We've compiled twelve tips for keeping your Christmas party season healthier and the only one that will notice is yourself when you're finding it easier to keep up with our Purefit classes come the New Year. These twelve tips are small changes that won't diminish your much deserved enjoyment of the Christmas season and will make your start to the new year much easier. Please send us your own tips & tricks in the comments section below.

Break your fast - Everything starts with breakfast. A good slow release carbohydrate such as oatmeal will keep your blood sugar levels stable and help control your appetite during the day. Make it seasonal with a little cinnamon, some chopped cranberries or nuts.

Budgeted calories - Skip the shop bought mince pies but do save some calories for the home made ones, or better still make your own so you know exactly what balance of ingredients are in them. Budget your calories for a sample of the really tasty homemade treats and not the commercial ones you might end of overindulging in to make up for the lesser taste.

Diminishing returns - Enjoy the food you eat, but don't unnecessarily overindulge on things that don't bring you am equal return on enjoyment - those fancy chocolates are delicious, but the first one is much more delicious than the 20th!

Easy on the sauce - Forgo gravy and commercial sauces at Christmas dinner, or if preparing your own gravy from meat juices wait until the fat rises to the surface and spoon it off before making the sauce. Alcohol also follows the law of diminishing returns as above - a lovely glass of wine with your meal can be a delicious accompaniment, and the first one is much more delicious than the next!

Fruit & Nut Stuffing - Choose a fruit and nut based stuffing instead of sausage meat - chestnuts are a great source of potassium and are delicious with orange and cranberry for stuffings.

Lovely Roasties - Brushing or spraying oil lightly on potatoes and vegetables gives an even more delicious flavour than slathering them in oil and having them sit and soak it up while roasting.

Brussels Sprouts - Rich in folate and vitamin C, Brussels Sprouts also contain fibre which can help keep your digestive system healthy. Instead of boiling them and dousing them in butter for extra flavour, steam them with other greens like mangetout, brocolli and runner beans and add extra flavour using fresh herbs and lemon zest

Mistaking hunger - stay hydrated over the Christmas period. It's easy to mistake thirst for hunger and with all those treats and easy access calories lying around, the easiest solution to mistaken hunger is to find a mince pie, open some biscuits or eat some chocolates. Staying hydrated means you can save treats for when you can relax and enjoy those calories.

Healthier snacks - Remove the unnecessary temptations of having calorie laden pies, biscuits and chocolates to hand by having healthier snacks about the house. Snack on carrot sticks and hummus, try some bruschetta, smoked salmon toasties, mix up a salsa, or create a lovely guacamole to snack on.

Slow your roll - Christmas dinner is one of the few meals we eat these days that is all about family and togetherness. Enjoy the food and the company slowly - take your time eating and you'll avoid feeling uncomfortably full. There's plenty of time for more later!

Stay active - It's easy, and not uncommon to gain a pound over the winter and that may not sound like a lot. Put a few winters together and you're heavier than you want to be 'all of a sudden'. Staying active over this winter staves off that extra weight so you can enjoy Christmases for years to come.

Cook and freeze - With all the preparations that go into Christmas and of course we all want to spend time visiting friends and family, it can be hard to keep up with healthy home cooking. Cook meals in advance specifically to freeze them, you can double recipes and eat half fresh and freeze the rest for later. You'll be glad of it when unexpected visitors drop by and you can comfortably spend time chatting knowing dinner will take no time after.

These little tips will help you keep your Christmas party season healthier and make also make our Purefit classes a little easier in the New Year. Accepting small changes like these won't diminish your enjoyment of Christmas but will make your start to the new year that much easier. Add your own tips & tricks in the comments section below, and have a very merry Christmas from Purefit.ie

Helping charities, especially at this time of year is an awesome idea and we've teamed up with one of our favourite charities - Aware Ireland - to bring you a New Year charity challenge. Aware is a voluntary organisation founded to assist those directly affected by depression. Regular exercise and healthy, active lifestyles can help symptoms of depression but there is much more we can do as a Purefit family to assist each other and the great people at Aware.

