How about putting together a beautiful, thoughtful THM basket?
Here are some ideas of ingredients that are really helpful for anybody, especially for those who are about to begin
First of all you need:
THE BOOK: Trim Healthy Mama
The book is a bit costly but worth every penny! It has a detailed explanation on why this works! How it's not just another FAD, it is also a "cookbook" with great recipes to follow, in and of itself is an amazing gift! You can also get the electronic version off of the Trim Healthy Mama site but I do really suggest you get the paperback edition, because of the extensive information, trust me, you need this book in your hands and be able to highlight and/or even do what some other THMs have done by turning it into 2 or even 3 separate books (usually 1 information and 1 cookbook) and sending it to FedEx to have spirals, etc. that's up to each person, I enjoy my whole book.
Now... after this if you still want to give something else... or... if you (or your friend) already have the book... here are some great elements to get started and that will make the "introduction to this plan" much easier and successful, not that each of this items I will suggest are indispensable to the plan but great aids and nice things to have to provide more "cooking/recipe" options to stay encouraged:
Whey Protein: I absolutely love THM's pristine whey protein but it's unfortunately out of stock A LOT... (yes, it's that great) but another favorite (and perfectly on plan) is:
Jay Robb's Whey Protein Powder
It is a bit on the expensive side and in and by itself it will make a great gift, pick and choose what you'd like to add to your amazing "THM care basket", it can be a basket or just one great quality item, or a couple of them... your choice!
Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
I personally love the coconut flavor this provides... (I actually feel sad that my palate is so used to the flavor that I can't taste it that strong anymore on my foods) ... Rub chicken and roast it! Add it to smoothies, make skinny chocolate with it, etc... this is a MUST HAVE in every THM household... another coconut oil that is perfectly on plan is the:
LouAna, Pure Coconut Oil
It is less expensive, doesn't have the strong coconut flavor and you can also find it at Wal-Mart, I personally prefer the "Extra Virgin" one but you're perfectly on plan if you go for the other one.
Unsweetened Peanut Butter
Oh yes... we get to enjoy delicious peanut butter, Smuckers is less expensive than other brands, you can go all the way and get organic peanut butter or get organic unsweetened almond butter as well, Costco carries unsweetened stuff too! A THM tip is: "Always check your labels... You don't want to see "sugar" in the Ingredients."
Something that I know sounded a bit "overwhelming" for me when I first joined THM were products like:
Glucommanan
And
Birch Xylitol
But these are also two great items to consider including for your "Starter Kit" .... Glucomannan is an amazing product.... you can use it to thicken gravies and sauces or create and ice-cream consistency... you can add it to create amazingly creamy smoothies all while adding health to your meals and providing a better "sense" of fullness. Ah! Good stuff!
Xylitol on the other hand... is a sweetener, you have to make sure you get the "good stuff" (Non-GMO, derived from real birch and not from corn) and it's a great way to start kicking away the "sugar addiction" because in the beginning stevia (no matter which one you buy) might still have a very bitter taste... I went through some "rough days" when I couldn't have anything sweet until I got "detoxed" from sugar... everything tasted pretty awful with stevia... it was later when I actually realized my taste buds changed as I got healthier and got away from sugar. BUT... you don't have to go through the same pain... Xylitol is the sweetener with least "after taste" in my own experience... and even when it's costly it can be a life savior when those "sugar cravings" kick in... and they will EVEN IF YOU think you don't have a sweet tooth... once you really get rid of sugar (unfortunately found in soooo many products without us even knowing) your body will have its own way of screaming for the stuff!
Defatted Peanut Flour
Ah! this is good stuff... We use this mostly on "Fuel Pull or E" settings... you can add to 0% Plain Greek Yogurt, some vanilla extract and sweetener and you have a yummy thing to eat on its own or with some apple slices for an "E" setting. Some THMs buy the way more inexpensive PB2, but it's not really on plan because one of the ingredients is sugar.... yes, it is a very minimal amount so... some have still been successful and continued weight-loss using PB2 from their grocery store.... I (and many like me) on the other hand... are "turtles" when it comes to losing weight... and even a little bit of sugar can cause weight stall... So... your choice... I present you with what *I* consider to be the best choice.Trust me... I can't wait for Trim Healthy Mama to introduce their own Defatted Peanut Flour... The promise is that it's coming SOON... I can't WAIT!
Here are other great products to add to your basket:
Almond Flour
(You can find it a bit cheaper at Trader Joe's but it's almond meal not blanched almond flour, it's a bit coarser but I still love it... or you can buy your own almonds - Costco has the best price for almonds - and make your own) Sometimes Kroger has good prices on their "Simple Truth" Organic Almond Flour/Meal too.
Golden Flaxseed Meal
Remember to store it in the freezer (even before opening), Flaxseed Meal oxidizes quickly if left at room temperature, the best way to preserve it is in the freezer. Both Almond Meal and Flaxseed are great ingredients to have at hand for delicious THM breads/muffins/desserts (flaxseed is great when making meatloaf or meatballs as well!)
Prince of Peace Oolong Tea
We THMs use this to make the delicious Shrinker, you can drink it iced in the summer or deliciously hot in the winter... it is sooo good and with a warming spiciness to it... you'll love it! You can sip it all day!
Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar
We use this one to make the Good Girl Moonshine which is another weirdly addicting beverage... it's interesting... once you get used to the vinegary flavor you find yourself actually craving it!
Bragg Nutritional Yeast
Add to eggs or popcorn, this is a highly nutritional ingredient that will take "fried eggs" to a whole new level... I love giving it to my girlies... here's a great recipe to make "Delicious Trim Bouillon"
And what says "I care" better than:
CHOCOLATE!!!
Ah! Your care basket is complete! Of course another thoughtful things are almonds, peanuts, Pure Vanilla Extract
, Almond Extract,
, Banana Extract
, Chana Dal
and some not very practical items to add to a basket (because they require refrigeration) are: Ezekiel Bread and Kerrygold grass fed butter! Oh! Deliciousness!So... are you ready? I think your THM Gifts will be amazing! No better gift than a healthy lifestyle!
© Paloma K.
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.
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