When I first jumped into the podcasting world back in the Summer 2006 as part of a collaboration called “The Health Hacks Podcast” (now defunct), I didn’t have any idea what I was getting myself into. Sure, I’d had some minor broadcasting experience working in Christian radio in the 1990′s, but I had no formal training in how to properly speak for “radio” and very little technical knowledge with audio recording equipment, microphones, and editing software. All I had was a passionate desire to get the message out about what healthy low-carb living has done for me and what it can do for others. That’s one of the reasons why Kevin Kennedy-Spaien originally approached me about doing 5-minute segments for this new show he teamed up with Chris Brogran to create and produce. In a very short amount of time, Kevin wrote to me and said the response to my portion of the show was so overwhelmingly positive that he invited me to create my own podcast which he would produce where I could share much more in-depth about the philosophies of carbohydrate-restriction as it relates to weight loss, health, and countering the low-fat culture that exists today. The result of that was the formation of “The Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore” in October 2006. And the rest, they say, is history.
When my show went LIVE for the first time, the presence of “low-carb” podcasts was very minimal to say the least. The top-rated ones included The Low Carb Lifestyle Podcast by Diana Schnuth and the Atkins All The Way Weekly Wrapup by Brian Zimmerman. But by December 2006, both of these podcasts had recorded their final episodes. Despite seeing tremendous success at my blog over the previous year, as a newbie to this format I wondered if my show would be able to sustain an audience who would care about the message of livin’ la vida low-carb or not. Over four years later, I’d say the answer to that is a resounding YES! And the best part about having a successful show like mine is the reverberating effect it has on others who want to try their hand at doing it themselves. I’ve often said to people who claim they don’t have anything more to add to the low-carb community than what I’m already doing–start your own low-carb blog, podcast, YouTube videos, or whatever you are good at doing to help educate and encourage the world in their pursuit of long-term weight loss and, more importantly, optimal health. Not everyone will listen to my podcast or read my blog, so we need more people out there providing a fresh voice so that we can reach many more people with the low-carb message. In 2011, I’m so happy to see this happening at an incredible rate with all the new podcasters who have joined the conversation.
Here are the top 10 health podcasts EVERY low-carber should be listening to:
1. The Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf
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What more can I say about this podcast from one of the true giants in the Paleolithic/low-carb movement? From day one, Robb Wolf has created a truly remarkable podcast with a fantastic Q&A format where he solicits questions from his listeners about diet, health, fitness and all the various nuances in between for an engagingly informative and entertaining show. The show is hosted by Andy Deas who banters back and forth with the bestselling author of the companion book The Paleo Solution: The Original Human Diet about what’s going on in their lives before they get into the nitty gritty of answering the tough questions that people are wondering about.
It’s no surprise to me why this podcast is in the Top 10 health shows on iTunes! Check out my recent “Encore Week” 2011 interview with Robb Wolf to get a taste of what this nutritional health superstar is all about.
2. Underground Wellness by Sean Croxton
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Yoooooooo! Speaking of health podcasting superstars, let’s give it up for my main man Sean Croxton. I remember first hearing about Sean several years ago when one of my podcast listeners told me about his very popular YouTube channel and I was like, “Whoa, who is this guy spouting such incredible nutritional truths?!” Now a whole lotta people know who he is and not just for his work on YouTube. Sean’s incredible podcast ranks in the Top 30 of Fitness & Nutrition podcasts (we usually swap positions in the rankings each week within just a few places of each other). He interviews all the biggest movers and shakers in the world of health, including a lot of guests who are all about the benefits of restricting carbohydrates and promoting the consumption of animal-based fats and proteins, including Gary Taubes, Dr. Bryan Walsh, Robb Wolf, Dr. Robert Lustig and many more. You can’t help but get sucked in by the tremendous energy that Sean exudes on his show as you’ll quickly sense in my own June 2009 interview with him. If you’re missing Underground Wellness, then you’re denying yourself the opportunity to expand your knowledge and understanding of healthy living. Peace!
