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I’ve gotten a lot of questions on my journey to cleaner living – swapping out products, changing how I eat, and working with a functional doctor to learn what my body needs.

I know a lot of women are curious to learn more, or are ready to pursue a cleaner lifestyle but aren’t sure what it looks like from a financial perspective.

Because, ya know, there are these little things called bills.

Maybe that’s where you’re at. Maybe you’re sitting there in your comfy slippers (or your 🔥 high heels) looking like this emoji 🤷‍♀️, asking “How can I prioritize my health on a small budget?” 

Well, if that’s you, then get ready to take notes, because I’m sharing all of my top tips to building a cleaner lifestyle… on a budget.

Where My Health Journey Began

If you don’t know my background, or why I’m even talking about healthy living, let’s back up this train for a sec so I can give ya a (super quick) recap.

In January of 2020, I had my first miscarriage. (If you’re interested, you can hear that full story here, but I won’t go into too many details here). 

I got pregnant a few months later, but at thirteen weeks, I ended up losing that baby too. It was even more physically and emotionally painful because of how much farther along we were into the pregnancy.

If you’ve ever walked through miscarriage before, you know how frustrating it can be to try to find answers. In the traditional medical model, most doctors won’t pursue testing until you’ve had three or four miscarriages.

I, however, was determined to be proactive and advocate for my family’s health. Suddenly, my health was about more than just me. It was about our babies and future kids too.

I wanted to find the root cause of what was going on and prioritize my health, so I began seeing a functional medicine doctor. 

If you aren’t familiar with functional medicine, definitely check out this podcast episode that dives deep into it. Basically, functional medicine looks at finding the root cause of an issue (rather than using medicine to slap a bandaid over what’s wrong) and helping the body heal naturally through lifestyle and dietary changes first. 

INVESTING IN MY HEALTH THROUGH NUTRITION

My functional medicine doctor (who, BTW is a real MD who got additional training to work in functional medicine) found that I had some gut health issues and inflammation. I learned so much about natural inflammatory foods, and I cut out gluten, dairy, soy, refined sugars, caffeine, alcohol and processed foods.

If you’re like I was, you’re probably wondering, “What in the world can you eat?” 

I hear ya, sister. That’s how I felt at first too. 

I started out feeling pretty confused on what to eat. I would buy processed gluten-free foods, thinking it must be better because it didn’t have gluten. 

But I soon realized that I was developing a toxic mindset, where I was only focused on what I COULDN’T eat. 

Eventually I learned, through working with a dietician, that I needed to change my mindset. It wasn’t about what NOT to eat. It was about what I COULD eat that would NOURISH my body, support my endocrine system, and give my body energy. 

What would help heal my body? When I thought of it that way, I realized there were so many amazing foods I could eat. 

If we just say “I don’t eat gluten” without replacing that with whole, unprocessed, nourishing foods, with a changed lifestyle, we end up in an unhealthy place.

BTW, if you wanna learn more (without spending a ton of money), I HIGHLY recommend you read the book Woman Code, which shows you how to naturally heal your body and explains the science of it too. You’ll learn so much about your body, hormones and endocrine system – and how to nourish and heal your body.

A COUPLE QUICK NOTES

1. It’s important to take away a blame mentality. I’m NOT saying I had two losses because I didn’t do (or did do) XYZ. That’s an unhealthy and toxic mindset. You can do everything *right* and still have things go wrong. For me, this was more than just getting pregnant or avoiding miscarriages – this was about pursuing a healthier lifestyle overall.
2. My body was sending me signs for a long time that my health was off. I struggled with things like cystic acne, bloating, and skin discoloration. They were annoying, but it didn’t ever really seem like they were drastically affecting my life. Because those things seemed so minor, I was never consistent with making lifestyle or diet changes. But when I went through my miscarriages, I realized that there was a link between those small signs my body was sending and my health. And I realized it was about more than just me. It was about my babies and the health of my family moving forward. That’s when I was ready to really learn and consistently make changes.  There’s nothing wrong with working on our health for our own benefit. But when you make it about more than yourself, it’s so much easier to truly invest in it consistently. Think about how your health affects your relationships, work, and future family. If you’re exhausted, crabby or fatigued, you’re not showing up to your family or your job well. Investing in your health, is investing in the people around you too.

Invest in Your Health on a Budget

Okay, so you’re probably anxious to get to the part where I share some tips on how to make these lifestyle changes and invest in your health on a budget.

The most important thing to know is that I didn’t make all of these changes at once. I didn’t change my nutrition, swap out my products and see a few new docs all the same week.

