23 healthy gifts for under $50: give happiness and health this holiday season with these standouts - Holiday Guide

Natural Health, Dec, 2002 by Daphna Caperonis Cox

1&2 Not only is the wool in the Lands Downunder Beanie and Socks as soft and cozy as cashmere, it contains no potentially irritating additives like dyes. The sheep used to make the wool are raised on an organic family farm in New Zealand (beanie, $35; socks, $29; 800-790-0332; www.landsdownunder.com).

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3 Introduce whole grains to a friend. The Gold Mine Natural Food Company Heirloom Grain Sampler includes cooking instructions and eight 8-ounce bags of extraordinary but easy-to-cook organic grains, like Bolivian Red Quinoa, Tamahuara Indian Blue Corn, and Black Buffalo Barley ($16; 800-475-3663; www.goldminenaturalfood.com).

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4 The Weleda Baby Box has everything a new mother needs to care for her baby's skin. The 3.5-ounce soap, 1.4-ounce diaper-rash ointment, and n3-ounce lotion contain the herb calendula and other gentle ingredients, but no artificial colors, preservatives, or fragrances. The organic cotton doll cheers up baby ($35; 800-241-1030; www.weleda.com).

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A Sensual Treat for Tea Sippers

5 Tea aficionados will swoon over the Numi Tea Assorted Bamboo Box, which presents 45 individually wrapped tea bags in nine flavors. The Earl Grey tea, for example, acquires its smooth taste from being aged with dried bergamot rinds tan Italian citrus), rather than from the harsher bergamot oil found in mass-market brands. Other uncommonly good teas include Moroccan Mint and Temple of Heaven Gunpowder Green Tea ($45; 888-404-6864 www.numitea.com).

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A Better Salt to Sprinkle

6 Tell a loved one she's the salt of the earth with The Grain & Salt Society Sea Salt Gift Basket. It includes a salt cellar and wooden spoon, an educational booklet about sea salt, and 8 ounces of both coarse- and fine-grain hand-harvested, unprocessed sea salt. Sea salt contains traces of magnesium and other healthy minerals and has a complex, briny flavor; you'll use less of it in your dishes than regular salt ($30, 800-867-7258; www.celtic-seasalt.com/.> [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

7 The Barefoot Yoga Eye Pillow will help holiday revelers recharge. The silk pouch contains dried organic lavender, a proven stress-reliever, and organic flaxseeds, whose heft helps the pillow fit the contours of the face. It facilitates falling asleep or just tuning out for a few minutes ($16; 877-227-3366; www.barefootyoga.com).

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8 & 9 The Sounds True Beginner's Guide to Meditation and Beginner's Guide to Healthy Breathing will help your friends unwind. Each CD, about 70 minutes long, begins by giving background information about the practices and then guides listeners through the steps. The meditation CD, narrated by teacher Shinzen Young, teaches concentration, relaxation, and spiritual connection, while the breathing CD, narrated by qi gong master Ken Cohen, helps listeners retrain their bodies to breathe fully ($16 each; 800-333-9185; www .soundstrue.com).

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10 Sexy but practical, the comfy Maggie's Organics Camisole Set keeps torsos warm and is made from 100 percent. organic cotton ($25 for two; 800-609-8593; www.organicclothes.com).

11 Origami, the Japanese art of paper folding, fosters creativity and manual dexterity. But young kids will just think it's fun when they receive Origami Playtime: Animals (Tuttle Publishing, 2002) by Nobuyoshi Enomoto. The 15 colorful, ready-to-fold squares of paper come with simple instructions for transforming them into birds, fish, and other critters ($5; 800-526-2778; www.tuttle publishing.com).

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12 Long after the holidays, the bold fragrances in the three-candle Aroma Naturals Spirituality Synergy Set will linger. Each 4-inch-high pillar is scented with pure essential oils like clove, fir, and frankincense, and burns for at least 50 hours. Even unlit, the candles smell strong enough to scent an entire room ($16; 800-462-7662; www.aromanaturals.com).

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13 The soothing emollients in the Mad Gab's Winter Liquid Lube gift set will ward off flaky skin all season long. The kit contains a 7-ounce body oil scented with lavender and bergamot, two lip balms in spearmint and cinnamon flavors, and two 2-ounce salves in candy cane and biscotti scents. All ingredients are natural ($25; 800-547-5823; www.madgabs.com).

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14 The all-natural Better Botanicals Dead Sea Bath Salts infuse bath water with skin-softening mineral salts and aromatherapeutic herb blends. The version called Soothe uses the mild sedative herbs chamomile and lavender. Peppermint and rosemary pep up Invigorate, and Indulge offers the romantic fragrances of rose, sandalwood, and jasmine ($9 each; 8 ounces; 888-224-3727; www.betterbotanicals.com).

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Delectable Olive Oil For Dipping

15 & 16 Presents the gourmet in your clan with the Petraia Organic Extra-Virgin Olive Oil from Puglia, Italy, and the elegant Olive Oil Dipping Plate. Imported by the food company Zingerman's, the oil offers bold herbaceous flavors and is perfect for drizzling over roasted vegetables and for dunking chunks of rustic bread. The 5 1/2-inch-diameter ceramic plate, also from Zingerman's, shows off the vibrant hues of the oil (oil, 500 ml, $23; plate, $26; 888-636-8162; www.zingermans.com).