Yalaka “Laka” Huyette found her stride behind the professional microphone fairly recently, though she’s actually been singing since she was a child.
“I was in the choir and part of a trio at my church, and we traveled around, performing, but when I went to college, I got away from singing,” Huyette said.
A couple of years ago, she decided to give it a go again, performing at a former Glen Carbon, Illinois, restaurant, and that served as the impetus to propel her vocal career into high gear. Phil Patterson (aka Lefty) saw some videos of her performances and asked her to sing with him. It’s grown from there.
She has a soulful voice, and likes to sing soulful, powerful and emotional songs that are closely associated with the gospel style that she grew up with.
“Songs by Tina Turner, Aretha Franklin, Sam Cooke and Etta James speak to me,” she said. “I’m a petite person, and people always ask me where my big voice comes from.”
Huyette performs with a variety of groups and accompaniment, often with Patterson as “Lefty and Laka” at Napoli in Clayton and various other venues. She recently performed with Soul Vibes at Care to Learn’s License to Care fundraiser, and is the lead singer with Vote for Pedro, where she said she has expanded her genre horizons, even rapping, and covering hits by Cardi B, Nelly and Usher.
“I’ve really grown with this group as far as variety of music, and have even surprised myself,” she said. “We do pop music, too, for many different audiences.”
She sings for private events and weddings – sometimes two in one weekend.
“I didn’t imagine singing would take me where it has, and now, I think I would really like to record some original music,” she said.
On top of being a sought-after musician, Huyette is also a dietitian, exercise professional and wellness coach. She knew from an early age that she wanted to go into something related to nutrition and fitness after developing an interest in a fourth grade health class.
“We were told that if we eat healthy and exercise, it could reduce the risk of diabetes and high cholesterol, and it stuck with me,” she said.
At first, she thought she wanted to be a doctor, but after shadowing an oncologist, she realized that what she really wanted to do was to help prevent disease, and help people live healthier lives.
She double-majored in medical dietetics and nutrition and fitness at the University of Missouri, and earned a master’s degree in clinical nutrition at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-Newark (now Rutgers School of Biomedical and Health Sciences).
She is now a nutrition coordinator for Southwest Foodservice Excellence, where she prepares menus for St. Louis public schools.
“One reason I like working with the schools is that I hope I can inspire kids to eat healthy in the same way I was inspired at an early age,” Huyette said.
Another advantage she sees in working at the schools is to help gather resources to help St. Louis children who are in need.
“I feel like it’s a calling,” she said. “I want to be part of the solution, and want to connect with people to help fill in some of the gaps.”
She also works at Kindred Hospital, providing nutrition assessments and medical nutrition therapy to long-term, acute-care patients.
For 10 years, she has also operated Lakawell for people in the greater St. Louis area and around the world through online coaching. She specializes in functional nutrition and fitness for those wanting to increase their health and longevity, along with those suffering from inflammatory and autoimmune-related conditions, like allergies, asthma, cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, eczema, rosacea and psoriasis. Her philosophy is simple whole nutrition, based on consumption of adequate amounts of fruits and vegetables and other evidenced-based, nutrient-packed foods.
“I take into account the whole person and current lifestyle, using a personalized approach,” she said.
And, of course, she practices what she preaches.
“I have a structure in place, and I don’t veer from it. Fast food does not exist for me,” Huyette said. “I order my groceries online – that saves time and makes it easy to choose healthy foods. I go to bed at 10 p.m., and I make sure to schedule time for exercise and my own self-care.
“I like to use resistance bands, and kettlebells I use for strength,” she said. “I do yoga, and I like to walk when it’s warm outside.”
She chooses cruciferous vegetables, some fruit, whole grains, nuts and seeds, especially flaxseeds, to which she attributes a personal success story.
“I had breast tenderness related to hormonal changes that was pretty severe, and after using ground flaxseed in my oatmeal for three months, it was gone,” she said. “But eating right is very individual. Different people have different needs to be healthy.”
She uses spices high in antioxidants like oregano, rosemary, turmeric, cloves and cinnamon. And though she does eat some meat for protein, she keeps it to a minimum.
“Portion control (think the size of a deck of cards), drinking lots of water and staying active are key,” she said.
Supplements are important, too, according to Huyette, though those differ from person to person, as well.
In addition to her busy lifestyle, she is the mother of a 12-year-old son.
“I do a lot, but the thing is – I enjoy all of it,” she said.
She loves fashion, too, and especially when it comes to performing, she tends to gravitate toward older styles, fitted in the waist, glamorous and classic, with a kind of Audrey Hepburn vibe.
Huyette is the president-elect for the Missouri Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics for 2020, and is currently director at large.
