The Ultimate Crunchy Gift Guide: What to Buy for the Crunchy Person in Your Life
Many more people are concerned about their health and avoiding chemicals. Crunchy is no longer fringe. These crunchy people will go ga-ga if you give them a gift that supports their health journey.
(You are getting your regular Tuesday post several days early in time for Black Friday. There likely won’t be a post this Tuesday—this is it.)
Although I hope you’ll primarily use this guide to buy gifts for the crunchy people you know, there’s another way you could use this guide.
In my family, we use a site called Giftster where you can make a wishlist with links to items you want or need. It can link to any site rather than just being limited to Amazon like you are on an Amazon wishlist. We like this method because it allows you to get someone something they really want. It’s kind of like an ongoing wedding registry.
So if you’re at a loss for what to put on your wishlist and you’re crunchy, here are some ideas for ya.
A note about all these items. Rather than finding random things on the Internet, I carefully curated this list using crowd-sourcing. Therefore, each of these recommendations is something I’ve personally used, or they come from a close friend or family member who has personally used these. Enjoy.
As always, none of the below items are affiliate links. I never use affiliate links because I want people to know that I’m recommending something only because I believe in it and not because I get commissions.
For a list of health book ideas, see my book gift guide from last year.
If you’re reading this on a computer, don’t forget to use the handy-dandy index with hyperlinks off to the left for easy navigation to the categories you’re interested in. It looks like this and is up against the left side of the screen.
When you click on it, it pulls up an index.
Stocking Stuffers:
Spring & Mulberry date-sweetened Chocolate:
Their website states that the chocolate comes:
directly from a single origin estate in Ghana, one of the country's first-ever organic and regenerative farms. It's crafted from bean-to-bar using just three ingredients, all organic – cacao beans, cacao butter, and dates.
Heavenly Organics Chocolate Honey Patties
These are one of the few candies that are GAPS compliant. So if you know someone of the GAPS diet, this will be the best gift ever (full GAPS allows for small amounts of chocolate and honey but not GAPS intro.)
I’m obsessed with this memory foam, super comfy eye mask for sleeping on planes, in cars, and in other situations where light would bother you. Total darkness is very important for good sleep.
Castor Oil
I have this organic, cold-pressed in a glass bottle. It’s only $10. I put it on my face, eyebrows, eyelashes, and hands every night. It promotes long healthy lashes and eyebrows.
For the extra crunchy person, you could also gift with The Castor Oil Bible.
Helps with aches and pains, restless legs, and relaxes muscles for sleep.
For make-up and lotion, Toups & Co offers a number of non-toxic items:
Their mascara is on sale for $20 for Black Friday.
They also have a liquid foundation, eyeshadow, and brow pencils.
Although I use castor oil at night for my hands, I use tallow in the morning and throughout the day since it’s not as oily:
I love this goat milk soap that comes from a farm near me:
If you go to the Meadowlark website, they have many different natural scents.
Here’s a great makeup remover:
DMSO
This helps with muscle aches, helps heal old injuries, reduces inflammation, etc. Some people are skeptical of this so make sure you know the person will appreciate it. Here’s an article about its many uses.
I like this brand because it comes in a glass bottle.
Sorry if this sounds like a shameless plug, but there just might be a person in your life who would appreciate a gift subscription to my paid content.
Norwex EnviroCloths Are So Stinking Amazing!
The EnviroCloth is absolutely nothing like a normal microfiber cloth. The fabric is super grippy so it scrubs woodwork, sinks, counters, anything like magic. I just love it.
I’ve had one of the EnviroCloths for over 15 years. The directions say not to bleach it but one of the foundational rules of my household is that all kitchen rags and cleaning rags get bleached with every washing, no exceptions. So I’ve been bleaching my envirocloth for 15 years, and it’s still going strong.
I now own 5 EnviroCloths because I like to use my rags for one day only and then they get hung up to dry and go straight in the laundry (to be bleached). Since I normally wash my rags more than once a week, I can usually get away with just 5.
For Wellness
There is so much evidence that blue light is harmful to our brains. Follow Jack Kruse and Alexis Cowan or search for podcasts with their names for more info. Here’s a good one to start with: Why You Need More Sun with Sunlight Expert Dr. Alexis Cowan from The Lisa Fischer Said Podcast.
Vacuuming often with a good vacuum and purifying your air can go a long way in lowering your toxic load as I explain in this post.
You use this for 10-30 minutes per day. The idea is that the body will release endorphins through the acupuncture points. This is supposed to release back and neck pain. This is eligible for HSA/FSA.
This is pricy but you could consider it for people who have serious health problems.
Blue Light Blocking Light Bulbs
For those just tuning into the blue light controversy, there is tremendous evidence that blue light throws off your circadian rhythm and disrupts a number of processes in your brain, including disrupting leptin. These bulbs are also zero-flicker.
