An Exceptionally Talented Personal Trainer, Nutrition Specialist and Fitness Competitor Joa Rivas Shares her Spectacular Fitness Journey 

Ms. Namita Nayyar: What is your diet? Do you take a particular fixed regulated diet comprising of nutrients and vitamins to keep you in perfect health?

Ms. Joa Rivas: My diet is not diet. It is my lifestyle and it is based in listening to my body reactions.

I have changed approaches since 2012 until now; everytime I compete I use a new approach because our body is in constant change, our hormones and circumstances each year change. I have my naturapathic and osteopath doctor Michelle Basuroy who has helped me with these changes. I have tried paleo, flexible dieting, intermittent fasting, ketogenic among other styles. There is not a perfect formula for anyone, We just have to listen to our body and follow what goes with it.

But there are few elements I have suspended gradually in the last 6 years and they are food that induce inflammation in the body including : dairy, soy, gluten, alcohol, grains, processed food, artificial flavours and refine sugars.

Ms. Namita Nayyar: What is your motivation to take a multi-faceted personality of a fitness model, professional figure competitor, personal trainer and nutritional expert ?

Ms. Joa Rivas: I think my parents are a big motivation in my life. They live in Venezuela and they taught great lessons. To be independent and to persevere in my dreams. I have followed my intuition since day 1. I am immersed in the world of health as part of my life to heal my spine and to stay focus in positivity. I think nobody has told me to do this or that. I have completely listened to my soul and followed my heart in every program I study. Like my dad said that anything you study you will apply in your life. Being an active fitness competitor and a health advocate has taught me in my own skin how is to experience health from all levels.
 

Ms. Namita Nayyar: You have glowing skin and gorgeous hair. Do you take some kind of skin treatment to keep it young and glowing and secondly what you do to your hair to make them look so stunning?

Ms. Joa Rivas: Oh thanks. I try to keep it very natural with healthy fat nutrition that fuels my entire body. My hair stylist Andres Daravina has magical hands and passion for his work. We keep my hair free of harsh products. I particularly follow the moon cycles to cut my hair. I strongly believe that our skin and hair as part or our body absorbs anything we apply in it. So my number one food is Coconut oil for my skin and for my hair. I also love avocado. My family has this recipe of : soft old avocado, olive oil blended mask treatment. My Canadian sponsors Glo Oil are natural source of avocado oil and coconut oil for the skin and hair. And my sponsors Real Tan for spray tan for competitions and photoshoots are also natural fruit and oil blends.
 

Ms. Namita Nayyar: Fitness modelling is about bold photo shoots. In fitness and bikini competitions you showed your spectacular chiseled physique. What advice you wish to give to the women of today to be body confident in order to do such bold modeling?

Ms. Joa Rivas: First to love and accept their body. By practicing a daily practice looking in the mirror and repeating out loud: " I love and accept my gorgeous body and give yourself a big hug". Love starts from inside.

Secondly believe you are unique in an authentic way. Find your gifts and open it to the universe. Without comparing yourself to any other person. We all have something that make us genuine and we only can make our best with our own body strengths and challenges. Repeat in front of the mirror: " I feel independent of any bad or good opinion of others"

Ms. Namita Nayyar: Advice and motivational words to the inspiring and budding professional Bikini competitor girls who all are your fans and shall like to know from you for their climb to ladder of success in field of professional Bikini competitions?

Ms. Joa Rivas: I just can say few thoughts I keep repeating in my mind : Today I feel fearless and ready to face any challenge. Everyday we get up with a chance to make our best of our life. It is not about our past it is about today. We are all equals, I am not beneath you, you are not beneath me. So if you decide to compete find your purpose, why is the real reason that makes you compete. I did because I wanted to see myself shinning like never, because I wanted to see with my own eyes that my body did not have any asymmetry anymore that my shoulders were even and my waist was too. That was my reason. It became a passionate journey and now I am preparing to my next one in figure category for first time.
 

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