Purefit empowers you to change your life through our classes and programmes, with the support of our dedicated team. We want you and 3 team mates to enter our New Year charity event - The Fittest Challenge to raise much needed funds for Aware. We have created a 4-week, targeted get results programme similar to our in-house purefit6 programme that has helped hundreds of Purefitters lose 10, 20, even 25 pounds!

Over 4-weeks, participants in The Fittest Challenge have unlimited access to our classes and trainers and are tested with a challenge each week culminating in a live, winner-takes-all final. Each week has a specific focus -

• Week 1: Stamina
• Week 2: Endurance
• Week 3: Strength
• Week 4: Speed

We will be accepting applications in January, so get your 4-person teams together and start coming up with your team name and training strategy. Check what classes and days allow you to train together most often to get the most benefit from the challenge. The Fittest Challenge is a great motivation for getting through the February slump we often see, when real life takes over and resolutions drop in priority. Team up with your friends and colleagues to keep each other motivated, and support a local charity in the process.

Our headline sponsors for this charity event are the wonderful people at The G Hotel who are working with us on some amazing, luxury prizes to be announced soon. We will announce the applications opening and more details on the competition in the coming weeks. To stay updated add yourself to our mailing list and follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

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We've teamed up with Aoife Droney to offer you a 4 week Yogilates programme, perfect for relieving stress and developing a greater sense of well being. Aoife's yogilates classes are aimed at increasing flexibility, improving circulation and bettering your posture. With gentle stretching and guided meditative relaxation, the programme runs for 4 weeks from Wednesday, 19th at 8pm in Purefit Galway.

We've created a lovely package deal where you can combine your yogilates practice with our deliciously fresh cold-pressed juice cleanses. Sign up for our Yogilates Detox Deal and get a one-day cleanse pack after each of your yogilates sessions to see you through the next day. Our juice cleanses have proved very popular receiving super reviews from our satisifed customers.

Purefit Galway has proven to me that anything is possible if you just believe in yourself and trust that the Purefit Team will give you the support and training to transform yourself. I would have considered myself fit enough before, however Purefit showed me that when you combine self belief and determination with nutrition and training not to mention support - You get results. I reached my goal with the help of Purefit. The Purefit6 week programme is like having a 2 personal trainers for the six weeks. They give you 100% if not more. They are touching base everyday to see how you are getting on with your food. They are pushing you hard in the gym while encouraging your achievements. I've lost nearly a stone and a half within six weeks. I've sweated and laughed and sweated some more. There is a brilliant vibe and such a great buzz created by everyone including the trainers Fiona and Ger. What I know for sure, my six weeks are up but I ain't going anywhere! The classes are electric and results are amazing. So if you want a change in you, Purefit is your answer

A very happy Purefit6er

Christmas decorations are already in shops and businesses. We know that Christmas is a time of year when you want to be looking your best. If you have been struggling with your weight or just need a push in the right direction Purefit6 might be the programme for you. Shape for up for Christmas and kick start 2015 in a healthy way.

Purefit6 is a personalised nutrition and training program. Purefit6 is designed by top trainer Fiona, who will be with you every step of the way. With Purefit6 we out how many calories you should really be consuming a day and help you change your habits and behaviour to maintain a healthy weight long term. The program gives you a personalised, structured eating plan, combined with Purefit classes will get you back on the road to a healthly weight. Purefit6 gives you access to over 40 classes each week (you must be able to attend 3-4 classes per week). The programme includes weekly meetings in our Weight Management Clinic, with weigh-ins, body fat measures and inch-loss tracked from day one. The Purefit6 program also offers diresct, personal support from the Purefit Team with all Purefit6 participants having access to a closed support group, meal plans, shopping lists, a ‘How to’ on stretching and exercising properly and what foods you should be avoiding.

The next Purefit6 starts on Friday 7th November at 7pm. Complete the form to reserve your spot.