☆ Your toxic load, a grown-up drink with benefits, honest thoughts on the Oura ring

Hey lovely,

Jasmine here, Editor of Daily Rituals, back with your Wellness Dose.

Coming to you on a Tuesday this week thanks to the bank holiday (for those of us in the UK) that let us pretend yesterday was a much-welcomed extra Sunday.

Quick note to those attending our Matcha Social Club this Sunday - your personality questionnaire is heading to your inbox shortly. We're just perfecting the custom matcha menu for you (it's looking so good!). Ps, if you missed out, you can still join the waitlist here.

As always, grateful for you being here! Jasmine xo

Got forwarded The Wellness Dose? Subscribe here.

“Honest thoughts on the Oura Ring?”

Without becoming that person who won't shut up about their sleep score, I am entirely obsessed with my Oura ring at the moment (so I’m selfishly quite glad to get this question in my inbox!). I went for the Gen3 in size 7 (after learning the Gen4 upgrade is mostly about comfort with pretty identical tech) and I'm glad I did.

What I'm loving:

• Easy to wear: After a day wearing it, you forget it's there. I find it's most noticeable when gripping weights at the gym, but after getting over the pain of the first few scratches, you get used to it.

• Useful updates: Since getting my data, I've resubscribed to Othership (apparently the smallest things stress me out.. Love that for me), started going to bed earlier for more deep sleep, and try to wind down properly to help me feel tired (otherwise my brain seems to ramp up, rather than down, when I get in bed)

• Period tracking: Even in the first month, this was freakishly accurate, without the natural cycles subscription too. My regular app was 2 days off while Oura knew the exact day.

• Workout tracking: Probably Oura's weakest feature. There's no live HR tracking during workouts but you get your HR zones afterward. That HIIT session where I thought I was dying and maxing out zone 5? Barely hit zone 3. Very humbling.

Oura vs Ultrahuman: I did go try on the Ultrahuman rings in Selfridges, but I found the gold looked a little more plastic-y and I was in between sizes too, whereas the Oura sizes were a much comfier fit. Whilst there’s no subscription for Ultrahuman (huge win), I honestly preferred the look of the Oura on me and feel like tech-wise they’re slightly ahead of the game.

Anyway, enough Oura chat - if you've got any specific questions about features, just hit respond! PS, the Gen3 is currently £299 at Healf, and you can get an extra 10% off when you use this link too.

Your Spring fling (with benefits)

^{A NEW GROWN UP ALCOHOL-FREE DRINK}

If you've been here a minute, you know I'm partial to a "healthy" soda in the afternoons – usually rotating between Fhirst Cherry Vanilla or Passion Fruit (both elite) as my bougie probiotic-boosting Diet Coke alternative. 

Whilst I adore them, when the sun is shining, there’s a light breeze & you’ve got a date with your new book outside, it calls for something closer to a cocktail. 

My current go-to is simple, but feels grown-up and could easily pass as something you’d pay £14 for on an edgy Shoreditch rooftop. 

★ Tastes like: A botanical herby gin-like cocktail - this is honestly as close as we’ve been able to get without the alcohol. 

★ The goods:

• Ice 

• Tonic water (ideally a low sugar option)

• Half a lime (one half squeezed in, the other for garnish)

• 3-4 pipettes of Drink Elixir bitters (the star of the show, every wellness girly’s drink’s cupboard needs this IMO)

• Fresh mint leaves (slap them first – trust me)

★ The benefits: The Drink Elixir non-alcoholic bitters are said to give your digestive system a natural boost – potentially stimulating enzymes, reducing bloat, and helping with appetite regulation.

You’re so toxic..

^{*ALEXA, PLAY BRITNEY SPEARS}

Until around 6 months ago, I'd not really given much thought to my "toxic load". But as I follow many of the popular biohackers online, it's something I noticed they were all pretty conscious of as part of their "protocol".

The problem is that it can get very overwhelming very quickly - and that's absolutely not our vibe here. Plus, these biohackers are often doing this as their full-time job, which many of us are not - there's a balance to be had.

So, treat this as your starter guide on reducing toxic exposure as mere mortals who have busy lives & can't overhaul their entire existence. My approach is one of imperfect avoidance - make realistic swaps that fit my routine (& don't require a second mortgage), and slowly add changes when I'm ready.

★ What’s contributing to your toxic load?

We're experiencing huge levels of toxins daily. Microplastics and pesticides in food, chemicals in cleaning products, pollution in air, heavy metals, and very (very) sadly, known carcinogens in our favourite beauty products. It's why we typically have a higher toxic burden than men - our 10-step routines expose us to far more chemicals (even if our skin is much glowier than theirs).

You might think - well, surely my body just gets rid of this stuff? Kind of, so long as toxins aren't building up faster than your body can process them.

