an unspoken pressure during the holidays to give extraordinary gifts. It’s when you’re supposed to go all out and celebrate a special time of year, but it often leads people deeper into debt. Before you purchase anything this year, remember a simple truth: Money doesn’t make the gift.’

However, if you’re ready to spend a little more dough on your loved one this year, then read on, because I have a great list of ideas over $25 that they’ll love!

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1. Verilux® HappyLight® Lumi - This is a UV-Free LED therapy lamp, which you might be asking yourself ‘why is it on this list?’ According to the Mayo clinic, light therapy is thought to affect brain chemicals linked to mood and sleep, and also to ease SAD symptoms.

Using a light therapy box like the one recommended above, may also help with other types of depression, sleep disorders and other conditions. Personally, for me, I use my lamp when I travel across time zones or if I have any trouble with sleep for more than 2 days in a row.

And since sleep is at the heart of ALL good recovery from training, this item is a must for athletes! This lamp has 10,000 Lux light, adjustable brightness, a detachable stand, and is wall mountable! 


2. The chiliPAD- oh man. This is the ultimate gift! Anyone interested in optimizing health also knows how important it is to optimize sleep! The chiliPAD is a cooling and heating mattress that is great for enhancing sleep. A single size starts at $499 and prices go up from there as you buy larger pads. This is a game changer for athletes and their sleep! 

3. Essential Oil Car Diffuser + Oils- It’s pretty remarkable how powerful our olfactory system is. When inhaled, the scent molecules in essential oils travel from the olfactory nerves directly to the brain where they impact the emotional center of the brain (the amygdala). And since most of us will be doing most of our travel via car for a while, this diffuser can make a really great gift!

4. Indoor Herb Garden or Edible Flower Garden- If you’ve been following me for awhile, you know how much love I’ve put into my backyard garden this year. And here’s the thing, not only is it giving me nutrient dense herbs, vegetables AND edible flowers that I can pick minutes before consuming, it’s also turned into a therapy center for me.

Just walking outside and getting my hands in the dirt has done remarkable things for my brain this year. And since anyone interested in improving their health needs to do it with nutrient dense food and brain health, an herb garden or edible flower garden is a great way to go. If your giftee doesn’t have a large area, not to worry, these kits are designed for a windowsill. And no gardening experience? No problem! Both kits have everything they need to get started!

The herb kit is a complete 40 piece kit which includes everything they need to bring the joy of planting savory herbs into their one's life. Your loved one will enjoy 9 different herbs including: Dill, Basil, Chives, Thyme, Parsley, Oregano, Cilantro, Sage, & Mustard. The edible flower kit comes with 4 types of Non-GMO, heirloom flower seeds for planting indoors or outdoors; Cornflower, Pot Marigold, Shasta Daisy, Viola Tricolor. What’s not to love about that?!


5. Personal Blender- OYeet 1000W Personal Blender is BPA free and can create a post workout smoothie in 10 seconds. The best part is that it can actually blend ice. Most personal blenders do not have enough power to actually create a smoothie from ice, but this magic blender can! And since it’s personal, it doesn’t need to be plugged into work! So it’s great for your exercise enthusiast who might need a postwork drink on the go!

6. G4free 40L 3-way gym bag- A fitness enthusiast can never have too many gyms bags! This one is water resistant, can be carried as an over the shoulder bag, a duffle bag or a backpack, and comes in 9 different colors. It has a waterproof compartment for wet swimsuits or dirty shoes and also has multiple extra compartments for keys, cell phones, or anything extra your athlete might need to carry. 

7. Road ID- What better gift to give a friend or family member who plays outside than the gift of safety. This gift is also great for your animal loving friends! Sean and I have them on our dog collars, and my sister has them around her horse's ankles.

Living in California has given us all the honest fear that someday, we (or our neighbors) may need to release our fur children into the wild to flee from fire. If that ever happens, and my goodness I hope it never does, this tag can help bring them back to us easily and hopefully safely. Prices start at $19.99. To get $5 off your order, you use the link above.


