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3 Simple Eating Habits That Changed Our Life

EducationWhitney CarlsonComment
3 Simple Eating Habits That Changed Our Life | He and She Eat Clean

We have made many changes over the years to the way we eat and even view food. However, these three simple changes/habits below definitely made the greatest impact. You have probably heard these over and over again but that's because they work! They will look different for every person but I've explained what they mean to us.

RELATED: 3 Simple Fitness Habits That Changed Our Life

3 Simple Eating Habits That Changed Our Life

  1. Drink water instead of soda, fruit juices (normally loaded with sugar), or other sugary drinks.
    • We weren't huge soda drinkers although Scott would have to order a large sweet tea (that's big down here in the south!) every single time we left the house. Scott eliminated the sweet tea and we started making our own sweet tea at home using stevia or drinking it unsweetened. If you are a sweet tea lover start off by mixing half sweet and half unsweet.
    • Remember that small steps are better than no steps so even if you can't think about getting rid of soda altogether try reducing how much you drink each week until you no longer drink it. Try replacing your soda with flavored water or try an alternative beverage. We love Zevia!
    • Fruit juices are typically loaded with sugar and other unnecessary ingredients. Try making your own flavored water and eat your fruit. ;-)
    • Try to also limit your alcohol consumption and/or change the type of alcohol you consume. Stay away from the margaritas and high calorie/carb drinks, try wine or use different types of mixers (again, we love Zevia!). 

      RELATED: Flavored Water Recipes
       
  2. Avoid added sugar.
    • Added sugar is EVERYWHERE! Places that you would never think sugar is "hiding" it is! I'm not asking you to count every gram of sugar but once you are aware of what you are eating you will realize that things like peanut butter and yogurt are typically loaded with sugar. Look at the ingredients in your nut butter and avoid sugar. The only ingredients should be the nut (and probably salt). For yogurt, try Greek yogurt and mix in your own fruit instead of buying the yogurt with the fruit already mixed in.
       
  3. Eat proper portions, this includes not UNDER-eating.
    • Eat less, move more. Sounds good, right? That's usually the advice you hear or read and it's true, to a certain extent. However, you must fuel your body. You are not smarter than your body, it knows what it needs and that is fuel! I would say that out of all of the people that I have coached and the people that I hear from on a daily basis most are under-eating as opposed to over-eating. I guess this is because they are already reaching out for help so they are under the impression they need to eat less. You don't necessarily need to eat less, you need to eat the right foods. People are amazed when they found out exactly how much I eat. This doesn't mean to go out and eat 5,000 calories a day but if you are working out, you must fuel your body. If you limit your calories your body will start to hold onto whatever you give it and store it as fat...which is the exact opposite of what we want it to do! If you are confused about where to start, check out our FREE 13 to Clean Challenge that includes meal ideas and a workout plan!

Remember, all of these small changes really add up. You can - but you don't have to - change everything all at once. Just get started!

3 Simple Eating Habits That Changed Our Life

$300 12-Week Christmas Money Saving Challenge

MoneyWhitney CarlsonComment
$300 12-Week Christmas Saving Challenge | He and She Eat Clean

I know, I know...a lot of challenges all at once but that's just the mood I've been in. ;-) Our 30-Day Full Body Fitness Challenge starts on the first (or you can start now, if you want!). We haven't had a finance challenge in awhile so why not now?!


I promise I am going to post more soon about our lifestyle, how we live below our means, and share more about how we save (you can read about some of it here and here). There's just a lot of different angles for me to go into and I get overwhelmed so that's why I haven't published it yet. ;-) BUT I did want to go ahead and publish this 12-Week Saving Challenge so that you have time to get started before the holidays. Read on though, there's more.

My family wasn't that crazy about birthdays, and by crazy, I mean we weren't over the top. Growing up, Christmas was always our big holiday. Just a side note, my family has been selling Christmas trees for over 30 years at our family farm. Christmas was when our entire family got together and it was truly a special day and time. We did also get a lot of presents for Christmas but nothing extreme, especially compared to some stuff I've seen lately. When Scott and I got married we did continue on with the what some would consider "over the top" Christmas. We didn't really spend a lot of money but still felt the need to exchange gifts even if it was something that we already knew about (which it always was).

Fast forward, now Scott and I don't give each other gifts. Instead we save our money for trips and other experiences. People always ask how we travel so much and it's because we don't give anniversary, birthday, Christmas gifts, or gifts for any other holiday or made up holiday in between. I'm not saying that this is the answer for everyone but it allows us to spend money on what truly matters to us, instead of spending money on things.

RELATED: Read about our travels.

Not only do we save the money we don't spend on traditional gifts to travel but we also try to donate our time and money to charities throughout the year and during the holidays. The way that we look at it is there are so many people in this world who have so much less than we do. Instead of buying each other something that's just going to sit around we would rather help other people. That's why I wanted to create this challenge. You can use this challenge to save money to buy gifts for your friends and/or family or you could use the challenge to save money to use for "random acts of kindness" throughout the holiday season - and even continue it into the new year! No judgement here - it's your challenge and you use the saved money as you see fit.

If you follow this money saving challenge you will end up saving $300 in 12 weeks. This amount of money can easily be saved each week if you cut back on your dining out, drinks out, and unnecessary and small purchases that you probably overlook right now. Things like buying coffee, soft drinks, appetizers, and desserts add up quickly! Skip those!

If you do plan on using this money for "random acts of kindness" some ideas are paying for a strangers gas, food, or even put together bags for the homeless or a local hospital! The possibilities are endless! You don't have to spend money to be kind to others though, you can volunteer with local organizations or visit nursing homes or hospitals. Hopefully what you receive in return will encourage you to continue this after the holidays.



Looking for a printable version of this challenge? We've got you covered! Join our newsletter and you will be taken to a black and white printable version right away! Grab the printable challenge here.

$300 12-Week Christmas Money Saving Challenge | He and She Eat Clean

Clean Eating Back to School Resources

EducationWhitney CarlsonComment
Clean Eating Back to School Resources | He and She Eat Clean

School is already back in session here in Georgia and the schools that haven't started yet are starting soon. As they say, the days are long but the years are short! Everyone can benefit from this round-up of resources, not just parents, students, and teachers. Use these resources to save some time in the kitchen while still maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Now is also a great time to start a new workout routine! Give one of our workout plans a try. We have 4, 6, and 12-weeks plans to choose from. We also have plans geared specifically towards runners!

RELATED: 5 Reasons Why You Need A Fitness Plan

Clean Breakfast Ideas for Back to School | He and She Eat Clean
Clean Snacks for Back to School | He and She Eat Clean
Eat Clean Meal Ideas That Are Good Cold | He and She Eat Clean
Quick & Easy Eat Clean Dinner Ideas (30 minutes or less) | He and She Eat Clean
Quick and Easy Eat Clean Breakfast Ideas | He and She Eat Clean

Eat Clean Quick and Easy Breakfast Ideas

I hope these resources make your transition to a new school year a little bit easier!