Meet Natalia Azad of Mind Body Soul

Today we’d like to introduce you to Natalia Azad.

Natalia, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My journey towards becoming a health practitioner began in 2016 when I started developing gastrointestinal issues. I experienced stomach aches and pains, acid reflux, bloating, diarrhea, discomfort, mood swings, chronic fatigue, social withdrawal, etc. This went on for six months until I went to see a Gastroenterologist at UCLA for an upper endoscopy and colonoscopy. Mind you I was 21 years old at the time. After the results were analyzed, my doctor dismissed all of my symptoms and prescribed me Prilosec for my acid reflux. This had me very upset. I knew my problems were real and that medication wasn’t going to cure me. I decided to take my health into my own hands.

At this time, I was working at Equinox as a Personal Trainer and sought help from one of my peers who was studying nutrition. She helped me discover that I had developed an intolerance to gluten and dairy and advised me to avoid foods that contain those products. This discovery really opened my eyes: food was my main culprit.

This led me on an ongoing journey of research on food, as well as overall health. I now have read countless books and articles, listened to hundreds of podcasts and watched multiple documentaries not only about food but also about sleep, stress management, functional medicine, and other scientific aspects that affect our health.

I am now headed towards getting my Master’s Degree in Nutritional Science. This journey hasn’t been an easy one, as I’m still struggling to figure out how to optimize my health and those of my clients. As of right now, I’m working as a Personal Trainer studying functional movement and I’m also taking prerequisites at Santa Monica Community College to apply for graduate school.

Has it been a smooth road?
There has definitely been many ups and downs on my road towards optimal health. There have been days, weeks, even months where I’d struggle to engage in social affairs because I was so uncomfortable. There have been days I’d be sick and have to take off from work and even times where I’d sit in my car and cry. I’d experienced inflammation and bloating from certain foods and also excessive weight loss from sickness or not knowing what to eat. My energy would be drained because I just wouldn’t know what to eat. It has been a great struggle for me.

We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I’m a Personal Trainer specializing in functional training. This method of training takes on an evolutionary approach to physical fitness that optimizes posture, gait, running, and throwing mechanics. As a functional trainer, I’ve helped many of my clients dissolve their pain and dysfunction, improve and advance their movement, as well as lose body fat and gain muscle mass.

What sets me apart from most trainers is that I work my a** off to continuously study the correct information on fitness and nutrition. I have the knowledge to guide my clients to achieve their goals as efficiently as possible.

I’m most proud of the path I’m headed on in learning the right information. There is an abundance of false information that many fitness trainers and health practitioners have fallen into that actually leads people in the wrong direction. I’m grateful to be able to distinguish right from wrong in this industry.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
There’s no better place than Los Angeles to become a fitness and nutrition expert.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: @nataliaazad

Image Credit:
Emma Rosenblatt

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