For as long as I can remember, I’ve collected hearts.
Throughout this blog, you’ll see hearts from my collection.
I love collecting hearts because they are a constant reminder to me of how I choose to live my life – from the heart!
And, I’m totally in love with a day that celebrates love…well…mostly in love with it. There’s an alarming statistic about Valentine’s day which disturbs me.
That’s quite a statistic, right?!
$1.6 billion spent on candy alone!
Oh dear, my health coaching heart is hurting…never mind my teeth and the body ache that accompanies the sugar, due to the inflammation it causes!
I could go on and on about the health problems and politics of sugar, but I tend to be more of an action gal when it comes to these things.
So without further ado, here are 10 ways to say I LOVE YOU without the sugar.
I’ve divided my list into 3 parts:
- Straight up love
- Kids Love
- Healthy Sweet Treats (as an alternative to the highly processed refined sugar products that are ubiquitous right now)
Part 1: STRAIGHT UP LOVE
1. YOUR WORDS
Honestly, there’s nothing more heartfelt than putting pen to paper and letting your heart speak.
2. YOUR ART
I’m not much of an artist, but I can make a collage or a video that expresses my true feelings in a personal way. Making it yourself says – I took the time to really think about you!
3. YOUR TOUCH
A hug, a shoulder rub, a homemade gift-certificate for a foot massage says I love you, and I want to nurture you.
Part 2: KIDS LOVE
All the straight up love works for kids as well. But sometimes they need a little something to bring to school instead of candy.
4. HEART THEMED PENCILS AND ERASERS
This was a go-to gift for my kids for many years.
5. A SPECIAL HEART DECORATED BAG is the perfect give-away for kids who have a lot of Valentines to collect.
6. LITTLE GIFTS & SAYINGS like a ball with a “my heart bounces for you” note attached. Or a red wrapped ruler with the words “you rule” emblazoned on it. Or a small container of bubbles with the words “I’m bubbling over with love!” attached.
Part 3: Sweet Treats:
All of these sweet treats are made with real, whole-foods – and they’re all sweetened with fruit, rather than refined sugar. They’re my 
super-easy, go-to treats…the kind of treats you can love and they’ll love you back!
Enjoy your Valentine’s Day…and don’t forget about YOU!
When you feel loved and supported, love flows from you naturally
Nina Manolson, MA, CHC, certified Health Coach and Psychology of Eating Coach believes that every women deserves to feel good in their own body. She helps women create a healthy and positive relationship with their food and body so they can love their body and life! She’s the founder of NinaManolson.com and HealthyYummyKids.com.
She helps busy women look and feel their best, and helps them feed their kids well in a world that doesn’t.
She’s the author of “Feed Your Kids Well In A World That Doesn’t: an everyday guide to make healthy food happen in your home and beyond”. She’s also the recipient of the prestigious Health Leadership Award from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition
To get your F.R.E.E. Video Series “What to do now, when everything you’ve done hasn’t worked” by mail and receive her healthy recipes and wellness tips click here.
Nina Manolson, MA, is the founder of Body-Peace®.She helps women end the war with food and body and finally feel truly at home in their body—as it is.
She is known for her deeply feminist, anti-diet, body-peace® approach. She brings her 30 years of experience as a therapist, Body-Trust® Guide and Psychology of Eating Teacher to helping women create a respectful and trusting relationship with their food and body.
Nina’s Body-Peace® work is all in service of helping people get off the diet roller-coaster, and into a compassionate and powerful way of eating & living which creates a positive long-lasting change in and with their bodies. Her courses, coaching, poems and Body-Peace APP positively change the conversation that women are having with their body.
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