Alternatively, you could get a sauna blanket for a lot cheaper (HSA/FSA eligible).
Why choose a sauna or sauna blanket? Sweating is one way the body rids itself of toxins. Since we are bombarded by so many toxins, many people with chronic illnesses are able to find healing through daily sweating in a sauna.
Stand+ shoes Extra Comfy Shoes for Standing All Day (HSA/FSA)
I own a pair of these for when I’m cooking and cleaning all day to keep my feet from hurting. They’re nonslip, so if you spill some water on the floor when cooking, you’re safe. They’re cushy and comfy, just not very cute. I used my HSA to buy them.
AquaTru Reverse Osmosis Water Purifier
You can get a countertop version like this:
Or, an under-the-sink version that will have a little spout next to your regular faucet:
Give the Gift of Peaceful Sleep
There are few things more foundational to health than getting good sleep. Why not give the gift of sweet rest to someone this Christmas?
Warning: bossy alert! I’m about to get a bit bossy here for a sec.
I may not have all my health ducks in a row so I don’t mean to sound judgy, but what are you doing using polyester sheets? This should be step number one to making any health changes. Polyester is a form of plastic. You sleep on the sheets for 8 hours so you are breathing plastic fibers and microplastics are being absorbed into your skin.
Plus polyester makes you sweat which causes nasty little dust mites to bloom—they thrive on moisture.
No, just no.
It’s time for you to switch to 100% cotton sheets. The ideal time was yesterday, but today will have to work.
I have this set, and it only costs $40. Not bad. Ditching polyester needn’t cost a small fortune:
If you want to spend a bit more, here’s a good medium-priced set for $87:
For a super luxurious set for $180
Wool Mattress Topper—to keep you cool! Who knew?
You heard that right. This wool mattress topper will keep you cool since it’s made of natural fibers that regulate body temperature and keep you dry. Synthetic fabrics such as polyester are a nightmare for temperature regulation. It’s also completely free from harmful chemicals and synthetics.
Here’s a Woolino pillow. It’s all wool so resistant to dust mites.
I was skeptical about grounding sheets for a long time. But then I read this Substack article and was convinced.
If you’re skeptical, you could try out just the grounding pillowcase first.
For the Person Who’s Making Many Homemade Meals
Cuisinart Food Processor
If you’re cooking at home more now instead of visiting seed-oil-ridden restaurants and frequenting the drive-thru, a good food processor can make all the difference in prep time. I use mine to make pesto sauce, to shred blocks of cheese, to make homemade mayo or aiolis, dice tomatoes (use the pulse feature), slice carrots, finely chop garlic, and a hundred other things.
My Cuisinart food processor has been going strong for 27 years now. About 5 years ago, I decided I wanted the 14-cup model instead of the 11-cup, so I gave my 11-cup to a daughter. It’s still going strong. However, over the years various parts of the plastic bowls have been replaced, but the motor has lives on.
This is one appliance I think you shouldn’t skimp on and get the knockoff version. Pay the exta the Cuisinart. 27 years later you’ll look me up and thank me. (And this is why I don’t use affiliate links—because otherwise the things I say would seem contrived.)
I recommend the 14-cup version.
If you’re trying to kick a soda habit or just love tasty drinks, getting a soda stream can allow you to make homemade soda with just a splash of fresh juice. It can also be a vehicle for getting down your glycine (benefits explained here), creatine, taurine, or other powdered supplements. I make myself a homemade soda with sparkling water, lemon juice, and 2 teaspoons of glycine nearly every day.
Making kefir is one of the best foods you could ever consume for your gut. But many people have a hard time getting it down. Enter: Ninja ice cream maker, your ticket to consuming kefir, raw milk, that homemade raw milk yogurt that doesn’t set quite like the storebought stuff. Or you can just make wonderful homemade ice cream without all the additives of storebought. Here’s a link to a recipe for raw milk ice cream.
Air fryer
I have this one but a reader pointed out in the comments on my last post that it has a nonstick coating that off-gasses forever chemicals. Bummer!
However, when I looked at the list of the non-toxic ones, none of them appeared to hold two 9x13 pans as mine does. I personally would be frustrated by something that takes up quite a bit of space, but not quite enough space for all the uses I want it for. I wish everything could be chemical-free!
Here is a list of non-toxic air fryers.
For the Person Who Wants to Start Making Sourdough
I have these baskets for proofing the dough, and I love them. Below is a great sourdough starter set. It includes two proofing baskets, a bench scraper, and a tool for making designs on the dough.
For beginner sourdough bakers, I love this book. It explains all the basics but has many advanced recipes as well:
If you want to give a really expensive gift to the serious homesteader-type who makes numerous loaves of bread a week, consider a Nutramill wheat grinder and a Bosch mixer.
