Xindanwei | 新单位 A new way of working | 一种新的工作方式

[lang_en]April Featured People: Kimberly Ashton

Interview / Zhou Me        Translation / Alice

1. Welcome to Xindanwei.com, Please introduce yourself. Could you tell us where you’re from and what drives you to became a holistic health coach and nutrition consultant?
Hi everyone, I’m from Sydney, Australia and have been in Shanghai for 9 years. I was inspired to study TCM, food therapy, nutrition and health 3 years ago and made the transition from corporate event management to health coaching and healthy events/workshops as I realised that nutrition and wellbeing are’t well understood nor is there a good level of awareness. I am driven as I love to help people realise their health potential, be free from illness and live a life full of energy, positivity and great food!

2. What were the circumstances that lead you to coming to Shanghai and founded the Wellness Works?
I studied at Zheda (Zhejiang University) a long time ago in university and always liked Shanghai, the excitement, energy, work and business opportunities. My business partners and I wanted to create a platform for the Wellness industry in Shanghai and help connect health experts/practitioners and people who needed the help. It led us to building our company through corporate wellness programs, retreats, wellness innovation consulting and events.

3. Did you find any difference between Chinese and Western eating habits? How would you define a sustainability and healthy lifestyle in Shanghai?
Yes in the past definitely a difference, but now unfortunately less and less as Chinese are moving towards a S.A.D. (standard American diet) in so many ways. Chinese people used to eat a bit of meat, lots of vegetables, good whole grains, limited dairy, tofu and beans. Most importantly they ate seasonally. Nowadays I think we all tend to eat similar things all year around and everyone could do with more vegetables in their life. A sustainable and healthy lifestyle in the city would be one full of good food, hydration, sleep, stress management, emotional wellbeing, exercise, relaxation and getting outdoors. It requires dedication, motivation and is totally worth it.

4. Of course a follow up to the previous question is, what do you think about Chinese food and how has it impacted or effected your life here?
It has impacted me a lot, I eat totally different now though. Chinese food traditionally was pretty balanced and healthy, nowadays the quantity of oil, type of oil, MSG, chicken stock, salt and increase in meat is a concern, especially when dining out. I have learnt through Chinese food, cooking styles, food therapy, seasonal eating and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) what foods to eat for my constitution, what to help with summer heat, what to eat when sick or run down……I believe that more people should embrace Chinese foods, herbs, and pay more attention to what we put into our mouths.

5. Please elaborate a bit on your approach to realize your regular health and wellness events which include corporate workshops and talks, health cooking classes, retreats, and so on.
Through our regular events and workshops we aim to build awareness about health, nutrition, food, movement, emotions, our environments, and much more. We not only deliver information with health practitioners/experts but aim to empower participants and inspire them to take action to being more healthy too. Some examples include corporate wellness programs in offices, retreats to Moganshan, raw food classes, macrobiotic demos, fitness talks. We cover a wide range of topics and many are ones people may find new and interesting.

6. Thanks again for providing Xindanwei.com this opportunity to interview you. Any final thoughts for our readers?
Don’t wait until its too late to seek help about your health. We all have the same amount of time in a day, its how you choose to prioritise things like breakfast eating, meal preparation, exercise, breathing, self care and ultimately your health and ability to perform at work. Start with a small step…..the journey to healthier living is fun and not scary, I promise.[/lang_en]

[lang_cn]人物（四月）：Kimberly Ashton

采访 ／ Zhou Me 翻译 ／ Alice

1. 欢迎来到xindanwei.com，请先介绍一下您自己。能告诉我们您是从哪儿来的？又是什么驱使您做健康培训以及营养咨询师的？
大家好我是悉尼人，来到上海有九年了。大概是在三年之前，我偶然意识到营养健康观念并没被广为理解，公众也并没有这种意识，于是我萌生了去学中药，食疗，营养学以及健康之道的想法。随后我便从企业事件管理转而做了健康培训搞起了健康研讨会。如果一定要说是什么驱使了我做这行的话，那大概是因为我爱帮人来发掘自己的身体潜质，更积极有活力的去生活，去尝遍很棒的食物。

2.您能谈谈是怎样一种境况让你毅然来到上海，随后又做起了现在的Wellness Works？
我曾在浙江大学研修了一段时间，那时就爱上了上海。这座城市有一种激动人心的年轻活力，富于各种机遇与商机。我的搭档和我都想在上海创建起一个健康平台，能在健康专家或是力行健康之道的人们和有这部分需求的人群之间搭建桥梁。这驱使了我们通过一些企业健康项目，外出踏青，创意式的健康咨询和活动来组建一个公司。

3.您觉得中西方的饮食习惯有什么不同？那么在上海，您是怎么去界定一个持续健康的生活方式的呢？
当然在过去是显然有所不同的，但在当下这种不同很不幸的越发少去了。中国人正在从很多方面不断步向典型的美国式节食法（S.A.D.）。从前的中国人习以为常的饮食方式应该是少肉多果蔬的，同时掺着一些谷物，一些乳制品，豆腐还有新鲜豆子。最重要的是，大家所吃的都是当季的食物。而如今，我觉得我们的饮食更倾向于一整年都吃着几乎同一种东西。一个持续健康的都市生活应该是有好的食物，充足的睡眠，自如处理压力的能力，稳定积极地情绪，适度的锻炼，休息，以及室外活动。这些需要努力和坚持，但这真的是很值得你去这么做的。

4.当然，还有就是您怎么看待中式饮食，它对您在上海的生活有什么影响？
中国式的饮食的确影响了我很多，现在的我在吃的方面真的和以往有很大的不同。传统的中国式饮食非常的均衡健康。现在的我们对于食用油的种类和质量，味精，鸡精，盐，以及在肉类中的添加都有诸多疑虑，尤其在大家外出就餐的时候就更是加剧了这种担忧。通过中式餐饮，烹调方法，食疗，以及应季饮食，传统中药这些，我懂得了根据我的体质怎样调整饮食，或是怎样解决暑热，在我生病或是体力不支的时候该怎样调理……我个人觉得，应该让更多的人去欣然接受中国食物和药草，把更多的关注放在我们吃进嘴里的东西上面。

5.请您大略说说您自己的一套独特方法，关于如何去了解自己的日常健康以及那些包括专题研讨会，谈话交流，健康烹调课程，外出踏青等健康活动。
常规的一些活动以及专题研讨会，我们旨在树立一种意识，有关健康、营养、食物、运动、情绪、周边环境或是更多。我们不仅仅是传递健康专家的健康知识，更是在推动参与者，激发他们践行健康养道。一些实实在在的例子，像办公室的企业健康项目，闲游莫干山，生食课堂，长寿讲座，健康会话等。这些涉及范围宽泛的话题，很多人都会觉得新奇有意思。

6.再次感谢您给xindanwei.com这个采访您的机会。您还有什么相对读者说的吗？
千万不要等到一切都快来不及的时候才想到要为自己的健康状况去寻求帮助，每个人在每一天都有同样多的时间，取决于你怎么去选择做这些事情的顺序，譬如吃早饭，准备餐食，外出锻炼，呼吸，自我保健等等。这些到最后，你的健康状况以及能力都会在工作上有所表现。我敢向你保证，迈出一小步，你就会发现其实体验健康生活这一路的风景是相当有意思的。[/lang_cn]