I will be one of the women featured at The SHExperience - Journey to Your Best Self Women's Conference on May 4 & 5 on the University of San Diego campus. The conference will inspire and empower women from all walks of life to discover skills and strategies to live and lead more courageously.

Women have a tremendous amount of power; the power to move things, the power to disrupt, and the power to drive change. Let's tap into that power, harness it, build it, and watch as the ripple effect takes place. Our time is NOW.

There will be multiple "tracks" so you can dig into what feels most relevant to you.  Please click on this link to view a list of the featured speakers, facilitators and workshops:https://bit.ly/2GfGmNb 

Join me and the others. This is your tribe of like-minded women who are willing to roll-up their sleeves and engage deeply and authentically. We aren't afraid of the hard conversations and are willing to speak truth to power in order to promote courage and share our stories. Can't wait to see you there!

Discount Code:  SHE60 for $60 off.

May 1, 2019

My title is pretty bold.  That's impossible, right?  A Ball State University study, although small in sample size (70 people), gives us a glimpse of what might be possible with our bodies.

In this study, healthy participants were divided into 3 groups:  (1) 75 year olds who are lifelong exercisers averaging 4 - 6 days per week and 7 hours per week of exercise, (2) 75 year olds who occasionally exercise via leisurely walks or golf, and (3) 25 year olds who are also lifelong exercisers like group 1.  When they put participants on an indoor bike and measured the participants' maximum oxygen uptake which is an indication of aerobic endurance (VO2 max) and they also took a biopsy of a pea-size muscle to examine vessels, capillaries, etc., here were their findings:

1. Group 1 (lifelong exercisers) at 75 years old had cardiovascular systems that looked 30 years younger.  Interestingly, our ability to process oxygen declines by 10% each decade after age 30.  There's hope!  We can put the breaks on aging.
2. From the biopsy, they found that the 75 year old lifelong exercisers of Group 1 had the SAME muscle health as the 25 year old lifelong exercisers.  We can look 25 at 75!

The key is to exercise 30 - 60 minutes a day.  Unfortunately, 77% of Americans don't come close to the federal guidelines of 2.5 hours of moderate exercise per week.   

If we want to travel, keep up with our kids/grandchildren, or live out our dreams when you're old, well...we have to start now.   How will you start to take care of your body so that you'll age gracefully, be vibrant your whole life, and have fun with those you love?   Life span is also much longer now.  Can you imagine just sitting and watching the world as you age?  I definitely plan on playing.  Let's focus on self-care first!  Nutrition, sleep, and stress reduction is super important too.

If you need help understanding nutrition and all the mixed messages out there, give us a call. We will address your stress level, eating habits, exercise, cravings, emotional eating, and overall health and happiness. Start with a free health consultation at www.HappyFoodHealth.com or (619) 876-2655. See if this is the right match for you. I do things very differently to make health a natural lifestyle and this is not for everyone. Check out Yelp for other people's opinion of Happy Food. 

~ Samantha Hua, Nutrition & Holistic Health Coach, San Diego, CA

April 15, 2019

We are a busy society.  Between both parents working, kids to shuttle around and all of their activities, no wonder families (or even individuals for that matter) are struggling to eat home-cooked meals.  I enjoy eating out for the social aspect but it is often more oil, salt, sugar, processed, and simply more (portions) even at a healthy restaurant.  Therefore, most of our meals have to come from home if we want to be healthy. 

The root of it all is to figure how we can take more off our plate.  Why are we so busy?  Can we arrange our schedule to simplify a little more?  But some days are simply so and that's that.  I get it!

Here's an example of a day that we had too many things happening.  It may not be your favorite meal but at least you can feel good in your body.

My daughter had a class at 11am on a Sunday.  We as a family normally eat lunch around 11am (because we get up so early) so I packed her a bento box full of veggies/fruit and a backup, simple PB&J sandwich for emergencies ("h-angry").  I over-packed this so that my husband and I can snack too because I know we both would be hungry (she ate most of the berries before I could take the picture).

