Welcome to The Rise – your weekly dose of circadian sunshine, decentralised health wisdom, and actionable tips to help you live healthier, stronger, and more empowered.
This week: the healing frequency hiding in your shower singing, why 7 walnuts beat fancy brain supplements, and the 30-second test that reveals your real age. Spoiler: your balance never lies.
Have suggestions — or something you’d love to see covered here? Help me better serve this vibrant community of health rebels and send me your feedback here.
Much love and sunshine, ☀️
Sandy xx
P.S. If 2026 is the year you stop outsourcing your wellbeing and start leading it — the Unstoppables membership is open. Think practical, science-backed protocols, grounded in biology and nature, without the noise or overwhelm. Your decentralised health coach, in your pocket.
Issue #104 • 25 January, 2026
🌅 Rise Report
The Healing Frequency Hidden in Your Voice
Science confirms what choirs have known for centuries – singing is medicine. Remember the last time you sang in the car, in the shower, whilst doing the housework and you felt instantly better? That wasn’t just in your head. Research reveals singing activates your vagus nerve —that crucial nerve running past your vocal cords that controls your body’s ability to calm itself.
When you sing, especially with others, remarkable things happen: your heart rate slows, blood pressure drops, cortisol (your stress hormone) plummets, and your body floods with feel-good endorphins and oxytocin. In fact, a study had complete strangers sing together for just one hour—by the end, they felt oddly close, like they’d known each other for years.
But the benefits go far deeper. A 2025 survey by the Stroke Association revealed some astonishing statistics: 35% of stroke survivors are able to sing better than speak in the weeks after their stroke, almost two thirds of stroke survivors (61%) said that music helped to improve their communication skills and over half (51%) said music helped their memory.
But that’s not all. Singing has also been shown to improve symptoms in Parkinson’s patients, help people with dementia access locked-away memories, and even boosts immune function in ways that simply listening to music cannot.
The decentralised wisdom? Your voice isn’t just for communication—it’s a healing instrument that’s been hardwired into human culture since the beginning of time. So go ahead, sing badly, sing loudly, sing alone and with others. And when your teenage kids complain, just tell them you’re following doctor’s orders. From the top…”you can dance….you can jive….”
Seven Walnuts Daily Keep Your Brain Sharp
Forget expensive supplements. Research shows just 30 grams of walnuts daily—about seven walnut halves—can significantly boost brain health at any age.
Walnuts are unique among nuts, packed with alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), a plant-based omega-3 that supports neural structure and reduces brain inflammation. A 2025 University of Reading study found that eating 50 grams of walnuts at breakfast improved reaction times and memory throughout the entire day in young adults.
Even more impressive? Studies in older adults showed that a Mediterranean diet supplemented with walnuts improved memory and delayed age-related cognitive decline. Animal research demonstrates walnuts boost working memory, improve motor skills, and reduce oxidative stress in brain tissue.
The decentralised wisdom? Your brain is 60% fat and needs quality fats to function optimally. Walnuts deliver ALA omega-3s, polyphenols, vitamin E, and other brain-protective compounds in one simple, whole-food package. No lab required. Here are some simple ideas to get you and walnuts more acquainted:
- Add some chopped walnuts to a bowl of Greek yogurt
- Blend a handful of walnuts into your favourite smoothie for a nutty boost
- Toss a few into your next salad or side of veggies
- Add some to your next slice of cheese cheese board
- From pancakes to muffins, add walnuts to the batter for a crunch
Short Walks, Big Brain Benefits: Just 4,000 Steps Cuts Mortality Risk by 40%
Did you know that before industrialisation, most adults took approximately 15 000–20 000 steps per day? Well, thanks to desk jobs, motorised transportation, technologies, online everything and Netflix, we’re not even getting close to those numbers these days.
If the 10,000 steps per day obsession, seems too much, well you can now walk a little lighter. Research shows far fewer steps deliver remarkable health benefits.
A 2025 study in The British Journal of Sports Medicine found older women who walked 4,000 steps just three days a week cut their mortality risk by 40% compared to those who didn’t hit that goal. Even one or two days at 4,000 steps lowered cardiovascular disease risk by 27%.
For brain health, the news gets better. Research in Nature Medicine found older adults walking 3,000-5,000 steps daily delayed cognitive decline by three years, whilst those hitting 5,000-7,500 steps slowed decline by about seven years.
“Walking increases blood flow to the brain, delivering more oxygen and nutrients whilst reducing inflammatory markers,” explains Reshma Patel. “But here’s the juicy part—walkers had less accumulation of tau and amyloid, the harmful proteins associated with Alzheimer’s.”
The takeaway? Your body responds to far smaller doses of movement than we assumed. Fifteen-minute walks after lunch or dinner boost glucose control, give you access to healthy natural light wavelengths, all whilst getting your steps in.
Pair walks with friends, the kids, doggo or just enjoy the solo thinking and dreaming time. However you do it, you’ll be getting the benefits. Don’t feel like a walk? Remember this. When you don’t feel like it, is probably when you need it most so start with just five minutes— most people keep going once they’re moving and start.
