Community Healthcare Network

Tis the season for gift giving! If you’re looking for meaningful gifts that promote health, physical, and mental wellness, consider options that will benefit those in your life all year long.

Here are some thoughtful gift ideas:

  • Potted herb plants – Choose potted herb plants for cooking and wellness.
  • Home work-out gear – Encourage and promote fitness by staying in gear for virtual at home classes or any work-out routine.
  • Healthy meal kits – Prioritize nutritious eating by treating your loved one to a year-long subscription to a home meal delivery service.
  • Water bottles or water filters – Encourage hydration on the go with a re-usable water bottle.
  • Fitness or sleep trackers – Gift a gadget that helps monitor and set physical and wellness goals.
  • Gym membership – Give the gift of motivation and physical activity. Sponsor a 6 or 12-month gym membership or streaming subscription.
  • Language learning membership – Promote continual cognitive learning at any age. Fund a membership to a language learning app.
  • Gift card to a healthy restaurant – Gift your loved one a nutritious meal at their favorite restaurant.

Personalize your gift-giving this season and consider crafting handmade gifts that show you care:

  • Bath bombs – Moisturizing bath bombs help hydrate skin, relax and soothe sore muscles (see recipe on next page).
  • Family scrapbooks – Gather mementos, pictures, and notes in a scrapbook using personalized decorations reflecting your recipient’s interests.
  • DIY handmade journals – Create a personalized journal where your recipient can feel empowered to memorialize their thoughts, dreams, goals, wishes, and experiences.
  • Scented sachets – Sew small fabric bags with dried herbs or lavender to freshen up drawers or closets with a natural, clean and calming scent.
  • Infused oils and vinegars – For those who love to cook, fill decorative bottles with olive oil, vinegar and fresh herbs or spices to garnish foods and use as marinades.
  • Customized recipe book – Collect and handwrite all your favorite recipes on special paper and organize them into a recipe book.
  • Custom candles – Craft personalized scented candles using essential oils and decorative jars.
  • Personalized mugs – Embellish plain ceramic mugs with oil-based paint or markers and personalize by adding names, quotes or designs that reflect each person’s personality.

What you eat can affect the health of your teeth and gums. Eating poorly can lead to cavities and gum disease. A diet rich in calcium, fiber, and lean protein can help keep your teeth strong and healthy. A balanced diet equals a healthy smile!

To protect your teeth, limit foods that can cause your teeth to weaken. It’s best to limit foods and drinks high in sugars or starches and that are easily caught in your teeth, such as:

  • Soda
  • Juice
  • Candy
  • Cookies
  • Pastries
  • Sugary cereals
  • Crackers
  • Chips

Include more of these foods and drinks for healthy teeth and gums:

  • Cheese, milk, and yogurt are high in calcium, which helps build strong bones and teeth. Cheese and milk also have casein, which strengthens your teeth’s protective coating, called enamel. Yogurt has probiotics, which protect against gun disease, cavities, and bad breath.
  • Water is the best drink, especially water treated with fluoride, which protects your teeth from cavities.
  • Fruits and vegetables have fiber, which helps clean your teeth and makes more saliva. Saliva helps neutralize the acid that weakens teeth.
  • Nuts and seeds have phosphorus, a mineral that protects your teeth.
  • Lean meat and fatty fish makes you chew and produce saliva, which neutralizes acid. Fatty fish are also a good source of phosphorus to protect your teeth’s enamel.