The Healthy Sisters say, “Don’t diet; change your lifestyle instead.”

Photo: The Healthy Sisters having fun on a good run / Joyce Bongers

The Healthy Sisters are actual siblings who run half marathons wearing headscarves, eating clean and lean, a contrast to the carb-heavy Moroccan diet they grew up with. After losing about 50 kilos between the two of them a few years ago, they’ve found themselves an inspiration for thousands of others, and not just Moroccans and Muslims like themselves. So they continue to run, eat, photograph their meals, blogging and vlogging about it all to over 16,000 YouTube subscribers and 12,000 followers on Facebook.

Here, they talk to My Salaam about how they got started on their leaner, fitter lifestyles.

Could you tell me a little bit about yourselves?

We are Najima and Rachida Kharbouch, 30 and 36 years old. We are of Moroccan origin. We blog and vlog about our healthy lifestyles.

How did you get started on your healthy life?

In 2012, we realised that we could not go on the way we were. We were literally and figuratively uncomfortable in our skins. In May 2012, Rachida started training with a running group. Then Najima followed. Once we began excercising, we automatically started living in a more health-conscious way. Through this combination of running and eating healthy, results began to show, and this stimulated us to continue.

When did you begin the Healthy Sisters blog? How did that happen?

We started the Healthy Sisters blog in 2014. We were getting a lot of questions about how we lost so many kilos. We created a Facebook page to handle the questions; we would update followers about what we ate for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and about our runs. We started participating in competitive runs. We have done a couple of half marathons and are training for the next one this October.

Photo: The Healthy Sisters - Rachida (left) and Najima (right) Kharbouch

Why did you start the blog, the running programme, the vlog, and so on? What is your mission and vision?

As we were overweight, we started to read more about nutrition and exercise. Together, we have lost about 50 kilograms. And now we try to motivate and inspire people to live a healthy lifestyle in an easily accessible manner.

When you write a blog or create a video, whom are you speaking to? Who is your target audience? What sort of feedback do you get from them?

We talk to our public. We mentally picture them. ... Our target audience is everybody: people who have already adopted a healthy lifestyle or people who would like to live a healthier one in a way that is sustainable. We get a lot of feedback, some of it criticism. That is normal and often instructive. Constructive criticism is always welcome. We want to keep learning.

Do you have any stories about people whose lifestyles you helped improve?

We regularly receive mail thanking us. The senders say that their lives are healthier because of us. Or that they have started exercising. Many girls who have lost a lot of weight mail us. So many positive stories that show our mission [to help people live healthier lives] is successful.

What do you think sets you apart from the thousands of other health and lifestyle bloggers online? How is your audience different?

We stand apart—not because we really want to, but people make the differentiation. Naturally, we prepare a lot of food from our Moroccan heritage [and] we run with our headscarves, and that creates an impression.

What were the challenges you faced when you were trying to become healthier and fitter? For example, Moroccan cuisine—are there lots of healthy options, or did you completely have to change the sort of food you eat?

The family food used to be very carbohydrate-heavy. We had to figure out how to make Moroccan cuisine healthier. We swapped the “unhealthy” ingredients for healthier choices such as spelt flour instead of refined wheat flour, pure honey instead of sugar … as far as possible, we leave out the sugar. For example, in our Moroccan tea.

Photo: The Healthy Sisters cooking up a (healthy) storm!

During Ramadan or other days of fasting and feasting, what advice do you give to people on a journey to better health?

We advise people to exercise just before eating. After iftar, [we advise them] to make sure they hydrate themselves. It is important to be active during Ramadan.

Who are the people who make up your audience?

Using analytical tools, we know that we have as many Moroccan followers as non-Moroccan, and Muslim as well as non-Muslim. That is precisely the way we want it too. We speak to everybody in our blogs and vlogs. The audience profile does not influence our content. We blog and vlog about ourselves and our lives.

Where are your followers from? 

Our followers are mostly from the Netherlands, but there are also a few from Belgium and Morocco.

Are you now generating an income through Healthy Sisters? How do you make money? 

Yes, we do generate an income through Healthy Sisters, but we would prefer not to discuss anything about the finances.

You are an inspiration for so many people who follow you. What is the best advice you can give people who would like to have a healthier and more active lifestyle?

The best advice is not to follow any diets. The most important factor for adopting a healthy and active lifestyle is to eat clean. So fresh vegetables and fruit, not ready-to-eat meals. Get your daily exercise, even if it is just a short walk. Find a sport that you enjoy, because it increases your chances of sticking to it.

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