❤️ What’s Hot:
How Ra Optics Took Over Tennis
As an Aussie, nothing says summer like scorching days, balmy nights, and watching the Australian Open. So, seeing it’s that time of year again, here’s something worth noting: when world-class tennis athletes like Andrey Rublev, Novak Djokovic and Elena Rybakina choose Ra Optics blue light blocking glasses, you know they’ve passed the ultimate performance test.
I’ve used Ra Optics for several years now and wouldn’t be without them. In fact, everyone in the family has a pair. So whether you need to finish some work after dinner, are enjoying a family movie night, or doing some quick checks on your phone after sunset, they protect melatonin production and safeguard your sleep and health.
Blue light blocking glasses should always be a non-negotiable for any screen time after sunset.
☀️ Sandy’s Sunshine
Stand On One Leg: Find Out How Old Your Body Really Is
Want to know how well you’re aging? Stand on one leg right now. Seriously – just try it. I’ll wait.
How’d you go? Ten seconds? Thirty? A full minute? Whatever your number, here’s something fascinating: new research from Mayo Clinic published in PLOS ONE shows that the time you can balance on one leg is one of the best markers of physical aging. Not your chronological age, but your biological age – how your body is actually functioning.
This isn’t some random party trick. This simple test reveals your strength, balance, coordination, proprioception (your body’s sense of where it is in space), and most importantly – your independence as you age. And here’s the sobering bit: by age 85, roughly two-thirds of all injury-related deaths are due to falls. Balance isn’t just about not toppling over whilst putting your socks on – it’s literally about staying alive and thriving.
The researchers compared balance, grip strength, knee strength, and walking patterns in 40 healthy adults over age 50. The standout finding? Balance – specifically on your non-dominant leg – declined faster than any other measure. It beat out grip strength, knee strength, and gait as the most reliable indicator of how well someone is aging.
The benchmark? If you can hold a one-leg balance for 30 seconds and you’re over 65, you’re doing very well. Under 5 seconds? That’s the number that raises concern and signals it’s time to take action.
Your Daily Balance Training Plan
But here’s where it gets empowering: unlike your birth certificate, your balance age is something you can actually improve. Every single day. Your body is incredibly adaptive – it just needs the right signals.
Start incorporating balance work into your daily routine. Brush your teeth standing on one leg (switch legs halfway through). Balance on one foot whilst waiting for the kettle to boil. Whilst you’re waiting for your coffee order to be called. Stand on one leg whilst taking work phone calls. Make it a game with the kids. The beauty is that you don’t need a gym membership, fancy equipment, or even much time. Just consistent, daily practice. And a cheery smile and good sense of humour to ward off those strange glances.
And if you’re finding it really challenging? That’s actually valuable information. It’s your body telling you this is exactly what you need to work on. Maybe start by holding onto a bench or chair with one finger. Progress to just hovering your hand near the wall for security. Eventually, you’ll be standing on one leg whilst chopping vegetables for dinner.
Your body is constantly giving you signals about how well you’re aging. This one’s impossible to ignore – and equally impossible to fake. There’s no supplement you can take or hack you can buy. Just you, your body, and gravity.
So give it a try right now. Time yourself. Write it down. Whatever your number is today, make it your baseline. Test it again in a month. Because the beautiful truth is: you’re not stuck with it. Your balance age is entirely within your control.
4 More Biological Age Health Markers
Here are 4 more health markers and hidden signs you might live to 90 or older (87% of people will apparently fail at number 3):
Walking Speed: Research shows that a pace over 1 metre per second (that’s a brisk 3.6 km/h) predicts longer life. People who maintain a stride over 4.3 km/h show dramatically lower mortality risk. Fast walkers literally age slower. This isn’t about power walking like you’re late for a meeting – it’s about having the cardiovascular fitness and leg strength to move through the world with purpose and energy.
Resting Heart Rate: Your resting heart rate tells a story about your heart’s efficiency and your body’s stress response. Under 70 bpm is solid. Under 60 bpm is elite longevity territory. If you’re sitting above 80-90 bpm at rest, it’s a sign your cardiovascular system is working harder than it needs to.
Sit-and-Rise Test: This one’s brutal but brilliant. Can you sit on the floor and stand back up without using your hands, knees, or holding onto anything? Only 1 in 8 adults can do this, yet it’s one of the best predictors of independence as you age. It tests your strength, flexibility, balance, and coordination all at once.
Grip Strength: Researchers call this “the sixth vital sign” because weak grip strength correlates so strongly with accelerated aging and mortality. A 60-second dead hang from a bar signals a thriving musculoskeletal system. At 90 seconds, you’re well above average. Can’t do a dead hang? Start with just holding on for 10 seconds and build from there.
Every small improvement adds not just years to your life, but life to your years – the energy to travel, play with the kids and grandkids, and do the things you love.
So which one are you working on first? Pick one, test yourself this week, and commit to improving it over the next three months. Your future self will thank you.
“Don’t live the same year 75 times and call it a life.”
– Robin Sharma
The information in this newsletter is for educational purposes only and not intended as medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional for personal health decisions. This post may contain affiliate links, and I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase, at no extra cost to you.
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