November 19, 2009
Happy Holidays! It's a joyous time of year if we don't let the stress of shopping, cooking and socializing get us down. In this issue we offer you loads of ideas for healthy holiday shopping that won't break your budget or your stress meter. And as promised, we're delivering you our sugar free, gluten free recipes for pecan pie, pumpkin pie and cranberry sauce. Check it all out in time to make your healthy holiday plans!
Healthy Blessings, Cindy and Jo
Volume I, Issue 7, November 2009
In this Edition
- Make Your Holiday Shopping Easy and Healthy
- How to Create Homemade Gift Baskets
- Pumpkin, Pecan and Cranberries - oh my!
- The Whole Body Detox Diet Store for One Stop Shopping
- Angela's Detox Experience
How to Make Your Holiday Shopping Healthy
It can be so much fun to give and receive gifts over the holidays! It’s a beautiful tradition. But, as you know, it can also be stressful, expensive and create tons of unnecessary waste. This beautiful exchange of love and appreciation has been taken over by big companies and the advertising industry. And it’s been blown way out of healthy proportion.
So this year, in the name of health, well-being and environmental stewardship, you can do it a little different. Instead of waiting until the last minute and fighting traffic at the mall to find the same old “stuff” to fill boxes for everyone on your list, plan ahead and shop smart for healthy gift giving.
Give the Gift of Health
Think about the truest gift you want for your loved ones and the planet. Picture your friends and family living more healthful and fulfilling lives. Health and joy grow from small seeds of inspiration, support and love. Now consider what type of gift may inspire and support each of them toward deeper health. It may be an inspiring book, healthy snacks, exotic superfoods, healing teas, natural personal care products, or a gift certificate for a massage. You may even create a gift basket filled with all of these things! There are many options when it comes to healthy gifts and we’ve compiled many excellent choices for you in our Whole Body Detox Diet Store.
We’ve brainstormed, researched and gathered together high quality, health promoting gifts and ideas to make healthy holiday shopping easier and more rewarding for you. Planning ahead and shopping online is a great way to keep your stress levels low and preserve your own health and sanity through the holiday season.
Health Services
A gift certificate to a natural spa, bodyworker or alternatve health care practitioner is a great way to treat your loved ones to better health. It will give them a chance to try something new. Look into local massage therapists, Reiki practitioners, acupuncturists and/or natural day spas to see what’s available in your area. An all-natural facial or seaweed wrap from a day spa can inspire someone to feel good about themselves!
Another great way to encourage good health for your loved ones is to give them a gift certificate for personalized Detox Coaching. Check out Jo’s website for levels of support that would make the best fit. This is a great way to help someone get back on track after the holidays and feel motivated to take excellent care of their precious body.
Healthy Knowledge
Knowledge is a gift that keeps on giving. Once your mind is opened to a new way of thinking, your life is forever changed. The books, cookbooks and health guides we’ve come across over the years have made an enormous difference in our health and our ability to help others be healthy. Inspiring books, guides and fun to use cookbooks are a great gift to give at the holidays.
We’ve compiled some of our own experience and knowledge in our first two electronic publications. The Whole Body 1 Week Detox Diet Guide and 52 Delicious Detox Recipes from Whole Body Detox Diet are helpful and fun to use health resources to share with your loved ones.
Or choose from our favorite inspirational books and cookbooks. Here are our top recommendations:
- In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto by Michael Pollan
- The 21-Day Consciousness Cleanse by Debbie Ford
- Green for Life by Victoria Boutenko
- Greens Glorious Greens by Johnna Albi
- The Ayurvedic Cookbook by Amadea Morningstar
- Rainbow Green Live-Food Cuisine by Gabriel Cousens
Healthy Tools
Practical healthy tools make great gifts too! Give your loved ones something they will use as a healthy part of their daily lives.
The Sprout Garden 3 Tray Family Sprouting Kit includes everything you need to make your own delicious sprouts all year round. The Herbal Medicine Making Kit from LearningHerbs.com is another fun and useful tool. It provides all the necessary equipment and information to make your own herbal remedies. This comprehensive kit makes learning to make your own tinctures, salves and infusions fun and easy.
And, for kids of all ages, LearningHerbs.com also carries a beautiful cooperative board game that teaches the names and uses of herbs. WildCraft! An Herbal Adventure Game is super fun to play! We love to share this adventure with our kids and their friends. If there’s a child in your life this may be the perfect present for them!
