Introducing, Anti-Spam on Substack!
I am so excited to finally share the launch of Anti-Spam, the new home for my newsletter and all of its future content!
Posts previously available on sarahmacdonnell.com will remain in their original form, but the full archive including updated versions and new content will be available exclusively on Substack to paid subscribers for $6/month. If you are currently receiving my emails, you will be transferred over to Substack as a free subscriber with limited access. For full access, I would greatly appreciate if you upgraded to a paid subscriber.
On Anti-Spam, you will find new and improved versions of all your favorite articles, like Clean Beauty 101, Healthy(ish) NYC Guide, Sugar 101, A Quick Guide to Supplements and Remedies, and more.
WHY IS IT PAID?
I love sharing what I know about health. Everyone deserves to make informed choices, and knowledge is power. But creating meaningful resources takes time and energy, which is why I’ve made the decision to transition the newsletter from a free offering on my website to one that provides a modest source of income. If you value my content, I would greatly appreciate your paid support so I can continue providing vital health information to my friends, family, network, and larger community. I want to devote more of my time to this newsletter, and this allows me to do so. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask. For more information on what to expect as a paid subscriber to Anti-Spam, check out my About page.
WHY THE SWITCH?
I knew I wanted the “blog” (hate hate that word) to become something new—to stand on its own from my coaching business and build a following supported by a brand identity that resonated with more people. This website is an excellent representation of me, and it emcompasses my business (both of which it was intended for). I wanted the newsletter to speak to a larger community that might be less interested in who I am, but is interested in how to build a healthy life. They might just not know where to start.
WHAT IS ANTI-SPAM?
[anti-spam]:
Trademark: opposition to Spam, a brand of salty processed canned pork formed into a solid block.
Noun: the opposite of unsolicited junk email, i.e. a high-quality email or newsletter.
A no-bullshit newsletter that tells it like it is, skips over the buzzy trends to find solutions, and exposes ultra-processed, industrialized food and toxic chemicals that contribute to sickness, disease, and early death.
If you’re like me, you know what it’s like to be plagued by analysis-paralysis, forever in search of curated, trusted sources to distill the daily media overload (the “spam”). In an influencer-driven culture where everyone is an entrepreneur, every recommendation is sponsored, and life feels like a competition for the best of everything—sifting through the noise and making a decision can be confusing. Especially when it comes to health.
My goal is has always been to offer solutions to an oversaturated, overwhelming world of contradictory information. My approach is realistic and approachable, without being too serious—nobody is perfect, and at the end of the day, “wellness” is fucking hilarious. We live in an outrageous world, so we might as well embrace it and start taking responsibility for our little slice of it.
To build a healthy, long life, feel good, and continue to perform at the same level for as long as possible, we can no longer be careless about our bodies. These vessels that carry us through life are kinda important. Our genes are not our destiny; through daily habits and behaviors, we have the power to change how our DNA is expressed, in turn preventing disease, rewiring our brain, breaking old habits, and transforming our quality (and quantity) of life. “Health is wealth” has never been more true; you can have all the money in the world, but without your health to enjoy it, you have nothing.
This cultural conundrum spans health, food, and travel—all areas I love, but have spent countless hours agonizing over. Should I eat traditional foods like meat and real dairy, grains, or plant-based? Do seed oils matter? What is the best place for cold brew near me in NYC? Is cold brew even better than iced coffee? What’s the best bistro in Paris if you’re only there for 24 hours? Should I make Half Baked Harvest’s “best paleo chocolate chunk cookies”, “grain free pb chocolate chunk cookies”, or “the best gf chocolate chip cookies ever”? WTF is the difference? If you identify with the headspace behind any of these questions, I can help. We are constantly running against the clock, with too many choices and not enough trusted recommendations, hoping to make the right decision in the short time we have.
Everyone has a point of view, and I’m not here to claim I know best; however, I am here to offer simplicity. Expect high-level, condensed options that are extracted from first hand experience and extensive research. This information isn’t available anywhere else (obviously). If you trust me and my network, even just a little bit, you will find value here.
This is not about striving for perfection. There are truly endless options out there that will result in a positive experience. I want to offer one way, one avenue, to success. I want to streamline the decision-making process, clarify misconceptions, and extract the valuable bits from a confusing world. I want to save you time by doing the work for you.
WHY SUBSCRIBE?
Subscribe to get full access to the newsletter, Anti-Spam, including updated posts originally published here. New content will be delivered straight to your inbox. Expect weekly recipes, health 101s, distilled recommendations, tech reviews, everyday hacks, travel black books, cleanish guides in your favorite cities, and more (but not that much more, don’t worry).
It’s anti-spam.
