It’s the time to get healthy!  This year just flew by, and with less than four months left of 2014, why wait for the New Year to reconnect with that infamous New Year’s resolution?  Being healthy is easy, but it is with planning and maintenance that many people experience some difficulty.  So if eating a pound of kale doesn’t make a person healthy, what is it that healthy people do to maintain their health?  They developed healthy habits.

Healthy habits are not usually acquired overnight.  But it is a gradual transition that encompasses a multitude of elements starting with our physical and emotional health, our behaviors, thought processes, even including spirituality.  These various elements are like building blocks, creating a healthy, happy you.  Here are just some ideas that you can start with to create healthy habits of your own.

6 Habits of Healthy People

1. The motto is moderation.  Too much of even a good thing, can still be bad.  The pound of kale for example, if you were to eat an entire pound in one sitting, it could result in the food turning into sugar in your body; ultimately, stored as fat.  It is important to keep moderation on the mind, when eating, and with engaging in physical activity.

2. Have fun with physical activity.  If a four-minute mile is an unthinkable act (it definitely is for me), try swimming, biking, roller skating hiking, Zumba, yoga, or my favorite, good old walking.  These are great ways to enjoy physical activity.  Also, be physically active in a place you enjoy, whether it is the gym or the great outdoors, be somewhere that makes you happy.

3. Eat for your health.  We consume foods that taste good, and not all healthy foods have to be bland, odorless, and colorless.  When planning your meals, eat a rainbow by choosing fruits and vegetables of all colors, which will provide beneficial vitamins and minerals.  For healthy proteins, eat lean meats, fish, tofu, and beans.  For more fiber, choose whole grain/wheat products.  Do not forget about the dairy, choose low-fat or non-fat yogurts, cheese, and milk.

4. Drink more water. Water is delicious!  Flavor it with lemons, melons, strawberries, cucumbers and mint.  Remember, it is okay to indulge in your cravings, your motto is moderation.

5. Catch some Z’s. Do you get enough sleep?  For adults and the elderly, the recommended amount is seven to eight hours of sleep a night.  Sleep helps with healthy brain function and emotional well-being by preparing for the next day.  The brain is forming new pathways to help you learn and remember important information like these tips to develop healthy habits.  It also helps with physical health.  Sleeping is involved in the healing and repairing of your heart and blood vessels.  Not enough sleep can put you at risk for heart and kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, and obesity.

6. Be stress free and take time to relax.  We enjoy life, but in general, life is a stressor.  If you are stressing about your health, try not to; everyone has a starting point, and in no time, you will develop your own healthy habits.  Learning stress coping methods, such as exercising, listening to music or mediation are a few ways to reduce stress.  If time is limited, give yourself ten minutes of “you” time throughout the day; have a seat, and erase whatever is on your mind.  If something is still bothering you, write it down or dance it out.  On that note, I wanted to leave you with something that was shared with me that has a high cute factor.  Click here to check it out.  Enjoy, relax and be healthy!

* Skinny Gene Healthy Lifestyles Partner Post

By Maria Crompton, a fitness guru and personal trainer with

Fit for Life in San Diego, California.

Have you noticed a pattern?

You’ll spend a couple of weeks eating clean, exercising and losing weight, but then the pendulum swings and you spend the next week or two indulging in your old unhealthy habits.

After too many days where you’re not feeling so good, you’ll get back to your clean habits, and so the yo-yo goes.

It’s time to stop this vicious cycle that never brings you all the way to your goal – keeping you comfortable enough, yet frustrated.

The good news is that your yo-yo days could be quickly and permanently turned off with this simple mindset change.

Photo from Competitor

Find your reward in the process, not in the results.

When it comes to weight loss, we’ve been brainwashed to focus all of our efforts on the “results”. Your desired result is the ideal body that you dream to have – it’s your reason for passing on dessert and the image you hold in your mind as you toil through burpees and mountain climbers.

News flash: If you only find reward in the results, you’re likely to fail.

What?!?

Think about it. Results are abstract.

Oh sure, you can picture it in your mind with crystal clarity, but what reach does that image have on you when you’re lured into the drive thru?

Let’s face it – future results are easy to lose focus on. Try not to focus solely on images all the time, think about your health, and just take it a day at a time.

The Process:

This is the act of working toward your goal – your meal plan, your exercise routine and your healthy life style choices.

If you had a map of where you are today (blue dot), and where you’ll be when you reach your goal (red dot), the process is that black line connecting the two.

When all you’re focused on to reinforce your journey is the promise of results, it’s easy to wind up lost.

Finding Reward in the Process:

Make a new habit of feeling rewarded after every day on your chosen path.

Completing your diet and exercise each day needs to become its own reward. Look down and applaud yourself for each step forward.

When you find reward in the process, the results will take care of themselves.