15 Brain-Healthy Holiday Gifts (with discount codes)
Plus, my secret to stress-free giving
I write to you from my hometown of Jackson, Wyoming where I’m enjoying these early winter days. I like to think of it as the Snowglobe Phase. A constant stream of impossibly light snow puts everyone in an A+ mood. The mountains glow pink in the evening and no one is complaining that it may dip down to 10 below soon. There’s snow to shovel and wood to stack, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I hope your winter is off to a nice start, too.
The holidays are right around the corner and if you’re like me, you haven’t even started shopping. My personal procrastination style stems from perfectionism—I want to find the exact right gift for each person. Plus, I don’t really love shopping. This year, however, I rallied so I could help YOU shop, all in the name of brain health.
Why not give a gift that will help your recipient cultivate a brain-healthy lifestyle? I’ve curated a list of a few of my favorite things, nicely priced so you can treat yourself, too. Note that some of these gifts (like the olive oil from Sicily) could arrive in January. No worries: it will give your recipient something to look forward to on a mid-winter’s day.
Psst…Don’t miss Gift #15. It's my secret to stress-free holidays.
Spirit-free drinks. Do you know someone who is cutting back on alcohol? Or, maybe your giftee (like 30% of Americans) doesn’t imbibe at all. If so, it’s especially thoughtful to give a supply of non-alcoholic beverages. My favorites: craft beer from Athletic Brewing Co, alcohol-free apéritif from Ghia, and booze-free botanicals from Seedlip. Try Athletic Brews with $10 off your first order when you use the code WELCOME10.
Eye mask for side sleepers. Good quality sleep is crucial for lasting brain health. A comfortable light-blocking eye mask can really help a light sleeper stay asleep. I’ve tried many brands and this LitBear Sleep Mask is my top choice. It fits loosely yet stays put when I roll onto my side, and the inside is contoured so it doesn’t brush the eyes.
A Box of Dates. Not just any dates, but a large box of big, soft, caramelly dates from the family-owned organic Desert Fruit Farms in Arizona. These dates are a staple ingredient in Brain Health Kitchen recipes. Full of fiber and brain-boosting flavonoids, good-quality dates can replace the sugar in cookies, cakes, smoothies, pie crusts, and more. The large Medjools are soft and plump, perfect for snacking and stuffing. Or, choose confection Medjools (which have slight imperfections and are lower in price) for cooking. Enter Brainhealth15 at checkout for 15% off until December 31, 2022.
The Brain Health Kitchen book + Substack. May I humbly suggest my new cookbook as the perfect gift for your brain-loving recipient? I packed all 400 pages with as much science, practical wisdom, and helpful tips as possible. Plus, there are 100 recipes! For the ultimate BHK gift, add a year’s subscription to my Substack newsletter. I’ll guide your giftee’s brain health journey with twice weekly posts about taking care of his or her brain.
Order the book by December 20 and I’ll send YOU a gift: an instant download of The Brain Health Kitchen Starter Kit, which includes a detailed grocery shopping list and other tips on keeping your brain healthy. Plus, visual guides that you can cut out and use as reminders of the simple steps you can take to start brain-healthy eating now. And, an invitation to an upcoming Kitchen Chat with author Lisa Genova. Learn more here.
MELT Method Hand and Foot Treatment Kit + Private Sessions. Self-massage with these small rubber balls not only feels amazing, it is part of a science-based system to keep limber and healthy. This MELT kit comes with instructions in a handy travel bag. I don’t go anywhere without them! For professional coaching on the MELT method, my friend (and exercise guru) Stacy Fisher is offering the BHK community a MELT for Beginners Package: 3 one-on-one private sessions for $215. Email info@fisherfitness.com and mention the BHK discount.
Weighted blanket. Another small luxury to help your giftee sleep more soundly: a weighted blanket has been shown to help boost the body’s own melatonin production. Prices range from basic to luxe. Blanket weight is based on the recipient’s approximate body weight, so you’ll need that when you order.
Meditation app subscriptions. Stress mitigation is an important pillar of brain health. But starting a meditation habit can be challenging. Apps like Headspace and Calm make it easy by offering starter meditation packs of just a few minutes a day and gentle reminders to dive back in.
Non-stick ceramic pots and pans. I used to struggle to find pans that both perform well and are free of chemicals that could scrape off into my food. The line of cookware from Our Place has everything I want in a pan or a pot: a beautiful design, lots of cool colors, and a ceramic non-stick coating that is impermeable to heavy metals. I own several pieces, my favorites being the Always Pan, the Mini Perfect Pot, and the Tiny Cast Iron Skillet.
