Living in Chicago since the age of 18, I deemed myself a city girl for life. In my early 20s, I played in a band, staying up as late as 4 a.m. every single weekend, chomping on bar food at least three to four nights a week, and eating gas station snacks on the way home after a show. It wasn't until I found the empowerment of fitness and training that I started to realize what I put in and on my body really matters.
So I began to shift my priorities.
The first thing I did was start to take control of my physical fitness and incorporate strength training. The beauty of strengthening my body went beyond a physical thing: I became much more confident, not only in my workouts but in life. That confidence gave me a clearer vision of what I wanted and helped me stand up for myself and the things that I believed in.
I was inspired to optimize my health on a whole new level. I started paying attention to what I ate and the kinds of products that I used on a daily basis. I started learning more about nutrition and reading about natural products, plant-based diets, and grass-fed meat. I cleaned up my diet, and I noticed my energy levels staying high throughout the whole day.
Applying this "nature up" mindset holistically to everything else in my life was huge. I became more conscious of the products I was purchasing and—really—all the decisions I made on a daily basis. I now sought out more eco-friendly solutions, like carrying a reusable water bottle and coffee mug everywhere. I swapped the products I put on my face, body, and hair for natural skin care products, knowing I wanted to keep my skin looking healthy and glowing. Finding a great natural personal care brand like Tom's of Maine made replacing my daily essentials a pretty simple task. They use only naturally derived ingredients, offer recyclable packaging, and even donate 10 percent of profits back to the community to help people and the planet.
