Media publisher and CEO Jason Wachob is the founder of the popular website Mindbodygreen.com, and he has come up with the concept of "Wellth".
What is "wellth", you ask?
Aside from being the title of Wachob's book, "wellth" means living life to its fullest and healthiest potential. Also, that it will have a different meaning for everyone. Here is the awesome interview with Wachob!
How did your personal experiences play a part in the writing of your book? What propelled you towards that course?
I played college basketball at Columbia, and in the offseason I did weight training and cardio for an hour a day, a routine I stuck with up until my mid-thirties. I used to think that if you looked good in the mirror, you were healthy, but I've since come to believe that health is more nuanced than that.
In my mid-thirties (I'm 41 now), I was running an organic cookie company and trying to raise capital when I discovered I had two extruded discs in my lower back pressing on my sciatic nerve. I could barely walk and almost had back surgery. Looking back, it was probably related to stress, combined with the fact that I was flying almost 150,000 miles a year. Being 6'7" and scrunched into airplane seats didn't help.
One doctor told me that yoga might be a way to avoid surgery. So I started practicing daily and was very surprised that within weeks I was feeling better. From there, I got interested in a more holistic lifestyle. I ate organic and ditched toxic household products. I began to meditate. I started a gratitude practice. And after just a few months, I completely healed my back (without surgery). The rest is history!
In what ways has your new outlook modified your way of life?
As I mentioned, I used to think if you looked good in the mirror then you were healthy. I think most people start out thinking that health is about the body (and that it's largely driven by vanity). What I know now is that health (and happiness) is all connected through a combination of mental, physical, spiritual, emotional, and environmental well-being.
Do you know of any dietary or health myths and would you like to give your two cents on them?
To me, there's no-one-size fits all approach to wellness, and anyone who's promising a silver bullet is selling snake oil. I think we each have to find what works best for our own lifestyle and keep it simple. Michael Pollan said it best: "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants."
How about the greatest health advice given to you?
"It's all connected," from my dear friend and personal doctor, Dr. Frank Lipman-he was talking about stress and how it affects our health.
What is the best thing about working in "MindBodyGreen"?
I absolutely love what I do and LOVE that I get to meet and work with amazing people who are inspiring others to live better lives. I believe that we're a combination of the five people we spend the most time with (which is something I talk about in "Wellth"). And being in the "MindBodyGreen" world allows me to spend quite a lot of time with awesome people who constantly inspire me!
Give us your personal definition of "wellth".
I think true wellth is something that is 100 percent unique to each individual and that every person who reads the book will have a different takeaway on what the term means to them so I'm going to leave it at that.
You can get your own copy of Jason's book, "Wellth: How I learned to Build a Life, Not a Resume" from his website.
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