Integrative Wellness Gift Guide: Dr. Kuczma’s Favourites

Whether you’re looking for stocking stuffers, trying to find the perfect gift for that one person who’s tough to shop for, or looking for a thoughtful way to say thank-you to a teacher or holiday host, we’ve got you covered:

Zazubean Chocolate 🍁

A cycling trip amongst friends on Galiano island led to the creation of Zazubean, a chocolate company founded with the motto “Good for the Growers, Good for the Planet, Good for You.” Using only 100% organic USDA-certified ingredients, they have made bars that are gluten-free, soy-free, GMO-free, but full of flavour. Whether you’re looking for a gift for someone on a Paleo or Keto plan, who prefers milk, white, or dark, or wants an added boost of a superfood (we love mint & cacao nibs!) there’s a bar for that. But we recommend buying two, as one usually disappears during gift-wrapping...

→ Get Zazubean Chocolate Here

Routine. Dirty Hipster No 3 Natural Soy Candle 🍁

Made with natural soy wax and essential oils, Routine. candles fill your home with indulgent, non-toxic scents for up to 50 hours. With high quality ingredients and a smell that makes us feel okay wearing our toques indoors, Dirty Hipster No 3 lights up the home - and looks good doing it. While you’re at it, check out their soaps, perfumes, oils, and armpit tool. Give the gift of a good routine, eh?

→ Get Routine. Candles Here

Green Beaver Naturapeutic Enamel Protect Toothpaste 🍁

This toothpaste contains xylitol, a birch extract that helps fight the bacteria that causes cavities and prevents dental erosion, as well as calcium hydroxyapatite, the main mineral dental enamel is composed of. It’s also free of fluoride, gluten, and sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), and unlike many natural toothpastes, it actually tastes good.

→ Get Green Beaver Toothpaste Here

Kaia Naturals Charcoal Deodorant 🍁

This deodorant packs a one-two punch of charcoal, to remove toxins, and a fermentation extract, to control odor-causing bacteria. More important is what they leave out - aluminum, synthetic fragrance, parabens, and alcohol - ingredients our sensitive underarm skin (and the lymphatic system beneath it) could do without in 2022. Female-founded, and Canadian made? We can raise a glass to that (without worrying about underarm scent).

→ Get Kaia Deodorant Here

Ancient Minerals Topical Magnesium

Many of us do not get enough magnesium through our diet. Additionally, consuming sugary drinks, pastries, baked goods, alcohol, and caffeine cause our body to lose magnesium. And high stress levels can lead to an increased need for magnesium. This perfect storm of factors has contributed to widespread magnesium deficiency. Magnesium deficiency can lead to poor sleep, migraines, muscle aches, muscle spasms, facial tics, eye twitches, and tension headaches; in short, our muscles need magnesium in order to relax. Topical magnesium is easily absorbed as it bypasses the digestive system, and Ancient Minerals has developed magnesium lotion, gel, spray, and bath flakes to amp up self-care, just in time for the holidays.

→ Get Ancient Minerals Topical Magnesium Here

Beautycounter Counter + Lotus Glow Cleansing Balm

Beautycounter has a Never List - 1,800 ingredients they will never use in their formulations to maintain the highest standard of quality and safety within the beauty industry. The quality of their products proves you don’t have to sacrifice luxury for health. The perfect example of this is the Counter+ Lotus Glow Cleansing Balm, a supple and sweet-smelling balm that removes makeup, deeply hydrates as an overnight mask, soothes eczema, and can be used as a base during gua sha.

→ Get Counter + Lotus Glow Cleansing Balm Here

“Body Love Every Day: Choose Your Life-Changing 21-Day Path to Food Freedom” by Kelly Leveque

We don’t love resolutions around here - unless you have a plan of attack of how to put that resolution into action. Enter, Kelly Leveque. Blood sugar is her name, and balance is her game. And “Body Love Every Day” is the game plan - 21-days of game plan, actually. She takes the guesswork out of balancing blood sugar, and tells you exactly how to do it via nutrition tips, recipes, movement recommendations, stress management, and emotional support.

→ Get Kelly Leveques Book Here

Primal Kitchen Products

Cleaning up our diet can be boring, especially if it leads to day after day of bland chicken and broccoli. Feeling like healthy food is tasty, enjoyable, or even indulgent, can be the difference between sticking to the plan - or falling off the wagon. Primal Kitchen gets it. From BBQ sauce to mayo to Caesar dressing, they have built a collection of sauces to dress up otherwise basic meals. And while we still don’t have all their products in Canada, Whole Foods and Choices Markets have a range that is yet to disappoint. A favourite in Dr Kuczma’s house? No Dairy Buffalo Sauce. Perfect on chicken wings, whether you’re keto, Paleo, Whole30 - or just like chicken wings. Bon appetit!

→ Get Primal Kitchen Here

Any products featuring a 🍁 are proudly Canadian owned businesses.