Since we didn't leave the house until 10:30am, I had time to go for a quick run and get my self-care in.  I put some chicken and cut up big chunks of cabbage and butternut squash in the crook pot with spices/seasonings.  (Do all this the night before if you don't have time in the morning).  Then, I put some rice in the rice cooker.  All of this took a little planning but not much work at all.  You can use different vegetables in your house, different grains (like quinoa), or other types of meat but try to use red meat sparingly for health and environmental reasons. 

We went off to her class and enjoyed our lunch out at 12:30pm.  My family enjoys lunch outings on the weekends.  After lunch, we had a show to attend.  We try not to overbook our days but things happen and this was all fun stuff.  We didn't arrive home until 5:30pm.  My daughter happens to sleep at 6 pm so there would not have been time for cooking.  Thank goodness, we came home to a house smelling like yummy, slow-cooking stew.  Feel free to add a side salad or greens to the stew, etc.  We enjoyed family dinner together and relaxed the rest of the night while she was sleeping. 

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Every family is different so you have to adjust to your needs.  If I didn't do this, the alternative would have been eating out for lunch and dinner which doesn't feel great in my body.  Plus, dinner would have been later and we would not be home until after 6:30pm, resulting in a cranky, difficult-to-deal-with toddler.  For you parents, you understand me.  Or the other alternative would be to microwave something quick but we (all of us) aren't quick and convenient.  Plus, I want my family to thrive and it starts with food.  It is the building block of all our cells and the body that we use.

Any new change takes time.  I hope I was able to illustrate that although this took a little planning, that it really wasn't that hard.  After eating clean for a while, your body craves it and you are more and more willing to take the time.  You know why?  Because you are worth it!  You are worth the time, the quality, and care.  Never shame or judge yourself, but do focus on solutions.

If you need help understanding nutrition and all the mixed messages out there, give us a call. We will address your stress level, eating habits, exercise, cravings, emotional eating, and overall health and happiness. Start with a free health consultation at www.HappyFoodHealth.com or (619) 876-2655. See if this is the right match for you. I do things very differently to make health a natural lifestyle and this is not for everyone. Check out Yelp for other people's opinion of Happy Food. 

~ Samantha Hua, Nutrition & Holistic Health Coach, San Diego, CA

April 1, 2019

Do you eat your emotions?  Let's break that cycle by understanding why we do it and how to resolve it.  At the very least, let's stop doing the things that perpetuate emotional eating.  I'll be speaking on this at the SHExperience Conference on May 4th at 1pm at the University of San Diego, where we will get into your specific situations and work through the process.

Emotional eating is 70% of overeating, hence the weight gain.  Emotional eating stems from not being able to express ourselves or not letting ourselves feel.  We bottle it up and it manifests into habits we can't stop until we address the core issue.  First, check in with yourself...what emotions are you suppressing?

Second, what's causing it or perpetuating it?  Are you on a diet or restricting your food?  Following a diet makes one feel greater anxiety, greater depression, lower self-esteem which then causes inflammation and adds on weight.  These negative and stressful emotions promote greater food intake.  I know when I have these emotions, I tend to sleep poorly too which...you guessed it...leads to cravings, emotional eating, and weight gain. Then we go on a diet because we are sick and tired of the weight we've put on.  You see this vicious cycle.  Let's put an end to it!

Let's talk solutions. 

• Breathe.  Sounds so easy.  I hold my breath without realizing it though. Do you?  Breathe while you eat.  It gets your metabolism working by turning on that efficient digesting parasympathetic system.
• Control.  Feel in control.  Learn to listen to your body instead of being ruled by the latest diet.
• Eat Clean Food.  Emotions improve for those who eat better.  The opposite, positive cycle, begins and you start feeling better, then continue to eat better, and so on.
• Awareness. Become more aware of your body and your emotions.  What is "eating" to you?  Is it pleasurable, a chore, or guilt.  It's probably obvious given your answer how your body will handle food.  There's a mind-body connection going on here.
• Joy.  Add more joy.  Eat without technology.
• Wait Out.  Use the 15-minute "wait out" period and go do something else.  Chances are you've moved on and have forgotten your cravings.