8. Urth Box Subscription- Urth box is a subscription that will surprise your loved one monthly with full size healthy snacks that must pass strict ingredient, sourcing, calorie, nutrition and manufacturing standards before making the cut.

You can get even more specific by selecting Classic, Gluten-Free, Vegan or Diet box options. Subscriptions are the ultimate gift that keeps on giving. But don't worry, you (the gifter) won’t be charged indefinitely. You can purchase a 3, 6 or 12 month subscription in 3 different sizes and as a bonus, get your own box FOR FREE! 



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image from chiliPAD


Are you thinking that some of these gifts sound great but might not be exactly what you’re looking for?

Check out the Gifts UNDER $25 guide HERE or the DIY gift guide HERE.



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Please note that some of the links are affiliate links.
Meaning, if you buy someone a gift by using those links, you’re also giving me a gift (a small commission) in return – at no cost to you! I appreciate your support in this way!
​
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DIY Holiday Gift Guide for the Health Conscious

11/30/2020

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“All you need is a pair of running shoes” said no runner ever. If someone you know is a fitness fanatic and/or health conscious then trust me, there are some really amazing gifts you can buy them that they don’t already have and they will love!

If you have a friend who really, truly has everything they need, or a friend who owns a single pair of running shoes and they pride themselves on being minimalist, then there are some really fun, unique, and not-too-complicated reusable gifts you can make them that they are sure to appreciate! 

This holiday season, I’m excited to put together a few different gift guides for you, each of which is focused on the health conscious person in your life:

  • A “Gifts Over $25” guide,
  • A “Gifts Under $25” guide, and
  • This Guide: “DIY Gifts”

The hardest part about them will be not buying everything for yourself! 
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Let’s start off with my top 5 DIY gift ideas since these might take a little more time than something you can purchase.

Make sure you read through the descriptions in the blog posts I’ve linked because many of them offer options for reusable materials, which is always a big bonus if you’re on a budget or just want to be more friendly to the earth!


Reusable Beeswax Covers- Beeswax covers are natural, zero-waste, and much more visually appealing alternative to plastic wrap. These sheets are surprisingly easy to make and only require a few items, all except 1 (the beeswax itself) you probably already have on hand! And they don’t require a sewing machine! These are great for wrapping up leftovers or snacks and can be washed and reused many times. They’re perfect for your eco-friendly, health conscious friend! You can find a great DIY blog and video about how to make these from Deanna over at Homestead and Chill HERE. 

Homemade Herbal Bitters- Herbal bitters have been around for hundreds of years and used to flavor drinks and cure ailments. Today, I am a big advocate of using these before all meals to aid in digestion. These take some time to infuse, so make sure you start them a few weeks before you want to gift them. You can find a complete guide on how to make these from Emily Han at The Kitchn.

Napkin Flatware Rolls- Most active folks have a reusable water bottle, but do they have reusable utensils to take with them for their packed lunch? If not, this quick and easy  sewing project can make a great gift for them! Don’t forget to stuff it with utensils and a reusable straw once you're done. Check out the full “how to” from Calli over at Make It Do.
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Reusable Snack Bags- Reusable snack bags are great for any active, healthy person looking to live more sustainably. They’re great for trail mix, raw mixed nuts and any post workout deli wrap. This project requires a sewing machine, but the pattern is very simple to follow and only takes 15 minutes to complete! Be sure to use a phthalate free and BPA free laminated cotton for this project.  Check it out HERE.

Reusable hand warmers- These are great gifts because they are typically made with scrap fabric. If you are a sewer, the likelihood of you having all the items you need to create these is high. And for your active friend or family member who’s willing to brave the elements, these can make a great gift! Check out the complete guide from Sarah Ramberg at sadiesseasongoods.com.
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Not inspired by any of these ideas, but still want to make something for your friends and family this holiday season? You can always consider homemade snacks (like mason jars of healthy trail mix), homemade cleaning supplies, salt or sugar shower scrubs, or loose leaf tea jars. 

Don't get too worried if you’re not crafty.

