Thanksgiving can be a time of joy, a holiday to spend time with friends and family. But it can be fraught with danger.

Dr Dan often sees Thanksgiving from a different perspective, working on call in the emergency department where he sees lots of the health problems associated with the holiday.

• Make Thanksgiving a team effort rather than a source of conflict – make sure one person is not left to do all the work (meal preparation etc)
• It is a good time to check on your elderly family members and see if they are still coping where they live
• Beware of the hazards of the kitchen: burns from cooking; cuts from knives
• Be careful about food hygiene – make sure the turkey is cooked properly!
• If you are watching your weight, watch your portion size; stick to the healthier foods, consider eating before the Thanksgiving meal
• If you can get a little bit of exercise – take a stroll and avert the carbohydrate slump