However, I can make seven loaves of sourdough at once for church (not every week but occasionally), and I do it easily in my 6-quart KitchenAid Stand mixer. I personally prefer the KitchenAid stand mixer to the Bosch mixer because you can do so much more with the KitchenAid such as whip cream, make meringues (a huge hit in my house), and a dozen other things. On the other hand, I’ve never owned a Bosch mixer so there’s that.
The people I know who appreciate the Bosch usually have oodles of wonderful children, and they are baking dozens of loaves of bread each week, and no one has gluten sensitivities or needs to do low carb or a special diet so they can eat a lot of bread.
Even though I make sourdough once a week as a special treat, I never got into grinding my own wheat and making bread daily because I’ve known for a long time that we need to be a lower carb family for health reasons.
However, I am very thankful for my KitchenAid stand mixer. I appreciate the one with 6-quart bowl because I can do huge batches of things, for instance, it mixes 3 loaves of sourdough at once. When I make the 7 loaves for church, I make 9 at once so our family can have two. So I do 3 batches of 3 loaves and then rise the dough all together in my giant dough-rising bucket that looks like this:
I also used the bucket to brine one of my turkeys this year.
Because I bake so many loaves at once when I’m making it for communion, I have 6 of these hotel pans, so I can fit all six in my main over at once. I use these pans because most artisan sourdough breads steam for the first 20 minutes of cooking:
By the way, if you’re just getting started with sourdough and don’t plan to make it for a crowd, you can just use a Dutch oven to steam one loaf at a time. The hotel pans are only necessary if you want to bake multiple loaves at once.
Food Gifts
Gift Pastured Meat
If you know someone who is trying to eat healthy but has a very limited budget, they might really appreciate a quarter or half cow (I know someone who gets this every year from their parents) or some locally raised chickens. (If you’re local, consider Weekes Family Farms which we use.)
You could also consider gifting a prepaid 3-month supply of local eggs, or local raw milk. This way, you’re also supporting a local farm.
This is particularly a good idea if the family has significant health problems, such as Crohn’s, ulcerative colitis, or another autoimmune disease, so they really need to clean up the way they eat, but it’s a huge financial strain on them. (Note: as with any gift, only do this if the family wants to eat this way and believes it will help. Gifts aren’t a great way to try to convince someone of what we believe).
For a family doing the GAPS diet for autism symptoms or other health concerns, consider gifting them jars of broth. If you don’t have time to make it, you could give them a gift card to Captain Soup which delivers GAPS intro soups.
You can also consider gifting a meat subscription. One option is Wild Pastures, which is 100% grass-fed and pastured-raised meat.
You could also consider giving an Azure gift card. Azure is the most affordable way to get organic groceries. You enter your zip code into their website, and they tell you where you go for the monthly pickup—mine is in a church parking lot. Not having physical stores keeps costs down. Since I have several pickups in my small town and the surrounding small towns, it’s likely 95% of my readers will have an Azure pickup in their area.
Research local meat farms near you. If you don’t know where to get raw milk, visit realmilk.com.
Specialty Olive Oils and Balsamic Vinegars
We have an Ampersand store in town so I’m partial to that brand, but I’m sure other brands of specialty olive oils and vinegars are great too.
If you scroll to the very bottom of this post, I reveal my universal salad recipe. The key is to use amazing flavored white balsamic vinegars paired with a delicious olive oil—you will never buy dressing again. I usually have at least three different flavors on hand at any given time to use depending on the salad. These make great gifts.
GAPS Diet book
Last year’s book list failed to include one of the best books on the human body I’ve ever read (and I’ve read dozens). The newest blue book is the most comprehensive.
But the yellow book talks about how brain problems such as autism, ADD, dyslexia, depression, etc all start in the gut.
The diet recommendations are the same in both books it’s just the explanation for how the diet works that differs.
It’s important to read either one of the books so you understand how the healing happens, but neither one has a lot of recipes. There are a ton of GAPS recipe books, but this one was recommended by a friend who’s done GAPS for her husband’s Crohn’s for over a decade, and it’s the one I used the most when we did the GAPS diet:
Pots and Pans
For those just tuning in to the pots and pans saga, allow me to tell my own story which closely mirrors that of many of my peers.
In the ‘90s, we dreamed of the days when we could one day afford a super sleek set of the latest, greatest spendy nonstick pans.
We knew all along that the Walmart nonstick version with the Teflon that chipped off on the third use were unsafe and bad for us. But we collectively believed that the expensive nonstick pans were the best thing since sliced bread.
Sure, there were a few sage seers ahead of their time who tried to warn us. But we were resistant to such messages. Just as we got our kids vaccinated on time, we eagerly awaited the day we could afford the Emeril nonstick pans.
