Dr. Nancy Palermo

By: Dr. Nancy Palermo

If the last two years had shown us anything it is that wellness must be a way of life.

The pandemic has reminded us that our health must be a priority. Data shows that 94% of those individuals who were hospitalized and diet of COVID had comorbidities like obesity, diabetes, and heart disease and unfortunately this virus is not going away soon. These facts may be the best reason to give gifts for self-care and wellness this year. Your friends and family will thank you and will be appreciative to get a gift that will put them on the right path to health in 2022.

We wanted to help you with your Christmas shopping by putting together a healthy gift list. You can check off your list and have more time for some self-care and reflection on your own health.

Food

Food is medicine so one of the best ways to promote health is with clean, organic food.

Thrives Local CSA through Farm Fresh Carolinas

• Farm Fresh weekly or monthly organic local vegetables, fruits, sprouts, and local organic products. Sign up through Thrive to get additional benefits and delivery to the Thrive office.

Organic Groceries

• Thrive Market Cookbook and yearly membership (Membership $59.95 per year Cookbook $29.95) Save over 30% on organic groceries plus every membership supports a family in need. That is something to feel good about.

Organic Meat and Poultry

• A gift card to Grass Roots Farmer’s Cooperative or ButcherBox. Support the farmers and meat producers who are doing the right thing. When you do this you can help make changes to factory farms that are not helping our health or our environment. These companies provide organic sustainably raised meats delivered to your door.

Clean Seafood

• Gift Card to Vital Choice– Order wild, sustainable fish of the best quality. Plus free shipping on orders $99+!

Organic Oils and Vinegars

• Organic Olive Oil and Vinegars – Enzo’s Table harvests and produces estate-grown, award-winning ENZO Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Organic Balsamic Vinegar, Organic Olive Oils, and Vinegars made
  in the US. Wonderful holiday boxes are now available.

Organic Coffee

• Organic Coffee- Coffee is a staple in our lives but unfortunately if can often contain pesticides and chemicals which negate the positive antioxidant benefits, especially if not produced organically or if made with coffee pods. Treat those you love to organic locally made coffee produced right here in NC.

Mindful Gifts of Health, Self-Care, and Cause

• A Thrive Gift Card for a Massage or Facial-Cannot go wrong with one of these (www.thrivecarolinas.com)
• Gift of Eminence Skin Care. The number one organic skincare in the world. (www.thrivecarolinas.com)

Clean the Air in their home while also offering beauty.

The air in our homes can be filled with toxins and chemicals. Houseplants are a great way to clean the air. White Flower Farm has an extensive offering of houseplants with care guides to help you keep them green and healthy. ( www.whiteflowerfarm.com )

Clean water is key to health.

Unfortunately, tap water has toxins, pesticides, and chlorine which can wreak havoc on our microbiome and our health. Whole house water filters and under sink water filters can be expensive but a water bottle that filters the water is a great option. Check out Clearly Filtered Insulated SS Filtered Water Bottle. ($60 for bottle and $25 for replacement filters)

Practicing Gratitude can be life-changing. Consider offering gratitude cards or journals as a meaningful gift.

Look at the Intelligent Choice 5-minute Journal or Gratitude cards (www.amazon.com) to get an inexpensive but life-changing gift.

Books that can change health

• Words to Live By – A beautiful book of 50 quotes by 50 inspiring women combined with illustrations. A motivational and powerful gift for women and girls
• Food What the Heck Should I Eat by Mark Hyman – A perfect resource for those trying to figure out how to navigate the food wars. Provides a roadmap to get started on a clean diet.
• Metabolical by Robert Lustig – A deep dive into the food industry which provides sufficient motivation to clean up your diet.

Cookbooks for Health

• Skinny Taste Series by Gina Holmolka
• Balanced by Laura Lea

Mindfulness and Positivity Books

• Good Morning I Love You by Shauna Shapiro: Mindfulness and Self-Compassion Practices to Rewire your Brain for Calm, Clarity, and Joy
• A Year Subscription to Experience Life magazine. – Experience Life covers the cutting edge side of fitness, nutrition, and wellness, and helps you discover the joy of new, active adventures. It gives you the heads-up about truly worthy products — from healthy foods and fitness gear to natural health and beauty products. But it also focuses on the common-sense essentials, the nuts-and-bolts information that can be easy to overlook during diet crazes and fitness fads competing for attention.

The Holiday Gift Box by The Environmental Working Group (EWG) A Thrive Favorite

The Environmental Working Group works hard every day producing the research you need to protect yourself and your family. It is expensive work and is not funded by corporations so they count on donors to keep it up. This is the information we need to know. They are responsible for The Skin Deep Cosmetics Database, the Clean Fifteen and the Dirty Dozen, and the research on pesticides and other chemicals in your food and drinking water. During the holiday season with a $135 donation, you will get the 2021 Holiday Box filled with two books on clean living ( Imagine It and Food Story ) Kleen tumblers and a number of other clean goodies. Only available while supplies last. (www.EWG.org)