Happy Holidays: Healthy Christmas Gifts
Happy season will coming soon. Many people is looking for gifts to their friends or family members. Todays, healthy living is most important. This writing is tips for who want get some healthy gifts for your special person.
Every year, we tell the children that Santa will be riding around on his sleigh delivering gifts to boys and girls all over the world. He’ll climb down the chimney, put the gifts beneath the tree, and eat the milk and cookies before taking off for the next house. Sounds pretty realistic, right?
There’s another element of this story that is not spoken about as often, but is true nevertheless – Santa Clause is obese. Not only that, but he’s an old man. On top of that, he is presumably in perfect health. For those of us caught up in the health conscious world of today, this element of the story is even more difficult to believe. After all, shouldn’t Santa have had a heart attack by now? Don’t they have any health professionals up at the North Pole?
A Health Conscious Santa
So let’s stop and think for a second. What if Santa’s large girth were to cause some serious health problem? What if he became enlightened and felt health was a gift to be treasured? What presents would our new, health-conscious Santa be packing in his sleigh?
what Santa would pack for…
The Busy Person
For the family or friend who juggles many roles and is short of time, a cookbook focusing on healthy meals is a great gift idea. Two of Santa’s picks might be Great Food Fast, from Dietitians of Canada or 365 Days of Healthy Eating from the American Dietetic Association. These two books have many easy-to-prepare recipe and meal ideas along with nutrition tips.
what Santa would pack for…
The Homey Person
For the friend or family member who rarely enjoys a home-baked treat, cookies or squares made with little or no fat would be a thoughtful way to go. But how do we take the fat out? Simple – when fat is used in a recipe, oil or non-hydrogenated margarine is often a suitable replacement. For an intense Christmas flavor, try adding dried cranberry and orange peel to cookies or squares.
what Santa would pack for…
The Socially Conscious Person
For the socially conscious person, Santa would donate money on their behalf to a local food bank or children’s breakfast program. International programs also need donations for basic food in refuge camps and in disaster stricken areas.
what Santa would pack for…
The Health Conscious Person
For the person who wonders about vitamins, supplements, and how to work off the pounds, go for a gift certificate for a nutrition consultation with a registered dietitian. To find a dietitian in your area, see the websites of the American Dietetic Association or Dietitians of Canada.
what Santa would pack for…
The Person with Everything
For the person with everything, arrange a gift basket with intensely flavored mustards, jams and jellies. Intense flavor means less salt or sugar in a meal.
what Santa would pack for…
The Vegetarian-to-be
For the teenager who is wondering about a vegetarian lifestyle, Becoming Vegetarian (2nd edition) by V. Melina, B. Davis and V. Harrison is a good introduction with some great recipes. One of the biggest challenges for an omnivore switching to a vegetarian diet is learning to incorporate legumes in their diet. There’s a lot more to know as well.
what Santa would pack for…
The Nutrition Junkie
For the person who chases the latest and greatest nutrition fad, get a book that encourages healthy eating such as the Complete Food and Nutrition Guide, from the American Dietetic Association. A basic nutrition reference helps clear up common myths and encourages a pattern of healthy eating.
what Santa would pack for…
The Cheese Lover
Believe it or not, the world is full of cheese lovers. For the person who can’t get enough cheese on a variety of foods, a cheese sampler might be just the solution. A few recipes are also helpful.
a healthy santa
To true believers, Santa may never experience this transformation in his lifestyle. However, our health is one of the most important resources we have. So treasure it all year long