Happy Wednesday {{first_name|my friend}},
Don’t miss Annmarie’s three-serum trial set at a special rate for our readers, with a few extras tucked in.
Wednesday Wisdom
September 30th, 2026
🐿️ CREATURE FEATURE 🐿️
Velvet Worm
It looks a bit like a caterpillar crossed with a slug, walking on stubby little legs, and belongs to a lineage dating back roughly half a billion years. You find them in damp leaf litter.
They’ve got two nozzles beside the mouth, and when something edible wanders close they fire jets of sticky slime at it. It quickly forms a thread that traps the prey, so the worm can eat at its own pace. Afterward it often eats the leftover slime, too, recovering some of the resources that went into making it.
WORD OF THE WEEK
Biophilia: An innate human tendency to seek connection with nature and living systems.
🌿 Still on my bathroom shelf
A decade is a long time to keep coming back to the same skin care. But Annmarie has been part of my routine for over 10 years, and the people behind it are a big reason why.
Before there was a skin care line, Kevin and Annmarie were teaching people about natural health. I followed their work long before I had this newsletter. Watching that care carry through into the products gave me a reason to try them, and years of using them have not let me down.
If you’ve been curious, their Serum Trio lets you try three different formulas before choosing a full-size bottle:
Anti-Aging Serum: With hyaluronic acid and an herb-infused aloe base for hydration.
Citrus Stem Cell Serum: With uva ursi, licorice root and amla, formulated for a more even-looking complexion.
Probiotic Serum with Tremella: With tremella mushroom and probiotic-derived ingredients, formulated to hydrate and soothe.
The set includes three 5 ml bottles for under 30 bucks, compared with the listed $89.99 retail. U.S. shipping is included, along with $10 off a future order. It’s a one-time, not a subscription, so it’s a great thing to test out.
🍎 NUTRITION 101 🍎
CORDYCEPIN: A compound found in Cordyceps mushrooms, being studied for its effects on fatigue, aging and immune signaling. Early research on fatigue and cellular energy is promising, but human benefits, including claims about improved oxygen use, still need stronger evidence.
🌏 DEEP DIVE 🌏
🥕 Produce Storage Tips
The vegetables in your fridge are still alive. They keep respiring after harvest, losing water and responding to their surroundings.
Unfortunately, a drawer full of great food can turn into limp greens and yellow broccoli quickly. Temperature, moisture, and even the fruit sitting next to something can change how quickly it deteriorates. A few small storage tweaks can extend the lifespan.
Five changes to try:
Separate apples from sensitive vegetables. Their natural ripening gas, ethylene, can speed broccoli yellowing and make carrots bitter.
Use the crisper for leafy greens. Choose the high-humidity setting and dry any washed leaves before storing them.
Wash berries when you’re ready to eat. Keeping them dry during storage helps them last.
Ripen avocados and pears, then refrigerate. Move them once they’re ready.
Remove carrot and beet tops. Store the greens separately and use them early.
The full breakdown goes further: why these changes work, when and how to wash, storing pre-cut vegetables, and the quick tips to extend produce most efficiently. Join the ECL community to read along, or head in if you’re already a member.
To a healing future,
– Rob