 "10 great health podcasts you might want to start 2020 with")
Earlier this month, LeBron James, an American basketball player and global sports icon, announced a tie-up with Calm, a meditation app, to record 10-minute audio segments promoting mental healthcare. In a 30-second commercial for Calm, James was heard saying: “What’s a strong body without a strong mind? We are so focussed on strength that we forget the strength in our focus. The mind is like a muscle. The more you train it, the stronger it becomes.” Indeed, over the past decade, audio segments and podcasts have become a vehicle for some of the latest and best in health information. There are podcasts about fitness, about diet, about medical conditions and their diagnoses. There are podcasts at the intersection between health and comedy, and there are podcasts to help you sleep your way to good health. [caption id=“attachment_7794981” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]
Representational image. Image source: Getty Images.[/caption] While we wait for LeBron James’ voice to rock us to sleep (the first audio segment drops next week), we put together a list of some of the most interesting health podcasts out there today. There’s a mix of serious and hilarious - so there’s something for everyone to love.
1. Inside health: BBC
Hosted by Dr Mark Porter, this podcast discusses topical health issues in lucid and concise terms. Given the volume of health news we encounter, the show acts as a wise filter separating the facts from the noise. The trusted BBC format makes this essential listening for all healthcare enthusiasts. Recent episodes have covered topics as varied as CBD oil, bats and rabies, and privacy issues involving genetics.
2. Living better, living longer: Harvard Health
This weekly podcast was started just this September. Harvard Medical School’s 11,000-member faculty are interviewed on pressing issues in the health sector and respond to questions and concerns posted by listeners on their website. Medical research and treatments are discussed but the show has more of a bent towards wellness; several episodes discuss what it means to be happy, its link to health and the mental aspect of a disease. If you would like to stay up-to-date about the most recent trends in wellness and healthcare, this is a good place to start.
3. Life kit: NPR
National Public Radio has subsumed a bunch of podcasts on expert life advice into Life Kit. Topics range from parenting, sleeping right, nutrition and medical breakthroughs. There is abundant advice on healthy, sustainable diets and explanations of the bad press received by carbohydrates. You will find content on making friends and maintaining friendships, as well as experts talking about mental health and the demands of modern life. This is a broad-based approach to health and one that will make you appreciate facets of life you may have previously neglected.
4. Fat burning man: Abel James
Abel James worked as a marketing executive in the food industry and witnessed the deception involved in selling products and the lies that are told to the public about what they put in their bodies. Disillusioned, and, in his own words, ‘flabby and overweight’, James made himself a ‘biohacker’ by trawling through research on losing weight and eating healthy. This is his account on how he went from being overweight to fit, and everything he learnt on the way. Episodes often involve guests who have made a similar journey, and you would find it relatable if you have faced obesity or eating disorders. A bonus is the ‘Wild Diet’ that James preaches. The claim is that you can lose weight without compromising on the food you love - provided it is cleanly sourced wholesome food - not processed items marketed by the food industry.
5. The pet doctor: Pet Life Radio
Dr Bernadine Cruz hosts this podcast that has been running since 2008. It is a treasure trove of information on your pet’s health covering everything from diarrhoea to pruning their nails. Dr Cruz emphasises the need to monitor your pet’s health as you would your own. Keep a tab on their diet, weight and check for lumps. As a professional herself, she stresses that the podcast is not a substitute for visiting the vet. Regular veterinary visits are crucial to the health of your pet so that early warning signs can be detected.
6. The nutrition diva’s quick and dirty tips for eating well and feeling fabulous: Monica Reinagel
If you struggle with making healthy choices, especially where food is concerned, then The Nutrition Diva is what - or rather who - you need in your life. Host Monica Reinagel’s idea of taking the stress out of eating while sorting through all the conflicting data available on diets is utterly relatable. Whether she’s talking about meal replacement powders or the double dopamine effect to reduce cravings, you know you will have a good time while learning how to sort out your own life. Her most recent podcast on how to enjoy the festive season without your diet going completely off the rails is so practical that you’ll end up applying those three tricks she shares throughout the year to manage your cravings (yes, even when Holi and Diwali are upon us!).
7. The hilarious world of depression: John Moe
Is it therapy or is it a stand-up comedy? This podcast is both, because all the comics who host the show, including John Moe, have lived with depression and understand just how isolating it can be. Their podcasts are no substitute for medical treatment which you might need if you have clinical depression and not everything you hear might apply to you. But some of it might, and you will feel like a part of a community that’s going through something similar. This is especially true in the case of the recent episode where listeners from across the world pitched in to share the lies their depression told them and deceived them with. Now if that doesn’t make you feel a little better understood then what will?
8. Diet starts tomorrow: Betches Media
Hosted by the co-founders of Betches media, Aleen Kuperman and Samantha Fishbein, this podcast caters to everything from diet to wellness to mental health issues of women in the Instagram era. In a time where looking perfect is everything, the duo shuns popular trends (based on scientific facts) and focuses on the importance of self-care instead. The podcast also answers questions from viewers (both health-related and image issues) and occasionally brings in experts to explain ways to opt routines that cater to both your physical and mental health. And the best part is probably the way it makes you realise that it’s okay to slip at times, you are not alone and a lot of women are in the same situations as you. While it might not help much, it definitely creates a sense of community you can relate to.
9. Stuff mom never told you
In their podcasts, the hosts Anney and Samantha talk about issues every woman today feels very deeply about by inculcating research-based discussions around feminism and how it impacts the everyday life of women. Their conversations include every sort of social and cultural stereotypes women face, from the value attached to virginity to how women astronauts (and other pioneers) were left off of major global projects. These podcasts embrace womanhood, debunk myths around women that have lasted centuries, and also help women deal with the emotional baggage they are burdened with by the world.
10. Sex with Emily
Who doesn’t want to have better sex? It’s fun, promotes good health, can bring you closer to your partner, reduces stress - and that’s only the beginning. And if you’re completely honest with yourself, you’d know that you don’t have it all figured out when it comes to your sex life - we can all do with a little bit of help in some areas. Dr Emily Morse talks about everything you could ever think of when it comes to sexual intimacy and satisfaction on this podcast… And many more things that you definitely wouldn’t have thought of but are happier to know more about now. For more information, please read our article on Health Tips _._ Health articles in Firstpost are written by myUpchar.com, India’s first and biggest resource for verified medical information. At myUpchar, researchers and journalists work with doctors to bring you information on all things health.