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.
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A distraught mother who thought she was having a heart attack was instead hospitalized with broken heart syndrome — otherwise known as takotsubo syndrome (TTS) — less than a year after her veteran son tragically took his own life.
Dawn Turner, 57, of the U.K., lost her son in August of last year.
Just last month, the mom of three awoke with “unbearable” chest pains, she said — and called an ambulance, worried she was going into cardiac arrest. But when she arrived at the hospital, doctors told her she was suffering from the effects of grief caused by a broken heart, as news agency SWNS reported.
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TTS is a temporary, reversible heart condition often triggered by extreme emotional or physical stress, such as grief, fear or severe illness, according to experts.
Symptoms usually mimic a heart attack, with sudden and severe chest pain and shortness of breath the most common — and it primarily affects women over the age of 50.
A mom whose soldier son took his own life feared she was suffering cardiac arrest — only to be told by hospital doctors that she was feeling the effects of grief caused by a broken heart. Dawn Turner, mother of deceased soldier Rob Homans, is pictured above, April 2026. (SWNS)
Turner, of Eckington in Worcester, said, “I was [sitting] downstairs earlier that night and thought I had a bit of indigestion. I went to bed and just couldn’t get comfortable — I was breaking out in a sweat and had heart palpitations.
“Then, around midnight, I had pain down my arm and in my jaw. I was still putting it down to indigestion… My partner Paul asked me if I was all right, and I said, ‘I think I’m having a heart attack.’”
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She said she couldn’t catch her breath — “and my heart felt as though it was missing a beat and then [started] thudding again. For those moments, I truly believed I was having a heart attack.”
“Your heart is all over the place — there’s an extra beat,” Turner was told.
She said her partner called emergency services, and an ambulance arrived within five minutes.
“They came in and linked me up to an ECG. They said, ‘Your heart is all over the place — there’s an extra beat, and it’s all over the place,’” she said, as SWNS reported.
Turner was rushed to the hospital by ambulance.
Turner is shown with her son in full dress uniform. He worked as an artilleryman and spent 10 years in the U.K.’s Royal Horse Artillery after joining in 2006. He was battling mental health challenges after his military service, and ultimately took his own life. (SWNS)
In emergency care, Turner was also given blood tests.
She added, “They came back and said I didn’t have the enzymes produced from a heart attack in my blood. But they said there [was] something going on.”
After undergoing more tests and seeing a cardiologist, Turner was told she had takotsubo syndrome.
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“I told [the doctor] that my heart feels broken. I told her about [my son] Rob, and she said it’s exactly that. She said it’s a real thing, and that I’d been under so much stress. The body can only take so much, and the grief and the stress can be quite physical.”
Turner’s son committed suicide in August 2025 after struggling to get help with his mental health.
He spent 10 years in the Royal Horse Artillery after joining in 2006, when he worked as an artilleryman.
Turner’s son did two tours of duty in Afghanistan, she said. After he returned to civilian life, he began suffering from a number of health conditions. She’s shown above with a flower-draped memorial to her son. (SWNS)
He did two tours of duty in Afghanistan, she said, and returned to civilian life in 2016 before suffering several worsening health conditions.
Turner, who is also the CEO of a veterans charity called Stepway, “When he left the army, he got married, and they settled down in London. He walked straight into a job as a delivery driver. But then his health took a downward spiral, and he started having digestive troubles.”
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He was eventually told he had PTSD — but those symptoms may be similar to those of mild traumatic brain injury, Turner said.
“He was deaf in one ear from using the guns,” she said. “He realized he was putting so much pressure on his marriage, so he moved back up with me. He started to build himself up — then COVID hit.”
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Turner said there were unfortunate delays as her son tried to get access to various services and facilities.
“When people lose loved ones, you’re obviously distraught, but you eventually find closure,” she said, per SWNS. “I found peace when I lost my sister in 2015. But with Rob, I can’t find closure because there’s no justice there.”
“I had never really understood that a person could become so overwhelmed by stress and grief that it physically affects the heart,” said the grieving mom. “Broken heart syndrome can look and feel like a heart attack.” (iStock)
Turner is now on the mend and hopes to be fully recovered in a couple of weeks, SWNS reported.
