‘Survivor’ Winner Talks Paleo Low-Carb Diet, CrossFit, And Plans For $1 Million Prize [Video]

Survivor winner Natalie Anderson is only 28-years-old. But after suffering through the exhausting challenges while starving for adequate nutrition, Anderson feels much older. That $1 million prize, however, definitely helps to lift her spirits. And now that she’s back to civilization, Natalie is happily recovering with her usual healthy lifestyle of a Paleo diet and CrossFit workouts, reported CBS News.

Because the season finale of Survivor: San Juan del Sur aired Wednesday night, Anderson now can talk publicly about the experience. She confesses that when she looked at herself in a mirror for the first time after returning, she was horrified.

“My body was wrecked. My hair was falling out. I lost all my muscle. I was so frail.”

You can see how Natalie looked in the video below of the final tribal council. The tribe has spoken.

http://youtu.be/MMp-BuF5SC4

Before getting back on track with her regular diet, however, Natalie allowed herself to indulge in pure junk food. For the first time, Anderson sampled Krispy Kreme and Chick-fil-A cheat foods. In addition to gorging on doughnuts and fried chicken, Natalie even ate a cheeseburger between two grilled cheese sandwiches.

“Now when I think about it, it’s so gross!” Anderson admitted.

Natalie talks about her feelings after winning below.

http://youtu.be/j2N161Jccx0

Natalie is a CrossFit coach, and turned to her twin sister Nadiyah, who also competed on the show, for help in returning to her low-carb diet regimen. Now that she’s received the support that she needed, Anderson said she eats a Paleo diet consisting primarily of meat and vegetables.

And her sister will benefit from more than mutual support. The Survivor winner told the Hollywood Reporter that she’s planning on sharing her million-dollar prize with her entire family.

“I’m going to buy my parents something really nice. I’m going to give Nadiya a nice chunk of change. And I’m going to try to be smart with it. I’m not a big spender. When I went on ‘The Amazing Race’ the first time, my goal was to go to physical therapy school, so this could pay for that.”

In addition, Natalie is dreaming of opening up her own CrossFit gym, she revealed.

“It’s totally possible now,” she reflected.

Also advocating CrossFit’s benefits combined with a Paleo diet is celebrity trainer Bob Harper, as the Inquisitr revealed. A former vegan, Harper contends that animal protein is essential for powering up for the intense workouts involved. And he agrees with Anderson that combining the Paleo emphasis on meat with vegetables is essential for health and weight loss.

“I found my performance was really lacking in the gym. I just felt better and I felt stronger. In the beginning, I was quietly eating my egg whites in the morning. Oh my God, I felt so bad. I just couldn’t help it. I just couldn’t hide it any more. It works for me. Of course, I am a huge proponent of eating as many green vegetables as you can and going meatless once in a while.”

[Photo by David Silverman/Getty Images]