Good Morning! And welcome, new readers 🌞

I’m so excited for you to read this week’s pieces. I’ve been traveling a little bit, so the inspiration has flowed nicely. I’ve been getting back in the cold tub, too. That always boosts my writing.

First, you’ll steal the meal plan I developed for my cousin. Then, enter the discussion of “third places,” the community-building hubs we so desperately crave. Finally, I’m sharing a breathwork practice that has helped me uncover my deepest disturbances.

Lessgoooo

My Cousin’s Meal Plan 🥑

Last week, I ventured up to Montreal, Canada to visit family. Yes, I have family in Canada. People always make a face when I say that.

“Canada?”

Yes, I know. Montreal is awesome, though.

Anyway, the 6+ hour journey from New York prompted hunger, as one might expect. Myself and three cousins piled out of the car at a gas station about two hours from our destination. As the health nut cousin, it’s expected that my pick of snacks is the rule, and anything else is an exception

“What are you gonna get?” One of my cousins asks.

I was already holding two electrolyte drinks. The zero sugar kind.

As I scanned the aisles for something remotely real to eat, I realized I probably wasn’t hungry anyway.

The boredom of a long car ride and the colorful product packaging tried to convince me otherwise.

Instead, I decided to help my cousin pick out a snack.

“What about this?” She says, hoisting up a package of pre-cooked grilled chicken.

I was impressed. Out of everything I’d seen, this was the most “complete” food available. High in protein, and low in calories with zero sugars or carbohydrates, a protein bump such as this would hit the spot, and hold us over until dinner time.

As we chomped down on this (admittedly low-quality) chicken, I saw the contemplation cross my cousin’s face.

“I need more food like this for when I’m at school,” she remarks.

Living in a dorm can have its limitations. Quick, easy foods that are high in protein can be scarce, but that’s the key to limiting binges and building a great physique. When I was in college, it felt like a minefield when trying to avoid binge-able foods.

“I just want to change the way I eat in general,” my cuzzo resolves.

At this point, I’m rubbing my hands with excitement.

”I should stop eating dairy,” she wondered out loud.

I agree — cutting out dairy can make a serious dent in dead weight. Dairy seems to be really sticky — products like cheese, whole milk, and full-fat yogurt contain significant amounts of sugars, calories, and fat, and can have addictive — even opioid-like effects.

“It just makes me feel like crap,” she admitted about dairy.

Like many people, my cousin wants to make better eating choices and enjoy healthy food without “going on a diet”. Naturally, she came to me for advice.

"You should make me a meal plan,” she suggested. So here we are.

Her Situation: My cousin weight trains nearly every day, pushing herself with progressive overload to build and tone muscle. She focuses on lower body development and incorporates several compound workouts. She’s active, and willing to incorporate more walking and various cardio. She’s working on getting better sleep and improving her habits. Food-wise, she loves avocados, chicken, steak, salmon, and fruit. She’s my cousin alright.

What She Needs: More protein, less dairy, and less sugar. Her meals should be bigger and more filling, and her snacking should decrease. She wants to build strength and tone her muscles while burning some fat. Nothing drastic, so balance and maintenance is important here.A rule of thumb is big meals in the morning with at least 30 grams of protein, and no eating within 2 hours of bedtime. Waking up and going to bed earlier will facilitate this.

I won’t be too specific regarding portions, brands, calories, or anything like that. This is simply a guide. Experimenting is welcomed.

I’m dividing the plan over three days because there’s a focused variety of foods included. Hint: lots of eggs and egg whites, lots of butter, and lots of veggies + protein. Feel free to mix and match the combinations, but keep in mind that the simplicity in this plan is key.

Day One 🐟

Morning: Eggs, Egg Whites, Grass-Fed Butter, Avocado, and protein of choice.

Egg whites are so important for getting the right amount of protein. They’re low in calories, fat, and carbs. Straight protein. They’re inexpensive and make a lot of food. For volume eaters like me, this is a blessing. You can eat as much as you can stomach without overdoing it calorie-wise. The protein will make you feel full and strong, especially if eaten in the morning.

The butter is an important element here. Since this is a high-protein meal, you’ll need fat to balance that out. Since you’ll be using grass-fed butter, you can be sure that this is quality stuff you can enjoy. Don’t be afraid to scoop in tons of it — calories from fat combined with protein is a good thing.

Pick a good-quality protein. I love steak more than anything for several reasons, but salmon, canned fish, chicken, and bacon (in moderation) can do. Try grass-fed ground beef, bison, or elk too. Eggs can really go with anything.

Tip: To get ahead of the game, prepare a nice amount of protein in advance. I sometimes cook an entire package of ground beef, chicken, or fish so I can just reheat it as a snack between meals.

Afternoon: Sautéed spinach and mushrooms, Avocado, Smoked salmon, and Walnuts.