You’ll be surprised how much joy you’ll bring those in your life when you hand make them a gift. And if hand making isn’t your thing, be sure you check out my gift guide OVER $25 and gift guide UNDER $25 for the health conscious. 

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REAL FOOD low carb recipes for a Thanksgiving Feast!

11/16/2020

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Thanksgiving is generally about families getting together, enjoying some good laughs and enjoying a feast together (hopefully). Although there are no guarantees of get togethers this year, you can still control your fun factor and certainly your meal! 

As many of you know, I’m a huge fan of eating low carb, high fat. Personally, I feel so much better when I eat this way. However, I have been known to indulge in a sugar treat from time to time. As much as I’m a huge fan of the LCHF lifestyle, I’m an even bigger advocate for balance. And since I don’t have any metabolic conditions that prevent me from an occasional splurge, I do it (sparingly)! 

Thanksgiving can be one of those splurgy meals for many people who traditionally follow a LCHF lifestyle. And that’s GREAT. Personally, for our family, we actually don’t treat it that way. Over the years, many of us have slowly adapted our diet to be more low carb, high fat and we’ve found that eating a real food nutrient dense Thanksgiving meal is actually a lot easier than many other meals to keep LCHF. If this whole way of eating is newer to you, or you have friends and family members who may not share your passion for fat bombs and bacon...well...this may be a bit harder. 

My hope is that if you are wanting to spend this Thanksgiving following a lower carb, higher fat meal, this list of my favorite nutrient dense recipes will help you do just that!!!


Turkey
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If your family traditionally eats turkey for your Thanksgiving meal, you're in luck because turkey is already low carb! However, turkey is not high fat! If you're wanting to keep your meal LCHF, I highly advise you reach for the darker cuts of meat and eat the skin, which will provide some added fat to this naturally low fat protein.

However, if you're interested in taking this low-fat protein and make it keto friendly, my advice is to add an herbed butter! This is a very simple thing to do ahead of time and bring to your Thanksgiving feast. You can add it to your turkey, but also to steamed green beans and many other lower fat dishes you might find at your table.

If you're the lucky one who gets to make the turkey this year, consider adding your herbed butter as a rub before you roast it! Maya Krampf of Wholesome Yum has a great blog on the whole process, including a great EASY GARLIC BUTTER HERBED BUTTER recipe that you can check out HERE.


Stuffing
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Looking for a nutrient dense stuffing that isn't bread based but still tastes and feels like traditional stuffing?  Heather Dessinger of Mommypotamus has one of the best EASY GLUTEN FREE STUFFING recipes (pictured above) that I've ever tried! Seriously, I didn't think it was possible to make something taste like bread that doesn't actually have bread in it, but this recipe does it.

If you want to stick with a bread based stuffing but still want a low carb option, be prepared to make your own keto bread (unless you can find a quality keto bread in the stores). It can be more time consuming, but it's worth it! One of my favorite recipes for a bread based KETO STUFFING comes from blogger 'Howtodothisandthat.


Mashed Potatoes
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There really is no way to make a potato low carb. So if mashed potatoes are a Thanksgiving favorite of yours, you might want to consider making yourself a side of cauliflower mash. Honestly, if you load up your cauliflower mash with good fats from olive oil and butter, and then add some of your favorite herbs, you won't miss the potatoes! Check out this MASHED CAULIFLOWER WITH GARLIC AND HERBS recipe from Downshiftology. It's a family favorite in my household!


Gravy
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Gravy was one of the last dishes our family converted from a package, to a nutrient dense and absolutely DELICIOUS thanksgiving dish. And I'm always wondering why the heck we waited so long to do it! It's really not hard to make a fantastic gravy from scratch...it just takes a little pre-planning.

Most gravy recipes call for broth. Yes, you can buy this in a can or cardboard box, but trust me, if you make it from scratch ahead of time, it will add a punch of flavor to your gracy that won't go unnoticed. 

