In this episode, host Hanna, Armenia's first analog astronaut, hosted Christina-Ariadni “Aria” Valagkouti, an Analog Astronaut and Nutrition Expert. Christina holds a Master’s degree in Nutrition and Health with a specialization in Molecular Nutrition and Toxicology. She also did an analog mission at Astroland, which is the Analog Research Facility in Spain, where she explored the intersection of nutrition and space exploration.Cristina shares her journey from a biology student in Greece to a nutrition researcher, and how her focus on emergency food systems led her to explore the role of nutrition in extreme environments, including space.Discover her experiences as an analog astronaut at AstroLand, where she studied appetite, food systems, and the psychological impact of nutrition in simulated missions. She explains how her research connects the needs of astronauts with broader applications for emergency and crisis situations on Earth.Cristina also discusses the challenges of freeze-dried diets, the importance of food for mental resilience, and whether vegetarian and plant-based diets can meet the demands of future long-duration space missions.

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