I hope you can join me and many other fabulous speakers as we work on specific process and "get into action" to end emotional eating as well as learning how to lead, nurture, self-care, and accelerate in life. For more information:  http://www.sandiego.edu/soles/conscious-leadership-academy/womens-leadership/shexperience.php  

If you need help understanding nutrition and all the mixed messages out there, give us a call. We will address your stress level, eating habits, exercise, cravings, emotional eating, and overall health and happiness. Start with a free health consultation at www.HappyFoodHealth.com or (619) 876-2655. See if this is the right match for you. I do things very differently to make health a natural lifestyle and this is not for everyone. Check out Yelp for other people's opinion of Happy Food.  ~ Samantha Hua, Nutrition & Holistic Health Coach, San Diego, CA

March 15, 2019

I started Happy Food 10 years ago because it seems so sad to watch people torture themselves through so many roller coaster diets.  It's fine if that diet doesn't work and we find something else that suits us better, but the problem with these diets is that we feel tortured, unhappy, and defeated.  Plus if we can sustain our weight loss goal after sustaining these negative emotions, then maybe (?) it's worth it, but we can't sustain these diets.

Let's talk about why these diets don't work (mentally).  Unfortunately as humans, we are hard-wired to focus on the negative for survival.  For the brain, when we feel shame, we (1) go to our default network and (2) shame activates our pain system.  Our default network turns on when we are not focused on performing a specific task.  That default then focuses on "what's wrong with me, what others think of me, and what's wrong with others." 

Shame also activates our pain system.  This prompts the body to shut down.  Shame on the brain leads to pain.  This is why diets focused on shaming us does not work.  When we feel shame, it is difficult to escape negative thinking and use the brain to problem solve. 

We need to do the opposite of shaming.  We focus on success, our strengths, and our goals.  We never shame at Happy Food.  It doesn't work.  Therefore, we never count calories or shame anyone for not accomplishing their goals.  We have to address the barriers, resistance, and root cause of what's truly going on.

If you need help understanding nutrition and all the mixed messages out there, give us a call. We will address your stress level, eating habits, exercise, cravings, emotional eating, and overall health and happiness. Start with a free health consultation at www.HappyFoodHealth.com or (619) 876-2655. See if this is the right match for you. I do things very differently to make health a natural lifestyle and this is not for everyone. Check out Yelp for other people's opinion of Happy Food. 

~ Samantha Hua, Nutrition & Holistic Health Coach, San Diego, CA

March 1, 2019  

The evidence is clear that stress makes us sick and for many, stress packs on the weight too.  This is something I talk about a lot at Happy Food, and we work towards reducing stress.  But...there are also ways to team up with stress.  Here's our approach:  reduce unnecessary stress, re-frame the script, and let the rest energize you. 

First, we reduce self-inflicted stress.  Some examples from my office includes saying "no" more and know your limits, creating better boundaries, improving communication, balance work and life, improve time management, don't try to please everyone, etc.  Some of your goals may be easy and others may take time.  Acknowledge that we all have different strengths and weaknesses so refrain from comparisons.   

Second, hard-wire your brain neurons to be more resilient.  Understand how to re-frame situations so your perspective allows your cortex brain to find solutions versus letting stress hijack your brain and reacting in a counter-productive manner. Be gentle on yourself.  This takes practice and time.  

