NAUTI WARRIORS: Natalie

Nauti Warrior: Natalie

A Nauti Warrior is a fighter. Someone who works for their body and fights for themselves in an effort to live a life based on the foundations of health and wellness. Our first warrior is from the state of Washington and is currently a student at San Diego State University. Her name is Natalie. 

Natalie is a spunky, down to earth, one of a kind gal who truly embodies the spirit of a Nauti Warrior.

She has a very healthy lifestyle consisting of a balanced workout routine, diet, and mindset. As a warrior, Natalie is excited to share her lifestyle with others and hopefully be a role model to those who are also looking to live nauti. 

Natalie was exposed to living a healthy lifestyle from a young age. Her brother has a rare throat disease which hinders his eating habits. This has propelled him to eat a paleo-like diet. Seeing how hard it was for him and feeling guilty about eating foods he could not, her family and her started to engage in healthy eating. Through being supportive of her brother and her family, Natalie began to realize the different health benefits of food and started to watch her nutritional intake. 

Aside from her eating habits, Natalie stays healthy by making sure she is drinking enough water and cutting out liquid calories. One tip she has is to drink coffee black to avoid the extra calories from milk, creamer, or sugar. She agrees that it can be hard to resist dessert, especially if it is sitting right in front of you so she lives by the mantra of "don't buy it, and you won't eat it."

Natalie started becoming physically active in high school through joining sports teams. It was not until she came to college that she realized the importance of working out. She admits that college made her gain weight and because of society's harsh judgments and our constricted view of appearances, she started working out to feel good about herself again. After becoming a little too involved with going to the gym, she realized that working out and being active is all about balance. She says that she used to get upset about skipping workouts but now she knows there is no need to freak out when you miss one. Natalie likes working out because it is a stress reliever and something good that she can do for her body. 

Her normal workout routine here at SDSU includes 20/30 minutes of cardio - usually running on the treadmill or cycling on a bike. Then she'll do legs, arms, and abs workout (both lifting and floor exercises). However, when she is home in Washington, she loves to go running in her neighborhood and will usually run around 6 miles a day (um, amazing!).

Natalie is currently thinking of becoming vegan. She likes to listen to rap when she is lifting and pop music when she is running. She says her music does not have to be super upbeat, but just anything that will distract her during the workout. She mostly wears Lululemon active apparel but is open to trying new brands. Natalie's favorite cheat food is Cookie Butter from Trader Joes. 

Some advice Natalie has for people getting into a healthy lifestyle is to not skip meals. The more you eat, the more energy you have and the more you can get out of a workout. Be patient through the process- it takes a while to see change and you will eventually end up where you want to be. Be strict and meaningful with yourself but do not expect quick changes. Just enjoy yourself and your new lifestyle. 

Thank you, Natalie, for sharing some of you with us and being an inspiring warrior!!

LIVE NAUTI

☆ 

Madison