Welcome to Living Well Daily, the newsletter serving up a daily dose of care designed to support you, cheer you on and remind you, always, just how wonderful you already are.

Knock knock.
Who’s there?
A wonderful.
A wonderful who?
A wonderful you!

We often think courage means pushing ourselves to do the big, scary thing all at once. This mindset is a big part of what can make our goals feel overwhelming and contributes to why, by the end of January, many people are giving up on what they dreamed up earlier in the month.

It’s not that the goal itself wasn’t achievable. It’s not that you aren’t capable. It’s that we often stare the whole goal in the face and, daunted, we say, “I just don’t know if I can do it. I don’t know if I have what it takes.” 

But what would happen if you didn’t ask yourself to have the courage to do it all? What if all you needed was a tiny bit of courage to take one gentle step in the right direction?

This shift - I only need a little bit of courage - has been a game changer for me. Historically, overwhelm has had me leaving big goals to the side, pretending I didn’t care and playing small over and over again. This destructive cycle kept repeating until I realized, I don’t need the courage to do it all, I just need the courage to take one darn step. Tiny courage. Manageable courage. Biting off what I can chew. Facing only a little bit of scary at a time.

Tiny courage is about meeting fear with respect, not force. It’s choosing steps that are manageable, not overwhelming. It’s allowing your nervous system to learn that growth can happen without panic.

This is how trust is built: slowly, safely, and with care.

Tiny courage can look like:

✅Action Step: Choose one thing that feels slightly scary but doable. Break it into the smallest possible step and take just that step today. Courage counts even when it’s quiet.

^{Love, Lola Graham}

Feeling full isn’t only about the volume of food you’re consuming; it is also about how food feels in your mouth.

Research shows that foods with more texture, like those that are crunchy, chewy, or fibrous, can slow down eating and increase satiety signals to the brain. When you chew your food more, your body has time to release hormones like GLP-1, which tell you that you’ve had enough.

Highly processed foods, on the other hand, are designed by food scientists to be easily consumed quickly, making it easier to overconsume before fullness is registered.

Many whole foods, such as vegetables, whole fruits, legumes, nuts, and whole grains, can naturally promote more chewing due to their fibrous nature, which can lead to longer-lasting fullness.

Interestingly, switching textures within a meal can make it easier to keep eating by renewing sensory interest. While sticking mostly to one consistent texture increases sensory satiety, helping you feel satisfied with less.

By choosing whole foods that require more chewing and limiting texture changes, you can regulate your appetite more easily and support long-term metabolic health.

✅ Action step: At your next meal, eat one or more textured foods like raw or lightly cooked veggies, then slow down to notice how it helps you feel satisfied sooner.

PMID: 32737349, PMID: 26188140

^{By: Joshua Graham}

Before you go, let us know what you thought of today’s edition and if there are any subjects you would like us to cover in the future reply to this email and let us know!

If you find our newsletter helpful, we’d love for you to share it with a friend! If you’re that friend, you can subscribe here. Thanks for spreading the word! xo

With love and care,

Lola & Joshua | The Living Well Team

^{Living Well Daily is for educational purposes only and is in no way a substitute for professional medical and mental health advice and diagnosis. Please consult a qualified professional for care unique to your needs.}

^{Remember: It’s okay to ask for help. Crisis Lifeline: call or text 988 (Canada & US).}