If your new year diet has taken a bit of a tumble but you still want to make sure you have a bikini body this summer, have you considered undergoing mindfulness training to change your approach to food?

Mindful eating focuses on listening to the body and its hunger signals, rather than restricting what you eat. This is done to develop a healthier attitude to eating. One study, for example, tracked more than 1,400 mindful eaters and showed them to have lower body weights, a greater sense of wellbeing and fewer symptoms of eating disorders.

Eat slower

Eating slower means there is more time for hunger signals to stop. It helps to set aside time in the day to eat to allow you to do it slowly. Eating is not a race.

Pay attention to flavour

The more you focus on the flavour the more likely you are to remember what you ate and also enjoy it. Studies have shown the more attention you pay to your food the longer you will wait until you eat your next meal.

Turn off the screen

This includes televisions, iPhones and computers. Consider making family mealtime, which should, of course, be eaten together, an electronics-free zone.

Eat regularly

Make sure you have a regular eating pattern to keep your blood sugar levels stable. This means you are less likely to binge if you do have a little bit of chocolate.

Eat for nutrition

Don’t label food as “good” or “bad” or as a punishment or a reward: Clean eating is not a punishment for being overweight and some ice cream is not a reward for doing exercise.

You can get more tips on clean eating from Eating Mindfully.