April Featured People: Kimberly Ashton

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.

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