Wild-Caught Seafood and Alaska Salmon. Wild-caught seafood provides the highest amounts of the essential brain nutrients DHA and EPA, omega-3 fats that protect the brain from aging. That’s why I recommend eating fish or other seafood at least once a week. Having a freezer full of seafood makes it easy. Plus, it’s important to buy from a trusted source. (It’s shocking that two-thirds of all seafood has been mislabeled by the time it gets to a restaurant or grocery store.) For the last 10 years I have ordered my seafood from these family-owned sister companies: Pride of Bristol Bay and Wild for Salmon. The fish is frozen on the boat, vacuum packed, and shipped on dry ice to my door. The quality is impeccable, and I never have to wonder where my fish came from. Enter BHK10 for 10% off your first order.
24Bottles by Clima. Your brain performs optimally when hydrated; even a small degree of dehydration can lead to memory problems and poor cognitive function. When I purchased my first Clima bottle in Italy, I was seduced by its gorgeous design. Its technical features makes it my favorite—it keeps drinks hot or cold for 24 hours, and the lid never leaks. Check out all the beautiful designs when you order directly from the company. For faster shipping, find them on Amazon.
The new Vitamix. I am now the proud owner of 3 different Vitamix blenders—a workhouse in the Brain Health Kitchen for recipe testing and cooking classes. The newest model—Vitamix One—comes with a more affordable price tag (about half the other models) but still does everything I ask of it—from whipping cashews into cream, pureeing soups, or whizzing up the best smoothies in minutes.
Relevate. Even though my diet is as brain-healthy as can be, I still take a brain health supplement every day. NeuroReserve is the only brand I trust. It was created by a team of scientists and Alzheimer’s researchers that I highly admire and have gotten to know by serving on the Scientific Advisory Board (an unpaid position). Relevate was designed to make sure there are no deficiencies in key brain health nutrients, like DHA and EPA, vitamin D, B vitamins, and magnesium. And, it is the only supplement that provides a healthy dose of flavonoids—plant nutrients studied for their ability to protect the brain from Alzheimer’s. Enter ANNIEBHK for 15% off.
Rishi tea. Drinking real tea—made from the Camellia sinensis plant—is a brain-healthy habit that provides a good dose of polyphenols. Several recent studies, such as this one and this one, support that drinking tea, especially green tea, reduces Alzheimer’s risk. My favorite teas come from Rishi, a company that is obsessed with sourcing the highest quality (and highest polyphenol content) teas. I always have a bag of this tea on hand for brewing, and an assortment of matcha for drinking and baking. Their line of teaware, like matcha bowls and whisks, also makes a nice gift for tea lovers. Enter ANNIE20 for 20% off (one use per customer) until December 31, 2022.
Extra-Virgin Olive Oil. Our Brain Health Retreat in Sicily this fall happened just in time for the olive harvest, where we visited presses and tasted the first EVOOs of 2022. I fell in love with the oils at Tenuta Cavasecca, a family-owned frantoia (olive press) just south of our home base in Ortigia. The family is meticulous about harvesting, pressing, and bottling their oils to retain maximal polyphenol content—one of the nutrients that makes EVOO so brain-healthy. The flavor is bright and fruity and pleasantly bitter. And, they have a novel packaging system—a bag within a cylindrical box—that keeps the oil fresh and less heavy for shipping. That being said, shipping from Sicily is pricey. Get together with friends to fill a case to reduce the shipping cost. Sign up for their newslettter for 10% off and order here.
Homemade brain-healthy treats. To be honest, I stopped frantically shopping for holiday gifts years ago. Instead, I schedule a day in my kitchen to create homemade treats for everyone on my list. There’s something for everyone here: vegan, gluten-free, nut-allergic, and chocolate-averse (I have met a few!). All freeze well, are TSA-friendly, and pack nicely into a pretty gift box. Who wouldn’t want a homemade treat? Here are a few of my favorites:
This weekend I’ll be sharing a bonus recipe for my Fig and Almond Bars. I just made them with guests at the cooking school at Rancho La Puerta, and all agreed they are the perfect holiday gift. Look for the recipe coming to you here on Sunday.
Do you have a favorite homemade gift? (Extra credit if it helps cultivate a brain healthy lifestyle.) Please share!