Ancestral Holiday Gift Ideas
Ancestral Holiday Gift Ideas
10 Holiday Gift Ideas for the Back to Our Roots Enthusiast in Your Life
Picture this… The days of December are ticking by faster than you can keep up. You are attending holiday parties, going to light displays, and trying to squeeze in as many holiday activities as possible to soak up the season. Before you know it, you realize you’ve procrastinated picking up gifts for loved ones.
So, you must run to the mall *shudder* to get everyone’s gifts. You face overcrowded stores, artificial fragrances permeating throughout, bright fluorescent lights dysregulating your sleep cycle, tweens running around with their broccoli haircuts, and the palpable feeling that everyone’s cortisol is high from being in that environment.
I don’t want that for you and you shouldn’t want that for yourself. So, this Christmas and holiday season, I put together a list of gifts that anyone who is conscience about their health would love!
I will link an article of ours to each gift idea so that you can refresh your memory on the benefits of that gift (and share the article with the person you get the gift for). Also, note that the prices of these can vary, but it’s important to see them ALL as investments in your health for 2024 and beyond.
So let’s dive into them- and be sure to share this list with friends and family to give them some ideas for what to gift you!
This list is from most expensive to least expensive, going all the way down to $5. So don’t let the high price tag of the first item intimidate you.
AirDoctor: $389 - $1,000
Let’s start with what is likely the most expensive item on our list and one in which you might not feel immediate returns - but you will benefit long term! That is an air purifier.
I’ll be the first to admit this, as Maddie and I were having a conversation about this yesterday. Maybe it’s the man in me, but I would have a hard time swallowing an expensive item like an air purifier if I was living alone.
My line of thinking is “Eh, I don’t notice an immediate difference so why would I invest that much money on it when I could buy something fun like a new bow or set of binoculars instead?”.
But that is why we men have better halves - to help us see the long-term value of cleaner air inside our homes! Ours is plugged in 24/7 and it’s shocking to see when it ramps up on its filtering!
Most of the time is not noticeable at all, but a few weeks back we had fires nearby and the filter was picking up its power and telling us the air quality was poor. Now, I didn’t notice it other than the faint smell of smoke outside but that goes to show how much we might be desensitized to the toxins that enter our home from the outdoors.
This is even more the case for those of us who live in cities or apartments, as we are at the mercy of our surroundings when it comes to air quality and smells.
So while I may have been skeptical at first, after almost a year of having multiple air filters throughout our home, I’ve been made a believer.
Also, Air Doctor always has sales and promotions, so don’t ever pay full price. Monitor them closely for when they have a special going on.
Berkey Water Filter: $220 - $478
Another item that comes in at a high price point, but in this case, I was easy to convince that we needed one: A water filter.
I would argue that you can’t trust tap water in ANY city in the United States (or the world for that matter). Even you New Yorkers who think tap water makes bagels taste better (wtf right?).
Here in the Phoenix area and other cities around the US, local and state governments KNOWINGLY add fluoride to our drinking supply for “oral health”. Sounds good right?
Except the fluoride they add is a by-product from the phosphate fertilizer industry. An industry that once released these toxic fluoride gases into the atmosphere but realized it was causing too much environmental damage. So of course, instead, they began selling it to local water departments to add to our water. FUN!
Something that was somehow too toxic for the environment is now in the water we DRINK… Do you see why a water filter is a worthy investment? Yeah, me too. Get yourself and your loved ones a water filter.
Learn more about what we had to say about water filters in our previous post.
Ruck Sack/Weighted Pack: $255 - $700
Now, I know with the new year comes tons of new people signing up for gym memberships - and that’s great! But if you want to try a new kind of exercise or think a loved one would enjoy being out in nature working out as opposed to a crowded gym, a weighted pack could be the ticket!
I talk about the benefits of carrying weight in different ways in a previous Primal Patterns article but in short, carrying weight is the primary exercise we humans evolved to do as hunter-gatherers.
Anyone who has been in the military or on a long backpacking hike will tell you that there’s nothing easy about walking up and downhill with a heavy pack on your back. Plus, this will get you out into nature and has the added benefit of getting friends and family involved!
Personally, when I’m spending money on something, I like to be able to use it for more than one purpose. So while you can get a pack that’s specifically made to carry weighted plates, like a GORUCK pack, I prefer getting a backpack, like a Stone Glacier or Exo Mountain Gear pack with a frame that I can take hiking and hunting as well, since that’s what I do more of.
If you want to go all in on “carry” exercises, go to Home Depot and pick up a sandbag on the cheap for backyard workouts. Nothing says Merry Christmas like a sandbag under the tree!
Barefoot Shoes: $100 - $300
I’ve been preaching the benefits of barefoot shoes to anyone who will listen. Friends, family, coworkers, and even on calls with clients of mine. In an article I wrote a few months back, I made the case for ditching ALL your footwear and replacing each type with some form of barefoot shoe.
I’m going on 9 months of wearing only barefoot shoes now and there’s been a HUGE difference in my gait, foot pain, knee pain, and lower back pain - or rather, a lack of all of the above!
I started by getting a casual/workout shoe that I could wear often and get used to how they felt and started shifting my feet back to how they are supposed to feel. Then I got hiking boots that I wore on every hunt this year. I even got dress shoes that I wore to our wedding!
Just for fun, I tried putting on normal hiking boots and normal shoes to see how they felt on my feet after all these months and I kid you not but I could not step outside for more than 100 yards without my feet screaming at me!
