Gut Health & Thanksgiving: Enjoy the Feast Without the Aftermath

Thanksgiving is about gratitude, not gut issues. But heavy meals, sugar, and stress can leave your digestive system bloated, sluggish, and inflamed. The good news? You can enjoy your holiday feast and support your gut with just a few mindful habits.

How Holiday Foods Stress the Gut

Your digestive system works best when meals are balanced and timed,  but on holidays, it’s easy to overwhelm it with:

• Sugar and refined carbs that feed bad bacteria and yeast
• Alcohol and processed fats that inflame the gut lining
• Large, rushed meals that disrupt enzyme activity and absorption

This leads to symptoms like bloating, reflux, brain fog, fatigue, and even mood swings because your gut health directly affects your nervous system.

Why Chiropractic and Gut Health Are Connected

The vagus nerve,  the main communication line between your gut and brain, passes through the upper neck. Misalignment or stress can disrupt this nerve, slowing digestion and increasing inflammation.
Chiropractic adjustments help restore proper nerve flow, improving digestion, motility, and immune balance.

At Active Family Chiropractic & Acupuncture, we often combine adjustments with our Blueprint Trust Your Gut programs to:

• Rebuild gut lining integrity
• Reduce inflammation and bloating
• Balance microbiome health after heavy eating
• Restore energy and clarity

Thanksgiving Tips for a Happy Gut

• Eat slowly and chew thoroughly
• Stay hydrated
• Add fiber-rich vegetables to your plate
• Go for a short walk after meals
• Avoid grazing all day

A balanced gut helps you enjoy your holidays without paying for it later.

Keep Your Gut Happy Into the New Year

If bloating or fatigue are regular guests at your table, it’s time to support your digestion before it becomes a chronic issue.

Don’t wait until discomfort becomes normal. Call today to schedule your post-holiday gut reset:

• Grand Island: (308) 384-4955
• Hastings: (402) 249-5500
• Kearney: (308) 222-4400‍
• Columbus: (402) 265-6800