Episode 53: Beauty in Imperfections, The True Definition of Wellness, and Honoring Other Cultures' Health Practices and with Candice Kumai
Candice Kumai is a multi-hyphenate entrepreneur, journalist, podcast host, producer, director, and author of bestselling books such as Kintsugi Wellness: The Japanese Art of Nourishing Mind, Body, and Spirit. Coined "the golden girl of wellness" by ELLE, Candice is an expert at living a healthy life, but this is more than your typical interview. On today's episode, Josie and Candice dive deep into topics such as cultural appropriation in wellness and how to enjoy, yet honor rituals and foods like matcha, yoga, and Ayurveda. Candice also talks about why so many people get "wellness" wrong, and how social media is even more damaging than we think. Lastly, Candice discusses Kintsugi, or the Japanese principle of highlighting imperfections, and how to live this principle to change your life.
Check out Candice’s website here.
Read Kinstugi Wellness here.
SHOW NOTES:
This week on The Everygirl Podcast, Josie sits down with chef and author Candice Kumai to discuss the challenges of the modern wellness industry, the value in consuming long-form content in a short-form world, and the perils of cultural appropriation. The episode begins with Candice explaining how her Japanese heritage impacted her during her childhood growing up in Southern California, and how she came to be proud of her ancestry through her career. Josie and Candice get into a discussion about Japanese food and wellness traditions that have been taken up in mainstream Western culture, and the fine line between enthusiastically learning from marginalized chefs and cultural appropriation in the wellness space. Candice discusses the value in buying and reading books written by chefs and wellness experts who have truly developed their craft over several years. Then, the conversation turns to matcha: what it is, the significance that matcha holds in the lives of Japanese people, and how it is often appropriated in wellness media today. Candice explains how surprised she was by different receptions to her various books, and expresses her frustration with the quality of questions asked by the modern media industry with regards to authors and long-form creators. Candice and Josie have a conversation about the dangers of the wellness industry being primarily situated on social media and delivered through short-form content. Then, the episode pivots towards our conceptualization of wellness both individually and collectively: the importance of understanding that what works for one will not work for all, and also that community care is often synonymous with self-care. Lastly, Josie asks Candice to walk the audience through the basics of the Japanese concept of Kitsugi, and how she applied that to wellness principles in her book, Kintsugi Wellness.
Must-Listen Moments:
[4:02] Candice’s journey to to accepting and celebrating her Japanese heritage after facing bullying in childhood and appropriation in her career
[13:17] What is the history of matcha, and how can it be shared in our modern wellness culture rather than used for profit and appropriated?
[27:23] The problem with turning to short-form content and social media for wellness advice, rather than books and podcasts
[41:59] Candice shares her perspective on the value of community care and contribution within the paradigm of wellness
[52:37] What is the Japanese concept behind Candice’s book, Kintsugi Wellness?
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