There's no dearth of reasons to celebrate this time of the year. While the festival of lights brings tasty cocktails, crumbly motichoor laddoos and crisp-fried chaklis, the passing of 2019 will see most of us reaching for sugary Christmas goodies, topped with invitingly greasy 'party' food. And why not, considering that many of our contemporary culinary traditions are rooted in the foods we eat when we celebrate. The downside to this merrymaking is that it can easily derail all but the most vigilant of diets, and can leave you looking and feeling bloated, sluggish and dull if you don't take the right counter-measures in time. Four actors for whom looking good and socialising are part of the job share what it takes to look and feel your sparkling best.

Be strict about workouts

It's tough to be hyper vigilant about your diet because of all the socialising. The key to not falling off the wagon, I believe, lies in making the right choices when it comes to indulgences. At parties, I veer towards foods that are baked and not fried. If I am going to a venue where I know that my food choices will be limited, I try to eat before I go. While I do not follow a strict diet (I eat a staple dal-rice-subzi meal on most days), I am conscious about the foods that don't suit my blood group, which is B positive. Accordingly, I avoid foods such as chicken, wheat and beans as far as possible. That isn't to say that I don't give in to the occasional indulgence — this Diwali, I ate half a kilo of kaju katli by myself! I made sure that I was regular with my workouts for the next few days. Since I have a naturally lean and athletic body type, I prefer to avoid cardio. In fact, over the last three months, I have begun electro-muscle stimulation workouts, which involve wearing an electrode suit that stimulates your body as you weight-train. This ensures that even your smallest muscles are activated, and you can enjoy all the benefits of an hour-long strength workout in only 20 minutes. I also practise kalaripayatu thrice a week and am planning to take to yoga soon. On days when I can't manage a complete gym workout, I make sure to squeeze in 15 minutes of HIIT. - Pooja Bhamrrah