In this episode I am joined by Sports Dietitian Mari Perkins. She is the assistant Sports Dietitian here at Rise Up Nutrition, and former elite and NCAA gymnast at the University of Alabama. We talk about her experience as an elite gymnast at a young age and how that took a toll on her physical and mental health. We hit on the difficult decisions to take time away from sport after injury and how it allowed her body to change in a way that benefited her energy, her health, and her future. Mari is an inspiration in how she stood up for her body’s needs to have a menstrual cycle and keep weight, despite pressures to be thinner, during her college years as a gymnast. Now, as a mom of three, Mari expresses the importance of nutrition and self care to perform, perhaps not in sport, but in life! We discuss how the discipline of being an athlete can be used to create structure, self care, and success throughout her busy life.  She is passionate about our work here at Rise Up Nutrition, helping female athletes overcome their nutrition struggles, embrace their bodies, and use food as fuel to perform their best! In joining Rise Up Nutrition you not only have access to me, but you also have access to Mari! Follow her on instagram @Mari.RiseUpNutrition and if you are interested in working directly with Mari, start by booking a call at www.RiseUpNutritionRun.com