3. Latest In Paleo Podcast (formerly This Week In Paleo) by Angelo Coppola
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Angelo Coppola is a relative newcomer to the Paleo/low-carb podcasting world having been doing this thing since August 2010. His show style is mostly definitely one-of-a-kind: talk about the most interesting Paleo headlines over the previous week, offer up some commentary about it interjecting personal stories from his own Paleo dieting experience, and give listeners information to chew on that will leave them satisfied and wanting more. That’s what he’s been giving people on his “This Week In Paleo” podcast heretofore–but now Angelo is aiming higher through his affiliation with the 5X5 Network to reach an even wider audience. Although his podcast has experienced unprecedented growth in listeners landing him in the Top 50 of Nutrition & Fitness podcasts, this change will definitely give Angelo even more leverage to get the message out even further. Although the name has changed to the “Latest In Paleo Podcast,” rest assured the incredible format and Angelo’s trademark style will remain the same. Listen to this golden-voiced podcaster in my January 2011 interview with him.
4. Carbohydrates Can Kill by Dr. Robert Su
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I remember meeting up with Dr. Robert Su in Virginia while visiting my in-laws there and we had a very nice conversation over lunch about his desire to do a local radio show in the Hampton Roads area. I could tell he had a sense of passion and desire to get the word out about carbohydrate-restriction when I interviewed him in Episode 249 in April 2009. He asked me for my advice and I highly recommended he start his own podcast–and so he did. Through the help of my producer Kevin, Dr. Su has been up and running conducting all sorts of interviews with people in the low-carb community, including his “Roundtable Discussion” shows where he invites several low-carbers to come on the show at the same time to talk about their experiences on the low-carb lifestyle. This medical doctor is eager for others to find out the truth about carbohydrate restriction and how it can help to improve health and produce weight loss. I’m grateful to have people like him on our side articulating the benefits of this way of eating.
5. My Low Carb Journey by Hank Garner
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Another rising star amongst the low-carb podcasting ranks is this one from Hank Garner. Hank is your average, everyday good guy who decided to begin his own low-carb journey to better health and has the weight loss to show for it. He took a rather unorthodox path to sharing about his love for low-carb living by starting a podcast FIRST. Most people usually begin with a blog and build a podcast or YouTube channel from there. But not Hank. This guy is blessed with God-given charm, a natural warmth, and an inquisitive mind that brings out the best answers from his interview guests. I’ll be interviewing Hank on my podcast later this year, but he’s doing outstanding work with his own podcast so far. I’ve told him he’s light years ahead of where I was when I first began podcasting. This seasoned pro can only continue to get better and better from here attracting some of the biggest names the world of low-carb!
6. Our Natural Life by Jon and Cathy Payne
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The “real food” movement has taken off like a space shuttle over the past couple of years thanks in part to the fabulous books written about it by Michael Pollan as well as the impact of the hit documentary film Food, Inc. This has heavily influenced a lot of people to begin to closely examine their own lifestyle choices to move towards a more healthy, whole foods dietary approach that features the best nutritional profile possible. That’s precisely what happened with Jon and Cathy Payne who self-describe themselves as “agripreneurs” owning a farm themselves to produce the freshest, highest quality food for themselves. This delightful couple has a way of mesmerizing you into listening to their every word and that’s a good thing since they’re spreading the truth. Anyone who is into learning more about grass-fed meats, pastured eggs, raw milk, and all of the associated controversies surrounding real food will quickly find a home in the “Our Natural Life” podcast with two of the most endearing people you’ll ever meet! Listen to my March 2010 podcast interview to see what I’m talking about.
7. Healthy Mind – Fit Body by Kevin Koskella and Wes Bertrand
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What do you get when you cross a nutrition-minded certified personal trainer with a Type 1 diabetic counseling psychologist? It turns into a “Healthy Mind – Fit Body” book, blog and sensational podcast featuring Kevin Koskella and Wes Bertrand. I had these guys on my podcast last April because they’ve been putting out some of the most thought-provoking podcasts that’s a well-balanced mix of interviews, philosophical discussions, debates within the health blogosphere, and plenty of talk about the benefits of the healthy low-carb lifestyle. They’re really big advocates of this whole mind/body connection to attaining your perfect weight and talk about it regularly as a common theme on their show. They even interviewed me in February 2010 to discuss my low-carb path to success and these guys are real pros behind the microphone! If you ever need a good pick-me-up to awaken your dormant low-carb diet, then you should most definitely subscribe to the “Health Mind – Fit Body” podcast!