Potential issues read like the side-effects list of most antibiotics: brain fog, fatigue, and unexplained illnesses from chronic inflammation. A recent study found microplastics in the ovarian follicular fluid of 14 out of 18 women at a fertility clinic in Italy. There are even links between Dementia and microplastics in the brain. It's bleak.

★ Now, for the swaps 

Here are some realistic switches that won't have you selling a kidney on the black market or living in a WiFi-free cabin in the woods.

^DEODORANT

• The issue: Probably the hardest swap of all (since nobody wants to smell), but also the easiest as you'll likely be due for a new one within a month or so anyway. Avoid conventional deodorants with aluminium - a synthetic chemical your pits (and arguably lymphs very close by) can do without.

• Switch: Necessaire The Deodorant Gel and Glossier Deodorant Stick for post-shave days (since Necessaire has AHAs which can be a little fiery on freshly shaved skin). If you've tried these already on your natural deodorant journey, we're also fans of Rollr. They use potassium alum - technically still aluminium, but in its natural mineral form. It's said to be safer because the larger molecules make it less likely to be absorbed through the skin.

^TUPPERWARE

• The issue: Those mystery stains aren't just curry remnants, the particles of your plastic Tupperware break down over time, and even more so when heated. Same goes for ready meal packaging (it’s often lined with BPA, or typically has a plastic film lid). Both could be leaking microplastics into your food.

• Switch: To glass Tupperware and heating any ready meals up in a bowl.

^{SHAMPOO / CONDITIONER}

• The issue: Sulfates and parabens are sadly in most popular shampoos and could be causing issues with our hormones as they’re being absorbed through our skin.

• Switch: Naturissimo has a solid list here so it's worth finding one best suited to your hair type. I've just ordered this one and will report back once I’ve finally let go of my current go to for my super fine hair.

^FRAGRANCE

• The issue: Phthalates, parabens, sulfates (basically the stuff that makes your perfume last forever), more chemicals that are potentially absorbing into the skin, especially on our pulse points.

• Switch: To one on this list. Another favourite is The 7 Virtues, their Amber Vanilla is addictive and lasts too.

^TOOTHPASTE

• The issue: Somewhat controversial, but fluoride. In high doses, it’s a known neurotoxin.

• Switch: Toothpastes with a combination of hydroxyapatite and xylitol are the way to go - they help to remineralise teeth (aka bring them back if they’ve gone a lil funky) and keep your oral pH balanced without any potential downside. My favourite is this coconut flavoured one.

^COOKWARE

• The issue: Non-stick lining (made with PFAS) when when consistently heated up has a high chance of going into your food. Same goes for that half melted spatula.

• Switch: For a lower cost switch, opt for stainless steel pans and utensils or for a more aesthetic upgrade, go for one of the popular cookware brands like Our Place.

^{PERIOD CARE}

• The issue: You don’t need me to tell you this, but what’s going inside matters. Most pads and tampons have been through a chemical bleaching process or have added perfumes.

• Switch: Best options are cups or discs made of medical-grade silicone (I can’t remember what I did before discovering this, life changing honestly!), and if that's not your vibe, go for an organic tampon and/or pad.

^BOTOX

• The issue: I mean, sadly not much to say here - at least the name doesn’t even try to pretend it’s not a toxin.

• Switch: The problem is that there isn't really a replacement (yet). Regular Gua sha and face taping with kinesthetic tape will help, but it's definitely a pick-your-poison situation. If it helps, popular biohackers like Kayla Barnes & Bryan Johnson still have botox, but they typically justify it on the basis that their overall "toxic load" is low, so they're happy with this addition as their necessary evil.

^CANS

• The issue: Most cans are lined with BPA to prevent the metal reacting with the liquid inside, and extend shelf life. Basically your tinned tomatoes, soup, coconut milk, tuna, all likely have BPA lined cans. Same goes for Diet Coke and most other fizzy drink brands, unless they state otherwise.

• Switch: Where possible, look for cans labelled BPA-free.

The DR Verdict →

Remember, the goal isn't perfection, it’s just about reducing your potential toxic load to make things lighter on your body. Start with what feels easiest, then slowly add more swaps as your current products run out. I've personally started with period care, cookware, and fragrance - but I'll confess right now that I recently cracked and topped up my botox after going cold turkey for about a year (apparently it is good to let the muscles come back, and come back they did..). It’s all balance.

Want a second opinion?

^{TRY THIS BEFORE BUYING TO REDUCE YOUR TOX EXPOSURE}

Before you buy something new that could have contact with your skin, put this prompt into ChatGPT to get a gauge of how low tox (or not) it is. 

• “I’m trying to improve my toxic load, the ingredients of [type of product] I am planning to buy are [copy & paste the ingredients list], are there any known risks associated with these? If so, can you suggest 3 better options?”.

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