In her record-setting reign, Charlotte Flair is known for her prowess, graceful moves, and extraordinary athleticism as the current SmackDown Women’s Champion. In addition, she has become an influencer with her 4.6 million followers on Instagram, sharing her life, especially her love of food!
Flair has been featured in Muscle & Fitness and ESPN Body 10 magazines and was ranked 29th out of 50 in the 2017 Sports Illustrated fittest woman athletes of the year. But even though she has a fitness routine, she believes food should be enjoyed and tasty. Flair also believes that shared meals are important, especially with the family.
“At an early age, I associated food with family time,” she explains. “As a child, everything my family did together involved food, like going out to dinner, whether it was a nice restaurant or a local hangout. It is what we did to spend time together.”
When she started to travel for her career, Flair would eat out and explore the local dining scene. However, Flair also understands the pitfalls of eating out, especially working in the health and fitness world.
“I have spent my whole life wanting to go out and try new cuisines but keeping a balance.”
She especially loves very spicy food since she was introduced to it at a very young age. Her father would bring home dishes such as kimchee from his travels and added hot sauce to everything. The tradition continues since Flair’s fiancée is from Mexico and also relishes very hot and spicy tastes.
While traveling, Flair packs and carries a meal prep bag, especially spicy ingredients. But it is more than just satisfying taste but also maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
“I stay in Marriott hotel that offers a kitchen. If I leave on a Thursday, I will pack 20 to 25 meals with what I call my very big, oversized lunchbox,” she laughs. “I will pack items such as grilled chicken and broccoli, quesadillas with chicken, and my favorite of steak and red peppers.” Flair will bring packets of oatmeal, tortillas, and protein powder
Since she usually drives while on the road, Flair has found this system works for delicious meals that is also part of a healthy lifestyle.
As for a vegetable, Flair enjoys different types of cactus, enjoying the cactus fruit (prickly pear) and the flat cactus pad (nopales). She prefers them heated in the microwave, but the fruits and the pads can be consumed raw or squeezed into juice.
As she explains, while Flair exercises for her career, it also releases stress. “It is about an hour every day that I am dedicating to myself, and I can shut out the world.” Sometimes, she will ride the exercycle and read a book. Flair encourages everyone to invest in their health.
This is especially important with the stressful events of the past two years and the continuing health crisis and concerns. She and her fiancée built a gym at home to maintain fitness. Flair states that when a schedule is followed, especially planning good meals and self-care, this creates healthy habits that are not boring or overwhelming.
“I love ice cream, chocolate, cheeseburgers, and tacos, but I have developed a plan that I can enjoy food and not worry about it being labeled bad or not healthy.” When Flair eats a cheeseburger, it is on a whole wheat bun and topped with avocado, lettuce, tomato, and hot sauce. She even includes the cheese. “There is always a way to make the food you love enjoyable, healthy, and a part of your dining routine if you commit to it.”
As for keeping a food diary, she has kept one and recommends it for those making the change in their lifestyle. Flair was amazed at what she ate daily before changing her meal plans. A food diary can pinpoint what is being consumed, how much or how little, and when something is eaten or drunk. When she traveled to a small town, Flair purchased protein bars, protein shakes, and granola in convenience food stores but missed meals. She substituted with fruit and vegetables that are also sold in the same convenience food stores.
As for her journey as a second-generation professional wrestler, many assume that as the daughter of wrestler (Ric Flair), that was how she entered the profession.
“It was actually my little brother who got me into the business. In 2012, I attended a dinner for Wrestlemania with my brother, who was looking to be signed. One of the producers asked me why I wasn’t doing this as well, and I had not really thought about it,” she says. As a recent college graduate, Flair was a personal trainer in her hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina. It was at the encouragement of her brother that Flair entered the profession to partner with him.
In 2012, she signed and began training with WWE, which led her on the path of sports entertainment, and ultimately changed her life. She was named Rookie of the Year by Pro Wrestling Illustrated in 2014 and was promoted to WWE’s main roster the following year. Flair has won the Divas Championship, the NXT Women’s Championship twice, the Raw Women’s Championship a record six times (inaugural champion), the SmackDown Women’s Championship a record six times and Women’s Tag Team Championship, becoming a Triple Crown Champion, Grand Slam Champion as well as winning the Royal Rumble match. Flair has won 15 women’s singles championships and is recognized as a 13-time women’s world champion by WWE and 16 total championships in WWE when including her Women’s Tag Team Championship reign with Asuka.
PWI readers voted Flair Woman of the Year and Top Female Professional Wrestler and became the first female wrestler, alongside Sasha Banks, to headline a WWE pay-per-view event in 2016. She headlined WrestleMania for the first time, WWE’s flagship annual event, alongside Becky Lynch and Ronda Rousey as one of the first women to headline.
As for becoming an influencer, the pandemic stopped the live performances, and she missed the live audiences and also witnessed the negativity online. Once she started to tour again, Flair discovered how much she meant to her fans, especially the younger generation. “I experienced younger boys and girls cheering for me, and I understood that I have a responsibility for my impact on people. It is so special to me,” she says. “I am thrilled to know that there is a little girl who watches me on Friday who is inspired to be independent and strong.”
Of course, Flair understands that there will be a time when she will lace up her boots and leave the ring. She is interested in expanding into the food industry with products and is considering the wholesale distribution of coffee beans.
Her takeaway is that “food can be fun and everyone can enjoy it. Explore local places. Exercise and a healthy lifestyle is not a burden but is a fun experience.
Follow Charlotte on Instragram @ charlotteWWE.
