The festive season is upon us with lots of times to indulge in food, drink and more with calories lurking round every corner but more and more of us are wanting to try and curb this indulgence while still having a good time, here Kerala Ayurveda Centre  help explain...

Christmas is such a lovely time of year to enjoy lots of social time with friends and family but this can often involve eating and drinking to excess but this doesn't have to be the case.

Here are ten ways to help you not fall into this trap of over indulging.

1. Never arrive hungry- plan ahead, have something to eat before you go so you don't end up 'grazing' all evening.
2. Divert your attention- don't look at the event as a food event, more of enjoying company of others etc
3. Pace yourself- eat slowly and plan what you are going to eat and stick to it
4. Choose spring water to drink- if you're having an alcoholic drink, intersperse with spring water and if you're not having a drink at all, stick to spring water rather than soft drinks with lots of sugar or artificial sweetener.
5. Count your canapes- Canapes are fatal, they keep being offered to you and you keep taking them while chatting away and have no idea what you have eaten during that period.
6. Limit Alcohol- This is a great idea for two reasons, alcohol is laden with calories but also drinking to much means you wont have as much control over what you eat.
7. Outsmart the buffet- This one is really simple. Choose the smallest plate there, a large plate means you will fill a large plate, a small plate is exactly the same but a smaller portion.
8. Bring your own sweets- This may not always be possible but if it is, bring something you enjoy and know its calorie count. If you can't then be selective, choose something you really enjoy rather than having a sweet for sweets sake.
9. Limit tasting while cooking- When you're cooking, avoid dipping in as this will not only spoil your appetite but mean you take in additional unnecessary food.
10. Walk it off- Christmas and New Year are great times to get outside, wrapped up warm and enjoy a lovely walk. Go out as a family before or after a meal.

Finally have a great time, all the above is to help you feel great about yourself and not feel bad for over indulging or feel like a party pooper for not joining in.