Inexpensive, Healthy Ways to Say "I Love You" this Valentine's Day

Even though candy, confection and chocolate manufacturers would like everyone to believe that we have to express our love with candy, sweet treats and chocolates on birthdays and holidays like Valentine's Day, it is still possible to find healthy ways to say "I Love You."

With a bit of thought and resourcefulness you can find all sorts of healthy ways of expressing love and affection on Valentine's day or any other day to find ways of spending time together and demonstrate your love.

This collection of Healthy Ways to Say "I Love You" includes heart-healthy options, healthy options, stress-reducing items and many low to no cost gifts to show your love for your loved one any day. Be sure to vote on the one you might try. Inexpensive ways of showing your love may make it easier to say "I Love You" more often.

Image of Food Love by Hannah Chapman

Heart Images Coffee from nkzs, Chocolate from kalilo and Almonds from from sateda

Many love ones struggle with weight and health issues. Two out of three American adults are now overweight; others suffer from diabetes and heart disease. Giving your loved one a sweet treat, high fat or high calorie treat may not be the healthiest choice or best choice for your sweetheart's heart.

Foods like coffee, chocolate and nuts like almonds can be great healthy food gift choices to give and share with loved ones. Filled with antioxidants and healthy fats, these foods make for healthier gift choices.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and local health programs like the Partnership For A Tobacco-Free Maine are encouraging tobacco users to quit smoking and give their loved ones the gift of becoming tobacco-free.

Now that you've seen all of the different healthy ways to say "I Love You"...

Many of the gift ideas are low to no cost. Some of the costs can be lowered if you use what you already have in the home and not having to run out and buy something new. Finding inexpensive ways to say "I Love You" makes it easier to say it more often.

1. Send a Card or an eCard
2. Say "I Love You" with Candles
3. Go Walking or Singing in the Rain
4. Share a Sunset
5. Get Out in Nature and Enjoy a Hike
6. Run a Bubble Bath or Share a Bath
7. Give the Gift of Music - This can be low cost if you play your own music or use your own music and make a special playlist.
8. Brew Some Coffee or Tea for Two
9. Share a Hug or Even a Massage
10. Draw a heart in the snow or the sand

Which do you like for your Sweetheart's gift?

Heart in snow by ilske3, heart in sand by CaroFarion

Flowers or plants are a healthy way to say "I Love You," a gift that will last long after the occasion. Many arrangements can be planted and enjoyed for months and even years.

Plants and flowers are pleasing to view and have many health benefits. Giving plants or flowers make people happy, lift the spirits, improve moods and reduce stress. Researchers at Harvard and Massachusetts General Hospital found that people who felt happier and more energetic throughout the day after looking at flowers.

You might even say that giving plants or flowers are "Doctor's Orders." Dr. Weil recommends keeping fresh flowers for their beauty and fragrance and because they lift the spirits. This doctor has to agree.

Bamboo Heart by dizfunkshinal

Give a beautiful plant or flower arrangement as a way to show your love.

Cards continue to be one of the a popular way of expressing one's affections. Many people believe Valentine's Day is "the" Hallmark card Holiday.

Internet cards, electronic cards or e-cards are a very popular way to say "I Love You" and send Valentine's greetings. Internet cards are a great eco-friendly way of celebrating, since you don't send a paper card and can also be an inexpensive way to send a greeting. There are many free online e-cards, like the Health-e-Cards from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They even have e-Cards in Spanish.

Valentine Day eCard from the CDC Health-e-Cards

Candles, especially heart-shaped ones or when arranged in the shape of a heart like in the picture, are a romantic way of saying "I Love You."

A lit candle can produce a meditative, reflective soothing and comforting effect. Watching the hypnotic flickering flame is calming and relaxing and can help to reduce stress. To make the candles even healthier burn natural, soy or beeswax candles.

Tea candles shapes in a heart are an inexpensive way of giving a candle gift. Combine the candles with a bubble bath and some champagne to create an intimate moment for two. See more on sharing a romantic bath a bit later.

Heart of Candles by broo

Candle scent can relax like lavender, energize like tangerine or revitalize like eucalyptus and peppermint. Pick a candle with the type of feeling you want your recipient to have.

or at least Watch the Movie

Walking in the rain (and sometimes even singing) is something many people have enjoyed doing as a child, so walking in the rain is a fun way to bring out the kid in yourself and your loved one.

Walking in the rain (with umbrellas) is a good way to lighten up the mood and add some fun to a normal walk. Add in some singing and you can help reduce stress. Singing in the rain, sing in the shower or with a loved one, singing and enjoying music is a good way to reduce stress lower the heart rate and decrease blood pressure.

If you don't want to walk or sing in the rain, try watching the classic "Singing in the Rain." The singin' swingin' glorious feelin' technicolor musical blends music and comedy, a bit of something for everyone.

Walking and singing in the rain is inexpensive. All you need are umbrellas. You might even be able to find a copy of "Singing in the Rain" at your local library to rent.

Walking in the Rain by katman1972

Sharing a sunset is a beautiful and memorable way to say "I Love You."

Watching the sunset is a picturesque way to relax, unwind and relieve stress the day ends. Find a place where you can see the sky, it might be at the beach, on a mountaintop, or anywhere you happen to me. Take a few moments to stop and enjoy the amazing display of colors.

Sharing a sunset is another low cost way to show your love. Seeing the sunset can also be inspiring and romantic. Combine take a walk with share a sunset to create a healthful, memorable gift of love.

Sunset on the Beach by johnnyberg

Egawauemon has uploaded a beautiful beach sunset, if you can't make it to the beach to watch your own. share this one on YouTube.

