Heather El Moussa Reveals How She Got HGTV Hubby to ‘Change His Life’

Heather Rae El Moussa is opening up about the work that goes into her relationship with husband Tarek El Moussa.

But she says it’s all worth it. In fact, Heather says she’s changed Tarek’s life!

In an interview with US Weekly, Heather got real about the lifestyle changes she has brought to the table in their relationship that have turned Tarek’s health around.

A long-time vegan, Heather El Moussa is a big fan of vegan nutrition shakes. She explained to US Weekly, “As a busy mom with… a husband that is very needy, I had to get things that were really easy. So the nutritional shakes were easy for me to just grab and go and keep on my bedside, keep it in my fridge upstairs and throw in my purse.”

“They are shelf stable. They don’t have to stay cold. So it’s just important that we talk about health and wellness in our house and ever since I met Tarek, his health has — I mean, it’s done a whole 360,” she continued. “He is so much healthier now that he’s met me, and I’m proud of that because I helped him change his life around.”

Mental Health Is Just As Much Heather’s Focus as Physical Health

In the US interview, Heather El Moussa also talked candidly about the pair going to couple’s therapy. She says she wishes they had started the practice sooner in their relationship.

“I think people put therapy [in] a negative context, which I don’t think it is,” says Heather, 37. “And I think that it can be a really positive thing for an individual and as a couple, and communication is key in any relationship, in a marriage and a best friend and parents.”

“I truly wish we had started therapy before we got married, just to learn to communicate through things. As you grow together, challenges just naturally come into life. It’s natural. Everyone goes through ups and downs and is learning how to work through them as best friends, as a couple, and navigating through certain hardships — or not hardships, just communication.”

Heather Says Family Planning Is Not Why They’re in Therapy

Both Heather and Tarek, who share 2-year-old son Tristan, admit that one of the things they talk about in therapy is a disconnect over having more kids.

While Tristan is Heather’s only child, he’s Tarek’s third. Tarek El Moussa shares 14-year-old daughter Taylor and 10-year-old son Brayden with ex-wife Christina Haack. And he’s not sure their busy lives allow time for another baby.

But while it’s a topic of discussion with their therapist, it’s not the reason why they’re in therapy.

“Talking about having another baby is just one layer. It’s not why we were in therapy,” Heather told US Weekly. “Like we said, we don’t view it as something negative. It’s something positive in our life that we actually look forward to going to together, and it’s bringing us closer together and having that deeper relationship.”

 “It takes work.,” she goes on. “I mean, that’s the reality of life and marriage. But we are talking about possibly having another baby. I would like one, Tarek feels done, and I think that’s also very real. I think a lot of couples go through this.”