True Health
Good Health Magazine Australia|March 2020
FITNESS INSTRUCTOR NATS LEVI TALKS TO ERIN FISHER ABOUT UNREALISTIC BODY IMAGE GOALS AND THE HEALTH SCARE THAT PUT AN END TO HER EXCESSIVE EXERCISING
ERIN FISHER
True Health

Looks can be deceiving. An eye-catching book cover doesn’t always mean a life-changing read, and just because a person’s body looks fit and healthy on the outside, doesn’t necessarily mean their daily habits are.

For Nats Levi, the boost of self-belief, confidence and empowerment she experienced through movement was the bait that got her hooked, and it wasn’t long before she went from the shy participant at the back of a gym class, to a Les Mills group fitness instructor, sometimes teaching in front of hundreds of people around the world.

Her schedule at times was jam-packed with 15 to 20 group classes to teach each week, plus her personal client database and her personal workout regime on top of that. Yet even with all the high-intensity hours she was clocking up on the gym floor, the sense of pressure to perform better athletically and look the part with a leaner and “fitter” physique was relentless.

When Nats and her husband wanted to start a family, her light and irregular menstrual cycle suddenly became a concern, and an appointment with her endocrinologist was the wake-up call she needed. She was diagnosed with Female Athlete Triad syndrome – a combination of three components; low energy availability (ie not enough food for the amount of exercise), loss of menstrual cycle and decreased bone density.

Too much

“We are bombarded with images of what healthy looks like, and I realised that while I was driving my body so hard to try and perform, and present this picture of health, I wasn’t truly fuelling my body and treating it healthily.”

“People would tell me I looked great, fit and healthy, and while in those moments I probably looked quite lean, I wasn’t so healthy. My body was in such a stressed state that it was affecting my gut health, my hormones and my mental clarity, but I was so used to just pushing through it.”

This story is from the March 2020 edition of Good Health Magazine Australia.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the March 2020 edition of Good Health Magazine Australia.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM GOOD HEALTH MAGAZINE AUSTRALIAView All
Unwind your MIND
Good Health Magazine Australia

Unwind your MIND

DOES YOUR BRAIN SWITCH TO YOUR NEVER-ENDING TO-DO LIST WHEN YOU SIT DOWN TO RELAX? TRUDIE MCCONNOCHIE LOOKS AT WHY THIS HAPPENS AND HOW TO PREVENT IT

time-read
5 mins  |
March 2020
True Health
Good Health Magazine Australia

True Health

FITNESS INSTRUCTOR NATS LEVI TALKS TO ERIN FISHER ABOUT UNREALISTIC BODY IMAGE GOALS AND THE HEALTH SCARE THAT PUT AN END TO HER EXCESSIVE EXERCISING

time-read
5 mins  |
March 2020
To the point
Good Health Magazine Australia

To the point

ACUPUNCTURE HAS BEEN USED IN TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS. ERIN FISHER LOOKS AT HOW IT CAN BE USED TODAY AS A PATHWAY TO A HEALTHIER BODY AND MENSTRUAL CYCLE

time-read
4 mins  |
March 2020
Sonia regains her sparkle
Good Health Magazine Australia

Sonia regains her sparkle

SINCE HER STRICTLY BALLROOM BREAKOUT ROLE TO PRIME-TIME TV PRESENTER, SONIA KRUGER HAS COME FULL CIRCLE. SHE TALKS TO PAUL EWART ABOUT DANCING AS MEDITATION, OVERCOMING ANXIETY AND BECOMING A MUMLATER IN LIFE

time-read
8 mins  |
March 2020
Gifts of gratitude
Good Health Magazine Australia

Gifts of gratitude

MONIQUE MCKENZIE EXPLAINS THAT OUR GRATITUDE TOWARDS OTHERS AFFECTS HOW WE SEE OUR LIVES, AND HAS SOME IDEAS TO SHOW THOSE WE KNOW, AND DON’T KNOW, OUR APPRECIATION

time-read
1 min  |
March 2020
The Naked Chef Bares All
Good Health Magazine Australia

The Naked Chef Bares All

British food hero Jamie Oliver talks to Paul Ewart about his recent weight loss, struggle to find balance and his mission to inspire healthy eating

time-read
5 mins  |
February 2020
Breaking Through
Good Health Magazine Australia

Breaking Through

From battling the bulge to dealing with professional burnout, Australia’s first lady of comedy, julia morris, opens up to paul ewart about the newfound health revelations shaking up her life

time-read
8 mins  |
February 2020
From Nature To Plate
Good Health Magazine Australia

From Nature To Plate

Michelle Grant is committed to educating others about sustainable food consumption. She talks to erin fisher about what we can all do to lead a positive change

time-read
7 mins  |
February 2020
Cocktails With A Twist
Good Health Magazine Australia

Cocktails With A Twist

At Andrea Waters’ London-based bar, you can drink as many cocktails as you please without suffering the next day. She tells Erin Fisher about her vegan and alcohol-free establishment

time-read
6 mins  |
February 2020
Calm Within The Chaos
Good Health Magazine Australia

Calm Within The Chaos

Our busy editor-in-chief Nicky Dewe travels to India and discovers how our mental, physical, and spiritual health are all connected

time-read
5 mins  |
February 2020