Happy Friday {{first name | my friend}},

Want some positive global news? This inspiring converted bus filled with art supplies, books, and puppets is bringing culture to thousands of kids across recovering rural Syria, symbolizing happiness and hope. 🌈✨🚌

ECL TRIVIA: What is the name of the layer in a lake where warm surface water transitions to colder deep water, limiting mixing? (Answer below)

🐡 149 NEW SPECIES: Deep-sea explorers just uncovered 149 new species (corals, worms, cucumbers, fish!) down to depths of over 5k meters. Near Christmas and Cocos Islands, they also found "The Shark Tooth Graveyard,” 1k teeth spanning 22M years of shark evolution! Look at PHOTOS of the creatures they discovered.

👑 PAGEANT SUSTAINABILITY: The culture is shifting in the pageant world, with a current Miss England contestant intending to wear everything for her competition thrifted second-hand at charity shops to lead with THESE sustainability and inclusivity goals. "People do try to shop more sustainably, and if I can inspire change, then why not?" says Lisa.

🌱 HEALTHIER SOIL: Scientists developed a simpler, cheaper soil test for DNA-linked phosphorus, a form tied to living microbes. Tested on 32 UK soils, this new test removes unneeded steps while staying accurate. “This method could support future work on soil fertility, nutrient management, and more sustainable food production,” THIS article states.

📖 HEALTH LITERACY: 1 in 3 American adults ages 35 to 64 can’t reliably “understand prescription directions, complete medical forms, or remember information from doctor visits involving new chronic condition diagnoses.” Read MORE about the study. Do these results surprise you? 

💤 SLEEP LOSS SAVIOR: Let’s say you haven’t slept in 30 hours… Do you think exercise or a nap would refresh your mind the best? Click HERE to see the results of this study of 54 sleep deprived people.

🫀 HEART FLEXIBILITY: Urolithin A, a compound produced by the body following the consumption of foods such as pomegranates, walnuts, and some berries,” has been discovered to improve heart function as much as 80%,  including “improving the heart’s ability to relax and reducing stiffness.” Learn more about this new heart study HERE.

How long have you been taking collagen? And are you actually seeing what they promised?

If the answer is "years" and "not really," please keep reading...

Last year, the University of Pavia ran a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial on a new vegan collagen formula using ultrasound scans to measure collagen directly inside the skin and laser measurements of wrinkle depth. A separate team then compared it against 34 other clinical trials on standard collagen formulas. The results were surprising.

At eight weeks, taking just 5 grams a day, this formula showed wrinkle depth dropped 32.9%, skin hydration jumped 21%, new collagen formation inside the skin rose 10.5%, cellulite appearance improved 20.1%, and skin texture improved 13.1%. Most standard collagen asks you to take 10 to 20 grams daily and wait 12+ weeks for maybe half those results.

It works different because THIS ONE uses 18 fermented amino acids that match the exact molecular profile of human Type I collagen. Your body recognizes it as something it actually uses. These are up to 54x smaller than standard collagen peptides, so your body absorbs it almost instantly.

A friend of mine in the health and wellness space has been bringing this into the US market. I worked with him to lock it in for our ECL community, so that right now you can grab CollaReplen at 50% lower than normal.

If collagen's disappointed you so far, switch to the one with the real data behind it.

What is the name of the layer in a lake where warm surface water transitions to colder deep water, limiting mixing?

Answer: Thermocline. This temperature boundary can affect oxygen levels and where fish prefer to hang out.