Issue #276: Thrive25 Holiday Gift Guide
Good morning. It’s Saturday, December 9th.
Today’s Quick Win
Inspiration: Thrive25 Holiday Gift Guide
Reminder: Give the Gift of Longevity - share Thrive25!
“Got all my Christmas shopping done. Now to shop for other people.”
Americans are estimated to spend close to a trillion dollars in November and December on retail goods. This is up 4% over 2022’s holiday spending. (Source)
This Week
This week we covered the gut-brain superhighway and how your gut influences your overall health.
Issue #274 - explore the complex role of the gut as a 'second brain', its impact on energy, digestion, and overall health, and how to maintain gut health with prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics.
Issue #275 - Learn about leaky gut, its impact on health, and seven key disruptors to avoid. Explore how gut health influences immunity and overall wellbeing, with practical tips for maintaining a healthy gut.
Click HERE to check out previous issues in the Thrive25 archive.
Thrive25 Holiday Gift Guide
Just what you want - another holiday gift guide. Well here’s how our guide is a little different…
1. Prioritize experiences over things
We’re drowning in “stuff” in our house - the kids’ playroom seems to always be out of control, no matter how many times we clean it out.
Trying to subscribe to the “minimalist” mindset (see Issue #27).
2. Things should inspire better health
That said, most things on our list you can wrap under the tree. But they are mostly focused on “creating an experience” and all will boost your health & longevity.
3. These are Real without Affiliates*
We’ve tried, know/trust people at the company, or have researched everything on the list.
* We do have an affiliate relationship with Momentous, but that’s it - we strongly believe in Momentous and all these brands
So without further ado - here are our Thrive25-Certified Gifts for 2024…
Gratitude Journal
If you’re like me, this habit has been a challenge to get to stick.
MINDJOURNAL serves up the guides to make this easy and to actually see the results/benefits of writing down your intentions and gratefulness.
The price is actually part of the motivation - you’ve made an investment that you won’t leave it blank on the side of your bed.
But if you just want to get started with a gratitude journal and not drop almost $100, then the Five-Minute Journal ($29) is a great option that still gives you prompts so you aren’t staring at a blank page.
Meditation & Breathwork Apps
Max started out 2023 with 56 days of meditation - who’s on board for 2024?
CALM ($69/year) is an approachable app that walks you through how to meditate and has expanded to specific meditations for sleep, focus, stress, etc.
BREATHWRK PRO ($69/year, or $12/month) is the #1 rated app for breathing. We know that breathing can be as powerful as meditation when it comes to mindset (see Issue #136) - and maybe easier for you to get into.
Healthy Food Delivery
I really enjoy shopping at Whole Foods - but these companies are sometimes the only way I get a wide variety of whole foods into our house consistently.
GREEN CHEF ($13/meal) is simpler than Blue Apron, all certified-organic produce with organic meat options, and all the meals are 30 min or less. Once you get it down super easy to make a quick, healthy dinner.
HUNGRYROOT (starts at $65/delivery) is kind of a mix between meal delivery and Instacart - with super healthy food. They use AI to create the perfect shopping list that transform into full meals so you buy what you actually need.
Kitchen Essentials
The stuff you need to actually start cooking at home.
CARAWAY pans are non-stick, but more importantly non-toxic. Feel good about cooking without poison going on your food.
VITAMIX ($299 for Explorian E310) is used every day in our house to make our smoothies - might be the best investment we’ve made. 48-oz container for anything you need to mix - appetizers to dessert.
Workout Gear
You’ll be more likely to get out in the cold for a workout this winter if you’re pumped to put the outfit on (it’s true).
OUTDOOR RESEARCH FLEECE ($110) is one of the most versatile pullovers for running - can be the main jacket or layer underneath a warmer shell.
NORTH FACE GLOVES ($45) are key for outdoor runs. You gotta protect your extremities (your body naturally protects the organs in your core when you’re cold) and these are the top rated gloves.
Get Hiking
The other key is knowing where to go and getting excited by finding new trails to explore.
ALL TRAILS (Free version + up to $36/year) is the #1 platform to find trails all over the world. Splurge for the premium membership to unlock even more maps, download maps for offline use, and give back 1% to the planet.
Exercise Equipment
The stuff you need at home so that there’s no excuses even when you can’t make it to the gym.
A PULL-UP BAR ($75) is the missing piece for a complete bodyweight workout at home. This model is adjustable and sturdy - now it’s easy to knock out 25 squats, 25 push-ups and 25 pulls-ups any time you want.
Recovery is Key
Just as important to working out is making sure you’re taking care of your body after you push it to the limit.
