Tips to avoid the post-holiday blues

It's two days after Christmas and all through the house not a creature is stirring because they either ate too much or went to bed at 3 am.

That's if you have teenagers.

If you have younger children, not only will there be stirring but tired children hopped up on sugar and new toys — you've probably got quite a day ahead of you.

Then there are the older folks like my husband and I who have too much quiet — especially if your children didn't visit this year.

Or perhaps you have the opposite scenario where you're sleeping on a blow-up bed at your kid's house.

Ah, the Christmas letdown has begun, only to be soon overtaken by unrealistic or overwhelming New Year's resolutions and then the January doldrums.

Short of taking a trip to Hawaii, what can one do to avoid being ensnared by the inevitable blues?

How about getting a head start on fitness?

There are ideas galore on the Internet, in magazines and newspapers for getting ahead of the health game.

Here's a couple that seem easy and practical.

The first one is to spice up your life by adding one-half teaspoon of cinnamon and one teaspoon of turmeric to your diet every day.

Terri Taylor, R.D. claims the spices (turmeric mixed with cinnamon, gingerand cumin as a spice rub) reduce cancer risk when grilling animal proteins.

The second one is to eat dark chocolate and red grapes.

That should be easy and will cheer anyone up. However, the chocolate should be at least 70 percent pure cacao. Taylor claims it will reduce the risk of clogged arteries, blood clots and has heart-healthy benefits.

Something that is hard to do right now but can improve our outlook is sleep.

Health guru Dr. Joseph Mercola advises us that, "You were designed to go to sleep when the sun sets and wake up when the sun rises. If you stray too far from this biological pattern you will disrupt delicate hormonal cycles in your body. In the winter, this may mean that you'll want to go to sleep a couple of hours earlier than in the summer."

Bad news for night owls.