In just 9 months I was able to change the structure of my feet back to their more natural state, which is awesome. I’ll never go back to regular shoes at this point and if you aren’t on the train yet, I highly encourage you to get on it!
This is a great gift for the parent or grandparent in your life who is always complaining about a bad back or knees. What’s better than the gift of pain-free aging!?
Read more about my take on barefoot shoes.
Premium Olive Oil Subscription: $149
You may or may not know this, but MOST of the olive oil you see at the grocery store is either rancid or on its way to becoming rancid from age. Unlike wine, olive oil does not get better over time!
You would know if you’ve ever had fresh olive oil that’s been pressed, bottled, and poured within a month or two. The flavors are more vibrant and the health benefits are immensely more pronounced.
When I discovered the Olive Oil Hunter’s subscription service that delivers 3 bottles of premium, fresh-picked olive oil from around the world to my door four times a year, I haven’t looked back. You won’t either!
Check out more about the health benefits of olive oil and why you need to be incorporating it into your diet more often!
This is a great gift for the person who “has it all”.
Organic Clothing: $30 - $250
So with clothing, it’s easy to go down the rabbit hole expense-wise or panic when you realize that your entire wardrobe is made of petroleum-derived materials. My advice here, and something that we’ve personally done is to start with the layers that are most often on your skin, especially near your gonads, aka, your reproductive organs, aka your underwear.
We like 100% organic cotton underwear and if I am working out, hiking, or doing something where I might be sweating more, I like wearing merino wool.
Maddie wrote an article where she spoke on the clothing industry and some brands that we recommend if you are looking to revamp your wardrobe to be more sustainable and health forward.
Again, start small with underwear and go from there! From a man’s perspective, we love new underwear and socks, so they’re sure to be a great gift and stocking stuffer.
Organ Supplements: $40-70
Another excellent stocking stuffer and something I bought Maddie as a gift for her birthday in the early years of our relationship - organ capsules. There is no debate about whether organs are healthy or not (at least there shouldn’t be), but the problem with them is always around the taste.
Look, I get it. I still have trouble forcing down cooked or raw organs. They aren’t the best tasting and I wouldn’t go out of my way to eat them for their flavor. Luckily, organ capsules are a great entry point to getting the benefits without the taste.
Of course, capsules aren’t as great as the real thing, so if you do choose to take the next step, I recommend first reading Maddie’s article on Organs the Easy Way to see a good evolution of working organs into your diet.
Creatine: $15 - 40
I don’t care what supplement your favorite influencer or biohacker is trying to sell you these days, all I can tell you is that there is one true king of supplements and that is creatine.
No supplement has been as studied and proven over time as creatine. The best part is, it’s cheap! As in, you should never have to spend more than $40 per bottle of it.
I purposely didn’t link to one because it does not have to be fancy. Just make sure the only thing on the ingredient label reads “creatine monohydrate” and you’re golden.
Make sure you check out and include a link to of my article to the lucky recipient of this gift on the laundry list of benefits of this miracle supplement.
Cleaning Supplies: $10 - $75
If you’re like Maddie and me, there’s nothing worse than traveling to families’ houses and being overwhelmed by the toxic fumes of bleach, window cleaner, and whatever other toxic cleaning supplies our families still haven’t broken free of.
If you want to help our theirs and your hormones, gift the power of a clean, non-toxic home this holiday season. In a recent article, Maddie dove in on all the toxic hormone-disrupting fragrances we encounter daily, from the soaps we use to our cleaning supplies.
Check it out and add a few other stocking stuffers to the gift list from her recommended products list!
Ancestral Living Checklist: FREE
Are you all about the Ancestral Living lifestyle but are having trouble getting loved ones on board? Wish your significant other or parents would understand your “crazy health hacks” a bit more?
Sign them up for our Ancestral Living Checklist above which includes a simple-to-follow checklist to integrate into their daily lives to revolutionize their health!
There are easy morning and nighttime habits, as well as nutrition and fitness goals, that will help your loved ones begin or improve upon their journey to optimal wellness.
Shoot, you can sign up for it too, and join in on the fun!
Get the checklist HERE and let us know what you think!
(BONUS) Back to Our Roots 6-Week Program: $5
Is the checklist above a bit too simple for you or your loved one? Are you looking to join a group of like-minded people to connect on healthy habits as the New Year kicks off?
Maddie and I are planning our first program for those of us who want to be held accountable for implementing healthy habits in the first 6 weeks of the New Year. This will include connecting with people across the country who are doing the same!
Make sure you read the upcoming newsletters so you can be the first to sign up. We are going to charge $5 for the simple psychological reason that people tend to prioritize things that they pay for.
We are excited to share this with you and hope that you sign yourself and your loved ones up for the gift of health this holiday season!
I’d love to hear what you would add to this list. We will post our favorite Back to Our Roots reader-inspired holiday gifts on our social media platforms next week!
-Sebastian
If you enjoy our content, make sure to follow us on our other social media platforms!
On Sebastian’s and our @getbacktoourroots Instagram this coming week you will find a series on whole animal butchering if you’ve ever been interested to see exactly where your cuts of meat are coming from before they hit the grocery store shelves.
Twitter/X: @backtoourroot
Instagram: @getbacktoourroots
Sebastian’s IG: @sebastianbullmoose
Maddie’s IG: @maemaddie