Christina Pirello, born February 26, 1957, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is an Emmy Award-winning chef, author, and host of the PBS show Christina Cooks. Diagnosed with terminal leukemia at age 26, she transformed her life through a macrobiotic, plant-based diet, achieving remission within 14 months. This experience fueled her mission to teach healthy cooking, blending her Italian-Irish heritage with Eastern macrobiotic principles. Her show, launched in 1997, airs on over 200 public television stations, and she has authored eight cookbooks, including the bestselling Cooking the Whole Foods Way, named the “Healthiest Cookbook of the Decade” by the Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine.

Raised in a vibrant Italian-Irish family, Christina learned to cook alongside her mother, centering family life in the kitchen. After her diagnosis, she met Robert Pirello, her now-husband, who introduced her to macrobiotics and became her partner in building the Christina Cooks empire, including cooking classes, travel tours to Italy, and the Christina Pirello Health Education Initiative. With a Master’s in Nutrition from Drexel University, she lectures at Walnut Hill College, writes for outlets like The Huffington Post, and advocates for plant-based living to prevent chronic diseases. The couple resides in Philadelphia, sharing a low-waste lifestyle with no children.