7 things you didn't know about Christina El Moussa

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Things you didn't know about Christina El Moussa

Christina El Moussa hit it big with HGTV sensation 'Flip or Flop,' in which she stars with now-ex-husband Tarek El Moussa, but there's more to her than 'Flip or Flop' cameras may have caught. Here are some facts you didn't know about the California-bred beauty, who will be seen soon in her own show, 'Christina on the Coast.'

Christina El Moussa hit it big with HGTV sensation "Flip or Flop," in which she stars with now-ex-husband Tarek El Moussa.

By now, you probably know all about her and Tarek's sometimes bitter split and her love of flashy backsplashes and bathroom tile — but there's more to Christina El Moussa than "Flip or Flop" cameras may have caught. Here are seven facts you didn't know about the California-bred beauty, who will be seen soon in her own show, "Christina on the Coast."

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1. She struggled with fertility

When Tarek was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2013, he had to undergo radiation therapy in order for the couple to conceive. It wasn't easy, Christina admitted. "We found out Tarek had cancer and we asked the doctor if that would affect our chances of having a child," told People in 2015. "They said that if you go through radiation, which Tarek had too, then you should not get pregnant from that sperm from six months to a year. So, right away, we did sperm banking and [tried] IVF."

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"I had to be super strict," Christina added of the process. "I had to do one full week in bed. For 13 weeks after that, I couldn't go for a walk and couldn't lift anything over a gallon of milk. We planned it during Christmas break so I wasn't working. We did everything we could to make sure this one worked."

When she did get pregnant, she couldn't pick up her daughter during the first trimester — which posed even more difficult for the couple, as Tarek was still recovering from back surgery at the time.

2. She's an avid reader

If you keep a keen eye on Christina's Instagram account, you'll discover her love of hardcover books — especially if those books are full of suspense or uplifting words.

The designer has chronicled her love of books, including thrillers like "The Girl on the Train," "The Kind Worth Killing," "Luckiest Girl Alive," "The Woman in Cabin 10," "The Dry," "The Nightingale" and "Before I Sleep." She's also read "Eat Pray Love," "#Girlboss," "You Are a Bada—: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Living an Awesome Life" as well as The Bible.

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3. She wants to flip people's lives, not just their houses

Christina plans on building a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center in her native California, inspired by her own process coming back from her split from Tarek. Christina says that she felt very different after she began taking better care of herself in the wake of her 2017 divorce, citing healthy eating and exercise especially in helping her "feel a switch."

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4. She loves hockey

Before marrying Anstead, Christina briefly dated Anaheim Ducks player Nate Thompson in April 2017. After their split, she kept going to games — because she likes the sport, not just the men who play it.

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5. She has no dietary vices

Christina eats healthy all the time — even when she's pregnant — and swears that she simply enjoys healthy food more than junk.

She says that on a normal day, she'll start with overnight oats and coffee with stevia for breakfast, followed by a berry oatmeal bar, a smoothie, hummus, grains, veggies and lean protein. She revealed to nutritionist Cara Clark that she's very much into meal prepping and that her "guilty pleasure" — if you can even call it that — is peanut butter.

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6. She's a big sister

Christina has a younger sister named Carly Haack who is pretty different from the HGTV star, though their facial features and warm brown eyes show an immediate resemblance. Carly is 10 years younger than Christina, a brunette, and lives in Australia, where she studies marine biology.

7. She takes exercise very seriously

Christina is as good at designing workouts as she is at designing kitchen remodels. While she was pregnant with son Brayden in 2015, she recorded a workout DVD called "Prenatal Power Yoga." She's also said that her home gym is her sanctuary. She explained to Cara Clark, "We have a fast-paced lifestyle, and there is always so much going on but I make working out a priority. I aim for five days per week. Working out is my 'happy pill.' It helps relieve all my tension and anxiety and just makes me feel great."

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She also revealed that three days after giving birth to daughter Taylor, she walked two miles, though she admitted her second pregnancy was more traumatic to her body because she underwent a C-section, delaying her return to workouts.