I personally have broth on hand at all times which makes the step of the process a little quicker. You can find jars of it in my fridge and if I have extra, you better bet I'm freezing it for later. All week, I collect vegetable ends and bones from our meals. Once I have a pretty good amount of these bits, I'll throw them into my instant pot with a package of chicken paws and water to make a delicious broth! You can find a recipe for CHICKEN BONE BROTH similar to the one I follow (I just use scraps in mine) from Jennifer McGruther from The Nourished Kitchen. If you are going to make this recipe specifically for Thanksgiving, be sure to pull the giblets out of your turkey a few days ahead of time to use in the broth!

Once you have your broth, I really truly believe that the best tasting gravy's come from the turkey drippings. You can find a very easy, low carb and GLUTEN FREE GRAVY recipe from Regina at Leelalicious.


Cranberries
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Despite all the talk of avoiding all fruit while eating keto, really what most people are trying to avoid is natural sugar from fruit. Luckily, cranberries are very low in natural sugar which actually makes them keto friendly. That's also why most traditional cranberry recipes call for massive amounts of sugar!

To avoid this traditional sugary side, you can easily swap the table sugar found in most traditional cranberry recipes for an alternative keto sugar like monk fruit or swerve. This CRANBERRY SAUCE recipe from Chad Campbell at That Low Carb Life blog is great and includes a little orange zest for an added kick of flavor.


Vegetable Side Dishes
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When I ask clients about traditional thanksgiving vegetable side dishes, it never seems like I get the same answer twice. Each family seems to have their own favorites, and luckily, most of them tend to be pretty keto friendly.

Like the turkey, if your traditional vegetables sides are naturally low fat, consider adding a dollop of herbed butter on top to add both flavor and a good, healthy fat to the dish.


Dessert
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Dessert is where keto can get tricky if you don't plan ahead. Luckily, there are many different alternative sugar options to pick from now-a-days that can help you create a dessert that both tastes amazing and won't spike your blood sugar!

Three of my favorite low carb sweeteners are monk fruit, stevia and swerve. 

Monk fruit is a natural source of sweetness that has been around for centuries (despite many of us only learning about it recently). The name was given to this fruit after the monks who harvested it.  The fruit itself has a very short shelf life which is why it is dried.  The dried fruit is what is then processed into the sweetener we use today. The sweetness of monk fruit comes from mogrosides which are actually antioxidants!  It is about 200-300x sweeter than regular table sugar however, it contains none of the calories and does not impact our blood sugar in the same was as table sugar.   It can be found as liquid, powder, or granules. 


Stevia, another natural sweetener that has been around for a long time, is derived from the plant Stevia rebaudiana ( I grew it in my garden this year!).  Like monk fruit, the compounds that make Stevia sweet are about approximately 200 times sweeter than typical table sugar but without attack on your blood sugar.  In its pure form, stevia has zero carbohydrates, and zero calories. However, most stevia products combine stevia leaf extract with other ingredients such as dextrose, maltodextrin, erythritol or other fillers to help reduce the sweetness and mimic the taste of traditional table sugar. So be sure to choose a brand that doesn't contain these fillers if you're sensitive to sugar alcohols.


Swerve is a blend of three ingredients. Erythritol is the first and most prominent ingredient, and is naturally made by fermenting glucose. Prebiotic fibers called oligosaccharides are added, and then the blend is enhanced with some natural flavor from citrus. Swerve provides a similar level of sweetness to sugar and has the ability to caramelize, which makes it great for many holiday recipes!


Some of my favorite recipes include this CLASSIC PUMPKIN PIE (with crust recipe) from the Paleo Running Momma, this KETO PECAN PIE from Taryn at Joy Filled Eats, and our families personal favorite KETO APPLE CRISP from Vered DeLeeuw at the Healthy Recipes blog.

My hope is that these recipes help you enjoy a Thanksgiving feast while still honoring your health goals this year and beyond! HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
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    Tiana Rockwell is a certified nutritional therapist, avid endurance athlete and dark chocolate lover.  She believes that by eating REAL food, we can balance our body and reach optimal health and wellness!

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  • Home
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  • Work with me
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