Keep it light for the afternoon. You don’t want to feel too sluggish, so veggies and lighter protein like fish is a good bet. We’re throwing in some nuts to fill up and add a nice crunch. Make sure to drink water afterward and throughout the day.

Evening: Beef or turkey burger (no bun) avocado, tomato, brown rice or farro, steamed broccoli with grass-fed butter, and fruits.

Having some fruit later in the day makes it easier to transition into sleep and gives you that last needed “kick.”

Day Two 🥩

Morning: Eggs, Egg Whites, Butter, Avocado, Cauliflower (or cauliflower rice), tomatoes, bell peppers, onions.

The cauliflower and vegetables will make this a big, filling meal. Feel free to make enough for lunch.

Afternoon: Grilled chicken/steak salad with mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, olives, avocado, walnuts, olive oil vinaigrette.

Snack: Grass Fed Jerky, Seaweed Snack, Berries

Evening: Salmon, Broccoli, Avocado, Sweet Potatoes (mashed or boiled, with plenty of butter)

The slow-digesting carbs in sweet potatoes will help you recover and will feed your muscles with much-needed fuel. Nighttime carbs just hit different.

Day Three 🍓

Morning: You guessed it — eggs. But this time, we’re switching it up. Allow me to introduce my Weapon X: The Egglife Wrap. Essentially a tortilla made with egg whites instead of flour. They’re super versatile — I use them as pancakes, crepes, tacos, or just warmed up in a pan with butter. Each wrap is only 25 calories, and with 5 grams of protein, you can make a powerhouse breakfast with these in your arsenal.

Try: Ground beef, bacon, or shredded chicken as a base. Slice some avocado, dice tomatoes, add hot sauce, and you’re in business. If you wanna beast out like I do, you’ll make some eggs to really beef it up.

Afternoon: Grilled steak, roasted Brussels sprouts, walnuts, garlic sautéed spinach, guacamole. If you somehow managed not to eat all the wraps during breakfast, wrap up all the above!

Evening: Black beans, ground beef/protein of choice, sauteed veggies, berries with coconut cream. Egglife also has cinnamon-flavored wraps, so try those at night for a dessert replacement.

Again, this is just a guide, and it’s pretty close to the way I like to eat. Low-to-zero carb, high protein, high fat, and just enough fruits and veggies to keep me feeling good. I eat more when I move more, and eat when I’m hungry. I don’t calorie count because I know the food I’m eating is quality. I have zero sugar cravings and I don’t miss dairy. I feel great eating this way, and I’m sure you will too.

Enjoy, cuzzo!

(Readers too)

Where Is Your Third Place? 🎟️

Perhaps the most crucial piece of community-building is having a place to community-build.

A place for people to congregate. A place to relax, socialize, and just kick it with no strings attached.

These places used to exist in the form of churches and rec. centers but have faded into oblivion with the ails of the modern world.

It seems that all we do now is work, sleep, work, sleep. Sometimes, if we’re lucky, we have the time and energy to watch a movie on Netflix. Mostly, though, our free time is incrementally sapped by reflexive social media binges throughout the day.

Poor smartphone habits can eventually turn addictive without us noticing, robbing us of our energy and creativity, while draining our social batteries. “I can just keep up via stories and DMs,” we delude ourselves.

In previous decades, this was never an issue. Hell, being antisocial was hardly an option. If you didn’t keep up in person, you were left behind. Addicted or not.

In 2024, with less time to chill and a lack of clear societal values, it’s rare to have a place outside of work or school that provides the collaboration and connection we need to thrive.

Instead, we have the dependability of our phones. Familiar corners of the couch. Or the bottom of a wine bottle. While providing short-term enjoyment and stimulation, these sorts of habits — enjoyed alone or even with others — are not places, and they certainly aren’t communities.

Communal environments are vital to our mental and physical health as humans, perhaps the most social of any animal. These places make us feel as if we belong to something bigger and more important than ourselves. It’s how we make new friends, take risks, and bolster the relationships and habits that matter to us.

Think pool halls, book clubs and cooking classes. Music jam sessions, or basketball games after work. Even after-school programs are home to healthy third places.

I’m hesitant to include bars in this category because the bonding mechanism isn’t human connection — it’s alcohol. But even in that case, local bars seem to be disappearing along with regulars who reliably frequent the place. The cool longue that just opened might shake you down for an obnoxious entry fee, or employ a strict reservations-only policy.

“Third places” and certain hobbies are becoming niche (and often expensive) activities that are increasingly difficult to undertake.

They are inaccessible to many of us, and that disconnection is taking a toll on our health + well-being.

It makes sense that run clubs are becoming popular across the country — the low-to-zero cost barrier to entry and low-stakes commitment element make them a great option for young people looking to make friends or belong to a crowd.

Even I am developing a hiking club (stay tuned for details!) to combat stagnation and urban-induced boredom.

While some people are proactive in finding ways to keep producitvely busy, others fall victim to the difficulties of the modern world. Tech-obsessed culture convinces us that high screen time and digital consumption is necessary to keep up, making it okay to spend much of our downtime on screens instead of with others.

