It’s a common habit. When stressed or anxious or over-committed, we reach for food. Food is nourishment and a comfort but reaching for food when we’re not hungry can attribute to extra pounds. How to break the habit when willpower alone is not enough?

Here are some tips:

  1. Eat a mandarin orange. Sexier than “eat an apple,” less caloric than chocolate, easy to carry (bring a plastic baggie or something more eco for the peels), and it tastes like a treat. Lucky us, they’re about to be in season. The sugar boost will satisfy, and the Vitamin C will do a body good.
  2. Go nuts. Almonds come in handy “100 calorie packs.” Keep a few packs in your purse, along with that mandarin orange.
  3. Stop multitasking for a minute. Make a cup of tea and hold the cup between your hands. Take a deep breath and focus on the warm tea scent. Have you been to David’s Tea yet? Try out a few favorite brands (Chai for fall!) and keep some on hand. The scent alone will be worth it.
  4. The trick is to reduce cortisol levels. Cortisol (the stress hormone) makes us gain weight, simple as that, and when we feel stressed often, our cortisone levels rise. Mindfulness is a delicate journey, and it’s never fully completed, but make the first step and you’ll reap the benefits.
  5. Yoga. A daily yoga habit, even five minutes alone in the kitchen, will be a best friend to your body.
  6. Walk. If you can’t get to the gym, if you have no time, walk somewhere. Even a little bit will go a long way.