With the holiday season here and plenty of opportunities to spend time with loved ones, having temptation all around, while trying to eat clean can be quite challenging.

I promise you, there are ways you can still care for your health without dropping out of the social scene or enjoying the school holidays with your kids.

Here are some tips to stay on track:

TREAT/CHEAT DAY: have a treat day and coincide it with your social outing: the whole idea of having a treat day is to ensure you don’t have a feeling of deprivation and resent the new way of clean eating.

LOAD UP: fill up on a green smoothie, soup or salad before heading to a party or social gathering. This will curb your appetite and ensure you are able to stop at just 1 or 2 nibblies. Just DON’T arrive hungry!

GET YOUR DIVA PACK: pack your Athletix WHEY Shake! Just grab your DIVA Shaker, add a scoop of Athletix WHEY Protein, add your Athletix LEAN and you are good to GO! We have plenty of Vixens who carry their DIVA Shaker in their handbag, training bag or beach bag to stay prepared and on track at all times. Most people these days are focused on clean eating and food preparation so stick with the times and stay ahead of the game.

CALL AHEAD: Going out to dinner? If you know where you are going ahead of time, check out their menu online. Most restaurants have vegetarian dishes than can be easily modified – think salad minus the cheese, or even ask to speak to the chef and let them know your requirements to see if they can come up with something to suit you. A great idea is to ask for a ripe avocado to be added to bulk out your meal if the options are no good. If you cannot prepare ahead of time by checking out the menu online or calling ahead, or it’s a spontaneous dinner plan, think of ordering 2 or 3 appetiser size meals if there are minimal options in the main meal section. Don’t be afraid to speak to your waiter about your requirements.

RELAX: sometimes it’s just not going to be easy to get the healthy meal you want due to the fact you are in a social environment or location that is a little challenging. Don’t stress, make the most of your situation, hopefully you’ll have your protein shake, some almonds or trail mix in your bag to get you by. Try and enjoy the moment for what it is, it’s about being with friends and loved ones, and if you happen to slip up, you can get right back on track and make up for it with a workout!