☆ A personal update, a new promising psychedelic, training like a multi-millionaire

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Hey lovely,

Jasmine here, Editor of The Wellness Dose by Daily Rituals.

I'm back at my laptop after two whole weeks off in Italy (I don't think I've taken two weeks away from writing since starting the newsletter about 1.5 years ago!) - thanks for bearing with me. Whilst I definitely spiralled about disappearing from your inbox, I kept reminding myself that I'm in this for the long game, and more importantly, I really needed the break.

First up, a life update

Usually I love getting back into routine, but this time - it hit me like a brick wall. The first week back was a real test of resilience, something I'd admittedly rank myself pretty low on. No need for the violins, but in short: I got ill along with the rest of the UK, pulled my shoulder getting too excited about a new weight training programme, and absolutely stacked it Friday night heading to the Healf HX25 VIP event - petition for Zara to stop making their trousers so damn long. Not quite the vision board moment I had in mind - rocking up to my first big industry event bleeding, with holes in my new trousers (& hand) and my ego properly bruised when they summoned first aid. As I tried stopping the blood from my hand by sticking it in my mouth (as one does), the lovely team joked I could probably pass it off as some sort of biohacking ritual should anyone ask. So at least there's that.

Italy recap & reccs

The weather was a bit hit and miss, but after the chaos beforehand with brand collabs (so grateful!) and our Reset event - the timing was honestly perfect. We stayed in rural Tuscany at Podere No.8 first. Small, family-run & very authentically Italian - they even produce their own olive oil from the estate. It was completely off the beaten path to the point where our tiny Fiat Panda barely made it up their road, and popping to the shop for mandatory holiday snacks took a good 40 minutes. But it was the ideal setting for days spent reading (I devoured this) by their saltwater pool and soaking in the Tuscan countryside when the sun came out.

After a couple of days, we took the ferry to Elba Island and absolutely fell in love. We stayed at the Marina Garden Hotel and spent each day testing out new picture-perfect beaches whilst eating our way around the island.

The final stop was back to rural Tuscany for our good friends' wedding at this beautiful castle near Pisa before heading home to what felt like a very dark & very cold UK in comparison.

My travel favourites (wellness & otherwise)

• This ultra-flattering black and brown swimsuit - I sized down as I hate it when swimsuits turn into big nappies when wet, but it made it rather skimpy so I'd take my usual size next time

• My favourite sporty crochet set got plenty more wear, and it's on sale now too

• These vintage-style earrings I got at the airport - they're giving Heaven Mayhem/Neima Row vibes for just £22

• These detox patches for after drinking or big meals teamed with these Korean-inspired hangover sachets for any heavier drinking (c'est la vie!). I gave them to the bride and groom after their arrival party and both swore they felt fresher on the big day

• This lightweight tan-enhancing SPF gave both Luke and I a nice colour despite our rather limited sun, and no prickly heat either

• My Medicube Age-R Pro and NuFace Trinity for a sculpted glow (also enjoyed by the bridal party on the morning of). Side note: I recently learned I've been using my NuFace wrong - it needs a water-based activator to work properly. Sadly, the NuFace one breaks me out, so after trying a few alternatives, I've resorted to spritzing my face with plain water every few minutes - so far so good

• This volume-boosting hair travel kit - I've officially converted to Color Wow after trying their new dry shampoo a few weeks back. This sulphate-free duo has been great for my oily, thin blonde hair

My wellness routine updates

Perhaps it's the combination of holiday blues & a slightly rough first week, but after consuming a lot of content at the Healf Experience, I was feeling a little overwhelmed. Every expert has their own protocols, with some contradicting others too. Gary Brecka swears by daily ice baths & hydrogen, Kayla Barnes by optimising absolutely everything - but for most of us (myself included as I just about balance my 9-5), wellness isn't our full-time job.

So instead of cramming even more into my stack, I'm focusing on just a few key areas for the next three months and tracking their improvement - since what we measure moves, right?

For me: Alongside my weight training, I'll be working on mobility (I basically have none right now) and training my cardiovascular system more consistently (I rarely stress my heart rate, so my HRV is pretty low). Mentally, I'm also limiting my content consumption - recently I've got into the habit of filling every single bit of silence with podcasts, YouTube or getting hooked on another series (aka The Girlfriend). If I've learned anything from Huberman, it's that my dopamine probably needs a reset - the irony of learning this from his podcast isn't lost on me. So that's what I'm doing - more walks, more workouts, and more cooking in silence to actually give myself some proper headspace.