Now that the days are short and it’s cold outside your loved ones might need a little motivation to get their bodies moving. Maybe they need one of our favorite exercise videos or tools to inspire them to exercise this winter. We know that exercise has to be fun to be worth it so we’ve picked out some great dance workout videos that can get your blood moving and feed your soul. Our favorites are The Bollywood Dance Workout with Hemalayaa, African Healing Dance, and The Nia Technique: The High-Powered Energizing Workout that Gives You a New Body and a New Life.
Gift Baskets filled with healthy treats and tools are another simple, creative and affordable way to share health and joy. Read on to discover more ideas and details on homemade gifts and gift baskets.
Have fun and keep it simple. Remember that peace and joy of life are the reasons we celebrate.
Special Detox Tip: How to Make Gift Baskets
Want something creative and healthy for gift giving this year? Making your own gift baskets is fun and affordable!
A homemade gift basket is an arrangement of small, complementary gifts presented together artfully. When you create a gift basket you can make it as inexpensive or elaborate as you want. You can fill your homemade gift baskets with items that you buy or healthy treats that you make yourself.
To kick off ideas for you, we've created an assortment of gift basket ideas and content lists. Our themed baskets include an Herbal Tea Basket, Sushi Basket, Superfoods Basket, Sprouting Basket, Raw Fruit and Nut Basket, Natural Bath Basket, and Herbal Coffee Basket. Ranging in price from $25-$45, these baskets make perfect holiday gifts that inspire health and promote well-being.
Visit our Homemade Gift Baskets page for these and many more healthy gift basket ideas!
Featured Recipes: Pecan Pie, Pumpkin Pie and Cranberry Sauce
Holiday feasts don't have to be laden with sugar, dairy, wheat and preservatives. We have loads of recipes to help you bring health and celebration to your holiday table. And we promised to give you our pie recipes this month, along with our special raw cranberry sauce. So here they are - just click on the links for each recipe!
Our Vegan Pumpkin Pie will give you the classic taste of this traditional dessert without all the egg, dairy and sugar. It's great topped with one of our sugar free ice creams. And if your favorite pie is the creamy, chewy, nutty one, check out our Sugar Free Pecan Pie. It's so scrumptious and nutritious - your guests won't believe that it's made without the sugar, dairy, wheat and corn syrup.
Cranberries are a classic American Thanksgiving side dish. They are also a powerful detox food - but not with all the sugar added. Our raw cranberry sauce is a delicious way to enjoy the fresh tart taste of cranberries while retaining all of their live enzymes and nutrients.
Enjoy your holiday feasts and let us know what new healthy food traditions you create!
The Whole Body Detox Diet Store
If you haven't visited our Whole Body Detox Store yet, check it out! We've gathered the best detox tools, books, videos, kitchen equipment, personal care tools and healthy foods we could find. It's now listed on one convenient page along with an Amazon store featuring over 200 hand selected products.
Each of these sources is Whole Body Detox Diet approved. We only recommend products or types of products that we use ourselves and have researched to be sure they use only pure, natural ingredients without unnecessary fillers and additives.
Do you need extra support for your detox and healthy lifestyle? Jo delAmor, Holistic Health Counselor, provides professional detox guidance and health counseling. She'll help you create and follow through with a plan that's just right for your specific needs, concerns and conditions.
Click here for details on guided detox programs with Jo. Holiday Gift Certificates are now available!
"All is well. You did not come here to fix a broken world. The world is not broken. You came here to live a wonderful life. And if you can learn to relax a little and let it all in, you will begin to see the universe present you with all that you have asked for."
~Abraham
Angela's 7 Day Detox Story
The Whole Body 7 Day Detox Diet was just what I needed to turn my eating habits around. I love to eat sugar and I also find myself eating wheat and dairy products because they are quick. The most helpful thing about the detox week for me was being told what to eat and being supplied with the recipe. Instead of dreading what to make for dinner, I looked forward to it!When I saw the detox plan, I thought this is something I can definately do, but I knew I had to plan and set aside time to make this my number one priority. I looked forward to not having to think about what to eat and being able to prepare new recipes. The banana bread was really really good, and the cherry almond shake too. I didn't even need the other desserts and snacks because I was so satisfied with the meals - and it fed my whole family for a week!
Planning is everything - it sets a positive intention. I'm going to keep doing it!
Angela, Colorado
Buy Now and Start YOUR 7 Day Detox!