International Women’s Day Part 8: Six healthy gifts for the women in your lives

International Women’s Day is just around the corner and we’re sure you’re scrambling to find a way to show your appreciation to the women in your life. From colleagues to your besties and your dearest mom and sister - it’s a great occasion to celebrate the women who support and inspire you always. Here are some healthy gift ideas that’ll show them you care:   [caption id=“attachment_8122271” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image.
Image by Sebastian Mey from Pixabay.[/caption]

1. Healthy desserts

A chocolate brownie doesn’t have to be a guilty indulgence any more. Nor is it all that unhealthy. Many new bakeries and food startups are producing healthy versions of your favourite desserts, which actually contribute to your daily requirement of protein as well. If you don’t have access to any such eateries, you can even whip up the desserts at home. All you need is an easy yet tasty recipe and some basic ingredients.  

Also read:   _5 healthy, no-bake desserts_

2. Personalised journal  

In movies and books, writing in a diary has often been portrayed as something only teenagers do. But journaling is a scientifically-proven way of managing anxiety and stress. It can even help you process your feelings and trauma better. We would say that could definitely come in handy for adults who lead a hectic life. You can even get it personalized by getting their initials embossed on the front cover and writing a sweet, genuine note on the last page - go beyond the usual things to say like you’re amazing. Instead, say what you really appreciate about them. Like, “you help me stay positive in the worst situations” or “your courage inspires me no end”.

3. Favourite fruits

Not many of us manage to get our daily dose of five fruits and vegetable servings. Well, you can make it a little easier for a few days by sending your loved ones a bag full of their favourite fruits. This gift is easy to find, extremely thoughtful and has so many health benefits. You can even slip in a note about the health benefits of that particular fruit. For example, if you’re gifting oranges, you can mention that they boost immunity, help keep the heart healthy, reduce “bad” cholesterol and even promote better skin health.    

4. Indoor air-purifying plant  

If you were thinking of handing out a rose to all the women in your office, think again. A plant is a much better idea with, hopefully, a much longer lifespan. They can even keep it at their desk if you pick an indoor plant like bamboo (which also considered lucky) or a snake plant (which is a resilient plant that can also survive in low-light). Both of these options can be found in tiny planters at your local nursery and are known to remove certain toxins from the air. Tie a ribbon around it and make someone a new plant mom.

Also read:   _Keeping a plant at your work desk may reduce stress and anxiety_

5. Deep conditioning hair mask  

As we grow, so do our hair worries. And it’s understandable - with the pollution, hard water, sun exposure just being some of the factors that can cause harm to our hair. A little bit extra care can definitely come in handy in this case. Opt for a hair mask that boasts of natural ingredients and deep conditioning benefits but is also in a cream format instead of power - while also beneficial, powders can be messier and harder to get out of the hair.

6. Specialised socks  

We can all do with a few more pairs of socks, can’t we? Especially if one has recently started a new workout routine that they need socks for. You can go retro with prints of cartoons you grew up watching or funky with a combination of mix-and-match pairs like burger and fries. If the person you’re gifting the socks to has started a new type of workout like barre (derived from ballet) or pilates, you can make your gift even more thoughtful by gifting them grippy socks as they help with stability. This is the eighth part in a series on International Women’s Day 2020 on Sunday, 8 March.   For more articles like this, visit our section on   Women’s Health_._ Health articles in Firstpost are written by myUpchar.com, India’s first and biggest resource for verified medical information. At myUpchar, researchers and journalists work with doctors to bring you information on all things health.