Monthly Archives: December 2021

Top 10 Gifts to Buy Yourself for a Healthier You in 2022

As nice as it is to give gifts to others around the holidays, guess who’s the one person most of you probably aren’t thinking about this time of year?

Yourself!

That’s why I put together a list of 10 of my best health and wellness-related recommendations for a healthier you in 2022!

These are truly the gifts that keep on giving (unlike the jelly of the month club) because they are all investments in your health that will pay dividends many times over if used consistently.

So here ‘ya go …

10 Health and Wellness Gifts to Buy Yourself This Year

  1. Exercise Band Set. Using exercise bands is one of the best ways to strengthen and lengthen muscles, boost functional strength, improve mobility and balance, and increase flexibility. I incorporate them into most of my workouts these days. Bonus: you can take them with you anywhere.
  2. Percussion Massager Gun. One of my favorite purchases in the last two years, a percussion massage gun helps relieve muscle aches and pains. This thing has helped me recover faster countless times, particularly when I get knots in my neck and back area (which is often). You can also try the newer Theragun Wave, which is a mini version that may be better suited for spot treatment. Better yet, treat yourself to regular massage therapy if you’re able!
  3. Viome Gut Intelligence Test. I’ve said it before, but personalized nutrition is the future and Viome is at the forefront. For $99, they will analyze your unique gut bacteria composition and tell you which foods you should/shouldn’t be eating.
  4. 23andme Health and Ancestry Kit. How cool is it that you can now learn about your family history through genetic testing? On top of that, 23andme’s health reports will tell you i.) genetic factors that may influence your chances of developing certain health conditions, ii.) whether you have specific genetic variants that may not affect your health, but could affect your children’s health, iii.) how your DNA may affect your body’s response to diet, exercise, and sleep, and iv.) the genetics behind your appearance and senses. Pretty amazing stuff.
  5. White Noise Machine. Struggle with sleep? This white noise machine is a life saver. Best investment I’ve ever made in my sleep.
  6. Calm Subscription. Taking time to meditate and breathe each day offers too many benefits to list–from improving your mood and memory to lowering blood pressure. Calm is a highly-rated app that has guided meditations sessions specifically for anxiety, work stress, grief, sleep, and more. I also love their ambient music tracks for focusing during the workday.
  7. Arbor Day Foundation Membership. Even if you’re not a gardener or green thumb, you can impact future generations long after you’re gone by helping plant trees. Make a donation or buy trees directly from their mail order catalog (at great prices) and they’ll ship them in the mail for you along with planting instructions. 
  8. My Immune Health Supplement Stack: Get sick less and recover faster by taking this Immunity Support stack daily: 1 Zinc + vitamin C capsule, 1 vitamin D3 capsule, and 2 Pure Food Digest capsules (1 with your two largest meals).
  9. Ullo Wine Purifier. Love wine but hate hangovers? Then try this wine purifier that removes sulfites, one of the most common causes of the dreaded wine headache.
  10. Books / Audiobooks:

So there you have it. Let us know what investments you’re making in your health this year in the comments!

Healthier Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups-Low Sugar

I love Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.

I don’t, however, love the 11 grams of sugar per cup or the lengthy list of artificial, inflammation-promoting ingredients:

Milk Chocolate [Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Chocolate, Non-Fat Milk, Milk Fat, Lactose, Lecithin (Soy), PGPR, Emulsifier], Peanuts, Sugar, Dextrose, Partially Defatted Peanuts, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil [Palm Kernel Oil, Soybean Oil], Contains 2% of Less of: Corn Syrup, Contains 2% of Less of: Salt, Contains 2% of Less of: Palm Kernel Oil, Contains 2% of Less of: Artificial Color (Yellow 5 Lake, Yellow 6 Lake, Red 40 Lake, Blue 1 Lake), Contains 2% of Less of: Confectioner’s Glaze, Contains 2% of Less of: Lecithin (Soy), Contains 2% of Less of: Modified Corn Starch, Contains 2% of Less of: TBHQ and Citric Acid, Contains 2% of Less of: To Maintain Freshness, Contains 2% of Less of: Carnauba Wax, Contains 2% of Less of: Vanillin, Contains 2% of Less of: Artificial Flavor.

So I decided to create a healthier chocolate peanut butter cups recipe.

Let’s compare this recipe to Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups:

  1. Higher in protein (6 grams vs. 2 grams).
  2. Lower in sugar (4.5 grams vs. 11 grams).
  3. Contains only all-natural, plant-based ingredients (no dairy, soy, or gluten).

Now, a quick disclaimer: this peanut butter cup recipe is higher in fat (16 grams per cup) so moderation is important (as with any sweet treat).

But I’ll substitute a little fat in my diet for sugar any day of the week (particularly from coconut oil, which contains medium chain triglycerides, which may have some health benefits).

Let’s take a look at the ingredients.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Ingredients

*Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Soy Free

Bottom Layer (Chocolate)

Top Layer (Peanut Butter)

  • 1/3 cup all natural, unsweetened peanut butter
  • 2 T coconut oil (melted)
  • 1 T maple syrup or honey
  • 1 tsp. vanilla bean powder or extract

This recipe made about 10 peanut butter cups for me.

How to Make This Healthier Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups Recipe

  1. Mix all ingredients for bottom chocolate layer together in a bowl. You may need to add a tiny bit of water or more coconut oil to get it to the right consistency. It should be just thick enough that you can slowly pour it out of the bowl.
  2. Mix all ingredients for the top layer in a separate bowl.
  3. Grease your cupcake tray (I used a flexible silicon 12-cup tray but any will work).
  4. Scoop the bottom layer equally among the 10 cups, followed by the top layer.
  5. Put the tray in the freezer for at least 2 hours (make sure it sits flat…if your tray is flexibly, you may need to set it on a baking sheet before putting in the freezer).

Make sure you keep any leftovers in the freezer.

Nutrition Facts

Servings: 10

Per Serving:

Calories: 193

Fat: 16 grams

Carbs: 9 grams (2 grams of fiber, 4.5 grams of sugar)

Protein: 6 grams

 

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