Lastly but not necessarily done in sequential order, let the stress energize you.  It turns out that those who don't believe stress is harmful may experience the pounding heart of a stressful moment, but their arteries don't constrict like those who do believe that stress is harmful. What if stress energizes our body for action?  Think about all the times you did something amazing.  It involved stress and took courage.  Let's create that biology of action and courage with each stressful situation.  In addition, oxytocin is the antidote to stress cortisol.  We release more of these bonding hormones with increased human contact.  Having connections and specifically caring for others  makes us more resilient.   So what am I saying?  Once we balance our lives and flip those sabotaging scripts, we let stress energize us by providing courage and strong human bonds.  Stress isn't all bad. 

Trust yourself to handle the challenges of life and don't face them alone.  Seeking meaning is better than avoiding discomfort.  As a great saying goes, "Life begins at the end of your comfort zone" (Neale Donald Walsch).  Let's work towards thriving and not just surviving.  Without wasted energy on diets, body judgment, and calorie counting, we can all thrive and let stress deliver courage and resilience. Don't let anyone take that away from you!  You are more than a diet.  And once we address the right stuff, weight loss is easy and taking care of yourself is the norm.  Learn nutrition and the root cause of your stress at the same time.  

If you need help understanding nutrition and all the mixed messages out there, give us a call. We will address your stress level, eating habits, exercise, cravings, emotional eating, and overall health and happiness. Start with a free health consultation at www.HappyFoodHealth.com or (619) 876-2655. See if this is the right match for you. I do things very differently to make health a natural lifestyle and this is not for everyone. Check out Yelp for other people's opinion of Happy Food.   

~ Samantha Hua, Nutrition & Holistic Health Coach, San Diego, CA

February 15, 2019

It seems the vast majority of my clients are "all or nothing" people. Is that just my clients? I don't think so. I think it's our culture to want instant gratification and our brains don't like waiting for long-term rewards. We want to see that if we put in the work, results happen immediately. People end up doing "nothing" after doing it "all" for a short time. Hence, the crowded gyms in January.

Start small! Even educated people have a hard time accepting how powerful walking is, especially brisk walking. So many movement in our life matters. Taking the stairs, parking far, cleaning the house with gusto, walking instead of emailing a co-worker, etc.

So many of us are too busy. That's for a different conversation but that is the root cause of so many health problems. We are so busy with long work hours, kids, marriage, managing the household, and some even have elderly parents to take care of too. Couple this with bouts of insomnia (probably due to stress and imbalance), then who in their right mind would exercise. I'm too damn tired!!! And there's no time.

The interesting thing is once we start slow, we start to sleep better, we start to have more energy, we start to feel better from the inside. We may not see weight lose immediately but that's not the point. We feel better!!! Make that your focus. Then....we feel stronger, then we have the energy to do more. Then, my clients don't even know who they have become.

How did I go from couch potato to someone who feels freedom when I get on my bike, someone who feels sexy when I Zumba dance, or someone who can't imagine missing out on good surfing waves. We start to crave this wonderful feeling of joy, self-esteem, and energy. It becomes who we are and not a robot who has to count calories and exercise in order to lose weight. Get rid of that scale! Don't focus on the weight. Focus on the accomplishments and the feeling. Plus couple this with nutrition (80% of the equation) and you will have a hot body, but mostly a mind that feels great.

You, too, will become addicted to exercise especially if you choose an activity that brings you joy. It becomes your identity and you will never want to go back to couch potato. I never skip one day; only when I'm sick. By taking care of me, I have the energy to raise a child, do things that bring me joy, and sleep well. What brings you joy?

If you need help understanding nutrition and all the mixed messages out there, give us a call. We will address your stress level, eating habits, exercise, cravings, emotional eating, and overall health and happiness. Start with a free health consultation at www.HappyFoodHealth.com or (619) 876-2655. See if this is the right match for you. I do things very differently to make health a natural lifestyle and this is not for everyone. Check out Yelp for other people's opinion of Happy Food. 

~ Samantha Hua, Nutrition & Holistic Health Coach, San Diego, CA

February 1, 2019

Happy Food will have opened our doors for 10 years this May!  As I ponder why our clients are successful with weight loss, maintaining healthy habits, and improving their quality of life, these are just a few things we emphasize.