Keep Learning
It’s tough to find the time beyond work and family, but substitute time on Netflix with time to keep using your brain.
MASTERCLASS is freaking awesome. So many experts - it’s taught my 6-yr old daughter how to use math and science to bake and has just about everything you could ever want to learn.
An alternative is check out evening classes at your local community college - it’s amazing what’s available near you to keep learning.
We Spend 1/3 of Life in Bed
Probably makes sense to be comfortable and set ourselves up for getting deep sleep.
EIGHT SLEEP is what you get if you want to go all out. The smart mattress cover optimizes temperature to get you to sleep (compared to your partner on the other side) and gradually wake you up in the morning.
AVOCADO MATTRESS ($2,699 starting price for King size) is what you under the cover so that you aren’t sleeping on bunch of toxins - it’s the best organic mattress you can get (again, totally worth it - how much time is your face and body in bed).
PLUTO COOLING PILLOW ($125) is the final piece. Whether you want to spend so much on the bed or not, I can tell you that a firm, cool pillow customized to you (and how you sleep - side, stomach, back) guarantees the best night of sleep.
Sleep Tracking
It should be obvious how we feel in the morning - but it still helps to know when we get good/bad sleep and what affects how we sleep.
OURA RING ($299 for ring, $6/month membership) is the gold standard when it comes to health tracking, but is especially useful for our sleep.
Give Back
The science tells us that the more we give, the better we feel. You can pick what’s aligned with your values - but here are some great options.
WORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN is a top-rated nonprofit delivering meals around the world from war-torn countries to natural disasters to those that need another meal.
KRISTOF HOLIDAY IMPACT PRIZE selects 3 of the best nonprofits for crowd-sourced donations - this year they are including:
CAMFED - supplies for girls to attend school in rural Africa
OneGoal - supports kids from low-income communities to earn a post-high school degree
Per Scholas - technology & job training for the 10 million Americans with a high school diploma, but earn less than $25K per year
Or, of course, pick your own!
Try Something New
Honestly, it’s easy to forget this is a top driver of health & longevity. What if you said you want to make 2024 a year of fun??
TAKE A CLASS - if you had to get outside your comfort zone, which would you pick - guitar lesson, art class, learn a language or improv training?
See our week on Fun for more ideas - Issues #106-110.
Breathe It In
How many hours do we spend breathing the air in our homes? Keep it clean!
AIR DOCTOR ($629) is the top rated air filter that captures stuff 100x smaller than what HEPA requires. We’re talking getting bacteria and even viruses.
LEVOIT (starting at $44) offers a range of “quiet” humidifiers that keeps the air from getting too dry in the winter - at humidity ranges that help prevent getting sick.
For the Home Office
Just because we spend most of the day working, doesn’t mean we should sit with bad posture all day.
HERMANMILLER ($759) has sustainable, sit-stand desks that look great - one has been in my office since 2020.
ERGODRIVEN ($99) has the best floor mat when you’re standing at your desk.
Keep your Teeth White
Our health starts in our mouth - there is a strong connection between gum disease and other health problems.
ORAL-B ($40) is the tried and true electric toothbrush. There’s newer brands like Snow offering LED lights - but for us this one is great.
WATERPIK (starting at $50) makes flossing easier. I try so hard to floss consistently, but it’s always a struggle. But a water flosser? It’s a great way to really clean teeth and gums - give it a go.
For a Perfect Face
THRIVE CAUSEMETICS has a full line of skincare and beauty products that not only has super clean ingredients, but also gives back for every purchase.
HURON is another great choice for the basic stuff guys need for our skin without all the toxins and other junk.
Supplement Stocking Stuffers
THORNE offers a complete line of vitamins, including ultra-absorbent drops of Vitamin D3 & Vitamin K2.
MOMENTOUS has the highest quality supplements, including magnesium to help with our health and sleep.
NORDIC NATURALS offer a high quality, wild caught fish oil gummy that’s easy to digest and doesn’t have much of a fish taste - making it easy to get your daily omega-3.
That’s it from us - would love to hear if you liked the list and you ended up trying any of our recs (team@thrive25.com).
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Thanks for another great week!
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We’re 40-something dads that felt our bodies and minds start to slow down and we’re not ready for that. We found too much information on every subject. So we started Thrive25 to transform what we’ve learned into something useful for the rest of us to spend just 3-5 min a day to optimize our health & longevity.
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The information in this newsletter is for informational purposes only and may not be appropriate or applicable based on your individual circumstances. Thrive25 Labs, Inc. does not provide medical, professional, or licensed advice. Please connect with your healthcare professional for medical advice specific to your health needs.