If you're still struggling with your holiday gift list, help is on the way. I've got a lot of swell ideas for you this year, and none of them involve furry sweaters or a $1,000 designer backpack.

In fact, the more time I spend hanging mistletoe on the path to a healthier lifestyle, the more mystified I am by Americans who can't resist spending their precious dollars on more and more and more stuff.

More gloves, another watch, a third flat-screen TV so every bedroom has one. Not only is unconscious materialism a detour on the road to happiness, research shows that economic worry — the stress of too much debt — is a huge drain on your health.

This year, follow the wisdom of the Shopping Bodhisattva and give yourself the gift of not overspending. If the gifts I'm suggesting are beyond your budget, give hugs. Or bake banana bread. Or do what I did when I was a kid: Make up your own coupon good for a foot rub, carwash or three nights of kitchen cleanup.

1. BODY WORK. Here's a holiday gift that's sure to delight, unless your dear one is very, very ticklish. A hot stone massage is a beautiful thing, but don't forget cranial-sacral work, reflexology and shiatsu. My favorite (and shamelessly extravagant) way of giving this gift is to book two treatments at the same time — one for you, too. Afterward, enjoy a slow food lunch and a lot of water.

2. TIME WITH A MASTER. Offer your fitness-minded loved ones a private lesson or two in yoga, golf, swimming, tennis, running, dancing or whatever activity turns them on. Even one hour or one lesson can boost enthusiasm and jump-start new goals for the new year. Sports lessons are an especially fabulous gift for kids, better than anything virtual on Xbox.

3. A BASKET OF GOODIES. Consumables make a delicious gift, but don't settle for the typical holiday basket of tainted meats and toxic sweets. Let your handpicked basket be a reflection of your tastiest understanding of real food: organic fruits and nuts; dips and salsas with non-GMO chips; high-quality organic oils and vinegars; and fine wines and sparkling waters.

4. DONATE IN THEIR HONOR. Conscious giving is all the rage. Why throw away your money on another silly tie when you can honor someone you love by buying some goats for struggling farmers, funding a well for clean water or introducing an inner-city girl to the joys of smart eating and team play? This last one (visit GirlsintheGame.org) is one of my favorite nonprofits because it motivates girls to get strong and trains them to be leaders. I believe in that. Find a nonprofit you believe in. Perhaps giving cows at Heifer.org? Or nurturing homeless kids at childrenshealthfund.org? And donate loud and proud in celebration of a loved one.

5. A PIECE OF FITNESS GEAR. The range of at-home equipment is staggering — from $2,500 treadmills to $15 jump ropes — so a gift certificate to a well-stocked sports store makes the most sense. If you end up choosing the gear yourself — they can always exchange it — don't scrimp on quality. Junky fitness gear is no bargain. Ever.

6. A MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTION. This is a great low-cost gift because it shows up every month to inspire and inform. There's a healthy lifestyle magazine for every interest: running, kayaking, yoga, healthy cooking, adventure travel. As a direct result of reading Michael Pollan's "The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals" one year, I sent the Nutrition Action Healthletter (www.cspinet.org) to six unsuspecting family members. Who knows, someday, they may thank me.

7. THE GIFT OF TIME. Nothing beats one-on-one time. Make a holiday plan to treat your loved one to a shared fitness adventure that you know will be fun: a hike in the woods, a day of skiing, an hour of tennis. Follow up with a beautiful meal of real food and toast to the blessing of friendship.

Is there a nicer way to say "I love you, I care about you and want you to be happy?" Somehow, you can't convey that feeling by giving a pair of sequined fingerless gloves.

ENERGY EXPRESS-O! WHY BE GENEROUS? "Ultimately, acts of generosity strengthen our feeling of interconnectedness with the rest of the world ... Sooner or later, we see that giving to others is really giving to ourselves." — Sally Kempton

Marilynn Preston — healthy lifestyle expert and Emmy-winning producer — is the creator of Energy Express, the longest-running syndicated fitness column in the country. She has a website, marilynnpreston.com, and welcomes reader questions, which can be sent to MyEnergyExpress@aol.com. She also produces EnExTV, a digital reincarnation of her award-winning TV series about sports, fitness and adventure, for kids of all ages, at youtube.com/EnExTV and facebook.com/EnExTV. To find out more about Preston and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.