I started with my food. And I worked on slowly becoming more intentional in cooking. 

When I started swapping out products, I didn’t throw everything out at once. For most of us, that isn’t realistic. I would swap one product at a time. When I ran out of something, like shampoo, then I would find a cleaner option to buy next.

It also doesn’t cost anything to make changes to have a consistent amount of sleep and to sweat a little. Those are both so important to your health. 

So start with that: eating differently, moving, and sleeping. Those three alone have a HUGE impact on your health – and it fits into your budget.

BUYING HEALTHY FOOD ON A BUDGET

When it comes to fitting healthier foods into your budget, here’s a few tips:

1. Try a variety of stores. For example, if Whole Foods isn’t in your budget try a place like Trader Joe’s that still has great organic foods at a lower cost.
2. If you do shop at Whole Foods, don’t forget about the partnership they have with Amazon. You can get discounts through your Amazon Prime membership.
3. Plan meals based on what’s already in your fridge or pantry. Have some sweet potato? Think about how you can make a meal around that.
4. Shop with a calculator. Know the cost of what’s in your cart, so you can make decisions accordingly and pivot as you go.
5. Buy in bulk online. (For some really great info, resources and steps on this and how to create a cleaner, non-toxic lifestyle, check out episode 132). Here are some places you can buy food in bulk at a lower cost:
   • Vitacost
   • Azure Standard
   • Misfits Market
   • Vital Choice
   • Sun Basket (This meal service is especially helpful for those who want to make healthier meals, but are busy rocking it outside the kitchen.)
6. Wash your own greens. Pre-washed greens are more expensive.

How to Budget for Cleaner Products

Another important part of our health journey has been to switch to cleaner, non-toxic products. And yes, many of these products can be pricier.

If you’re sitting there thinking of all the products in your house you need to swap and calculating the cost, just stop.

Take a breath, girl. ⏸️

Remember, you don’t need to do it all at once. That’s way too stressful for anyone. Instead, start with one product at a time and make an effort to switch to a cleaner product whenever you run out of something.

(Oh, and don’t forget to check out episode 132 for some good advice and resources on swapping out products).

Feeling overwhelmed by which products to switch to? It can be pretty confusing when so many products are being marketed as “green”, “plant-based” or “natural.”

(And FYI, those labels don’t mean anything. Those are all just ways marketers try to make their product look cleaner).

If you’re looking for some guidance, I highly recommend you check out the Instagram account @ireadlabelsforyou. She does a great job explaining different chemicals that are in products and the harms of them – plus, she shares the best and cleanest products to get. 

Once you have some cleaner options in mind, make some goals to save up for these healthy products and build them into your budget. 

Look at how you can save in other areas to support and pay for the expenses that will serve your health. 

What is your money going towards? Where could you reduce, cancel a membership, or eat out less to use that money for a healthier lifestyle?

ADD ADDITIONAL INCOME STREAMS

If you still feel like there’s no room to reallocate money in your budget, think about creating other streams of income for your family. 

You have the skills. You have the ability. 

Need some ideas? Here’s a TON:

• Buy and flip furniture
• Sell products on Etsy
• Sell digital products on Creative Market
• Sell services on Fiverr or Upwork
• Tutor over Skype
• Deliver food (DoorDash or Uber Eats)
• Sell old stuff on Facebook Marketplace, Poshmark, or Gazelle
• Participate in marketing focus groups
• Be a freelance writer for Freelancer, or Upwork

INVEST IN YOUR HEALTH on a Budget

At the end of the day, we all have limited capacity (with our time, emotions and finances). So it comes back to prioritizing our health when planning our budget.

Ask yourself: What do I need to grow and what do I need to let go?

Listen, it’s NOT SELFISH to prioritize your health. When you do, it ensures that you can show up in your roles and be the best worker, mom, spouse, and friend. 

I invest in my health to invest in my family. To invest in my work. To invest in my future. 

I’m investing in something bigger than me so I can show up in these spaces as the BEST me I can be. 

If I show up grumpy, fatigued or ill, then I’m not serving or doing anything really well.

Your health is an investment more than an expense.

And remember, small changes are better than no changes and a little bit of progress in the right direction is better than no direction at all.

So, are you ready to invest in your health, while sticking to a budget? Tune in to the full podcast episode to learn all the things, like:

• How to prioritize your health on a budget
• Why we should listen to the signals our body is giving us about our health
• How to save money at the grocery store
• How to swap out your products on a budget
• Ways to add additional income to your family
• Why investing in your health is NOT selfish

And let me know in the comments: how are you going to prioritize your health this week?