I am a bit late to the podcast world as I only really started to appreciate them when the pandemic hit. By then, I significantly increased the amount of outdoor walks around the city as there was little else to do with shops closed and social activities cancelled. Walking outdoors though always seemed a bit boring to me and walking without a purpose was not really motivating enough to get my ass outside. That’s when I discovered that podcasts exist that can literally change your life to the better in a short afternoon stroll. When I reframed ‘walking outdoors’ to ‘listening to podcasts while bringing some movement to the body’ I suddenly felt much more motivated to put on my walking shoes.
Podcasts are a wonderful and often free resource to get inspired, motivated and learn about healthier habits by listening to experts in nutrition, life coaching or productivity. But sometimes I also appreciate the insights that come from humans just learning to deal with difficult situations that were thrown in their direction.
So without further ado, here are my top 3 podcasts I recommend listening to for life advice, inspiration and health hacks:
- On purpose, Jay Shetty
Jay Shetty is the incarnation of self development and purposeful living. Not surprisingly, his podcast is the top health podcast in the world. Why? Because he combines his life wisdom with vulnerable interviews and reflections. This is one of my favourite podcasts to tune in when I am in need of a little boost, when I feel like I need to deal with impactful life changes or when I am cleaning the house and need to urgently distract my mind from the boring work ahead. On purpose leaves you with this cosy blanket feeling that we all need once in a while. My favourite episodes include the interviews with Priyanka Chopra Jones, Gwyneth Paltrow and of course the epic Mel Robbins.
- The doctor’s farmacy – Dr Mark Hyman
A note ahead of this particular one: I am not a particular fan of dr. Mark’s diet books and I haven’t looked into them yet. As many of you know I am a happy vegetarian and I am not particularly interested in incorporating meat in my diet any time soon. However, I occasionally find some hidden gems in his podcasts. Specifically, I learned things about how our body works, gut health, hormone imbalance and so many more that nobody has ever told me before. I found knowledge where regular medicine has failed me and I came to realise the importance to be more mindful about what we are putting into our bodies. Why does this stand out? Because the connection of different body organs, health issues and root causes of diseases are explored and easily explained. And because you will learn the surprising connection between gut health and depression and anxiety, or that the root cause of skin issues are often found within what you eat. My favourite episode is the one with Jessie Inchauspé, aka the glucose goddess, where the relationship between blood sugar spikes and our health are explained.
- Feel better live more – Dr Chatterjee
Another health podcast Laura? Yes indeed it is, but this one is a combination of health + mindset + habits all around podcast. I added this one very new to my favourite podcast selection because sometimes the episodes can be too long for my outdoor walk. But if your 2023 new year resolution includes living healthier, this is the podcast for you. Dr. Chatterjee is kind enough to include ‘bitesize’ knowledge into his repertoire that makes the digestion of the information significantly easier (and faster). One of my favourite episodes include the discussion with Lisa Bilyeu and the science of intermittent fasting with dr Jason Fung.
I am off to my next outdoor walk, but I hope that you find these podcasts as insightful and inspiring as me. And if you came across an amazing podcast recently, feel free to share it with me!
PS. If you wondering where to listen to podcast, I personally enjoy the Pocket Casts app
