This week, I return to the varied world of podcasts to focus on those to do with health. Podcasts are pre-recorded radio-style shows, often featuring interviews with prominent people in the area of the podcast’s theme. Generally, they run about 30-45 minutes.
You can download them to a digital device or laptop for later listening or stream them. The great thing about podcasts is that, like music, you can do something else (which doesn’t require a great deal of attention or focus) while you listen to them: walk along the beach, run on a treadmill, ride a stationary bike, wash the dishes or cook a meal, while you learn or have your mind broadened at the same time.
My favorite time to listen to podcasts is just before bed. Podcasts are the perfect social media to consume in the two-hour window before bedtime where you should avoid the ‘blue light’ emitted by devices, because you’re not viewing, you’re only listening. On the down side, the soothing voice of a calm host can inadvertently put you to sleep.
Here’s a selection of popular health podcasts, by category. They cover general nutrition, fitness, Paleo, low carb and vegetarian or vegan diets. Listen and learn!
GENERAL NUTRITION
The Nutrition Diva’s Quick and Dirty Tips
Monica Reinagel, a nutritionist and the host of Nutrition Diva, gives well-researched advice in a short podcast (about ten minutes). She discusses topics such as eating grains, gluten-free, weight loss and many more. Reinagel also explores a lot of myths and misconceptions about food and drink.
Dishing Up Nutrition
The hosts of this podcast are licensed nutritionists and dieticians from Nutritional Weight and Wellness, a Minnesota-based counselling and education center, who explore the link between ‘what you eat and how you feel.’ The podcast offers a ‘call-in’ format, answering listeners questions directly about healthy eating, diet and nutrition.
Fat2Fit Podcast
This podcast is part of the Fit2Fat brand created by Drew Manning, the author of the bestselling Fit2Fat2Fit book. The show is hosted by Russ Turley, Helana Brigman and Jeff Ainslie, experts on fitness and nutrition, who discuss natural health, fitness, nutrition, bio hacking and wellness. The hosts often focus on the science but don’t forget the psychological or emotional aspects, particularly when dealing with weight loss. New episodes are not being produced currently, but you can access archived past episodes.
Half Size Me
This podcast focusses on on helping people lose weight in a healthy and sustainable way. Host Heather Robertson interviews people about their weight loss programs, strategies and successes. Robertson herself lost 70 pounds over 5 years. She focuses on slow weight loss and a lifestyle that maintains a healthy weight. The podcast also features a ‘Ask Coach Heather’ session in which Robertson answers listeners questions.
TedTalks Health
The classic TED talks brand also hosts a a podcast on health issues. While this podcast focusses on a broad range of medical topics, it includes many fitness, nutrition and wellness subjects.
VEGETARIAN/VEGAN
No Meat Athlete Radio
Host Matt Frazier talks about vegan and vegetarian nutrition, running, athletic training, healthy lifestyle and changing habits. He interviews experts in these areas. Frazier has run several ultra-marathons and qualified for the Boston Marathon while fueled entirely by a vegan diet. His podcast is popular with athletes and runners who are wanting to make the switch to or maintain a plant-based diet.
Realize Yourself Podcast
In this weekly podcast, clinical nutritionist and author Kimberly Snyder discusses topics on health, beauty, fitness, emotional health, hydration, sleep, eating a plant-based diet and many more.
The Rich Roll Podcast
Host Rich Roll is an ultra-athlete, wellness expert and best-selling author who transformed himself from a standard couch potato into a vegan endurance athlete. Roll interviews athletes, nutrition and fitness experts, and others on his podcast who share advice and stories. He gets his interviewees to walk through the steps they took to find their own ‘personal best’ fit and healthy lifestyle to inspire listeners. Roll is the author of best-selling The Tale of the Unlikely Ultra Marathoner, which documents his personal transformation.
PALEO/LOW CARB
Balanced Bites:
This podcast covers a range of current topics in health and nutrition, with a focus on low-carb and grain-free Paleo diets. The podcast is hosted by Diane Sanfilippo, a Certified Nutrition Consultant and the bestselling author of Practical Paleo and The 21-Day Sugar Detox, together with Liz Wolfe, a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner and the author of Eat the Yolks. The hosts have a chatty, laidback style that is also highly informative for anyone curious about, or following, a low-carb and Paleo lifestyle.
The Paleo Solution Podcast:
This podcast, hosted by Robb Wolf, discusses topics and questions about Paleo, intermittent fasting, ketosis, fat-burning, training, longevity, nutrition, fitness and health. Wolf trained as a biochemist and was apowerlifting champion. He regularly interviews guests who are well known in the Paleo-sphere and fitness worlds.
Fat Burning Man
Hosted by Abel James, this podcast focuses on changing your body, mind and life with ‘cutting edge science and common-sense wisdom.’ James is a living example of his own philosophy, having lost 20 pounds in 40 days. He advocates Paleo and low-carb diets.
Bulletproof Radio
Many of you may be familiar with Dave Asprey as the creator of Bulletproof Coffee. Asprey has spent 15 years exploring the ideal diet for the human body and developing ‘hacks’ to lead to peak performance, both physical and mental. He dropped over 100 pounds while refining his approach to diet and fitness. Asprey interviews doctors, biochemists, Olympic nutritionists, meditation experts and others to tease out the methods, eating, fitness and hacks for re-wiring bodies, minds and lives. Asprey uses his podcast to answer the question: “What are the simplest things you can do to be better at everything?”
FITNESS
Marathon Training Academy
This podcast is all about running, particularly marathon running. Hosts Angie and Trevor Spencer are both marathon runners. Angie is also a registered nurse and certified running coach. The hosts offer advice on all aspects of running, such as the best way to fuel your body, dealing with injuries and compression clothing. They take direct questions from listeners.
Ben Greenfield Fitness
Ben Greenfield is a nutritionist, coach, Ironman participant and triathlete, with degrees in exercise physiology and biomechanics. He is widely considered an expert in training methods for elite athletes. Greenfield breaks these methods down for regular exercisers, discussing bio-hacks, workout routines, diet, fitness and other topics. He also talks about body biomechanics, with plans and strategies for getting fit or fitter.
Katy Says
The host of this podcast, coach Katy Bowman, has a unique approach to fitness. She has developed a system of what she calls ‘restorative exercise’ which deals with the body in a holistic way. Her method attempts to restore the natural body movements that humans experienced before they starting sitting at desks and on couches and having a modern lifestyle. Bowman also discusses healing from injuries and effective stretching.
Consider adding listening to a podcast to your daily life. I find podcasts add knowledge and inspiration to my life, and I don’t have to find extra time to listen as I can build them into my regular routine.
Email Liz at LizinBali@gmail.com
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