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<\/p>\nFive years ago, Lisa Lam was working as a fashion buyer in Hong Kong. The\u00a0hours were long and it was a stressful environment.<\/p>\n
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\u201cI was getting a lot of digestive issues and other health conditions to the point I knew I had to do something about it,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
As a start, Lisa cut back on anything processed. Instead, she began focusing on a diet of real food.<\/p>\n
\u201cI (also) incorporated Kombucha (a fermented drink) into my diet and it really helped with digestion (my life saver!). I then slowly cut down on meat and started following a plant-based diet. I am now proud to be a vegan.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lisa quickly realized these dietary changes had transformed her health.<\/p>\n
Not long after that, Lisa decided she wanted to transform her work life as well, starting her own business with her sister, Patricia.<\/p>\n
Now, Taboocha Tea (http:\/\/www.taboocha.com) \u2013 a portmanteau of Kambucha and the name of their beloved dog, Taboo \u2013 is sold in countless specialist stores across Hong Kong and Macau, as well as online.<\/p>\n
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This change has made a huge difference, not just to her health, but to her approach to life in general.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy digestive problems are gone. I feel healthier and my immune system is definitely stronger. I am also committed to adopting a compassionate and conscious lifestyle. Making choices not just for myself, but for the environment and other sentient beings.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lisa, along with Patricia, was listed in a recent digital magazine as one of 5 game-changing entrepreneurs in the city.<\/p>\n
For Lisa, being healthier with what she eats has also encouraged her to be more active.<\/p>\n
\u201cI never really exercised before, but now I do some outdoor activities, such as hiking with my dog. I plan to take on more challenges to get stronger!\u201d<\/p>\n
Finding your true calling by taking charge of one\u2019s work life has long been an aspirational goal. Yet doing so in the wellness industry has become the<\/em> concept for the 2000s \u2013 and beyond.<\/p>\n No longer do we simply want cures to inevitable ill health, we want to avoid being unwell in the first place. And the desire \u2013 and ability \u2013 to live this life is growing. Doctors and hospitals are stretched to the limit as it is. And whereby once, doctors were the last word on living well, the communication age has meant information abounds on all elements of health \u2013 exercise, diet, alterative therapies \u2013 allowing us to make decisions ourselves before health issues caused by exhaustion, lack of nutrition \u2013 or both \u2013 set in.<\/p>\n And while professional medical assistance is and always will be necessary, self-care and health care can now work synergistically.<\/p>\n So much so, that some of the most successful entrepreneurial spirits around the world are in the health and wellness industry, often finding their way there because of their own experience with being unwell (Dr. Andrew Weil, endless health bloggers\/recipe queens, Joe Cross Tim Ferriss \u2013 if you don\u2019t know about them, looks into it now!).<\/p>\n Health is the new wealth. It\u2019s an indicator of success. Everyone from Forbes magazine to the Huffington Post has health or wellness influencers list.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Lapine was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease in her early twenties. Feeling overwhelmed by her doctor\u2019s strict protocols and confused when they directly conflicted with other information she garnered elsewhere.<\/p>\n After experiencing mixed results and a life of deprivation that seemed unsustainable at best, she adopted 12 of her own wellness directives \u2014 including eliminating sugar, switching to all-natural beauty products, and getting in touch with her spiritual side \u2014to find out which lifestyle changes truly impacted her health for the better.<\/p>\n Like Phoebe, Lisa has also taken a long-term approach.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t believe in temporary symptomatic relief and I focus on long-term health improvement,\u201d says Lisa.<\/p>\n \u201cI incorporate super foods such as turmeric and fermented foods in my daily diet and they help me stay healthy and strong. Essential oils are also important to help me relax and lift my mood.\u201d<\/p>\n Phoebe and Lisa are riding the wave of change.<\/p>\n Corporates, too, are fully aware of how self-care can reduce massive financial outpouring.<\/p>\n In 2015, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) in the US wrote:<\/p>\n \u201cTen per cent of visits to the doctor\u2019s office are unnecessary, according to the Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA). Those appointments cost\u2026employers billions of dollars in lost productivity and unnecessary health care costs.<\/p>\n \u201cBut what if employees knew how to recognize routine medical issues that they can treat themselves? And what if companies encouraged such self-treatment?\u201d<\/p>\n The SHRM went on to say that the good news is that employers are in an ideal position to help employees change their behaviour.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is where self-care comes in. Self-care is defined by the World Health Organization as \u2018personal health maintenance to improve or restore health and to treat preventative diseases\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n Self-care comes in various forms, according to Scott Melville, CEO of a US-based industry trade group. Among those were:<\/p>\nTake the rising star that is Phoebe Lapine (phoebelapine.com), whose latest book, The Wellness Project. How I Learned To Do Right By My Body Without Giving Up My Life (Penguin Random House) <\/em>has become a huge hit for its honesty and practicality.<\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\nHOW I LEARNED TO DO RIGHT BY MY BODY, WITHOUT GIVING UP MY LIFE<\/em><\/h2>\n