Exploring nutrition is a journey to self-awareness
I'm Christina, a Certified Nutritionist and Dietitian with extensive experience in clinical nutrition, eating disorders, and holistic health. My journey began with a deep passion for health and wellness, leading to a degree in Nutrition and Dietetics and further specialization in Eating Disorders and Obesity. I'm delighted to welcome you to Nutrilicious Life website!
A little about me
I’ve always been fascinated by health, nutrition, wellness, and exercise from a very young age. I would spend hours reading and cutting out relevant articles from magazines that interested me. Sports became a part of my life early on, starting with many years of gymnastics. Later, my interest shifted to track and field, and during my high school years, I was captivated by basketball. Today, I continue to enjoy Pilates, yoga, and running in nature.
Education / Training / Professional Journey
My studies in the field of nutrition were exactly what I had hoped for. I spent four years studying Nutrition and Dietetics at the International Hellenic University in Thessaloniki, where I successfully graduated with a degree as a Nutritionist and Dietitian. My thesis, titled 'Study and Evaluation of Biochemical Markers of Prenatal Screening in Pregnant Women', focused on the nutrition and lifestyle of pregnant women and how these factors influence pregnancy outcomes, in collaboration with a hospital in Athens.
My first professional steps began at a dietetics and ergometric center during my internship, where I worked with football teams on nutrition and athletic performance. My interest then turned to dietary supplements and pharmacies, where I received training and worked on providing scientific information to customers about nutritional supplements.
Pursuing my passion for clinical nutrition, I moved to Germany, starting my professional career with an internship at a hospital in Essen. Later, I worked at hospitals in Düsseldorf, gaining extensive experience in Clinical Nutrition. Eventually, I moved to Berlin, where I fulfilled my dream of providing private nutrition sessions online in a highly international environment, conducting sessions in English, German, and Greek. In Berlin, I also collaborated with a physiotherapy center, offering nutritional support to patients with chronic pain, and applying nutrition strategies to improve their symptoms. The COVID-19 pandemic allowed me to expand my reach even further, connecting with more people from around the world and providing primarily online sessions. This experience also helped me become more familiar with the dietary approaches of different cultures.
Throughout my professional journey and working with a diverse range of clients, I observed common patterns, behaviors, and difficulties in changing dietary habits and beliefs about dieting. I soon realized that there is no perfect diet! Even when I created what seemed like the most perfectly tailored and balanced diet, clients struggled to follow it because so many factors are involved, such as past experiences, organization, mindset, emotions, readiness, practical daily challenges, and more. This led me to expand my knowledge in Eating Disorders, Emotional Eating, and Obesity. I pursued training at the Center for Education and Treatment of Eating Disorders (KEADD) under the National Centre for Eating Disorders in the UK and the British Psychological Society, where I earned the title 'Master Practitioner in Eating Disorders and Obesity'. As an Eating Disorder therapist, I received training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and acquired a range of techniques and tools that I now use in my sessions to help my clients. This training profoundly changed my perspective as a person and professional, and consequently, my approach to nutrition and dieting.
My approach to each client is now personalized and holistic, taking into account the many factors that contribute to the perpetuation of the 'problem' at hand. Through my experience with eating disorders and working with many clients caught in the diet culture, counting calories, feeling guilty for eating something considered 'forbidden', and using the scale as a measure of self-worth, I see that most people have highly distorted views on balanced nutrition. Entering the vicious cycle of dieting, they lose touch with their bodies, their true needs, and fail to enjoy food. This is why I have adopted an anti-diet approach and now apply Anti-Diet Therapy to help people break free from diet culture and develop a healthy and balanced relationship with food. My goal is to help people connect with their bodies and their needs, free from diet stereotypes, and foster a healthy relationship with food. I apply the principles of Intuitive and Mindful Eating to anyone who wishes to develop a natural, sustainable, balanced, and liberating relationship with food and a deeper connection with their internal needs.
After the birth of my child, my interest shifted significantly towards infant and child nutrition. I attended numerous trainings and seminars in this field, which helped me better manage my own child's nutrition and subsequently guide, educate, and support families in the area of baby and child nutrition—a challenge for many new parents, especially when they are anxious about their children's diets.
With this experience and training, I strive to offer my clients a comprehensive and personalized approach to nutrition, with love and respect for each individual's personal needs and goals.