Holiday Gift Guide for the Health Conscious: OVER $25

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!

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! 

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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