Finally, the day arrived when we graduated from spending about $1000/month on diapers, and our husbands had finally reached a position in the corporate world when under the Christmas tree there was a ginormous box housing the grandest set of nonstick pans that the civilized world and all its advanced technology had produced.
(Me on Christmas morning when I saw my exclusive nonstick pan set)
But then, not long into our journey of glorying in our incredible new techno pans, we got wind of the nonstick criticism. “Bad chemicals,” some said. Darn it! Those pans clean up so nicely.
At first, I just told myself that the bad chemicals were only in the cheap brands.
(Me, every time I used to read something negative about my nonstick pans.)
Then I started shifting a wee bit. My two large stockpots have always been stainless steel, and I found myself using them instead of my other pots. Then I started using a cast iron skillet to do all the meat browning, and my large stainless steel skillet to make most skillet meals. But my one hang-up was scrambled eggs that are made every morning for my family.
This is when I purchased a very cheap version of a ceramic pan. It was a flop. It scratched right away, and the ceramic coating immediately wore off.
Then I got a Caraway ceramic nonstick skillet for Mother’s Day this year.
I am in love. It’s the best pan I’ve ever had.
I use it every day, often several times a day. I’ve been careful to baby it (no dishwasher, no heat above level 6, no metal utensils), and it’s like new after 6 months. It makes the best scrambled eggs ever.
I tried to get on the bandwagon of using a cast iron pan for scrambled eggs. I tried really hard, people.
I seasoned it, I washed it without soap, I seasoned it again, and again. In the end, I decided that I’m just not a “scramble eggs cooked on cast iron” kinda gal. But I do use my cast iron skillets for getting a really good crust on meat, for cooking bacon and sausage, etc.
Stainless steel pots to replace nonstick pots need not be so spendy in my book. I’m not going to link to any because I’ve had mine for so long, I’m not sure where they came from. But any stainless steel pots will work.
A Cast Iron Skillet
This is good for searing food, cooking bacon or sausage, browning ground beef, and making skillet meals that don’t have tomato in it.
Lead Safe Mama rated this Stargazer cast iron pan the safest:
Great for everything but scrambled eggs, in my opinion.
Note: My daughters who exceed me in everything, have mastered the nonstick oil coating and use their cast iron pans for scrambled eggs, I just came to this all too late. Perhaps my nonstick pans ruined my brain.
I have this amazing ceramic baking sheet.
Full disclosure: I also still have some terrible, very bad, no good nonstick baking sheets as well. I’m in transition, kay? And I use the ceramic one most often.
For the Person Interested in Fermentation and Gut Health
Gallon jar for making large amounts of sauerkraut or other fermented veggies:
Bottles for making kefir soda, homemade ginger beer, or kombucha:
Jars for freezing broth or fermentation
SIBO yogurt kit (SIBO stands for small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. It’s very common in many gut problems including acid reflux, constipation, diarrhea, Crohn’s, ulcerative colitis, gastritis, and other inflammatory gut disorders.)
Live Kefir Grains: to make the world’s most healing probiotic drink.
Crunchy Cleaning Products
Use your discretion here: some people may not be excited to receive cleaning products as a gift, and others may go goggle-eyed.
Branch Basics for Cleaning
All three of my married kids use this system. The advantage is that it’s plant and mineral-based without any harmful chemicals or fragrances. If you get the Premium Starter kit, you get 5 glass bottles plus the concentrate with directions on how to mix your own bottles for the bathroom, mirror, an all-purpose solution, hand soap, and laundry detergent.
The World’s Best Vaccum
I love Shark AZ2002 Vertex Powered Lift-Away Upright Vacuum with DuoClean PowerFins, Self-Cleaning Brushroll, Large Dust Cup, Pet Crevice Tool, Dusting Brush & Power Brush, Silver/Rose Gold vacuum because it has a HEPA filter for making sure dust doesn’t get back in your air, it easily detaches from the canister for vacuuming under beds, you can empty it many times while vacuuming since its bagless (saved $ on buying bags), is light, self-propelled, and has a special brush that doesn’t collect hair.
I hope everyone had a delicious Thanksgiving! We have so much to be thankful for.
Leslie
Are you new around here? Welcome!
Allow me to show you around. I have some old posts you may be interested in.
I’ve organized my archives into two courses:
A Fasting Course that teaches you how to do intermittent fasting
And a Health, Nutrition, and Chronic Disease Course
Here are a few additional posts from my archives that you might be interested in:
How I Transformed My Health Part 1: My Intermittent Fasting Journey
If You're Looking for Health or Weight Loss Coaching, Here's the Low Down
The Day My Mom Almost Died: My mom almost died of COVID
Great list! Thank you!
Great ideas, thank you!