• Find resources from within.  Every year there's a new gimmick diet, supplement, product, etc. but we are the best experts.  Besides diets not working, we are all different and need different things.  We are sold the idea that we need something outside of us in order to be successful so we continue our endless search year after year.  Eat the foods you like from mother nature and your body will work for you.   As you eat real, unprocessed foods, your palate will change and you already come with amazing powers to change and heal. Search from within.
• Get to know yourself.  Tap into the moments you treasure, the ways you like to move, etc.  Stop fighting life by following what others deem is "right."  It may not be right for you.  Do what feels easy.  Keep things easy.  Keep it fun.
• Keep it easy.  Make small changes.  Don't ever try to be perfect or aim for lofty goals that seem unreachable.  Start with a 10-minute walk, try a new vegetable, try a new recipe, try to eat mindfully, try to reduce your portions gradually, etc.  Keep life simple, and habits will stick because it won't feel like torture.  Focus on pleasure not torture.
• Be a palm tree.  I always tell my clients to sway with the wind like a palm tree and be adaptable (resilient) versus a strong oak tree that gets uprooted in a wind storm.  Change according to life changes.  For a while, I was dancing at home with a young baby when I couldn't get away to do formal exercise.  Adjust and adapt!  That's the secret to maintenance.  If you can't do what you've always done, then it's time for change. 
• Be confident about you.  You are the ultimate expert who know how to do all of this right for your life.  Have the confidence that you are amazing and resourceful. 

I think that's the difference at Happy Food.  I want to help you find the strength within you to maintain great health forever.  Come learn about nutrition and find the root cause of your struggles, but walk away empowered to always have the answers.  

If you need help understanding nutrition and all the mixed messages out there, give us a call. We will address your stress level, eating habits, exercise, cravings, emotional eating, and overall health and happiness. Start with a free health consultation at www.HappyFoodHealth.com or (619) 876-2655. See if this is the right match for you. I do things very differently to make health a natural lifestyle and this is not for everyone. Check out Yelp for other people's opinion of Happy Food.   

~ Samantha Hua, Nutrition & Holistic Health Coach, San Diego, CA

January 15, 2019

Does your therapist ask you about your diet?  He/she should.  We use various forms of psychological treatments to help people get through depression or hard times but we also need to treat the brain like it's another organ. 

That organ needs proper nutrition in order to function.  True, some depression are genetic and need medicine and some can be treated without, but these medicines have side effects and healthy food has no negative side effects.  At the very least, we owe it to ourselves to work on both therapy and nutrition. 

Research shows that eating a healthy, Mediterranean diet, can prevent depression while eating processed, refined foods can increase the risk of depression for everyone including teens and children.  A bad diet fails to provide the brain with the nutrients it needs causing inflammation which is linked to depression.   Diet also affects the trillions of micro-organisms in our gut (microbiome).  They make molecules that produce serotonin, which is our happy hormone.  This a complex system of communication between our gut and our brain.  A healthy diet feeds the brain, regulates inflammation, and provides good gut bacteria. 

Hence, at Happy Food, we devote a lot of time talking about food, gut health, nutrition, and the brain.  There's a complex network between brain, bacteria, cells, organs, hormones, neurochemistry, etc. that we will never fully grasps.  The best we can do is feed ourselves the right food, and allow the body to heal/thrive as it knows best given healthy food.  Our body is amazing.  Don't take it for granted.

If you need help understanding nutrition and all the mixed messages out there, give us a call. We will address your stress level, eating habits, exercise, cravings, emotional eating, and overall health and happiness. Start with a free health consultation at www.HappyFoodHealth.com or (619) 876-2655. See if this is the right match for you. I do things very differently to make health a natural lifestyle and this is not for everyone. Check out Yelp for other people's opinion of Happy Food. 

~ Samantha Hua, Nutrition & Holistic Health Coach, San Diego, CA