Health
Thanksgiving health checklist: 9 things you should do, according to experts
The focus of Thanksgiving may seem pretty simple — cooking, eating and giving thanks — but the specific choices made throughout the day can have an impact on your overall health.
From choice of food to stress levels, there are many aspects of the holiday that can affect physical and mental well-being.
Several wellness experts offered their top tips for navigating Thanksgiving in the healthiest possible way.
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1. Start the day with gratitude
Thanksgiving is the perfect time to reflect on the good in your life, according to Amy Morin, a Florida-based psychotherapist and author of “13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do.”
She suggests starting the day by listing three things you’re grateful for — “whether it’s the support of loved ones, good health, or even a small joy like your favorite coffee.”
Thanksgiving is the perfect time to reflect on the good in your life, a psychotherapist said. (iStock)
“Taking a moment to think about what you’re truly grateful for in a quiet moment can set a positive tone for the day,” Morin told Fox News Digital.
“It can also increase your happiness, improve your relationships and give you a boost in mental strength that you’ll likely need during the day.”
2. Don’t skip breakfast
It might seem wise to forgo the meal leading up to Thanksgiving, with the idea of “making room” for the main food event, but experts say that’s not a good idea.
“When you skip breakfast or lunch, you tend to be ravenous by the time you do eat, and that sets you up for overeating as you overindulge,” Shelley Balls, a registered dietitian nutritionist at Consumer Health Digest based in Wyoming, told Fox News Digital.
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“This is often accompanied by a sluggish, painful and miserable feeling afterward, as you tend to eat faster without listening to your fullness cues.”
Instead, she recommends eating a balanced breakfast so you feel more satisfied throughout the day.
“When Thanksgiving dinner rolls around, you’ll have more control of what and how much you choose to eat.”
3. Choose foods wisely
Among the many options on the Thanksgiving table, some choices are better than others.
“Have a little bit of everything (because that’s tradition), but tread lightly around the charcuterie board — and when you go for seconds, cut down on the butter, cream and fats,” advised Dr. Michael Schopis, a New York gastroenterologist.
“Some patients have trouble digesting certain carbohydrates, which can lead to excessive bloating and gas, causing pain related to functional disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome,” a doctor cautioned. (iStock)
It’s best to avoid pre-processed foods, foods high in nitrates (cured meats), simple carbohydrates and trans fats, the doctor told Fox News Digital.
“Some patients have trouble digesting certain carbohydrates, which can lead to excessive bloating and gas, causing pain related to functional disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome,” he cautioned.
“Taking a moment to think about what you’re truly grateful for can set a positive tone for the day.”
“Nitrates in high amounts have been known to increase the risk of developing polyps and certain GI cancers,” Schopis added.
Dr. Jaclyn Albin, director of culinary medicine at UT Southwestern in Dallas, Texas, recommends starting with a smaller helping and going back for more if you’re still hungry.
It’s best to avoid pre-processed foods, foods high in nitrates (cured meats), simple carbohydrates and trans fats, a doctor told Fox News Digital. (iStock)
“Plan to fill half the plate with fruits and veggies and create a balance between proteins, fruits, fiber and sweets,” she suggested to Fox News Digital.
“Also, don’t be afraid to add variety. Savoring the different colors, flavors and textures will enhance the meal.”
4. Practice mindful eating
“Chew thoroughly, savor the flavors, notice the food’s appearance and aroma and engage in conversation with family and friends to slow down,” Jennifer Wilcox, a Fay dietitian based in Chicago, told Fox News Digital.
“Choose to speak about things you have in common and reminisce over good memories,” an expert recommended. (iStock)
“A slower pace of eating will help improve digestion and help you recognize comfortable fullness.”
Another reason to slow down is that the faster you eat (and the less you chew), the more stomach acids have to work to break down foods, which leads to gas, bloating and reflux, Schopis added.
5. Drink water with dinner
This tip comes from Christine Byrne, a registered dietitian and the owner of Ruby Oak Nutrition in Raleigh, North Carolina.
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“Keeping alcohol to a minimum will help you feel much better while you eat and afterward,” she told Fox News Digital.
“Because alcohol is a toxin, your body (particularly your liver) prioritizes breaking it down and getting it out of your system,” she went on. “That means digesting other food gets put on hold while the alcohol is processed.”
“If you can, stick to water while you eat, and alternate boozy beverages with non-alcoholic ones,” a nutritionist recommended. (iStock)
As a result, you could feel uncomfortable for hours after the meal, Byrne said.
“If you can, stick to water while you eat, and alternate boozy beverages with non-alcoholic ones.”
6. Set boundaries
The holidays can be challenging when it comes to family relationships, as differences in lifestyle, opinions and values can cause rifts that are challenging to navigate, according to Jillian Amodio, a licensed therapist and founder of Moms for Mental Health in Maryland.
“When seeing family this holiday season, set boundaries for yourself,” Amodio advised.
“Be honest with yourself and make the decision that will benefit your mental health.”