“Until that moment, I had never really understood that a person could become so overwhelmed by stress and grief that it physically affects the heart,” she shared. “Broken heart syndrome can look and feel like a heart attack. It was a warning sign for me, and for anyone. It can change the shape of one of your heart chambers … it can cause some serious damage.”
She added, “The cardiologist told me that thankfully, my heart itself is healthy and there was no damage, but that it will take around two weeks to a month for my heart to reboot itself.”
“Maybe the extra [heart]beat is for Rob. You are carrying on living for him,” her partner told her.
Turner was told she needed to rest, seek counseling and make lifestyle changes to reduce stress.
“Things have settled down, and I’m taking things easy — I’m pacing myself now, and I feel a lot better. Paul said, ‘Maybe the extra beat is for Rob. You are carrying on living for him.’”
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Turner said, “That broke me and healed me a little bit all at once.”
Fox News Digital previously reported that broken heart syndrome, which causes the heart to temporarily weaken, has been linked to the brain’s reaction to stress, as studies have found.
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In an article published in the European Heart Journal in March 2019, Swiss researchers said they found that the syndrome is linked to the way the brain communicates with the heart.
Broken heart syndrome, which causes the heart to temporarily weaken, has been linked to the brain’s reaction to stress, studies have found. (iStock)
Caused by intense emotional events, TTS is a rare, temporary condition that weakens the left ventricle and disrupts its normal pumping function.
The syndrome causes the heart’s main pumping chamber to change shape and get larger. The heart muscle becomes weaker, and its pumping action loses strength.
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Symptoms include sudden, intense chest pain, pressure or heaviness in the chest, along with shortness of breath.
It is treated with beta blockers and blood-thinning medicine to reduce risks of clots and other flareups.
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Eating too much salt has long been linked to high blood pressure, but new research suggests it could trick the immune system into prematurely aging the blood vessels.
A preclinical study recently published in the Journal of the American Heart Association has identified a biological chain reaction that links a salty diet to cardiovascular decay.
Scientists at the University of South Alabama observed that mice on a high-salt diet experienced rapid deterioration in their blood vessel function.
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After just four weeks of high sodium intake, the small arteries responsible for regulating blood flow lost their ability to relax, according to a press release.
The team found that the cells lining these vessels had entered a state of cellular senescence, a form of premature cellular aging in which cells stop dividing and release a mix of inflammatory signals that can damage surrounding tissue.
Excess salt has long been linked to high blood pressure, but a new study goes deeper into its effects on the cardiovascular system. (iStock)
The researchers tried to replicate this damage by exposing blood vessel cells directly to salt in a laboratory dish, but the cells showed no harmful effects.
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This suggests that salt isn’t directly causing damage to the vascular lining but that the real culprit may be the body’s own defense mechanism, the researchers noted.
Excess salt may trigger the immune system to release a molecule called interleukin-16 (IL-16), which acts as a messenger that instructs blood vessel cells to grow old before their time, according to the study.
Excess salt may trigger the immune system to release a molecule called interleukin-16, which acts as a messenger that instructs blood vessel cells to grow old before their time, according to the study. (iStock)
Once these cells age, they fail to produce nitric oxide, the essential gas that tells arteries to dilate and stay flexible.
To test whether this process could be reversed, the team turned to a class of experimental drugs known as senolytics.
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Using a cancer medication called navitoclax, which selectively clears out aged and dysfunctional cells, the researchers were able to restore nearly normal blood vessel function in the salt-fed mice, the release stated.
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By removing the decaying cells created by the high-salt diet, the drug allowed the remaining healthy tissue to maintain its elasticity and respond correctly to blood flow demands.
Excess salt may trigger the immune system into stopping the cells from dividing, the study suggests. (iStock)
The study did have some limitations. The transition from mouse models to human treatment remains a significant hurdle, the team cautioned.
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Senolytic drugs like navitoclax are still being studied for safety, and the team emphasized that previous trials have shown mixed results regarding their impact on artery plaque.
Additionally, the researchers have not yet confirmed whether the same IL-16 pathway is the primary driver of vascular aging in humans.
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