While the Valentine’s Day frenzy hits today, everyone must be racking their brains with the hope of coming up with an interesting, personalized and let’s not forget a highly romantic gift for their special someone. If you are unable to decide on the right gift for your loved one, then our HealthJockey team comes to your rescue. And it’s not just any gift, as we have handpicked some of the gifts which claim to be ideal for health and fitness.
How about gifting the person very close to your heart something that may keep their heart healthy. Sounds tricky? Let us try again; how about gifting your love something that will bring a wide smile on their face and a twinkle in their eye, but also at the same time won’t negatively affect their health in the long run.
Now you may think who would want to make such a special day sound like another day in your gym with your gym instructor hovering over your head. Since you have to gift your loved one something or the other this Valentine’s, then why not gift them something that’s health friendly.
We may have churned the thinking wheels in your head by now. So let’s get straight to the point and list out a few healthy Valentine’s Day gift suggestions:
1. Chocolates: The first obvious choice would be chocolates, but the sugar-free ones. Now which earthly creature wouldn’t appreciate a box of chocolates? If the sugar-free chocolates are not your forte, you can even opt for the dark chocolates. It is a known fact that cocoa is the source of chocolate; however not many would know that cocoa also consists of various anti-bacterial agents that can actually protect your teeth against tooth decay!
Chocolates are known to have flavonols that prevent cardiovascular diseases as well as maintaining the flexibility of blood vessels. Even various researchers have provided evidence for the same. They have also stated that chocolates increase the antioxidant level in the blood, they keep one’s blood pressure down, they are heart healthy, they prevent clogging of the arteries, and they also give an instant energy lift. Chocolates also contain carbohydrates, which help in bringing about an increase in serotonin level in the brain. Ever wondered why you suddenly experience a surge of happiness or a feeling of content, after munching on that tempting block of chocolate? Well, the reason for the euphoric feeling would be because of chocolates ability to trigger the body’s natural opiate in the brain. Not only this, a reputed University has also stated that chocolate consumption at least thrice every month could supposedly increase an individual’s longevity span! We are sure after reading this; you wouldn’t need a lot of convincing to grab that chocolate bar the next time you go shopping, right? Another health tip would be that dark chocolates are believed to be a healthier option as compared to milk chocolates.
However, in spite of all the positive effects of chocolates, an over consumption should be avoided as it may have an adverse effect on your over-all physique and shape. Other than affecting one’s physical shape, chocolates may also trigger headache in migraine patients.
2. Red Wine: Something that would go best with a box of chocolates would be a bottle of red wine. It is said that one drink a day for women, while one to two drinks a day for men can probably reduce their risk of developing cardiovascular diseases. It is also said to be capable of preventing the formation of blood clots, and also reducing the fat deposit induced damage on blood vessels.
Red wine is a rich source of antioxidants which cleanses the human system. The other advantages of red wine are that it aids in increasing the levels of good cholesterol in the body. To top it up, they also prevent plaque formation and blood clot in the artery walls. Not only this, red wine may also prevent the development of Alzheimer’s disease, blood clot, kidney stones and cardiovascular problems among others.
Red wine consumption can yield positive results only when it is consumed in moderation and not abused. It should be remembered that although red wine has its own benefits, yet it is still hails from the alcohol family and should be consumed responsibly.
3. Spa Essentials: Following red wine, our next suggestion would be a gift comprising of spa essentials. Don’t be surprised, as a spa voucher may actually turn out to be a best suited gift for your special someone. Imagine after having a stressful day at work, how much the body would appreciate being pampered. This spa voucher can do just that, it can aid in relaxing the body. This gift could actually be utilized by both the sexes. You both can pamper yourself by indulging yourself with body massages, deep cleansing facials, body scrubs, pedicures, manicures, etc. among others.
A rapidly changing environmental weather can truly damage the body’s skin cells. Thus, frequent spa treatments could help in getting rid of all these dead skin cells that have formulated on your body. Daily traveling, sunlight and pollution exposure can leave the skin dry and cracked, which is why a sea-salt body scrub may turn out to be just the right thing needed. This scrub could help in shedding all your dry and dead skin cells, which will in turn leave you with a fresh and rejuvenated feeling. You can even go for a good body massage, which will help in improving your body’s blood circulation. All these pampering will relieve your body of all the stress, muscle knot, pain, etc. which may result in a good, peaceful nights sleep. Sounds good, right?