“Who can you be around, and who will be too difficult to spend time with? Be honest with yourself and make the decision that will benefit your mental health.”
It’s best to avoid engaging in topics of conversation that could become inflammatory, she said.
“Choose to speak about things you have in common and reminisce over good memories,” Amodio recommended.
Some other ideas include bringing old photo albums, playing board games and taking breaks throughout the day by stepping into another room as needed.
7. Take guilt off the menu
“Remember that Thanksgiving is just one day and guilt is not a food group,” said Elizabeth Harris, a registered dietitian in Maryland.
“Consider how you want to feel after your holiday meal and do your best to walk your choices backwards from there.”
“Consider how you want to feel after your holiday meal and do your best to walk your choices backwards from there,” an expert advised. (iStock)
And if you miss the mark, it’s not the end of the world, she noted.
“You get another chance at your very next meal to practice making feel-good choices that better support your needs.”
8. Make time to relax
“Amid the cooking, hosting and socializing, carve out small moments to recharge,” suggested Morin.
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When things feel overwhelming throughout the busy day, the psychotherapist suggests taking five minutes to breathe deeply, meditate or just enjoy a quiet moment with your thoughts.
“These little pockets of relaxation can give you the mental strength you need to make it through the day,” she told Fox News Digital.
9. Walk it off
Experts agree that it’s important to take a walk after the Thanksgiving meal, even if it’s short.
Post-meal movement also helps to regulate blood sugar levels, especially after consuming calorie-dense foods. (iStock)
“Exercise and physical activity increases the body’s metabolic rate, helping your body process richer foods more effectively,” noted Melissa Burdi, dean and vice president of the Purdue Global School of Nursing and a cardiac nurse in Illinois.
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“It also stimulates the digestive tract, preventing bloating or discomfort from heavy meals.”
Post-meal movement also helps to regulate blood sugar levels, especially after consuming calorie-dense foods, Burdi added.
Health
Scientists May Be Able to Make Grapefruits Compatible With Medications They Currently Interfere With
You may be among the millions of people who have seen a surprisingly specific warning like this on the labels of drugs you take:
Avoid eating grapefruit or drinking grapefruit juice while using this medication.
Such warnings are issued for dozens of substances, including docetaxel, a cancer drug; erythromycin, an antibiotic; and some statins, the cholesterol-lowering drugs prescribed to more than a third of American adults over 40.
The problem is a set of molecules, furanocoumarins. High levels of furanocoumarins interfere with human liver enzymes, among other processes. In their presence, medications can build up to unhealthy levels in the body. And grapefruits and some related citrus fruits are full of them.
But there is no such warning for other kinds of citrus, such as mandarins and other oranges. Citrus researchers at the Volcani Center in Israel reported Wednesday in the journal The New Phytologist that, by crossing mandarins and grapefruit, they’ve uncovered genes that produce furanocoumarins in some citrus fruits. It’s a finding that opens the possibility of creating grapefruit that doesn’t require a warning label.
Scientists had worked out the compounds’ structures and pieced together a basic flowchart of how they are made years ago, said Yoram Eyal, a professor at the Volcani Center. But the precise identities of enzymes catalyzing the process — the proteins that snip off a branch here, or add a piece there — remained mysterious. He and his colleagues knew that one way to identify them was to breed citrus high in furanocoumarins with those without. If the offspring of such a cross had varying levels of the substances, it should be possible, by digging into their genetics, to pinpoint the genes for the proteins.
“We were afraid to approach it, because it’s very time-consuming and it takes many years,” he said, noting how involved it can be to grow new trees from seeds and assess their genetics. “But finally, we decided we have to dive in.”
When they examined the offspring of a mandarin and a grapefruit, the researchers saw something remarkable. Fifty percent of the young plants had high levels of furanocourmains, and 50 percent had none. That particular signature meant something very specific, in terms of how the ability to make these substances is inherited.
“We saw there was only one gene that could have controlled it,” said Livnat Goldenberg, a Volcani Center researcher who is the lead author of the new study.
The researchers soon identified the gene controlling the production of furanocoumarins in leaves and fruit, which produces an enzyme called 2-oxoglutarate-dependent dioxygenase, or 2OGD for short. Mandarins, it turns out, have a mutated form of this gene that keeps the enzyme from functioning properly. This version cropped up in all the mandarin and orange varieties the researchers checked, explaining why they do not cause the same problems as grapefruit in people taking prescription medications. In these plants, furanocoumarin production is paused.
With gene editing technology, it should be possible to alter the gene in grapefruit as well, Dr. Eyal suggests. The team at the Volcani Center is now exploring that project.
Looking at how widespread this mutated version is in mandarins and some other citrus, the scientists speculate that some gene nearby on the genome must play an important role in a highly prized trait. A long-ago citrus breeder, selecting for some unknown quality, must have unwittingly spread this furanocoumarin-busting version of the gene to an ancestor of modern varieties of mandarins and oranges.
All these years later, that person’s work is coming to light, under the gaze of geneticists, who may, someday, put grapefruit back on the menu.
