Welcome everyone!

This newsletter is my platforms to share my ideas on holistic health & fitness, personal training, chinese medicine, holistic nutrition, self-cultivation, and more, with the intention of fostering a health-conscious community.

For those who don't know me, I am a licensed acupuncturist and a holistic personal trainer from New York, with over a decade of professional experience in the health & fitness industry.

I was born in Hong Kong and lived there for 17 years before coming to the U.S. for college. Fast forward 21 years, so much has changed in the world and in my world - the health and fitness industry.

The health & fitness industry had a face-lift during and after the pandemic in the last 5 years: information is easily available and accessible; virtual training and fitness apps are widely adopted; mental health is being integrated into the overall health picture; strength training is being promoted for all demographics; and recovery modalities are being prioritized.

This could be a good start, with more people trying not to put all their eggs in one basket - the healthcare system.

This is very understandable. With a projection of 7.7 trillion of dollars being invested in the U.S. healthcare system in 2025, the quality of life for most U.S. citizens is not reflecting the dollars spent.

(Source: https://www.worldometers.info/demographics/life-expectancy/)

From a data perspective, the U.S. is ranked number 48 in average life span worldwide, despite spending the highest dollar amount on healthcare in the world.

The top three countries with the highest average life span are Hong Kong, Japan, and South Korea.

Having lived in both Hong Kong and the U.S., I think one of the biggest differences between the two populations is their mindset toward health.

Hong Kong citizens tend to be proactive about taking care of themselves. They view health as a long-term investment.

With the above new changes in the health & fitness industry in the U.S., it could be the first proactive measure the country is taking toward health cultivation.

Recently, many health & fitness influencers use the term "health-span" to emphasize that the quality of health we experience matters more than just the length of time we live.

Similarly, the term 養生 (nourishing life) has been used for thousands of years in Chinese culture. Many people understand that nourishing life means to live a healthy life, but I believe 養生 (nourishing life) is beyond that.

Let me leave you with this thought.

Nourishing life is to live a rich and fulfilling life, which requires self-cultivation towards a balanced physical, mental, and spiritual health throughout our lives.

Nourishing Life In The Modern World