Guys don’t fret, spa benefits are not restricted to the fairer sex; they can be garnered by people belonging to both the sexes. Men, don’t be shy to ask for the facial scrub; it will help you in getting rid of those black heads and acne’s that have resided on your face over a long period of time. If availability of time is a problem, then you and your partner can easily enroll yourself in a class tutoring how to massage each other in the confines of your home. This gift may actually be the best gift that you both can give to each other.
4. Beauty Products: Loitering in the skin pampering zone, our next gift revolves around women. It is known that every woman loves to enhance her beauty with the use of various beauty products. So, obviously an ideal gift for them would be beauty products. However, rather than opting for the synthetic products, use of organic beauty products may prove to be a better option. We are in an age where people have started opting for organic food products on a daily basis, thus the use of organic beauty products is not far away either. The term organic refers to foodstuffs that are grown without any synthetic toxic substance usage. Thus organic skin products would refer to products made out of fruits, herbs and flower buds. A frequent use of such products would truly benefit the skin in the short as well as long run.
Organic products like lip balm, facial cleansers, oil, face balm, nourishing moisturizer, skin toner, etc. will enhance and help in maintaining a healthy and an invigorating skin. Frequent use of these products will soothe, moisturize and leave the skin supple. In unison with a healthy lifestyle, they may even protect the skin from premature aging. These products can usually be used on all skin types, but be sure to get it approved by a dermatologist before use. If you want to take advantage of the benefits garnered by organic beauty products, be sure to opt for the best products and be wary of cheap duplicates.
5. Nuts and Fruits: Following organic products, a gift basket filled with healthy nuts and fruits are the next item on our healthy Valentine’s Day list. Nuts and fruits are known to immensely benefit the body, thus a gift basket filled with such healthy munchies could turn out to be a great gift for your special someone. Daily consumption of nuts like almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, chestnuts, walnuts, pistachios, cashew nuts, etc. can be included in a person’s daily diet for a better health and an over-all well-being.
Nuts are a rich source of proteins, fiber, phytonutrients and antioxidants like selenium and vitamin E. Nuts contain low levels of saturated fat and high levels of unsaturated fat, which in moderation are not harmful for the body. A health study has gone so far to claim that nut consumption for four times a week may have the ability to reduce an individual’s risk of developing heart diseases!
The best way of consuming nuts would be to replace them with foodstuffs that are high in saturated fats, in order to maintain the fat consumption balance in the body. These nuts should be consumed in small quantities on a regular basis in order to benefit positively from it.
Along with nuts, this healthy basket could also contain fruits like berries, grapes, kiwi, leaches, figs, cherries, plums, avocado, black currant, custard apple, lemon, mango, peach, pineapple, pear, pomegranate, etc. Fruits are considered a healthy and a natural form of foodstuffs. They are a rich source of various vitamins and minerals. Fruits are believed to be very helpful in weight loss as well, so it could be the best gift for health conscious love birds. Fruits are also very energizing and they even aid in lowering an individual’s blood pressure. Apart from this, they also lower the risk of developing various cardiovascular diseases and Type 2 diabetes.
High dietary fruit intake has been found to have positive effects on the brain as well, which helps in preventing the onset of various brain diseases including Alzheimer’s disease. Various respected and reputed universities have recommended a daily intake of at least five servings of fruit, in order to maintain an overall healthy well-being. Wait, that’s not all, fruits are also very helpful in slowing down the aging hands of time. Now, how about that? However, having said this, we would also suggest you to seek the approval of a qualified dietitian before adopting any new diet regime.
Well, that brings us to the end of our healthy Valentine’s Day gift list. We hope that you will make the right decision by selecting the right gift, which will express your love as well as prove to be healthy for your special someone. A healthy lifestyle goes a long way. In short, “it’s what we eat today that affects the way we are tomorrow”. We hope to have sensitized you to adopt a healthier and nutritious dietary regime. Wishing all our readers A Happy Valentine’s Day!