8. Everyday Paleo by Sarah Fragoso and Chrissy Gower
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As I’m writing this post about which health podcasts that every low-carber needs to be listening to, I couldn’t help but notice this brand new Paleo podcast which only started about a month ago with just a few episodes under their belt so far–and they’re already ranked amongst the top-rated, most-listened-to Health podcasts on iTunes landing a spot at #10! WOW–now that’s super-impressive (I’m green with envy)! The “Everyday Paleo” podcast is co-hosted by Sarah Fragoso (who will be appearing for an interview on my podcast later this year) and Chrissy Gower. These two Paleo have a lot of experience under their belts and have found their niche by answering questions about going Paleo while pregnant and then what to feed your child when you want to help them begin their own Paleo lifestyle. Nobody is really talking about this topic right now which may explain why their Q&A show format is so incredibly popular right off the bat. Anyone who is raising children and wants them to move more towards a Paleo/low-carb nutritional approach for optimal health should make this podcast a regular part of your listening pleasure!
9. Dana’s Low Carb For Life by Dana Carpender
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One of my favorite people in the entire world of low-carb living is none other than the “Queen of Low-Carb Cooking” herself, Dana Carpender. Dana is the New York Times bestselling author of a series of superb low-carb cookbooks that have shown up in the kitchens of low-carb enthusiasts around the world. She’s been a leading low-carb cheerleader for well over a decade and I’ve been bugging her to get her own podcast show for years. Her voice and personality make her ready-made for the podcasting format (see what I mean by listening to her in my July 2008 podcast interview with her) and she finally took me up on my gentle nudging at the beginning of 2011. Teaming her up with my own podcast producer Kevin, Dana is off and running with a pretty neat half-hour show featuring brief interviews with low-carb expert guests, answers to questions submitted by listeners, a segment with low-carb cooking tips, and a low-carb rant or two about the idiotic myths and news coverage about low-carb nutrition. Dana has been a regular part of our Annual Low-Carb Cruise the past few years and you can see up close and personal what makes her such a perfect role model and mentor for people interested in low-carb.
10. The Nutrition Diva’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Eating Well and Feeling Fabulous by Monica Reinagel
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And finally, last but most certainly not least is this whimsical and pithy podcast featuring a nutritionist named Monica Reinagel who appeared on my podcast way back in March 2008 (listen to Part 1 and Part 2) where I quickly noticed she had the chops to host her very own podcast. It seems I wasn’t the only one who thought that because about six months later she was dubbed the “Nutrition Diva” by the Quick and Dirty Tips web site to make her their official nutrition podcaster conducting weekly podcasts focusing on a specific topic covered in less than 10 minutes. Monica’s voice is tender yet authoritative with her background as a board-certified Licensed Nutritionist–so she has quite a bit of credibility for the information she puts out there. The best part is she’s no ordinary nutritionist, though. Take a listen to her show and you’ll quickly notice she abhors sugar, has disdain for vegetable oils, enjoys the health benefits of raw milk, promotes the healthy omega-3 fats in free-range eggs…sound familiar anyone? While she may not be a full-fledged low-carb activist, her podcast is reaching a ton of listeners right now landing at #8 in the Health podcasts category on iTunes. Monica is definitely well worth a listen and can be heard in the amount of time it takes for you to commute to work in the morning.
Those are the best of the best low-carb related health podcasts that you really should make an attempt to listen to as much as you can, but there are a few others worthy of mentioning that are on the brink of being a part of the elite podcasts when they show more consistency in providing new episodes: Primal Body Primal Mind by Nora Gedgaudas, The Low Carb Show Podcast by Mark Sage, The Low Carb Life by Brandon Cannon, and The Low Carbie Podcast by Shane Burgess. And if you have a desire to begin your own podcast about low-carbing in the real world, then I STRONGLY urge you to join the fray. I’d love to see 100 podcasts about low-carb on iTunes when the tide turns towards acceptance of carbohydrate-restriction in the coming years…and that day is coming a lot sooner than you think! If this is YOUR passion, then I’d love to help you get started doing that. Please e-mail me at livinlowcarbman@charter.net and I’ll offer any advice that I can as well as hooking you up with my producer Kevin Kennedy-Spaien from Disc Of Light Media who does both podcast producing and web site design. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