You could give your loved one a sunset for them to hang on a wall.

Get out in nature and taking a hike with your love ones may be one of the healthiest gifts you can give for Valentine's Day or any other holiday. We've made it a family tradition to walk on Thanksgiving before eating.

Hiking or walking is an easy activity that can be done anywhere, any time with friends and family.

Walking also has a lot of health benefits. It is good for the heart and helps reduce a person's chances of early death; coronary heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, colon and breast cancer and depression.

Grab a pair of hiking boots or walking shoes and find a favorite place to spend time outdoors.

Hiking are walking are another low to no cost gifts that will express your love and get you healthy in the process.

Walking trail in the Mist by Gramps

Taking a bath is an easy way to de-stress and be taken away as tired muscles unwind in the warm bath water. It is an easy way to say "I Love You."

Running a bubble bath for a stressed mom is truly a loving and caring gift. Giving a mother the chance to relax, release and reset from the day by soaking in a bubble bath maybe even with a favorite book is a thoughtful present. She might even enjoy a romantic bubble bath later.

Sharing a romantic bath for two with the bath bubbles, champagne and even adding in some candles is another way of saying "I Love You" that your love one will enjoy, unless, of course, they prefer taking showers.

Romantic Bubble Bath by theswedish

Coffee and tea both have healthful antioxidants that can help lower the risk of several chronic diseases.

All of the different types of tea—black, green, white and oolong—beneficial polyphenol antioxidants. Tea for two takes on new meaning as a healthy way to show your love.

Coffee drinkers share the health benefits, since coffee contains many beneficial antioxidants. WebMD write Neil Osterweil points out many of the health benefits of coffee in his article on "Coffee and Your Health." Studies have shown coffee to lower one's risk of diabetes, Parkinson's disease and colon cancer. Coffee may help to lift moods, improve concentration, treat headaches and lower one's risk of cavities.

Fixing a coffee or tea for two can be inexpensive, especially if you use what might already be in the home. Remember to skip the milk and sugar to make tea and coffee a healthy treat.

Tea for Two by n_yfe

Music impacts us on many different levels. It can quiet the mind, soothe an aching heart and touch a part of the soul that words cannot express.

Maya Angelou poetically wrote about music, "Music was my refuge. I could crawl into the space between the notes and curl my back to loneliness."

Research has show health benefits of music on surgery patients, heart patients and even tiny NICU patients. Music helps to decrease heart rate and breathing rates and improve health.

Giving and sharing music is a melodic way to say "I Love You." Share a concert or musical show. Create a special play list of songs that express your feelings or one with inspiring work-out music. Give them an MP3 player to play their healthful music on. These are all healthy ways to share the gift of music with a loved one.

Share a Love of Music by fangol

Cocoa, the main ingredient in chocolate has been shown to have many different health benefits. Most chocolate lovers will attest to chocolate improving the mood and overall well being, but there is scientific evidence to back up these health benefits.

Chocolate has polyphenol antioxidants which protect cardiovascular diseases, some cancers and diabetes. In addition the flavanoids in cocoa have been shown to decrease the risk of heart disease. They inhibit blood clotting and reduce the stickiness of platelets (also involved in blood clotting) which protects the heart, by reducing the risk of coronary artery blockage.

Many health experts agree (including Dr. Weil and Dr. Oz) recognize and recommend dark chocolate as a healthy treat, with two caveats. First is that the chocolate needs to be more than 70% cocoa and second, the chocolate is consumed in moderation.

Dark chocolate (more than 70% cocoa) is now recognized as a healthy treat if it is consumed in moderation, which is two squares of dark chocolate a day. Enjoy some dark chocolate or a cup of hot cocoa as a healthy way and heart-healthy way to say "I Love You."

Hot Chocolate Love by micromoth

Danispies shares a recipe for healthy chocolate mousse this is also vegan and gluten-free. Whip some up and share with a loved one or maybe just make some for yourself.

Berries are bursting with health benefits. Blueberries, strawberries, raspberries and blackberries are packed with vitamin C, fiber, minerals, antioxidants and anthocyanins which have numerous health benefits.

Dr. Weil points out the antioxidant benefits of blueberries that come from the anthocyanin pigments. One half of a cup of blueberries is equivalent to "five servings of peas, carrots, apples, squash or broccoli."

Fruits like apples, oranges, pineapple, kiwi and mangoes are other healthy gift ideas to give to a loved one. Putting together a basket of fresh berries or fresh fruit or making a healthy fruit salad parfait are more healthful ways to say "I Love You."

Bowl of Berries by JohnMason

Hugging is a no cost way of saying "I Love You" to a love one. People of all ages like to be touched whether they get hugged or a massage. Virgina Satir, the mother of family therapy, touted information that my Mother would repeat. "We need four hugs a day for survival. We need eight hugs a day for maintenance. We need twelve hugs a day for growth." That's a lot of hugging.

Hugging is an easy way to show you care for someone or that you empathize with them. Hugging helps to boost the spirit and helps you to grow.

Giving a massage is another touching gift. Relaxing massage can help to decrease stress and positively impact one's health.

Learn how to give a massage and it becomes another low to no cost gift, or treat the both of you to a couple's massage.

Sharing a Hug by kakisky

Learn how to give a relaxing hand massage from accidentallygraceful

From eating healthy foods, to quitting smoking, to getting more active and finding healthy ways to say "I Love You" these articles will give you even more healthy ways to show your love on Valentine's Day or any other day.

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What is your favorite healthy way to say "I Love You"?