Cases of tularemia, also known as “rabbit fever,” are on the rise in the U.S., according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Caused by the bacteria Francisella tularensis, the disease commonly infects rabbits, hares and rodents. However, it is zoonotic, which means it can spread from animals to humans.
The bacteria is a “tier-1 select agent,” a classification given to agents and toxins that “present the greatest risk of deliberate misuse with significant potential for mass casualties or devastating effects to the economy, critical infrastructure or public confidence, and pose a severe threat to public health and safety,” per the CDC.
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Although tularemia is relatively rare, with only 2,462 diagnoses between 2011 and 2022, cases have risen 56% compared to the prior decade (2001 to 2010), as reported in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Cases of tularemia, also known as “rabbit fever,” are on the rise in the U.S., according to a new report from the CDC. (iStock)
“Increased reporting of probable cases might be associated with an actual increase in human infection, improved tularemia detection or both,” the report states.
Millions of new cases of diabetes and heart disease every year are caused by sugary drinks, according to newly published research.
Tufts University in Boston led the study, which found that about 2.2 million new diagnoses of type 2 diabetes and 1.2 million new cases of cardiovascular disease were attributed to sugar-sweetened sodas and juices each year, according to a press release.
The findings were published in the journal Nature Medicine this week.
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The highest rates were found in Colombia, where 48% of new diabetes cases were linked to sugary drinks, and in Mexico, where nearly a third of cases were attributed to them.
Meanwhile, in Latin America, more than 24% of new diabetes cases were linked to sugary beverages, and 21% in sub-Saharan Africa, the study found.
About 2.2 million new cases of type 2 diabetes and 1.2 million new cases of cardiovascular disease occur each year worldwide due to consuming sugar-sweetened soda and juices, according to the findings of a new study. (iStock)
In South Africa, 27.6% of new diabetes cases and 14.6% of cardiovascular disease cases were attributed to sugary drinks.
Sugary drinks are rapidly digested, causing a spike in blood sugar levels with little nutritional value.
Sugary drinks cause blood sugar to spike because they are “rapidly digested,” the research team said.
When consumed on a long-term basis, these types of beverages, in addition to increasing the risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease, can also lead to weight gain and insulin resistance, the researchers added.
Men are more likely than women to suffer the consequences of sugary drink consumption, as are younger adults compared to their older counterparts, a new study asserts. (iStock)
Professor Dariush Mozaffarian, the study’s senior author, said in a university press release, “Sugar-sweetened beverages are heavily marketed and sold in low- and middle-income nations.”
He added, “Not only are these communities consuming harmful products, but they are also often less well-equipped to deal with the long-term health consequences.”
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Certain groups are more likely to experience negative health effects from sugary drinks, including men and younger adults, the researchers noted, as news agency SWNS also noted.
New Jersey-based registered dietitian Erin Palinski-Wade, who was not involved in the research, said the findings were to be expected, as diets rich in added sugars are more likely to increase the risk of chronic health conditions, including type 2 diabetes.
When consumed on a long-term basis, these types of beverages can also lead to weight gain and insulin resistance, experts say. (iStock)
“Sugar-sweetened beverages are a major cause of added sugar in the diet and easy to overconsume, as they provide little fullness,” she told Fox News Digital.
“The high calorie content and lack of satisfaction due to little protein, fat or fiber in these drinks can lead to excess calorie consumption, which can lead to weight gain — especially gains in visceral fat (belly fat), which has been found to increase the risk of type 2 diabetes,” she went on.
“Sugar-sweetened beverages are easy to overconsume, as they provide little fullness.”
Palinski-Wade pointed out that there were some limitations to the new research.
“This was an observational study, not a causation study, and shows only an association between diets containing sugar-sweetened beverages and diabetes,” she noted.
“It does not prove that those drinks alone trigger an onset of type 2 diabetes.”
What needs to change?
To remedy the issue, the study authors called for a “multi-pronged approach,” including public health campaigns, regulations on advertising and taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages, the release stated.
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“We need urgent, evidence-based interventions to curb consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages globally, before even more lives are shortened by their effects on diabetes and heart disease,” first author Laura Lara-Castor, now at the University of Washington, said in the release.
Approximately 65% of adults in the U.S. consume sugar-sweetened beverages daily. (iStock)
Mexico implemented a sugary drinks tax in 2014, which has shown to be effective in reducing consumption, the researchers stated.
“Much more needs to be done, especially in countries in Latin America and Africa, where consumption is high and the health consequences severe,” wrote Mozaffarian.
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“As a species, we need to address sugar-sweetened beverage consumption.”
Many different factors are involved in insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, Palinski-Wade noted.
“As a species, we need to address sugar-sweetened beverage consumption.”
“However, reducing your intake of sugar-sweetened beverages can go a long way toward improving overall blood sugar regulation and future health.”
The new research was supported by the Gates Foundation, the American Heart Association and Mexico’s National Council for Science and Technology.
Fox News Digital reached out to the researchers for further comment.
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