There is something magical about Christmas: families make the extra effort to get together, houses are decorated, villages turn on their lights and children (big and small) are suddenly very, very good!

Then there’s the other side: the festive parties, the perpetual drinks dos, the pre-Christmas get-togethers. In fact there are so many that your calendar is rammed for days. The first few are fun and exciting, then, as you make your way through the season, you start to realise that all the hard work you’ve been doing with your healthy eating throughout the year seems to be being abandoned as you let your standards go, in the wake of sugar induced mince pie madness.

IIf you’ve worked hard on your health, now’s not the time to give it all up. It’s also not a reason enough to be missing out on festive yumminess. 

So, here are a few tips to navigate your way through the Christmas madness.

1. Never starve yourself before a party as you’ll eat a lot more food that you intended if you go on an empty stomach.

2. Always have a protein rich light snack before you head out for a party.

3. Avoid standing near the food, you’ll find yourself grazing away and before you know it, you’ve eaten double the amount you think you have!

4. Watch you portions sizes – smaller portions will let you sample different foods.

5. When it comes to Alcohol opt for Champagne, dry wine or spirits. Stay away from Baileys, beer and sweet drinks.

6. Drink water! Space your alcoholic drinks out with a glass of water in between. P.S. you’ll thank me for that one in the morning!

Focus on the unsalted nuts and seeds, salad and vegetables, hummus and tzatziki, olives and smoked salmon or smoked mackerel, lean meats and fresh fruit.

Avoid the crisps and fried snacks; sausage rolls and pasties, store bought coleslaw, potatoes and pasta salads; quiches and spring rolls; try and keep the cocktails, beer and cider to a minimum.  

Truth is that with the best will in the world Christmas is a challenging time to navigate so if you do over indulge, don’t beat yourself up. That said, don’t let your festive slip up turn into an excuse to continue down that slippery path.If you do find yourself in need of some help, then why not check out my programmes for a helping hand in getting you refocused, re-centred and back on track. It will be fun, I promise.