Michelle Schoffro Cook

Make this holiday season a healthy one with gifts that will inspire joy and  health for everyone on your list.  Here are some holiday gift ideas:

Great Book:  Wild Fermentation

Did you know that fermented foods can improve digestion and even help fight or prevent cancer?  True.  Sandor Ellix Katz, the self-described “fermentation fetishist” has created the ultimate book on fermenting foods.  This is an amazing gift for anyone who wants to learn how to make her own yogurt, beer, miso, tempeh, sourdough bread, sauerkraut, kimchi, pickles, wine, and more.  I love this book and keep going back to it to discover more great fermented foods that promote health.  I think the foodie on your list will love it too.

Food Basket:  Gluten-Free and Allergen-Free Food Basket from Allergic Solution

Whether you’re trying to appeal to the gluten-free eater, the diabetic, the person with the peanut allergy, or someone just trying to eat healthier, Allergic Solutions has the answer.  Tammie Sarra--a nutritionist—was looking for prepared cake, waffle, pancake, and bread mixes that were vegan and free of the top 10 allergens (wheat, gluten, corn, soy, dairy, casein, eggs, peanuts, tree-nuts .  She wanted mixes that could be whipped up in a pinch and that she could feel comfortable recommending to her allergic clients.  Unable to find them, she created them.  You’ll find vanilla cake mix, carob cake mix, pancake and waffle mix, and a yeast-free bread mix.  All of Allergic Solutions’ products are vegan, kosher, low in sugar, and diabetic friendly.  And, they are suitable for a weight loss program too.  You’ll find the “Bread Lovers Basket,” “Cake Lovers Basket,” “Waffle Lovers Basket,” “Cupcake Lovers Basket,” and even a “Pizza Lovers Basket” at the company’s site.

Makeup for the Healthy Woman:  Bellaphoria Cosmetics

One of the most common questions I’ve heard from my clients over the last two decades is, “What makeup do you recommend?”  To be honest, for many years, I couldn’t find one that was sufficiently toxin-free enough to recommend.  More recently though, I came across Bellaphoria cosmetics.  These cosmetics are free of genetically-modified organisms (GMOs), petrochemicals, liquid plastic (yes, that’s in many cosmetics!), silicone, nano-particles, and MSG.  Their cosmetics are also gluten-free, corn-free, preservative-free, and free of synthetic chemicals and FD & C dyes of all kinds.  And, of course, they are never tested on animals.  Bellaphoria cosmetics come in a huge variety of colors so you’re certain to find something for the makeup-wearing women on your list.  If you’re not sure which shades will work, they offer gift cards too.

Classic Gift:  Juiceman JM1000M Juicer

Juiceman has been around for years…and there’s a good reason for it—he juices daily!  This juicer is a great gift for anyone who lives a healthy lifestyle and anyone who wants to.  Who doesn’t want to be healthier?  Fresh juices are packed with vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, and enzymes that build healthier cells, tissues, organs, and bodies!

Gift for the Kitchen Gardener:  Sprout Seed Kit from Handy Pantry

Sprouts are the ultimate locally-grown food.  With a handful of seeds, a jar with a mesh lid, and some water, anyone can grow his own sprouts. This sprout kit from Handy Pantry contains a wide variety of sprouts, including:  mung bean, alfalfa, broccoli, lentil, clover, buckwheat, mixed beans, and more.  Sprouting supercharges the nutrients in food and adds the missing element in most diets—enzymes.  Fresh sprouts are packed with enzymes.  Give the gift of health to the amateur or advanced gardener or anyone looking to have more energy.

Stocking Stuffer:   Sprouting Lids from Now Foods

The sprouting lids from Now Foods have stainless steel mesh and fit on a standard wide-mouth mason jar.  They make it easy to grow your own sprouts.

Subscribe to my free e-magazine World’s Healthiest News to receive monthly health news, tips, recipes and more. Follow me on Twitter @mschoffrocook and Facebook.  Copyright Michelle Schoffro Cook, PhD.