Psychologist Dr. Susan Albers, author of Eating Mindfully and 50 Ways to Soothe Yourself Without Food, has been advising patients to stop eating to bury their emotions and instead develop healthy, deliberate habits. Here, she explains how she stays healthy and why she loves breakfast, and offers advice for women trying to live more mindfully.

Q: What does eating mindfully mean to you?

A: The good news is that mindful eating isn't another fad diet! In a nutshell, the technical definition of mindful eating is learning how to eat with a conscious, nonjudgmental awareness. So, I eat when I am hungry, and stop when I am full, which is much harder than it sounds. To do this, I really had to get to know my body, know what foods I like, didn't like, my energy needs, when I feel full, mindless habits etc.

Eating is such routine behavior that we can eat an entire plate of food and not taste one bite. Therefore, when I eat mindfully, I make sure that I am not just physically sitting at the table, but that I am aware of what I taste and why I am eating. Mindful eating is also eating to meet my physical needs not my emotional needs. Too often, we use food to cope with a bad day and as a pick me up.

Q: What are your biggest challenges in maintaining a healthy diet?

A: Like most people, finding the time to maintain a healthy diet is a challenge with a busy schedule. It's very tempting to multitask while I eat-to eat during a meeting, in the car as I am going home, etc. But, I make a very conscious, mindful effort to put down the newspaper before taking a bite and turn off the TV. Dividing my attention between eating and other tasks makes me enjoy the food less and I lose track of what I'm eating.

Q: What do you typically eat for breakfast?

A: I am a morning person so breakfast is one of my favorite meals of the day. My eating habits are in line with the old saying, "Eat like a king in the morning a prince at noon and a pauper in the evening." Do I recommend this for everyone? No, it just really works well for me. I know my body and my routine, which is what mindful eating is all about. Because I am up early and wind down early in the evening, this fuels me well. I encourage my clients to look their energy needs throughout the day and eat accordingly. My three favorites for breakfast are hot Scottish oatmeal drizzled with sugar-free syrup, spinach, mushroom and avocado egg white omelets with Swiss cheese and whole grain pancakes with fresh fruit and yogurt. A solid source of protein is like putting premium fuel in your gas tank.

Q: Do you ever eat unhealthy things or allow yourself to pig out?

A: I definitely allow myself to eat unhealthy things-but mindfully. I make mindful very choices. For example, I generally dislike cookies out of a box. They often taste stale and hard and don't even tempt me. But, my mother's secret for chocolate chip cookies are the best. I eat the cookie slowly and savor it. For me, less is often more. Like most people, I know there is a fine line between enjoying something and overeating. Do I "pig out?" No. I interpret pigging out to be mindless eating or eating emotionally to soothe your emotions. When you are a mindful eater, pigging out doesn't feel good to you anymore. I find other healthy ways to deal with emotions, which feels so much better!

Q: What does your exercise routine look like?

A: My main form of exercise is walking and it is top priority for me. I fit in at least 10,000 steps a day. My pedometer is like my purse, I never leave home without it. The secret for me is having a destination to walk to-the mailbox, the coffee shop. My goal is typically two miles a day. I also love my treadmill and a yoga class. If I can't make it to class, I have a great DVD. The best secret is using my tiVo. I easily get 30-45 minutes at least three times a week by recording my TV favorite shows and hitting the treadmill.

If you looked at my desk calendar, you would see that I write down when I exercise. I do so for two reasons. First, I want to make it a priority just like any of my other commitments. Second, like most busy women, I need a reminder of what I've done and still need to do. If I see it missing on my calendar, I make sure to put it in.

Q: Do you have any health/fitness goals for the year?

A: A few years ago, my sister gave everyone in my family a wonderful present. She typed out all of our old, Italian family recipes. My goal this year is to update the recipes to make them a little healthier. For example, I'll take out the greasy pork sausage in my grandmother's lasagna and replace it with turkey sausage. I tried it out on my family, and no one knew the difference. I'd like for my family to live long, healthy lives. It would be nice to get everyone on board without losing our family traditions.

My goal this year is to buy as much food at the local farmers' market as I can. It's nice to know where your food comes from, buy very fresh food and support the local economy.

A lot of my clients talk about the TV show Dancing with the Stars. I'd love to incorporate more dancing into my exercise routine. It looks like a lot of fun, is great aerobic exercise, and a great way to connect with your partner.

Q: You've worked with plenty of people over the years who are striving for a healthier lifestyle. If you could give them one piece of advice, what would it be?

A: Stop fad dieting, start eating mindfully. I can't tell you how many clients I've worked with who have ruined their relationship to food due to wacky diets. For example, if you'd tried a high protein diet, it scares you away from bread for life, which is unfortunate. Instead of radical diets, the only way to live long term is to learn how to balance your diet and to eat foods you like in a mindful way.