1 PubMed
2 examine . com
3Trainers of
trainers
4 Podcasts
5 Certified , educated professionals
Health & Wellness
Where NOT to get your health and wellness info
¬ ¬ Most mainstream monthly magazines and tabloids
¬ ¬ Television variety shows ¬ ¬ Social media celebrities ¬ ¬ Hollywood celebrities ¬ ¬ Facebook stars
¬ ¬ Individuals who are selling a product
take to Facebook , SnapChat and Instagram and deliver advice in the absence of certifications or specialist education . Perhaps the least trustworthy sources for health and fitness info , these Instastars tend to promote what they want you to see or buy . Many are driven by the need to gain ‘ likes ’ and affiliate sales .
If so much of what is served to us is biased , where can we get transparent information regarding fitness , health and nutrition ? Here are a few starting points :
1 PubMed
The PubMed website is run by the National Center for Biotechnology ( BCNI ) and is the world ’ s leading database of scientific studies that entirely follow scientific methods . With more than 27 million citations and tens of millions of studies , PubMed is an excellent source . www . ncbi . nlm . nih . gov / pubmed
2 examine . com
This independent nutrition supplement website is not-for-profit and free of outside influence , sponsorships or funding from supplement or nutrition companies . www . examine . com
3Trainers of
trainers
There are lots of fitness trainers out there , and many can get certified in fitness courses in as few as two to three days . But there are not many trainers of trainers . These individuals usually have to be accredited through international organizations and tend to be under a higher level of scrutiny by their peers , because they teach courses or workshops to large groups of people with some existing health knowledge . It is still important , however , to check whether the person in question is motivated to sell you something or not , if he or she is too fixated on any particular idea , and if the trainer seems closed to valid critiques of his or her beliefs .
4 Podcasts
iTunes has thousands of podcasts , and a large number of them center on health and exercise . But , just as with Insta-celebs , some podcasters concentrate on pushing ideas in favor of their biases or in promotion of products . To filter out the unreliable sources , start by looking for podcasts that have a significant number of guests and a variety of views being expressed with each episode . For example , if you only listen to Paleo diet podcasts , you will hear information that supports the host ’ s bias that “ paleo is best ,” instead of getting the full picture . Here are some of my favorite podcasts :
Exercise focus :
¬ ¬ Joe DeFranco ’ s Industrial Strength Show
¬ ¬ Barbell Shrugged ¬ ¬ The FitCast Podcast
Lifestyle and wellness focus : ¬ ¬ The Model Health Show
¬ ¬ Found My Fitness with Dr . Rhonda Patrick
¬ ¬ The thriveLIFE Podcast ( my personal podcast )
Nutrition focus : ¬ ¬ The Mike Dolce Show
¬ ¬ Sigma Nutrition radio
5 Certified , educated professionals
I was once hired to go into one of the largest gym chains in Bangkok to run a seminar for their training staff . When I asked how many were certified , only two out of 18 raised their hands . Here in Thailand , the majority of trainers working in gyms are not properly certified .
Look in your area for local pros who can help you find the answers you need . Those who may be able to help include dietitians , internationally-certified personal trainers , registered nutritionists , and registered physiologists . But make sure these individuals are certified through official means .
As with all things , be sure to keep an open mind whenever you are approaching a new learning experience . Listen to a number of sources and seek out professionals with a message that resonates with you . You can also visit my website at www . roralexander . com to read my blog and listen to my podcast where I try to bring you up-to-date , non-biased health and fitness information . There are new episodes every two weeks , with special guests from all over the world .
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
A native of Canada , Ror is a fitness , nutrition and lifestyle specialist living in Bangkok . His expansive knowledge in exercise , nutrition and highperforming lifestyles comes via his world travels and his experiences living in five countries . Ror is the host of the new thriveLIFE Podcast and runs a new boutique called thriveLIFE Studios in Bangkok ( Bang Chak BTS ). You can follow Ror on Facebook , YouTube , Instagram , and you can also follow his blog on www . RorAlexander . com
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