Kristina Cooke

My first experiences with food were in the kitchen cooking German food with my grandmother, or as I'd call her, my Oma. Each morning I’d wake up and run downstairs to be her sous chef. Cooking alongside her was the birth of my love for food, and why I find it so important to revel in your cultural food traditions. It begets love and connection.

As I got older, I saw my grandmother struggle with her relationship to food, as she struggled with type 2 diabetes. Food, for her, was suddenly less joyous and free and something she approached with fear and apprehension.

At the same time, I was experiencing my own issues with food and disordered eating. Over the course of getting my degree in nutrition, I learned the science behind how our bodies work and healed my relationship to food. I decided, then, that I’d make it my life’s purpose to help others do the same. As a way to honor my Oma’s life, I chose to specialize in pre and type 2 diabetes, a population I always enjoyed working with and felt instinctively drawn to.

I began my career working in several well known Los Angeles hospitals, working in all units from telemetry to ICU. I worked both inpatient and outpatient nutrition education. Since then, I’ve helped hundreds or people lower their A1c, cholesterol, blood pressure, lose weight in a healthy way, and heal their relationship to food while doing so. Now, it’s your turn.