It’s almost Valentine’s Day–a holiday that can be defined in many different ways depending on your situation: (a) the day where you and your significant other hang all over each other and/or wear matching his/hers outfits like Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon, (b) a holiday manufactured by the greeting card industry, (c) the day you send yourself flowers under an assumed name, (d) the day you stuff your face with chocolate, (e) the day you celebrate a newly naked ring finger, (f) the day you finally introduce the family to Bob, your life partner, (g) the day you reveal your secret life as a swinger, (h) the day you spend listening to “Bad Romance” on repeat and sticking pins in poppets, (i) the day you blast big-hair power ballads in a drunken haze, or (j) some combination of the above. But no matter how you celebrate, you better have chocolate on hand—fair-trade certified, organic chocolate that is.

.

Chocolate = Love. We’re not even saying this to justify the 1-lb. bar we keep under our keyboard. Studies show that phenylethylamine (PEA), which occurs naturally in chocolate, can produce emotions similar to those you experience when falling in love. Plus, dark chocolate has the highest antioxidant content of any food and contains flavonoids, which boost good cholesterol levels and protect your heart. Stop by Whole Foods in Jericho or Manhassett and pick up some organic, free-trade…love.

.

If you decide to go the stuffed animal route, here’s a way to make your gift a little more original. The fabric and stuffing of Fuzz That Wuzz animals are both made from 100 percent recycled plastic PET bottles. Each Fuzz That Wuzz keeps more than 10 bottles out of a landfill. Visit www.marymeyer.com to get yours.

.

Flowers are a Valentine’s Day staple, but 95 percent of them are imported from countries that use harmful pesticides long banned in the U.S. On the other hand, showing up at your sweetheart’s door empty-handed may be even worse for your health. No worries. Wild by Nature carries VeriFlora-certified blooms, a label applied to flowers that meet national standards for sustainability, while ensuring a safe workplace for the farmers who grow them.

.

These are great. If you don’t like them, you could just spend the day throwing them at people you love—or hate. Necco produces approximately 100,000 pounds of Sweethearts per day. They sell out in about a month. Two years ago, Necco began adding environmental phrases to “green” their classic conversation hearts. If you look closely, you may come across candies that say “wild life,” “sunshine,” “in a fog” and other Earth-centered phrases mixed in with all your old favorites.

.

The first official Valentine’s card was sent by Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife in 1415 while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London. Today, more than 1 billion Valentine’s cards are sent out each year. Help cut that number down by sending an e-card, or consider another alternative. The Bloomin’ Love Bouquet cards on Etsy.com are made from seed-embedded paper handmade in Nepal. The entire process is eco-friendly and helps provide economic stability for the community of papermakers. The bouquet stands approximately 10-to-12 inches high and can be planted in the spring. And, if your relationship doesn’t last that long, you can burn it.

.

Either way, you’re saving trees.

More articles filed under Body, Mind, Planet