Who Do You Trust for Health Advice?

 

Health gurus come and go. Here is a former fat girl and health coaches’ list of online health advice you can actually trust.

Did you see Greatist’s list of 100 most influential people in health and fitness? As a former fat girl and health coach, I was excited by some of the people listed.

I’m not talking about popular figures on TV, such as Michelle Obama, Dr. Oz, and Dr. Sanjay Gupta. Or, the no-brainers like Jillian Michaels, Bob Harper and Shaun T. After all, some of those folks have more staying power than others (and I am ALL about sustainability).

Some of the people on the list are questionable, such as Gwyneth Paltrow and Bethenny Frankel. When it comes to health and fitness, I am not about to follow an actor or reality show star. I would caution folks to take these womens’ advice with a grain of salt. I mean, really, who wants to take advice from a woman who wears her pre-schooler’s pajamas? Or, who won’t stop talking about the benefits of vaginal steaming?

Here are my thoughts on the exciting people on the list whose work I have read, who I follow, or who I unashamedly admire.

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Mark Bittman

Anyone who adopts a more flexible approach to diet and eating has my vote, also called Flexitarian. Bittman wrote great information on the benefits of being vegan before 6 (VB6). While veganism is a challenge I am not yet ready for, I can appreciate that he understands that challenge and tries to meet his readers halfway by advocating a partial conversion to the vegan lifestyle. He even includes some basic recipes that anyone can follow.

Gary Taubes

Growing up as a child of the 80’s, I am no stranger to the low-fat diet craze. I can remember scarfing down low-fat Snackwell’s cookies by the handful. It wasn’t until I started exploring how to get the most calorie bang for my buck that I practiced Taubes’ principal ideas.

For example, I understood early in my weight loss efforts that nutrient-empty foods such as Jello and rice cakes were not for me. Foods that leave you hungry are a waste of daily calorie intake.

You may have seen his book, The Case Against Sugar, or Why we Get Fat. Yes, we have all heard about the dangers of sugar, especially in regards to inflammation. In fact, this family decided to quit sugar for a year. You can read more about their story here.

Personally, I do not agree that sugar is the root of all evil. However, Taube’s message resonates with a good majority of the public, and has exposed some of the myths behind nutrition in an easy-to-understand way.

Michael Pollan

I can guarantee you have seen at least one quote from Pollan. The most popular is “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants”.

This single phrase shows a food philosophy that is refreshingly simple. As the author of 9 books, his ideas might be simple, but they are absolutely profound in a culture that has forgotten where food comes from. Sometimes, simple solutions are the best ones.

Tosca Reno

As a subscriber to Oxygen magazine, I see Tosca everywhere. She is the eat-clean queen who dropped a significant amount of weight, and sports muscles to be proud of, all after the age of 40. She is a great role model for all of the baby boomers who feel it’s too late to get fit and eat healthy.

Travis Stork

An ER doctor turned TV host on The Doctors, Travis penned several books about weight loss. While I could connect with his Midwestern challenge with reducing meat and cheese consumption, I wasn’t sure how his medical career led to his current trajectory. It’s hard not to like the guy, though, and his advice is sound.

Wellness Mama Katie

Wellness Mama is one of the first blogs I found that inspired me to blog. Katie’s ideas of wellness cross over into a variety of disciplines outside of weight loss, but I appreciate her overall approach to healthy living. She has a huge following online, and she and I even appeared on a top 100 list together (see more below).

It should be stated that many influencers who started their platform around healthy living often transition into more holistic lifestyles, which open up green cleaning, reducing toxins and pesticides in the home, and seasonal health. This is a natural transition as they become more savvy. To learn the difference between health and wellness coaching, read here.

Neghar Fonooni

I follow Neghar on Eat, Lift and Be Happy mostly because I enjoy her thoughtful questions and discussions around body image. She has a fitness level I yearn for, but she also balances it with an empowering message that speaks to me. Plus, who can argue with lifting more weights?

Tom Venuto

I first discovered Tom over 5 years ago, and I still feel that the principles behind his Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle program are the best I have found for my own personal success. You don’t have to be an aspiring bodybuilder to benefit from his advice. He offers an inner circle with several challenges throughout the year. Here is my video review of BFFM.

Richard Simmons

Sweating to the Oldies was a staple in my mom’s house. A bigtime fan of oldies music, she wanted a workout that was fun without being overwhelming. After some failed attempts at Cindy Crawford and Tony Little, she seized upon “The Weight Saint” Simmons. I will never forget dancing it up with my mom in our living room to Simmons’ unique burst of motivating energy. He is pivotal to my own interest in fitness from a younger age, and dancing is one of the great joys in my life.

It is nearly impossible to frown while dancing. Am I right?

Jen Sinkler

I was pumped to see a local Minneapolis woman on this list! As the owner of the Movement, Jen focuses on explosive lifting instead of cardio. While her techniques may be a bit advanced for me, I have found my greatest success after I started lifting heavier weights. Plus, I used to train at the Movement with Megan K Fitness.

As with any list, it is important to understand who made the list and why. I was excited about the people above because are ones I trust when it comes to my own health.

I was surprised the list did not include some other favorites of mine, such as Meg O’Rourke of Diet Busters, Chris Freytag of GetHealthyU,  or Leah Segedie of Mamavation. I was shocked to appear on Mamavation’s list of 100 top wellness blogs (with Katie!)

By the way, as an avid reader and proud bookworm, don’t forget to check out 10 Books that will change your life, authored by some of Greatist’s top 100 list.

I may be a bit biased (guilty), but my favorite book to really embrace your lifestyle shifts is called The Art of Weight Maintenance. Written by Heather Robertson of Half Size Me, this is an e-book dedicated to not just losing weight, but also maintaining it. Heather really raised the bar by including 6 hours of audio interviews at the time you download the book!

As a featured interviewee, I can offer you a special discount code. Grab the book and interviews for less than $10 with code “jennbook2016”.

Do you want to improve your health this year? I created a FREE Facebook group to get you the accountability you NEED. No sweaty selfies, screaming, or excuses are allowed in this supportive and cozy community. Plus, there are daily prompts to help you achieve your boldest health goals.

You must be willing to share in discussions and finally embrace body bliss to join. Click here to join Weight no More, the premier Facebook community for product-free health advice you can trust.

Who else would you nominate as an influential person in health? I would love to hear in the comments who you trust when it comes to health advice.