Lee Tilghman (@leefromamerica) was one of the OG wellness influencers of the 2010s, widely credited with bringing trends like smoothie bowls and charcoal water into the mainstream. After stepping away from the industry, she went on to write If You Don’t Like This, I Will Die (2025), a memoir charting the darker side of the influencer economy. You can find more of her writing on Hand Wash Only.
#86: Lee Tilghman
Aquarius/Cancer/Gemini
Brooklyn Heights, NY
What does health, or being healthy, mean to you?
Putting yourself first.
How would you describe your current lifestyle?
Ritualistic, intuitive, energetic, courageous.
How do you start and end your days?
I start my day by getting up around 6:00 and laying in bed with just my thoughts until 6:30. Then I go up and make coffee while my fiancé sleeps in. I enjoy a few moments of stillness in the living room which are vital for my day. I light incense or palo santo then whip out my journal and fill 1-3 pages with everything I’m thinking, feeling, and fearing. It’s a brain dump. Most often it’s just light record keeping, like what we’re doing that weekend and what I have on the docket for the day. But I love it and it keeps my head on straight.
Then, I lace up my shoes and go on a long walk with my dog Samson. We walk by the water for anywhere from 30-90 minutes, depending on the day. 4 days a week, I’ll keep exercising after that, either strength, cardio, pilates, or sculpt. Then I am at my desk or filming content by 9:30/10. I break for lunch around 1:00, leftovers or a big tuna salad. Keep it simple. Then I keep working until 5 or 6, which is when I try to log off and work on dinner. Sometimes I’ll work more after dinner, and I try not to, but that’s just how it is right now.
I’m in bed or the bath by 9:30. I love to read, do a red light face mask, or a little face massage / lymphatic drainage before bed. I love climbing into bed and talking about my day with my fiancé. It’s such a silly time of day, the liminal night. We’re both the silliest then.