If you’ve “met Tom Bushkie”, the CEO and Co-Founder of hellowater®, then you know reducing sugar consumption from children’s daily diets is incredibly important to him. As Tom mentioned in an interview, “We hear a lot from mothers that hellowater® is the only water their kids will drink.” We recently had the opportunity to meet a family and hear from not just Mom, but also one of the kids! Meet Carrie and Rebecca Smart, our very first mother-daughter duo and this month’s Hellowaterers.
hellowater® Goes to Greenville, South Carolina
Carrie and Rebecca Smart live in Greenville, South Carolina, and are just like any average family. Carrie is a wife and mother while Rebecca (age 14) is a student who enjoys art, drama, and reading. She recently snagged a role in her school’s upcoming performance of “Little Women,” so if you happen to be in Greenville South Carolina, you may want to ask for her autograph!
About two years ago, Carrie and Rebecca travelled to her pediatrician’s office for an appointment and left with a doctor’s recommendation to try hellowater®. Although Rebecca was in good health, her pediatrician was looking for easy ways to incorporate more fiber into Rebecca’s diet while helping her stay hydrated and being mindful of her weight. An easy way to do this was by reducing her sugar consumption. Carrie recalls, “Rebecca’s pediatrician wanted to get [Rebecca] healthier, but not make her feel deprived.”
Although drinking more water sounded like a simple solution, Rebecca thought plain water was, well, just plain boring, so she resorted to drinking other flavored beverages like fruit juice or soda. When she was out on the volleyball court, she and her teammates would enjoy multiple bottles of sports beverages, but unfortunately, all of these flavored options are high in sugar. Rebecca’s pediatrician thought swapping out these sugar-laden beverages with hellowater® seemed like a logical option for Rebecca to try.
Making the Switch to hellowater®
For Rebecca, making the switch to hellowater® was easy. “I like the flavor more than regular water and it wasn’t boring,” recalls Rebecca. “I drink it every day and it prevents me from drinking a ton of soda. I still drink [soda], but not as much.”
Rebecca shared that she used to drink 3-4 cans of soda per day, but now she probably only drinks about half of that amount. According to our rough calculations, in the past two years since switching to hellowater®, Rebecca has cut out 56,940 grams of sugar from her diet. That’s absolutely incredible. Way to go Rebecca!
Rebecca and her fellow classmates are all allowed to carry a water bottle with them during school, so you can bet Rebeccas has hers filled with her favorite flavor of hellowater® – Black Cherry or Pineapple Coconut from the prebiotic line or Cherry Lime or Lemonade from the defense line.
After school, Rebecca likes to hang out with her friends, some of whom she has even introduced to the wonderful flavors of hellowater®. When it’s time for dinner and homework, Rebecca enjoys another bottle. “I probably drink 2-3 bottles a day,” she says. Since making the switch to hellowater®, Rebecca says she now has more energy. It’s not only Rebecca who enjoys the benefits of hellowater® though. Her entire family likes it too.
A Family Affair
Carrie says she and her husband have enjoyed drinking hellowater®. “I used to buy it at our local grocery store, but now I order it… I have at least 6 boxes stacked in our garage at all times.” It’s a popular beverage in the Smart household and for good reason.
We know Rebecca is focused on creating healthy habits that will last a lifetime, but so are her parents. Carrie herself has lost 30 pounds since the start of the year (Congratulations Carrie!) and says it all really starts with making better choices. “Just make better choices. That’s what I tell the kids. Make one small change a day and start somewhere. [Starting small] makes it easier. Do what works for you.”
Carrie’s husband is a Type 2 Diabetic so the entire family is working together to make positive changes in their lives. Since being introduced to hellowater®, Carrie’s husband has reduced his sugar intake and enjoys drinking the Black Cherry, Cherry Lime, or Lemonade. “They are all good flavors,” he says.
At mealtimes, everyone enjoys smaller portions and is reducing their sugar consumption by enjoying their favorite flavors of hellowater®. “It’s not a hard change because the product tastes so good,” says Carrie.
Rebecca is a typical kid and she admits she is picky when it comes to eating her fruits and vegetables, but she loves snacking on bananas and strawberries. She even includes a dollop of whipped cream sometimes. Carrie says, “We are all about celebrating with the little things in this house, and if that means a bit of whipped cream accompanied with a bowl of banana slices and berries, then that’s what we enjoy.”
Spreading Health with hellowater®
The Smart family even shares hellowater® with family, friends, and members of their church community, including their local pastor. “I share it with friends who have children who are Type 1 Diabetic and are sick and tired of drinking plain water…” mentions Carrie.
Rebecca seconds that sentiment. “It sounds like just plain water, but it doesn’t have that taste of sparkling water. It tastes like juice,… [but without the added sugar].”
Mother and daughter agree that when it comes to trying hellowater®, “Don’t judge the water bottle by its bottle. Just taste it!”
Do you want to be our next Hellowaterer of the month? Connect with us @hellowater and you may just see your hellowater® story featured here!
