Experts weigh in on indulging in food during the festive season

With the festive season around the corner, many of us are watching our diets, hitting the gym to look our best in those photos or make sure we fit into that outfit.

In the midst of the chaos of wanting to look and feel our best, there's also the big issue of overeating or restricting ourselves of certain foods.

However, in a report in the Daily Mail a lot of nutritionists say stop panicking and don't be so hard on yourself. Why? Because you cannot gain weight from one meal.

"That's why it's a holiday, it's a day to relax, to enjoy yourself. Food is something to enjoy, not to worry about," Dr Aaron E Carroll, physician and nutritionist at Indiana University’s School of Medicine, told the Daily Mail.

Adding, “Think about it: there is no way you can lose a huge amount of weight in one day. So put it the other way: you can't gain much weight in one day."

He also urges people not to go on juice cleanses or crash diets. Let your metabolism do the work as your body has the ability to naturally digest food.

On Christmas day, eat to your hearts content guilt-free and drink lots of water.

But the most important thing to remember is not to feel bad about letting go for one day when it comes to indulging in some delicious treats.

"Maybe you didn't follow your diet 100 percent, but you ate some vegetables and drank water, and tomorrow you're going to get back to your normal eating and exercise routine. That's fine. It's only when you start worrying about it that there could be some issues, because it could send you into a spiral," Carroll told the Daily Mail.