Nathalie Emmanuel reflects on past struggles with her body image
Jun 23, 2021
Washington [US], June 23 : Actor Nathalie Emmanuel is sharing her journey of self-love. The 'F9' star opened up about her past struggle with her body image and revealed her process of gaining a more positive outlook.
The actor graced the cover of the July/August issue of Women's Health and in an interview with the publication, she revealed that, at one point in time, she struggled with her body image, reported People magazine.
"You know how on Facebook it shows you a memory of yourself from six years ago or four years ago?" she said.
She added, "A picture came up on my phone, and I went, 'I look so great!' But I also remember that at the time [of that photo], I thought I was overweight and needed to do all these unhealthy things. We just beat ourselves up constantly, and we're never perfect enough."
Seeing the photo sparked a bit of a lightbulb moment for Nathalie, who realised that after years of negative self-talk and comparing herself to others, she wanted to change her mindset and build a positive outlook.
The actor went on to explain that she wanted to shift her point of view on her body image, and for her, that meant redefining what wellness meant.
Nathalie shared, "I had to change how I interacted with exercise and decide what I wanted to get from it."
In addition to shifting her mindset and changing her exercise routine, the 'Game of Thrones' actor also revealed that she adopted a vegan diet and continued to practice yoga.
"What I love about yoga is there's no pressure to be the best at it," she said.
The actor added, "Even if you just lie on your mat for the hour and breathe with intention, you're doing yoga." The Fast & Furious star also revealed she began practicing yoga back when she was 18 and going through a tough time, sharing, "My mental health was deteriorating, and I took my first class in reaction to it."
So, although not necessarily a new addition to her routine, the star confirmed that yoga remains instrumental for her overall wellness.
While implementing various physical elements of diet and exercise and increasing her positive affirmations has helped the star change her view on her body image, the actor maintained that her mission is truly about striving to be the "stronger, better version of herself."
On the film front, the actor is currently awaiting the release of her upcoming movie 'F9', which is slated to hit theatres on June 25.
