Mindfulness and mindful eating have become buzzwords that are thrown around often when discussing wellness, but what does it actually mean?

Mindful eating means being conscious of what and why we eat. At its core, mindful eating is recognizing and honoring hunger and satiety cues, choosing enjoyable foods, and being present. Mindful eating helps you learn to listen to your body and get back in touch with the experience of eating and enjoying our food.

Mindful eating is NOT a diet. The intention is not weight loss, although that may be a side effect. Mindful eating is process-oriented, rather than an outcome-driven.

Challenge yourself to:

Eat & Drink What You Really Love. And skip anything that you don’t! At the same time, love what you eat. Savor each bite; appreciate the appearance, aromas, flavors, and textures as you eat. The more in tune you are to your eating experience, the less likely you are to eat just to eat. Surveying the spread before you decide what to have is a useful tactic that can ensure you actually want the food on your plate.

Stay Balanced. A surefire way to overeat is to ignore your hunger signals (i.e., skipping meals to “save” calories for a party). Deprivation is not a healthy behavior and will likely undermine whatever your intent was. Aim to eat foods from a variety of food groups throughout the day: vegetables, fruits, grains, protein, and fat. This way, you’re not ravenous and needing to eat the first thing you see.

Contribute a Favorite Dish. Sharing something with others that you enjoy is meaningful. Food is powerful. It brings people together and creates lasting memories. Bond over your love and appreciation of food.

Be Present. Focus on the people you’re with and enjoy experiences in the moment. Clear your head of any negative thoughts associated with foods and use that space for something more useful.

Don’t Forget the Big Picture. Non-food related things are equally as important—like sleep, physical activity, and personal connections.

Sometimes, we don’t trust our bodies’ cues, especially during the holidays. We are conditioned to turn food into our enemy, and then spend all our energy trying to avoid it. Try to put that energy into something more useful. And if you already do that, continue to do it every day!