Our Holiday Gift Guide

Posted by Healthful Elements Staff

This post was written by Lisa Markley, MS, RDN, who, along with Jill, co-authored the #1 best selling Essential Thyroid Cookbook.

The magic of the holiday season is in full force, but I’ve yet to start my shopping. Can you relate? 

I had a lot of fun putting together this gift guide to help! You’ll find an array of goods that I own, have successfully gifted, or have on my own list this year. 

There’s something for everyone on this list. I broke it down into products for the Home Cook, the Self-Care Seeker, the Cookbook Lover/Meal Planner, the Person On-the-Go, the Health Investor, and Stocking Stuffers/Small Gifts.

You can find even more items in our cookbook online store, but below is my short and sweet list. You’ll find a variety of items at various price points to meet most any budget!

[This post contains affiiate links. We’ll receive a small commission if you purchase through these links, at no additional cost to you.]

For the Home Cook 

Santoku knife: A good quality chef’s knife is key for kitchen efficiency and will last a lifetime. This is my favorite.

The Obsessive Chef bamboo cutting board: This unique cutting board has guide lines to help you perfect your slicing and dicing skills. 

Boos cutting board: A super durable and reliable kitchen classic.

Instant Pot: This year everyone I know is jumping on the Instant Pot bandwagon (myself included!). I mean who wouldn’t want an appliance that helps dinner practically make itself?

Dutch oven: This solid piece of cookware is great for soups and stews, braised meats, and vegetables. It transfers nicely from stovetop to oven.

Bees Wrap: Ok, so I may be the only one who would appreciate getting reusable food storage wrap for Christmas, but at least it’s kinda cute. It’ll make your giftee feel better about cutting plastic wrap out of their lives and out of the landfill.

Bose SoundLink Revolve Portable Bluetooth Speaker: Wanna know my secret for creating an upbeat kitchen environment, even as the dishes are piling up around me? Listening to my favorite Pandora station cranked as loudly as I want on a portable Bluetooth speaker. 

For the Self Care Seeker

Live Freely Circle: The Live Freely Circle is a fun, supportive, compassionate, virtual tribe and monthly membership program created by my holistic life coach friend, Shannon Kinney-Düh. She guides those in the online circle through nurturing, creative, and reflective self-discovery activities to help tune-in and find peace, clarity, and contentment. I’ve taken Shannon’s classes and they’re truly transformative.

Restorative yoga bolster: After taking a few restorative and yin yoga classes, I decided I couldn’t live without one of these bolsters for my home yoga practice. It’s great for doing gentle heart-opening poses to help improve posture and counteract all of the slouching that’s taking place in front of the computer these days.

GRID foam roller: A foam roller is incredibly helpful for breaking up stagnation in your joint and muscle tissues and can help reduce pain and improve circulation. Put it on your wish list…your body will thank you!

Essential oil aroma diffuser and cool mist humidifier: A humidifier is great for taking the edge off of drying winter air, but this one is particularly great because it doubles as an essential oil diffuser. The diffused oils can also help cleanse the air of pathogens and add a relaxing fragrance to the room.

Organic essential oil starter kit: This is a great starter kit that includes some essential oil favorites: tea tree, peppermint, lavender, eucalyptus, rosemary, lemongrass, and an inner peace blend. And they’re all organic!

Lavender silk eye pillow: Deep, restful sleep is critical for good health. I can’t live without my eye pillow, especially when traveling.

Therapeutic bath salts: You can’t ever go wrong with therapeutic bath salts. Taking a long soak in a warm tub has long been an important pillar of self care.

For the Cookbook Lover / Meal Planner 

The Essential Thyroid Cookbook: Shameless plug alert…Jill and I wholeheartedly feel that our cookbook makes the perfect gift, for anyone and everyone. We wouldn’t have used the word ‘essential’ in the title if we didn’t think everyone could benefit from and enjoy it!

The Flavor Bible: This is a great book for the cook who wants to explore creating delicious flavor combinations without necessarily having to follow a recipe. I’ve often found myself using it when trying a new ingredient from the farmers’ market that I’ve maybe never had before (kohlrabi, anyone?). This is an indispensable resource for any chef or home cook.

The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook: This is one of my favorite go-to cookbooks for nourishing, health-supportive recipes that don’t lack in flavor yet also appeal to those with food allergies/sensitivities. My friends, Tom and Ali, do an impeccable job providing several informative chapters on the importance of living (or transitioning to) a whole foods lifestyle.

The Nourished Planner: This little planner is on my wish list this year. It claims it will help create simplicity and under-schedule my life…plus there are templates for meal-planning and journaling. Hook me up! 

For the Person On the Go

Swell water bottle: Having a beautiful water bottle just may help you actually meet your fluid intake needs for the day. I love the slim design of this bottle as it fits easily into most cup holders. 

Tea infuser insulated travel bottle: This durable, portable bottle is the perfect size for toting along a comforting cup (or 16.9 ounces rather) of tea. Skip the lines and the $4 price tag at the coffee shop and brew your own.

Portable charger (external battery power bank): This small, lightweight high-speed power bank is indispensable for charging your phone and other devices while on the go. 

For the Health Investor

Big Berkey water filter: Improve the taste and purity of your tap water with this water filtration system. Tap water, even though it’s been “treated,” can still contain chemicals (e.g. chlorine) and other contaminants that would be best to avoid. Bottled water comes in wasteful, plastic bottles and isn’t a sustainable solution for helping you meet your fluid needs.

Vitamix blender: My Vitamix is indispensable for making smoothies, fresh juices, homemade nut milks, homemade nut butters, velvety soups, sauces, and dressings. It’s so versatile!

2-person far infrared sauna: Having your own sauna is certainly a luxury, but it’s also an important investment in your health, particularly if you need support with detoxing. Sweating is one of the body’s most important ways to eliminate toxins from the body. If you suffer from chronic pain or fatigue, you may find it difficult to be physically active enough to sweat. I’ve experienced first-hand the benefits of using an infrared sauna for detox.

Portable near infrared sauna: These saunas are beautifully hand-crafted and are sleek, minimalist, and portable. It’s a transformative healing space that fits in any home.

Stocking Stuffers / Small Gifts

Jenaluca scoops: These scoops are actually quite elegant! I use them for scooping muffin batter into muffin cups, making meatballs, mounding filling for stuffed mushrooms, balling melons, and cookie dough, of course! They help create evenly portioned servings.

Electric foam milk frother­: This fun tool falls in the want (not need) category, but it’s SOOO great for easily frothing your own milk on the stovetop. I like to use it when making my Golden Milk recipe from our Essential Thyroid Cookbook.

Small Changes Big Shifts: This small, easy to read book by our friend, Dr. Michelle Robin, is a simple, yet comprehensive guide for “putting the odds in your favor” when it comes to health. It’s the perfect gift for someone who may be new to making the transition to a healthier lifestyle, but it’s also full of practical wisdom and gentle reminders for those who may already be there.

Zumbo Kiss lip balm: Do you or anyone you know have trouble keeping track of your lip balm? That will no longer be a problem with this jumbo, luxuriously oversized stick.

Konjac facial sponge with activated charcoal: This intriguing facial sponge is great for cleansing and exfoliating sensitive skin.

Dark Chocolate Mint Vitality Zing Bars: If you’re looking for a sweet treat to stuff your stockings with, try this healthful alternative!

Posted by Healthful Elements Staff

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