I’m feeling blue. The week after Christmas gives me the post-holiday blues; the holiday season causes much celebration and excitement, but it casts a long shadow into dreary January. It isn’t just my mind that feels down… my body feels completely defunct from overindulgence. I head into the holidays feeling in control and planning on moderation, but the comfort of family and home cooking lead to overindulgence. And, surprise, I’m not the only one who experiences this phenomenon during the holidays. I call it Last Supper Syndrome, because the holidays cause healthy eating to fold and then resume with renewed resolve “after the holidays.” Indeed, this is why weight loss plans tend to be so popular in January!

Eating too much of less than healthful holiday choices makes me feel tired and soggy; that’s the best way I can describe it. A new year is a fresh beginning and the chance to feel better than ever. The New Year is a clean slate, or as I like to think of it, a clean plate. The best way to detox from a holiday hangover is to trash the leftover candy, cookies, pies, and heavy comfort foods, and stock up on fresh, clean foods to sink that waterlogged feeling and revitalize the body. I’m not waiting for 2011 to start, either; I’m heading to the grocery store to stock up on fresh fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains. It’s a New Year restoration, not a resolution! And it’s as easy as starting with a simple, fresh pear.