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A friend of mine took a pic of me at a dead show at the gorge last summer and i was wild out of control. I needed to get my act together.I started eating right…not dieting…just making smarter decisions.I got back to the gym.I walk my dog three and a half miles a day wearing a weighted rucksack.Changed my life.I feel so much better and what it does to calm my mind is invaluable.
Jun 13, 2024
Related Recs
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(warning: serious post)
Even if it’s hard. Body image stuff always creeps back in as the weather warms up and clothes shrink, and I was sitting here letting myself feel hungry. But I checked Instagram and a long time online friend is most likely dying soon from anorexia and I’m feeling a lot of emotions about it. Getting up to go find something solid and filling to eat in her honor and I hope you do the same. It’s rough out here, especially when stuff is really deep-rooted but I will always rec eating over not, even if I momentarily forget what a good rec that is 💛
May 29, 2025
Food is one of the worst things for you. For most of the summer, I was having a large smoothie with whey protein isolate, egg yolks, powdered coconut oil, and frozen berries. Only for the past several days (I’m recovering from SARS COV-2) have I abandoned this highly caloric, insulin-bomb of a breakfast, replacing it with cold water, creatine, and powdered coconut oil, blended. You wouldn’t believe how much sharper I feel mentally, how much less hungry I am all morning, my neighbors have stopped complaining about my outbursts… the list goes on and on.
Oh, but back to food being bad for you. I really do think eating a ton of food is one of the worst things for you. You can read about this in my book, in which the protagonist, in an attempt to gain weight and become physically more imposing, starts eating a ton of food, and his quality of life suffers greatly. It’s a really clever commentary on masculinity and “improvement culture” in general, actually. You should read it.
I too have gone through periods of regimented physical activity (lifting weights) and eating large quantities of food, and it always leaves me feeling terrible, physically and mentally. Lately I’ve started eating huge portions of vegetables again (bag of Brussels sprouts, bag broccoli, two large zucchini) in the middle of the day and it’s been working out really nicely for me. Skin cleared up, mind feels sharp, face looks more chiseled and handsome, it’s been great.
You (the reader) should probably eat less food, just like, statistically, most people eat too much. I know that might not be true for the target audience of this newsletter, so if you have an eating disorder then you should eat a little bit more (but not too much too fast), but most people should eat less food and replace some of the food they’re already eating with more vegetables. They’ll experience great benefits from eating their first meal as a large bowl of vegetables with ghee around 2pm.
Oct 7, 2024
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Who would’ve thought 😆😆😆😆
May 23, 2025
Top Recs from @aaron-levine
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I grew up in a Beatles, Willie Nelson, three tenors house.When i was 12 or so, my friend up the street put me on. The ramones. Violent femmes. corrosion of conformity. Metallica. DRI. Minor threat.Across the street, my other friends older bother tuned me into the smiths, the cure, bauhaus. Joy division and new order…echo and the bunnymen…In college i found the dead.All of this is a soundtrack to my life. I cant live without constantly listening to music. It’s means so much to me to music to whatever im doing. It makes living a joyful experience.
Jun 13, 2024
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I dont know what it’s like to not be neuro divergent.It manifests in ways that are…inconvenient. Anti social, stand-offish, scattered, frsutrated, over explaining, self doubting, perfection paralysis…et al.One of the reasons I love what I do is because I can actually show people what I’m thinking…through images, fabrics, product…things that are tangible and tactile and the conversation becomes much easier.There’s a block in my brain in which the words are in my head, but the ability to communicate them is hard to get out of my mouth.I have to work on this every single day to keep the non ideal aspects of this at bay. I’ve been responsible for large teams and have worked within publicly traded companies for 20 years, so the ability to communicate clearly with concise intentions is vital.These are all things associated with ADD, but the understanding of this by people that don’t experience it first hand is minimal. It’s not about being scattered or flakey. It’s so much more deeply complex.Simple tasks to most people present themselves as heavy left obstacles to me.Every day, it takes monumental effort to pull up and put my game face on. However, the upside to how my brain operates (I can’t speak for others) is that I get incredibly plugged into what I’m passionate about.I’m so fortunate and grateful to have found that outlet in a creative field that brings me joy and a sense of accomplishment…and I get to work with amazing people who are equally passionate.So whoever is out there that experiences this…I see you and I feel you.Get up. Brush your teeth. Get dressed. Regularly push yourself outside your comfort zone and follow your inner compass because it will tell you deep in your guts what you’re capable of doing.Also, a dog is wonderful at soothing this condition.
Jun 13, 2024
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I’m a hoarder when it comes to clothing. I have about 50 bins in the basement and an overflowing closet. I dont like to hoard for the sake of hoarding. It’s what i do for a living so i can use that as a soft excuse.Ever since i was a kid, ive loved seeing how different fabrics and textures work off one another. I know it sounds cheesy, but i truly look at it as an art form. Like a painting and sculpture mixed together.I’m a floor worker. Whether im at home or in an office, I’ll start entire collections by just laying things down on the floor and see what works off what. I can be color, fabrication, texture…synthetic fabric off organic fabric, something dressy off something messy…it allows me to see the balance and recognize the direction id like to take on a project.Sometimes doing this exercise dictates the direction to me…something will click and everything will become crystal clear.
Jun 13, 2024