The Wind Down

Welcome to the Wind Down. A roundup of empowering health, wellness and lifestyle news to kick off your weekend. 

• In the News

In the US, employers are now required to provide accomodations to pregnant workers as the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act took effect on June 27. Previously, it was on the employees to prove they needed accomodations; now all those pregnant in the workplace are protected. They will now have access to rights such as pregnancy-related medical conditions (including during postpartum recovery) and time off from work after childbirth for recovery. This is a big win especially for women of colour in low-paying jobs, who were previously not qualified for unpaid leave, to have coverage through childbirth.

• Entrepreneurial Wins

Charlotte Hill OBE is setting out to end food poverty in London. As the CEO of The Felix Project, she and her team rescue surplus food to then redistribute the supply among 1,000 charities in the city handling food insecurity. "As a Londoner myself, I know food poverty is far-reaching and has an impact detrimental to many communities, and particularly to young people,” Hill says. Last year, The Felix Project saved 30 million meals across London amidst the highest food inflation in 45 years.

• Longevity & Taurine

Is taurine the key to longer life? New studies are finding that the amino acid found in things like meat and shellfish (and our Morning & Night supplements!), slows the process of ageing. Researchers at Columbia University in NYC have found the nutrient declines by as much as 80% in ageing mice, monkeys and humans - though animal tests have shown supplementation can prove better health and a 10% uptick in lifespan. Previous research from the University of Cambridge also found people with higher taurine levels were healthier, had lower levels of inflammation and were less likely to have high blood pressure. These major developments in how we learn about ageing will be important to watch in the future!

• Something for the commute

Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus is flipping the script on the presence of older women in media. Featuring an enviable line-up of female trailblazers, - Jane Fonda, Diane von Furtsenberg, Fran Lebowitz to name a few - The podcast invites these inspirational women to the table, with the aim of teaching us how to live a life of meaning. JLD’s most recent episode with the great Carol Burnett is heartwarming, hilarious and insightful; give it a listen here.

Wishing you a happy & healthy weekend,