Valentine’s Day often brings to mind cards, candy, dinner out, and romantic gifts. It’s a day that gives us all a chance to express how much we care about those nearest and dearest to us. But there’s no greater gift to someone you care about than the gift of good health and well-being. This Valentine’s Day, why not give the holiday a new meaning to those you love by giving gifts that can promote good health? Consider these fun gift suggestions that keep health top-of-mind during this heartfelt holiday:
- For the busy person who often burns both ends of the candle, consider a gift certificate for a massage. A massage may help relieve tense muscles, alleviate stress, and promote relaxation.
- For someone in your life who loves to cook, how about giving them a cookbook that features delicious, gourmet, healthy recipes? This can encourage eating healthier foods without taking the fun out of cooking. As an added bonus, they can always invite you over to try out those fat-free, lower calorie dishes—it’s a win-win for everyone!
- Looking to get your loved one to exercise more? Consider giving a pedometer, a device that counts the number of steps a person takes, which can help foster more interest in daily exercise. Use Valentine’s Day and February—which is Heart Health Awareness month—as an opportunity to commit to fitness for a healthier heart. Come to think of it…could you benefit from a few extra steps in your life, too? Why not buy two pedometers and take those steps together? (You can become “sole mates!”)
- Stumped about what to get the kids for Valentine’s Day? How about giving them a gift that starts their day off right—the gift of breakfast! Start their day off with a healthy smoothie made with fresh, antioxidant-packed fruits (berries, bananas, oranges, pineapple) and low-fat yogurt. Serve the smoothie in a plastic thermos or water bottle decorated with hearts or another seasonal design. The kids can reuse this bottle and fill it with water or other healthy drinks.
- Instead of gifting a high-calorie box of chocolates, how about giving a gift that has more permanence? Either write your own poem, or search online for a poem, that describes your feelings towards your loved one. Type the poem and put it in a festive frame for a gift that can bring a smile to someone’s face!
- Go nuts on a food basket filled with healthy snacks. Use Valentine’s-themed treat bags to create single-serve packets that contain a handful of heart-healthy nuts like walnuts, almonds or cashews. For an extra-special touch, consider adding a little love note to each bag. Create a gift basket that includes fresh fruit like apples and bananas in addition to the treat bags.
Use this Valentine’s Day as an opportunity to tell your loved ones how much you care, and share ways that you can support each other’s health and wellness. If you are a Health Advocate member and want to learn about more heart-healthy ideas, call us! Our Personal Health Advocates can guide you in finding a new doctor who can perform a blood pressure and cholesterol screening, a nutritionist who can help you improve your diet, and more.
