Holidays are a wonderful time to share love, compassion, memories, and things we are thankful for. We hear it time and time again that the biggest challenge for most people is being mindful around food consumption. Whether you are generally on a diet but “falling off the wagon”, or simply eat too much for your normal comfort level in the past we’ve got you covered with three top tips to stay mindful during these holiday eating gatherings:

1. Realize the size of your plate
   1. Have you noticed the size of our plates lately? Well, on average in 1960 they were 9”, in 1980 they were 10” and now we are at 12-14”. Take a look down at your plate this season to not only check the plate size, but check your portions! Everyone needs a little something different when it comes to the amount of calories they consume in a meal so stay mindful when you are loading up your plate
2. Check in with how do you feel during the day
   1. Food elicits many responses within the body. This is an important time to be aware of how the food you consume makes you feel and also the amount of it! Because it’s not just the turkey that’s making you sleepy after potentially overstuffing yourself.
3. Don’t judge yourself (or others) if you go back for seconds
   1. Stay present as to the reason you want to go back for seconds. Going back for a second helping is never a bad thing. Continue to stay mindful of the size of the second portion with compared to how hungry you are.