In recognition of Women’s History Month, we are celebrating our women instructors. Get to know Wellbeats instructor Christina Sandok, a functional nutritionist and coach and the owner of Prescribe Nutrition. She is passionate about helping people eat based on what fuels the body and brings joy.

After experiencing the benefits of nutrition in her own life, Wellbeats instructor and functional nutritionist Christina Sandok has embarked on a journey to share her knowledge and passion for nutrition with others. Her mission is to help people feel like the best version of themselves.

“Our bodies are amazing, and nutrient-dense food has an incredible way of giving the body the tools it needs to thrive,” Christina said.

Christina’s simple, wholesome approach to wellbeing is deeply rooted in knowledge and intuition, and she tries to pursue what feels nourishing in each moment.

From her kitchen to her garden, Christina’s passion for nutrition serves as a natural guide in how she lives her life. Her enthusiasm for nutrition is contagious, and she has found rewarding work in helping others make healthy eating both easy and enjoyable.

The Healing Power of Food

When facing some health issues, Christina was introduced to the healing power of food as medicine. She adjusted her eating habits to center around real, whole foods and was amazed by the changes she experienced by simply fueling her body with nutrient-dense foods.

“I saw so many beautiful things happen in my own life and with family and friends by just shifting over to real, whole foods—not doing anything overly complicated, just eating cleanly,” Christina said. “My husband’s asthma went away, and my daughter’s eczema cleared up. We also have family members who experienced improvements to mental health and digestive issues.

“All these amazing things happened just by people getting back in the kitchen, cooking, and knowing where their food was coming from. That got me super excited. I just could not get enough of it.”

Before long, Christina was inspired to share her passion and newfound knowledge with others.

“I went down the path of getting my nutrition certification thinking I was just going to use it for my own family and have it in my back pocket, combined with a little culinary education to use in our kitchen,” Christina said. “Then I thought, we’ll see where this goes…”

Passions Align with Prescribe Nutrition

After Christina completed her nutrition certification, an opportunity arrived to combine her newfound interest in nutrition with her background in business. She had been an award-winning entrepreneur before pursuing her career as a nutritionist.

“I’ve worked in corporate America and built—and sold—a couple businesses,” Christina explained. “My background is in entrepreneurship and marketing. I chose to shift over to nutrition five years ago and am so happy I did.”

Early in her career, Christina built and sold two successful businesses—Style-Architects, a creative content agency, and Style-Architects Weddings & Events, an event planning business. Both businesses are now thriving in the hands of new owners.

Along with her entrepreneurial talents, Christina brings expert knowledge, passion, and skill with her each time she steps into the kitchen, but when two of her friends approached her about potentially taking over the nutrition business they had started, Christina hesitated initially. After thinking over the idea for a few months, however, Christina decided to acquire Prescribe Nutrition.

“Walking into owning my own business wasn’t scary for me, at least not this time around,” Christina said. “I love helping people feel like the best versions of themselves. Proper nutrition leads to vitality and longevity, and it feels incredibly rewarding to help people achieve that.”

Being able to pair her entrepreneurial experience with nutrition has provided Christina with a career she’s proud to share with everyone in her life—especially her kids.

Kids + Nutrition

It should come as no surprise that Christina has passed along her love of food, cooking, and nutrition to her family including her two children, an eight-year-old daughter and a one-year-old son.

“I let my kids destroy the kitchen with me,” Christina said. “My daughter is my favorite sous chef. We spend hours in the kitchen together creating our own versions of recipes. Thankfully my husband is a great sport when it comes to helping clean up.”

Christina shared her top three tips for encouraging healthy eating habits with children.

Keep it positive.

“We never shame any food in our house,” Christina explained. “We talk a lot about ‘everyday foods’ and ‘sometimes foods.’ Everyday foods are fruits, veggies, good fats, and proteins—foods that fuel our body. Sometimes foods are things like donuts or cake. They bring some joy but don’t keep our bodies healthy and strong. It’s all about balancing joy and responsibility.

“My eight-year-old already knows her donut is going to taste really great, but probably not leave her feeling super great in two or three hours. She’s the first to say, ‘Mom, I ate that donut, and now I’m tired and cranky.’ She connects those dots already. I’ll just say, ‘That’s okay! It tasted good. Let’s go get some fresh air…and then maybe have some protein, and we’ll feel better.’ And we just move on.”

Model healthy eating habits for your kids.

“I hear a lot from families who say their kids never eat vegetables, and I have to ask, ‘Well, do you eat them?’ They usually say they don’t really like them either,” Christina said. “If your kids see you sit down for dinner and eat your veggies first and show enthusiasm about the taste, that’s going to show them that vegetables are delicious. All we can do is offer nutrient-dense foods, model how to eat them, and then leave the amount and timing up to them.”

Get kids involved in the kitchen.

“I was just teaching my eighteen-month-old son to chop zucchini today,” Christina said. “He loves to stir when we bake and attempts to crack eggs for breakfast, and he pushes the start button on the blender when we make smoothies.

“I just know it’s going to take me an extra 10 minutes to clean up, but it’s teaching my kids lifelong lessons of cooking and eating real foods, so it’ll pay off—at least I hope so—someday when they’re adults.”

Natural Connection to Wellbeats

Teaching Wellbeats classes presented yet another valuable opportunity for Christina to share her knowledge and passion for nutrition and wellbeing with others.

“My goal is to help as many people as possible feel great,” Christina said. “Wellbeats shares that mission, so it feels like a perfect partnership.”

Christina’s Wellbeats classes are educational and easy to follow, and her warm, welcoming demeanor eases anxiety and uncertainty for beginners. She embodies Wellbeats’ mission that wellbeing isn’t just for some—but for all.

Christina describes her approach to nutrition education as holistic and simple.

“When you peel back all of the diet trends, you are left with simple, whole, real foods,” Christina said. “That’s what we need to put in our bodies the majority of the time. Focusing on cooking your own food and meals does wonders for your health.”

Take a Wellbeats Class with Christina

Christina approaches her classes with a positive, joyful attitude toward nutrition education. Her goal is to get people off diets for good. Ready to build healthy eating habits? Wellbeats members are encouraged to take one of Christina’s classes now.

About Wellbeats

Based in St. Louis Park, MN, Wellbeats is a leading provider of on-demand virtual fitness, nutrition, and mindfulness classes for use in workplaces of all sizes, health plans, on college or university campuses, multi-family housing, the U.S. military, and fitness and health clubs. Wellbeats makes fitness accessible, affordable, and approachable for everyone. More than 1,000 classes and 30+ programs are available to help members stay on track and meet their goals. To learn more, visit www.wellbeats.com or check out a sampling of the company’s fitness classes during a Facebook Live class, and follow Wellbeats on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.