This year instead of Father’s Day cards or dinner, opt to give dad something heart healthy. He’ll appreciate your effort to make sure he’s in top form and even enjoy some of these thoughtful heart healthy gifts. Say Happy Father’s Day with our health-centric gift ideas:
Dark Chocolate
If you’re likely to give dad his favorite junk food or sweets anyway, why not make sure it’s the heart healthy kind? Many studies support dark chocolate’s antioxidant benefits. A study that followed 21,000 English residents found that middle age adults who ate 3.5 ounces of dark chocolate daily had lower rates of heart disease than those who skipped the sweet treat.
Heart Healthy Grilling Gadget
If dad’s master of the grill and would love a new-fangled grilling gadget, why not make it a healthy one to ensure he’s eating heart healthy? Consider a steamer basket so he can steam veggies, a cast iron grill pan to cook with less fat, or cedar wood planks to flavor heart healthy salmon. The American Heart Association recommends eating fish (particularly fatty fish) at least twice weekly for its healthy Omega 3 fatty acids that have been shown to lower triglycerides, reduce blood pressure and slow the growth of atherosclerotic plaque.
Consultation with a Nutritionist
Forgo the tie or socks this year in favor of a super heart healthy appointment with a registered dietitian. If dad is always looking to get a better handle on healthy eating or drop some pounds, there’s no better way than a sit-down with an expert who can make suggestions, offer food ideas and cooking tips and devise a plan that fits with his lifestyle and taste preferences.
Pain Relief
If dad suffers from daily aches and pains, treat him to an OMRON Pain Relief Pro TENS Unit, a personal TENS unit that helps manage muscle and joint pain with electrical nerve stimulation and massage. This no-prescription-needed personal pain manager is the size of a cell phone and can be used can be used 3 times per day up to 30 minutes per session for pain relief. Select the mode that feels best like rubbing or kneading, set it for up to 15 minutes and enjoy the relief for hard to reach deep muscle aches and pains.
Fitness Gadget
Why not buy dad a pedometer or one of the new activity trackers that record how many steps he takes daily? OMRON’s Alvita Wireless Activity Tracker is smaller than a pack of gum, fits in a pocket and records steps, aerobic steps distance & calories burned via its free app. You could add a pass to a fitness class or his very own gym membership to round out his fitness gifts.
A Better Night Sleep
We know how important getting good sleep is to heart health. Poor sleep is linked to higher blood pressure, atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), heart attack, stroke and diabetes. So helping dad get a better night sleep could be a boon to his heart health. Put together a sleep care package including ear plugs, new pajamas and a white noise machine with options like crickets and the sound of the ocean to help him get the sleep he deserves.
Blood Pressure Monitor
If dad should monitor his blood pressure, OMRON monitors are clinically tested to provide precise readings and are the #1 recommended blood pressure monitor by doctors and pharmacists. Both the upper arm and wrist blood pressure monitors are easy-to-use and store accumulated blood pressure readings so you can share the numbers with your doctor. An OMRON blood pressure monitor makes keeping tabs on your blood pressure a breeze.
Stress-free Basket
Instead of a basket filled with unhealthy goodies, put together a stress-free basket filled with things to help dad decompress. Try a stress ball, a good book, some funny DVDs, a new MP3 player or anything else to keep dad stress-free.
Body Monitoring Gadget
If dad’s still using an old-fashioned scale to keep tabs on his weight, treat him to an OMRON Fat Loss Monitor With Scale. The device helps dad monitor his weight while determining his body fat percentage and body mass index (BMI). With a four person memory, everyone in the family can use it, too.