As always throughout history, many are consumed by their vices, and become shells of themselves socially, instead devoting time to the great resource of people.

No matter how you slice it, the increasing isolation and scarcity of communal behavior is showing signs of cultural deterioration, and undoubtedly contributes to the severe mental health crisis the Western World is experiencing.

In New York, as rent climbs to dystopian heights, a tireless work culture is the only acceptable social practice. “Third places” become a relic of 20th-century obscurity, or something only the extroverts with deep pockets and an insatiable thirst for connection can afford.

Weed shops, legal or not, seem to outnumber “third places” 10 to 1.

How can businesses aiming to supply urbanites with recreation and connection survive if renters can hardly afford to live here? When landlords run schemes of corruption unchecked, rampant disorder is bound to follow. When there’s nowhere to go and nothing to do, the next best thing is to self-destruct.

It’s an ongoing issue that requires quick thinking and creativity to truly solve, along with good friends or a collective willing to try new things. Sitting around waiting for government spending to finance recreation is a losing game too. As with many things in this late-capitalist doomscape, it’s up to us to make the best of what we have, and do our best to create more, for the sake of our fellow man.

What are your thoughts? Do you have a third place? How do you spend your free time? Hit me up, I’ll keep this convo going for next time.

Searching Inward 🧘🏽‍♂️

This is a breathwork/ mindfulness practice I use to figure out whats at the root of my discomfort. What’s causing these negative emotions? What can I do about them?

If you don’t want to do the breathwork part, that’s totally fine. Reading this script provides a similarly beneficial experience.

First, relax and pause what you are doing. Turn the music off, and get comfortable. Take a few deep breaths in and out. Focus on having a longer exhale than inhale. You can close your eyes while you do this — five breaths max.

Now, with your eyes open, sit still and breathe regularly. Try to tune in to your emotional state. How are you really feeling these days? It may be difficult to name your current state, so just honestly feel and sense. There may not be words to describe these feelings, and that’s okay.

Don't try to evaluate or analyze them. Instead, take responsibility for your emotional state as these emotions are part of your consciousness. Realize that they are created in you. They are not the product of an external cause — you own your emotions accept them.

Now take a break from thinking and breathe some more. Fully in, and fully out. Look around you. What noises do you hear? Do you smell anything?

Now think about the present moment and any distractions you might have. What is pulling you away from reading this?

Is it an Instagram session you crave? Is texting someone back dominating your thoughts?

Again become aware of the true feeling you are experiencing at this exact moment. Instead of ascribing an external cause to it, dive a little deeper into yourself.

Feel free to go way back in time. Was it a cloudy morning that set you back? Did you eat something that made you feel good or bad?

Realize that if you feel a negative emotion, there's often a need that is not met. What could that need be? If you feel a positive emotion, appreciate it.

What do you want or need? Tune into this.

Try to request these needs from yourself instead of demanding them. Most importantly, don’t formulate your needs from another person or some other pressure. Only you know what is best for you.

You may feel the need for appreciation or love, but formulating a need that a loved one pays more attention to is giving up ownership of your true needs.

It takes practice and honesty to feel your true needs and hold yourself accountable for them. Dive deep and listen to what your inner self is whispering to you.

Now, take a few very deep breaths. Fill your lungs to capacity, then slowly empty them. Repeat this cycle a few times.

Keep your body relaxed. Pay close attention to the sensation of your breathing. Remember this mantra: Inhale clarity, exhale stress.

What are you thinking about now? What do you feel? Feel the sensation from a position of ownership. There are so many things that we have no control over, but we can take control of our feelings and underlying needs. What does your soul truly crave?

Is it autonomy? Celebration? Integrity? Interdependence? Play? Could it be spiritual communion, or physical nurturance? While connecting your feelings to your needs, kindly request in your heart for this sense of fulfillment. What positive action can you take to attract the emotional state you desire?

Don't demand anything from anybody else. It is all in your hands. What positive actions can YOU request from yourself? Really connect to that request and formulate it in your heart. Think and grow to become it.

Now, take a deep inhale and hold it in your lungs for about four seconds. Then exhale for about six seconds. Repeat this two more times. While breathing, connect to your heart as if you would breathe through it. Inhale with compassion and love and exhale with a sense of relief.

Now, sitting very still, return to a normal breathing pattern. Try to make your nasal breaths quiet.

You’ve thought about a lot today. Perhaps some deep stuff. The inner workings of your consciousness have shifted, and your mindset has mounted towards one that is positive and self-sufficient.

Let that sense of Love, gratitude, and compassion travel through your consciousness. While feeling a deep sense of calmness and peace within you, just be. Accept and feel whatever emotion pops up. It has come to you for a reason.

Finally, you must thank yourself for taking this time for yourself, realizing that a clear mind and honest heart will benefit all beings of this interconnected experience we call reality.

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