Now, onto The Wellness Dose - let's get into it. (PS. we’ll be back to the usual format next Monday!)

As always, thank you for being here. I'm so grateful for you.

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The best stories & updates that caught our eye this week → 

• 🍋 Seasonal self-care: These immuni-tea cubes are the winter essential we didn't know we needed - less than 10 minutes of prep for an anti-inflammatory boost to your mornings this week.

• 💸 Someone forgot the non-compete: Someone in the partnerships department at Quest Diagnostics deserves a raise. Last week in the US, Oura and WHOOP announced their blood testing platforms - both powered by Quest. WHOOP's offering? $199 for 65 biomarkers. Oura's? $99 for 50. And whilst the brands could benefit from a little originality, the move makes sense. Getting insights on why your HRV might be tanking or how to improve your LDL based on your weekly routine finally gives you an actionable 360° view of your health. WHOOP's confirmed you’ll be able to connect third-party test data, but it remains to be seen whether Oura will play nice with the wider testing market (think Function Health, The Hundred) now they've built their own.

• 🛏️ Boujee bedtimes: Would you pay $1,049 for a pillow cover that helps you fall asleep 20% quicker? Eight Sleep thinks so. Last week, they launched their Pod Pillow Cover - a temperature-controlled pad (misleadingly named, since it's not actually a cover) that sits under your pillowcase. The catch? Each pad needs its own Eight Sleep hub, and hubs only come bundled with their mattress cover starting at $2,549. So no, you can't dip your toes (or perhaps plunge, given the price) into the Eight Sleep ecosystem with just a nice cool pillow. For those already invested? It's not all smooth sailing - Redditors joked their bedrooms are starting to resemble crypto mining operations with all the hardware now cluttering their nightstands.

• 💪 Train like a multi-millionaire: Pilates by Bryony just teamed up with Refy co-founder and mega influencer Jess Hunt for a new 14-day challenge, launching today. It's designed to give you an insider's peek into Jess's daily rituals (we want in), and given her packed schedule, it's likely perfect for those juggling a lot but craving intentional time on movement, nutrition and mindset over the next fortnight. As collabs go, we're fans - Bryony's much-loved sculpting programming paired with insights into how Jess structures her days for (major) success plus a community Q&A live call? No notes.

• 🏠 The business of mould: Granted, it's not the sexiest industry, but apparently it pays. MoldCo just raised $8m to expand their US telehealth platform after the founders spent years trying to diagnose their own mould poisoning. The issue? Mould from dodgy HVAC systems and water damage can cause frustratingly vague symptoms (fatigue, brain fog, gut issues) that mainstream doctors understandably struggle to pin down. Their platform offers testing, treatment plans and support from $150 monthly for those stuck in diagnostic limbo. And whilst mould-free coffee isn't making our essentials list, if you've got persistent unexplained symptoms and evidence of mould (aka, you can see it, smell it, or you've tested your house for it), it's probably worth investigating.

• ☕ Dessert in disguise: Starbucks just added protein options to their US and Canadian menus - with protein cold foam and boosted milk adding 12-26g per drink for an extra $1. And whilst we've got plenty of time for the gals hitting their daily protein intake (and having a sweet treat, for that matter), these new menu items are loaded with sugar - so despite the marketing, they're not a healthier choice. You can add the protein-boosted milk to your usual order to skip the sugar spike, but if you're a regular, you're better off investing in a decent protein powder at home instead. For the dairy-free among us? Same, girl. We're topping up our daily intake with this clean vegan shake and bone broth instead.

• 🍄 Skip the trip: Mindstate Design Labs just used AI to create a psychedelic that they claim skips the "hallucinations, self-disintegration, and oceanic boundlessness" (their words - in ours, basically the uncontrollable hours-long trips). In their first trial, participants experienced heightened emotions, brighter colours, and enhanced imagination without any of the usual downsides. Their goal? To create a new therapy mechanism that's more controlled and accessible. The reality? Getting FDA approval will be brutal. Last year, the agency rejected MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD after questioning its long-term efficacy, so Mindstate will need bulletproof data to prove you can safely separate the healing from the hallucinogenic experience.

★ Also caught our eye: Rhode’s latest release, it’s been a bad few weeks for Joe Wicks, chic barefoot trainers (at last) and these espresso nails. ★

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