… around Valentine’s Day I have always been a bit of a curmudgeon. I have long claimed that it was a “Hallmark” holiday that was created by the gift card industry and flower industry as a marketing tool. I imagine long hours of therapy could answer where I developed my views. Perhaps it is due to growing up in a fairly unsentimental household. Perhaps it is due to being kind of cheap – “How much do the dozen roses cost?!? Are you kidding me?” In college, in lieu of buying my girlfriend flowers, I made her a “nature box,” where I went out into the woods and gathered pine cones and leaves and whatever one could muster in a Minnesota winter, and made a collage of it in a shoe box. It was actually the best received Valentine’s gift I ever gave.
So perhaps the message is that creativity and thoughtfulness are all that count. But just in case, I am not taking any chances this year. I am celebrating my first Valentine’s Day with my girlfriend who has made it clear she does not share my “Hallmark Holiday” view of Valentine’s Day. I would give her one of our Wild Idea February Sweetheart Deals, but she gets to eat a fair amount of buffalo by being in a relationship with me. I would love to hear readers’ suggestions – so please post a comment with the best Valentine’s gift you have ever given or received. In fact, I will throw in a gift of a steak on the next order for the reader who has the best one.
One result of the growing popularity of Valentine’s Day, aside from increased sales for Hershey’s and other chocolate makers, was the beginning of “American Heart Month.” Congress started it in 1963 with the purpose of promoting awareness of heart and cardiovascular diseases to make people aware that it is the #1 source of death in the U.S. As someone with a family history of both Valentine’s Day curmudgeoness and heart disease, I certainly think about these things. I do like thinking about Valentine’s Day and Heart Health month together in the context of being healthy and being around for the ones you love. A couple years ago to kick off Heart History month, Obama made a speech that said that cardiovascular disease is one of the most widespread and costly problems in the U.S. and it is one of the most preventable. He acknowledged that obesity is a leading cause of the disease and that a combination of quitting smoking, exercise, and healthy eating is a great way to prevent it.
The American Heart Association has recommended bison meat as part of a heart healthy diet. The AHA likes bison meat because it is lower in fat, calories, and cholesterol than most other meats, but high in iron, zinc, and other vitamins. In addition to our own web site I found several sources that are good resources for talking about the heart health benefits of grass-fed buffalo:
www.eatwild.com/healthbenefits
www.livestrong.com/article/412575-how-healthy-is-bison-meat
I wish everyone a Happy and Heart Healthy Valentine’s Day, and please post your gift ideas.
Love,
Josh
Comments 2
I know that this meat is good for you. I have had the buffalo meat before, the ground kind, and it is delicious, very tasty. I just ordered some from this website and should get today. I can’t wait to try what I get from you.
Ms. R. Burns
I think the nature box was a great idea as a gift, but should be accompanied by something romantic.. at least a live plant w/ flowers. The current girlfriend may not be as tied to nature as you are, if indicating she’s the traditional “chocolate” fan or jewelry-type. Evaluate your interests before getting too serious for the long run. Having souls in common is important for us nature lovers. The heart health info. is a good reminder for anyone. Thanks for that.