In a few days, my house is going to be full. All three of my daughters are coming home for Thanksgiving, along with my grandkids—and I cannot wait.
I want to actually enjoy this time. Not miss out because I’m having to recover from terrible sleep or coming down with a cold.
So I’m not just prepping the guest rooms and stocking the fridge. I’m making sure I have the things that will keep everyone (including me) functioning at their best.
If you’re hosting or traveling this holiday, I hope this is helpful.
1. Zinc
Unlike vitamin D which your body stores in fat, zinc is use-it-or-lose-it. Miss a few days and your immune system starts running on empty.
When you’re zinc-deficient, your immune cells can’t activate properly, can’t produce the right signals, and can’t kill infected cells effectively.
I take 15-30mg zinc for daily prevention, and when I feel something coming on, I’ll go up to 40-75mg for short periods (up to two weeks) but please talk about dosages with your doctor.
2. NAC+glycine
Your liver needs to be on its A-game during the holidays!
Your liver needs cysteine and glycine to build glutathione. NAC raises cysteine. Glycine raises glycine. You use more glutathione when you drink, stay up late, or eat richer meals, so your levels drop right when you need them steady.
Low glutathione slows alcohol breakdown.
The evidence is compelling: a clinical trial at Baylor showed older adults taking NAC + glycine for 16 weeks completely restored their glutathione levels, dropped inflammation, and improved physical function. Even better, post-menopausal women taking NAC for 4 months had their immune systems start working like younger women again, and COVID-19 patients given high-dose NAC had better outcomes.
Typical dose: 1,800mg NAC + glycine daily (check with your doctor first).
Important timing note: NAC and zinc compete for absorption, and long-term glutathione supplementation can deplete zinc levels. I take my zinc in the morning and NAC+glycine in the afternoon to avoid this interaction. If you’re doing both long-term, consider getting your zinc levels checked.
3. Vitamin C
Vitamin C won’t prevent you from catching a cold. But your T-cells and B-cells depend on Vitamin C to multiply and fight.
When you’re stressed or fighting infection, your body torches through vitamin C at 10-20x the normal rate. It’s water-soluble, meaning you can’t store it—miss a day and your immune cells are running on empty by the next day.
This holiday, I’m not taking the wimpy 100mg dose—I need more to keep my immune system from falling behind. I take 500-1,000mg three times daily.
Vitamin C also regenerates glutathione (that “master antioxidant” from NAC), so they’re actually a tag team. Take them together and you’ve got a one-two punch.
4. Magnesium
When my grandkids are running around and everyone’s staying up late talking, sleep becomes precious.
Magnesium helps me fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer, and wake up actually rested instead of groggy.
Most magnesium supplements only have one or two forms, but I take a blend of seven different forms of magnesium to make sure I’m covered.
Bonus: magnesium supports your salivary glands, which means better saliva flow—one of your mouth’s best defenses against cavities.
5. Xylitol Gum
Thanksgiving isn’t just one meal. It’s snacking all day, leftover pie for breakfast, cookies at 9 PM.
I’m not policing what anyone eats. But I am putting xylitol gum in every room.
Xylitol feeds your good bacteria, starves the bad bacteria that cause cavities, and stimulates saliva production.
6. My Morning Walk
No matter how full my house is, no matter how late we stayed up, I’m taking my morning walk.
Fresh air. Nasal breathing. I also want to set the example for my grandkids, who will sometimes accompany me as they’re the only ones who wake up as early as I do! It’s a very special start to my day.
7. Hot Wheels
I pulled my vintage Hot Wheels collection out of storage this week. My grandkids LOVE it. They just don’t make toys the way they used to back in the 60s!
8. A New Board Game
This year, I bought this game specifically for Thanksgiving. Nothing like a little friendly competition to keep people off of their screens!
9. Keeping the windows open
I’m loading up on extra blankets in the guest rooms so that people can sleep with the windows open. I want my guests to wake up refreshed, not starved for oxygen.
And you would be amazed at the CO2 levels on my CO2 monitor that I see when my wife and I sleep with the windows closed or are in a hotel where we can’t open the windows!
If your house is about to fill up too, take care of yourself first. You can’t pour from an empty cup.
To your health (and your sanity),
Mark
P.S. What are YOUR non-negotiables during the holidays? Hit reply—I’d love to hear what keeps you grounded when routines go sideways.
Sources & Further Reading
- Kumar P, Liu C, Suliburk J, et al. Supplementing Glycine and N-Acetylcysteine (GlyNAC) in Older Adults Improves Glutathione Deficiency, Oxidative Stress, Mitochondrial Dysfunction, Inflammation, Physical Function, and Aging Hallmarks: A Randomized Clinical Trial. Journals of Gerontology Series A. 2023, 78(1), 75–89. https://doi.org/10.1093/gerona/glac135
- Arranz L, Fernández C, Rodríguez A, et al. The glutathione precursor N-acetylcysteine improves immune function in postmenopausal women. Free Radical Biology and Medicine. 2008, 45(9), 1252–1262. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18694818/
- Izquierdo JL, Soriano JB, González Y, et al. Use of N-acetylcysteine at high doses as an oral treatment for patients hospitalized with COVID-19. Science Progress. 2022, 105(1). https://doi.org/10.1177/00368504221074574
- National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Zinc: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Zinc-HealthProfessional/
- Mayo Clinic. Too Much Vitamin C: Is It Harmful? https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/vitamin-c/faq-20058030
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