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Bad eating habits can creep up and add on extra pounds, especially when we are stressed, worried or anxious. However, its not always what you eat, but how you are eating that may contribute to bad eating habits. Learn to create new, conscious eating habits to sustain good health throughout a lifetime.

Step one is awareness. Do you snack before dinner? Eat on the run? Have a habit of eating chocolate right before bed time? Don't just admit it, address it. Awareness of how and when you have cravings that lead to unhealthy eating is the first step in working to change eating habits.

"Our systems are designed to know what we need to eat," says Mary Taylor, a trained chef and coauthor of "What Are You Hungry For?: Women, Food, and Spirituality." "We just need to tune in to those internal signals." Taylor likens "conscious eating" to meditation, in which practitioners watch their thoughts come and go without judgment. Rather than giving in to every food craving or ignoring your body's signals, you'll begin simply paying attention

"Mindfulness is the missing link when it comes to healthy eating," says Ellie Krieger, a New York City-based registered dietitian and host of the Food Network's "Healthy Appetite." For lasting change, don't try to overhaul your approach overnight. Start gradually, focusing on the following common pitfalls; then work on your own weak spots. Be gentle with yourself. In time, you may see improvements in not only your diet but also your overall sense of well-being. "Practicing consciousness about food does more than help you eat better," says Taylor. "It's a skill that has a way of spilling out into other areas of life."

Check on cravings. Is there something missing in your life that you crave that may drive you to eat instead? Doing the deep work on yourself by reconnecting with your body and emotions will help you experience and express buried feelings, and change the habit of turning to food for comfort.

Indulge once and a while, without feeling guilty. You are only human, and behaving most of the time  empowers you to eat guilt-free when done in moderation. Just be sure to savor the bites instead of cramming them down your throat, allowing yourself to enjoy the sensations and flavor. If you overdo at one meal, just get back on track for the next one, and don't beat yourself up about it.

Get centered and mindful before eating. Relax, take some deep breaths and inhale some of the savory flavors of the meal you are about to consume. Don't eat in front of the television, as it distracts you from the body's response to being full and you actually end up eating more.

Eat slowly. It helps with digestion and you consume far less calories. It also helps to put the fork down a regular intervals while eating, and serve food in the kitchen rather than family style to avoid spontaneous additional helpings.

Reorganize the refrigerator and put healthy foods in front. Place the more decadent foods or last nights left overs in the back portion of the refrigerator. Fruits, veggies, eggs, cheese and juices should be placed towards the front of the shelves so they are the first items you see when you open the door.

Head stress eating off at the pass. Avoid sugary, salty, fatty foods when on the run or stressed out. The bad food you eat today will impact your feeling and mood tomorrow, leaving you in a cycle of feeling bad. Be sure to bring power foods with you  – fruits, veggies or proteins like nuts or power bars that can tide you over until you can eat something fresh and healthy.

Learn to understand and respond to your hunger, not judge it. For people who want to eat healthy or are watching their weight, sometimes mixed emotions can come into play. Instead of feeling like you are bad because you choose to eat something, appreciate your body for working and letting you know its hungry. Then its up to you to get in the right frame of mind to determine the source of the craving and make healthy food choices, without judgment.

For more information on healthy eating check out www.wholeliving.com