Healthy holi gifts

By Dr. Shalini Kapoor

Things to consider while buying holi gifts :

Plan ahead and avoid confusion and chaos.
Set a budget. Be practical and set a realist budget for gifts. This will really save you a lot of trouble.
The spirit of the festival: The beauty of Indian festivals is that each one has its own personality and mood. Holi is marked by freshness, youthful energy and brilliant colors. Make sure whatever gift you select manages to capture the quintessence of Holi.
Know your audience. A good gift is essentially one which will be appreciated by the person receiving it. So while choosing a gift, keep in mind the person it is meant for. The age, gender, likes and dislikes of that person.
The personal touch. The joy to gift lies not in the material things that you receive, but the special feeling that you get when receiving it. Buy gifts that say something about the person. Tell him that you know him or her. Make that person feel special.
The gift says it all gifts are really tricky. They have a way of saying precisely what you feel about the person receiving the gift. So you need to be really cautious, while choose gifts. Be appropriate and keep in mind the relationship that you share with that person.
Be innovative. This Holi don’t stick to the age old gifts. But try to do something different. Keep the element of excitement and surprise, which indeed is the true spirit of Holi.
Exploit all avenues. With the advent of technology you have access to the world online market, along with the old shops and market. So you have a lot of options available. So make sure you use them all too good advantage.
Be healthy: Last but really not the least, opt for healthy gifts. Give gifts that say that you care.

The catch 22 situation

Festivals don’t seem much festive without exchanging gifts. But the sweets and chocolates that we give and receive tend to encourage unhealthy eating habits, while the harsh colors play havoc with our skin and hair. So every Holi we find ourselves in a catch 22 situation, where we are looking forward to the fun of receiving gifts, but deep down are dreading the outcome.

Get out of this vicious circle : Expunge unhealthy habits

Be Health conscious this season. Buy gifts that help others stay fit. Trust us! They will Thank you for it. We have for you some healthy and innovative gift options that can be bought on a shoe string budget.

A sweet deal

Imagine a Holi without sweets. Not an attractive prospect...Right. As sweet are an indispensable part of Holi, they can at least be healthy. Both chocolates and mithais can be easily made using sugar free sweeteners, at home. If you don’t have the time or inclination to make them yourself, there are plenty of options available in markets.

Dry fruits

For people who don’t go a bundle on chocolates or mithais, dry fruits like almonds, cashew nuts, hazel nuts etc. are a good option

Go herbal

Instead of harsh chemical colors, get your loved ones herbal colors that will not harm their skin. And water guns of course.

Before and after

Make two small baskets. Name one ‘Before’, with products like coconut oil, thick creams and nail paint, to be used before playing Holi. Name the other ‘After’, and put herbal shampoos, soaps and moisturizers in it to pamper the skin after the festival.

Pamper the body, mind and soul

You could also pamper their body, mind and soul together by making a basket with essential oils, body and face packs etc to DE-stress after the hectic festival.

Home care

Be thoughtful and make a small basket with home care products like stain removing cleaners, air freshener, along with decorative items like wall hangings etc.

The gift of music

Get your friends and relatives feet tapping music CDS that will spice up the festival and can later be used for healthy habits like aerobics.