In the heart of every healing journey lies a story of transformation.
For me, it began in March 2019, when at 40 years old, I was diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer.
What followed was a path that would completely transform my relationship with food, cooking, and most importantly, listening to my body.
Through rounds of chemotherapy and a double mastectomy, everything I ate tasted like metal. Chemotherapy is about attrition—you need food to maintain strength, yet my body rejected everything familiar. The steroids meant to provide energy left me swollen and unrecognizable.
Like many women, I grappled with losing my hair and the scars that would mark my body forever, both internally and externally. As my dad always said, I wasn't just a normal person—I was extraordinary. Little did I know how true those words would become.
It wasn't until January 2020, while recovering from reconstruction surgery, that my true journey with food began. During the shutdown, as I healed from more surgeries than anyone could have imagined, I made a decisive choice to develop a different relationship with food. My first step? Learning to cook my mom's egg rolls.
These weren't just any egg rolls—they were time machines that transported me back to the blissful days of the 1980s. I could see myself as that active child, running around with siblings and cousins at the local pier. I could smell the ocean near Captain Kidd's restaurant, where my family would have picnics with steamed crab, rice, and those legendary egg rolls. We'd beg for French fries or American-style potato salads—a novelty for Asian parents who rarely incorporated cream or milk in our food.
This powerful connection between food, memory, and healing became the foundation of Belly Knows Best. Through my recovery, I discovered that my belly truly did know best—guiding me not just through tastes, textures, and cravings, but connecting me to moments of joy, family, and resilience. The remarkable link between my belly and brain became my compass in healing.
Today, Belly Knows Best is more than just a brand—it's a testament to listening to your body's wisdom, even when everything feels out of control. Through cooking tutorials, recipes, and community connections, I share my journey of learning to trust what my body needs, rewiring my relationship with food, and finding strength in nourishment.
I dedicate this space to everyone facing their own traumas and walking the road to thriving. Here, we celebrate the deep connection between food, healing, and the joy of discovering what our bodies truly need—even when the world around us feels chaotic and uncertain.
Join me as I share the dishes I've learned to cook for the special people in my life. Together, let's find solace and enjoyment in a time of division and discover the healing power of listening to our bodies.