Make This Thanksgiving Count: 5 Habits to Elevate Your Health, Faith & Family
5 Healthy Things Every Christian Should Practice This Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving shouldn’t just fill your stomach—it should fill your spirit, nourish your body, and strengthen your family.
As believers, we have a unique opportunity to turn this holiday into a moment of healing, connection, and worship.
Here are five biblical, research-backed practices that will help you honor God with your health while making memories your family will cherish for years.
1. A Thankful Heart Literally Heals Your Body
Gratitude isn’t just “good manners.” God designed it as medicine—a spiritual discipline with physical power.
Modern research proves it:
- Harvard Medical School reports a 23% drop in cortisol for people who practice daily gratitude.
- A study in Psychosomatic Medicine found that grateful individuals have better immune function and reduced inflammation.
- People who journal gratitude for 10 weeks report higher energy, better sleep, and fewer physical symptoms (Robert Emmons, Ph.D.).
Scripture knew this long before science:
“In everything give thanks” (1 Thess. 5:18).
Watch how the atmosphere shifts—anxiety softens, hope rises, and laughter returns to the table.
(Yes, kids might roll their eyes—but years from now, they’ll remember this moment.)
2. Make Memories, Not Just Calories
Twenty years from now, your family won’t remember the stuffing recipe—but they will remember the atmosphere you created.
In The Spiritual Zone, I explain how worship, prayer, laughter, and connection boost oxytocin—your brain’s bonding hormone. When oxytocin rises, stress melts away and emotional resilience strengthens.
Don’t let screens or politics steal your joy this year.
Light a candle, read Psalm 100 aloud, and ask:
“Where did we see God move this year?”
These few minutes can shape your children’s spiritual memory more than a month of sermons.
3. Move After You Eat—Your Brain and Arteries Will Thank You
I say this often in my practice: If you want to protect your metabolism, move your body.
Research shows a 15-minute walk after eating can:
- Lower blood sugar by up to 50%
- Reduce triglycerides by 30%
- Improve digestion
- Clear brain fog
- Boost serotonin for a better mood
(Source: Diabetologia, 2016)
Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19). Even on Thanksgiving.
Walk the block with family.
Let the kids race.
Let Grandpa tell stories.
Let Uncle Bob pretend he’s running a marathon.
You’ll sleep better, digest better, and feel better—and no one will miss the second slice of pie.
4. Beware the Hidden Sugar Bombs
The enemy hides in the details—and sometimes, in the cranberry sauce.
Thanksgiving sugar facts:
- Most Americans consume 100+ grams of added sugar on Thanksgiving Day.
- Canned cranberry sauce: 28 grams per half cup.
- Store-bought gravy packets: 500 mg sodium per serving.
No wonder people feel exhausted, bloated, and irritable by evening. That’s not the turkey—that’s the blood sugar crash.
Fresh cranberries + orange zest + raw honey or monk fruit.
It’s fresher, brighter, and easier on your pancreas.
Bonus tip: Skip the marshmallows on the sweet potatoes. They weren’t in the Bible anyway.
5. End the Day With a Family Blessing—Your Future Generations Will Feel It
Thanksgiving isn’t complete without a spiritual finale.
When the plates are cleared and everyone is sinking into the couch, gather your family for a final moment of blessing.
“The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you;
the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.”
This isn’t symbolic—it’s spiritual warfare. Blessing your family speaks life into their minds, their futures, and their generational inheritance.
Research from the Journal of Positive Psychology shows affirmations literally rewire the brain toward hope and resilience.
Bless your children.
Bless your spouse.
Bless your home.
The blessing you speak today may be the anchor God uses in someone’s storm tomorrow.
This Thanksgiving: Don’t Just Fill Your Plate—Fill Your Spirit
Gratitude. Connection. Movement. Wisdom. Blessing.
These aren’t holiday extras—they’re spiritual disciplines that transform families and protect your health.
When you practice these five simple habits, you don’t just enjoy Thanksgiving… you elevate it.
You create a home where Christ is honored, bodies are nourished, and hearts are strengthened.
