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.

In Today’s Edition:

🥰Well-Being & Self-Care: Movement as Medicine: Shifting Your State Without Talking It Out
💖Longevity & Wellness: Vitamin D and Brain Longevity
✨Daily Affirmation & Daily Prompt

Did you know that you’re more magical than a unicorn running on a rainbow in a glitter storm?
We ran the tests, and yes, that has been scientifically proven.🧪

PS. We hope your day is as magical as you are!!

We often try to think our way through how we feel.

But emotions don’t just live in the mind, they live in the body.

Stress, tension, anxiety, even low mood can show up physically: tight shoulders, restlessness, heaviness, fatigue. And sometimes, talking or thinking doesn’t shift it.

Movement can. This is often known as “somatic” processing. 

When I say movement can help, people often automatically jump to the idea of a workout but, you don’t need an intense workout or a long session. Heck, movement can exist outside of  workout altogether. Even small, intentional movement can help release tension, shift energy, and bring your system into a different state.

When we talk about shifting emotions and processing, we’re talking about supporting your body, instead of pushing it. The push is helpful for physical health but when that’s all we think about for movement we limit our ability to access our body as a powerful tool for emotional change.

Ways to use movement to shift your state:

•🕺 Shake out tension: Let your body move freely for 30–60 seconds
•🚶 Take a short walk: Even a few minutes can reset your system
•🤸 Stretch intuitively: Follow where your body feels tight
•💨 Pair movement with breath: Move and breathe together
•🎧 Add music: Let rhythm help guide your movement

Movement in this scenario isn’t about performance, it’s about regulation. Your body often knows how to release what your mind is holding.

✅ Action step: Put on one song and let your body move however it wants, no rules.

^{Love, Lola Graham}

A study followed 793 adults with an average age of 39 for about 16 years and found that those with higher vitamin D levels in midlife had lower levels of tau protein in the brain later in life. Tau is one of the key proteins closely linked to Alzheimer's disease.

34% of participants had low vitamin D levels at the start, and only 5% were taking supplements, which makes the finding worth paying attention to.

It is important to note that this is an association, not proof that vitamin D directly reduces dementia risk. Vitamin D levels were also not linked to amyloid beta, the other main Alzheimer's biomarker. But the researchers note that midlife is exactly the window where risk factor modification can have the greatest impact, and low vitamin D is something that is actually modifiable.

There is some other research to suggest Vitamin D can help with brain health and longevity. More research is needed in this area, but for something as simple and accessible as vitamin D, it is worth knowing where your levels are.

✅ Action Step: If you have not had your vitamin D levels checked recently, it is worth asking your doctor to include it in your next blood panel, especially if you live somewhere with limited sunlight, like us Canadians in the winter!

^{By: Joshua Graham | Sources: PMID: 36820164, PMID: 41938573}

^{A supportive prompt to build health, nourishment, and long-term wellness.}

Give your body one gift today: movement, rest, warmth, or nourishment. Soak up the recharge.

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!

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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).}