Hi, I’m Christina, a nutritionist practicing in Ottawa and online! I’m passionate about helping women with hormonal conditions like PMS, PCOS, and endometriosis get back to their best health. I also enjoy helping people with IBS, SIBO, and food sensitivities figure out how to enjoy eating again.
My story
In my teens, my period really made me miserable. I would lay on the bathroom floor in complete pain, unsure if I was going to vomit or die. My moods were all over the place. The entire surface of my face was covered in acne. I also had my period 3 times a month.
When I was 17, I decided to go on the birth control pill, convinced it would solve all my problems. For a while, everything was smooth sailing. My cramps improved, my skin cleared up, and I was only getting my period once a month.
But then, I developed all kinds of digestive issues. When I was 19, I was diagnosed with colitis. At 20, I discovered I had food sensitivities to some of the most common ingredients (including gluten, dairy, eggs, corn, and soy). This was back before the wide availability of allergy-friendly food products.
Since few grocery stores had packaged items I could eat, and I was on a student’s budget, I learned to make everything from scratch. I made some mistakes. Trust me… I made liquid cupcakes, a loaf of bread that rose so high that it leaked all over the oven, and all kinds of baked goods that crumbled when touched. But those years of trial and error have paid off. Now I know how to cater to pretty well any food sensitivity.
While consulting with a Naturopathic Doctor, I learned that for as long as I remained on hormonal birth control, my digestive issues would never improve. And to my horror, when I stopped taking birth control, my PMS symptoms started coming back.
In Nutrition school, I learned that birth control is known to worsen digestive problems. However, I also learned that digestive problems worsen hormonal conditions, affecting PMS. I had been stuck in a vicious cycle. And eventually, I discovered that this PMS was actually endometriosis.
My professional path
Over the last few years, I’ve set on a path to heal my gut and get my hormones back on track. Enrolling at the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition has taught me so much about how food can help us. I am now studying Traditional Chinese Medicine to provide even better help to my clients.
By combining Holistic Nutrition and the Traditional Chinese perspective, I want to help others learn how food can help them feel their best. The combination of these approaches helps reduce the trial and error that comes with addressing your nutrition.
I believe that an important part of healthy eating is being excited about what’s on your plate. I’m here to empower you to make healthy decisions. And don’t worry; I know you probably don’t want to eat a kale salad for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I’ll gladly help you figure out how to easily put together meals that are healthy, tasty, and that fit in your busy schedule. Now you can stop dreading meal-times!
It’s time for you to get back to your healthiest self!
To learn how to work with me to address your nutrition, head over here.
Professional bio
Christina Najjar is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist (R.H.N). She graduated from the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition with Honours and received the award for the Highest Standing in her class. Christina also holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts with a Major in Psychology and a Minor in Gerontology from the University of Ottawa. She is now studying Traditional Chinese Medicine at the International Academy of Applied Health. She runs her practice online and through Livewell Myofascial Release in Ottawa. The focus of Christina’s practice is managing symptoms of PMS, PCOS, and endometriosis, as well as taking care of food sensitivities, though she welcomes all health concerns.