15 Healthy Living Podcasts We Love

Now that we’ve been doing our own, we have a new appreciation for all things podcasting. And, probably, a bit of an obsession with podcasts. They’re just so darn fun and enlightening to listen to. They turn any mundane commute or drive into “me time” and any long workout into time really, really well spent. (Learn, laugh and get inspired while you move? Two fit birds, one stone, my friends.) Heck, they can even make cleaning the house more fun. Seriously!

So, besides listening to ours (hint, hint — get it here!), here are each of our top five podcasts. They’re mostly about healthy stuff, but we all throw in a few extras. If we love ’em, we figure you might enjoy them, too!

Kristen’s 5 Favorite Healthy Living Podcasts

No Meat Athlete: I met Matt Frazier of No Meat Athlete a couple of years ago at the Runners’ World Half Marathon and Festival, but honestly, I was a fan of the site and the idea long before that. In the podcast, he and Doug Hay (more on him in a minute) chat about running, cooking, the vegetarian/vegan lifestyle, and more. They have great interviews, and there’s always a good takeaway. If you’re familiar at all with the NMA site, you can expect the same types of goodies in your ears with the podcast.

Trail Talk: So, I mentioned Doug above, and in addition to the work he does with NMA, he also has his own site, Rock Creek Runner, and the Trail Talk podcast. These eps are geared toward pretty good running geeks, and they’re packed with great tips and tricks for ultramarathon training, making the best use of aid stations, nutrition for running and injury prevention. It just makes me want to get out on the trails so badly!

Rich Roll: You might already be familiar with Rich Roll’s inspiring story (and if not, take a few minutes to read it now), or maybe you’ve even read his book, but if you haven’t listened to his incredibly popular podcast yet, you’re in for a treat. Yes, yes, this is yet another vegan ultra-runner — apparently my podcast tastes are a bit specific — but Rich talks to some amazing athletes (Dean Karnazes! Kerri Walsh Jennings!), as well as a wide variety of health and fitness experts so you’re always going to come away a little more knowledgeable than you were at the start.

Million$: I’m going to cheat a bit here, because my next two don’t really fall squarely into the healthy living space, but a healthy lifestyle is all about balance, right? And my life is filled with lots of different but equally important parts, one of them being, you know, this here business. So I absolutely love tuning into Forbes’ podcast about women entrepreneurs — they share their stories about how their businesses came about, how they got funding, the challenges they faced, how they celebrated their successes … it’s just awesome and leaves me thinking, “Yeah, I’ve GOT this.”

Hidden Brain: NPR is one of the great loves of my life (stop, I’m aware that I’m the coolest girl you’ve ever met already, you don’t have to go on), and this podcast from NPR investigates unconscious patterns that influence our behavior. Like, did you put on the pants you’re wearing today because they’re comfortable? Stylish? Or was there another reason involved that … maybe you didn’t know anything about? These decisions affect our relationships, our jobs, even our workouts — so I feel like the more I understand about this stuff, the more power I have over making deliberate, healthy choices.

Jenn’s 5 Favorite Healthy Living Podcasts

Untangled: If Kristen loves to listen to podcasts about running, then I’m a sucker for meditation and self help. And this podcast is a little bit of both. Created by Meditation Studio, I actually first learned of this podcast by being a guest (ep 30), but I fell in love with it because the interviews they do and the stories they tell are just so rich, authentic and real. It gives you all the feels, in a really good way.

The Truth Barrel: What happens when you put Rolling Stone contributing editor and author of the best-sellers The Game and The Truth, Neil Strauss, and former pro volleyball star, NBC’s Strong host, and model Gabrielle Reece together? Deep conversations. Inspired by their own post-workout convos held in Reece’s 220-degree barrel sauna and plunges in a metal bath filled with ice, this podcast goes into all kinds of interesting topics. It’s life’s biggest lessons and some incredible stories, all told by sweating it out.

Make Your Body Work: You guys know that we love Dave and that he’s actually been on our show, but if you’re wanting to lose weight in the New Year — and want real non-gimmicky advice on what really works — Dave is your man. And his show is always enlightening.

Jillian’s Podcast: If you ever wished you could kick it with Jillian Michaels on the reg and get not only her best advice but the scoop on what’s going on in her life, this podcast would be it. And, you guys know how we feel about Jillian!

Making Oprah: What do you know … another NPR podcast made the list!And this is only a three-part series, but, guys, it’s so good. I was hipped to it by Tish — we’re both uber Oprah fans and this is just fascinating stuff. (Oprah, call us, please! We want you on our podcast, too!)

Margo’s 5 Favorite Healthy Living Podcasts

Sleep With Me: As a lifelong, chronic bad sleeper/insomniac I appreciate the thought behind this podcast. Host Drew Ackerman (“Dearest Scooter”) creates three shows per week that consist of interesting stories and intricate flights of fancy designed to lull you into a lovely slumber. Having trouble getting to sleep? Put this podcast on and enjoy drifting off to La La Land!

Balanced Bites: Hosted by Diane Sanfilippo and Liz Walsh, this show is a fun and informative look at food, fitness and nutrition that makes you feel as if you are eavesdropping on two people who really know their stuff. Every week they tackle a new subject and interview experts in health and wellness, while trading hilarious stories. This was my “go-to” show when I decided to go Paleo, and I appreciate their insight and smarts.

Happier with Gretchen Rubin: Gretchen Rubin is a bestselling author (The Happiness Project changed my life!) who co-hosts this show with her sister Elizabeth Craft (a television writer and producer). They created Happier as a way to bond each week and offer ideas on how to achieve more happiness and develop better habits to make life less stressful. Looking to be a little more joyful? Try this show!

You Must Remember This: This is the one show that makes me squeal with delight when I see a new episode ready to download. Host Karina Longworth is a longtime Los Angeles-based film critic and writer who has a huge amount of admiration of old time Hollywood movie stars and classic films. If you do as well — be sure to check out this podcast.

Book Vs. Movie: Allow me to be a tad self-indulgent here, but in addition to the FBG podcast, I also co-host a podcast with my good friend Margo Porras (yes, we are both named Margo!). Each episode we pick a film that was adapted from a book and then we dive into both and decide which we liked better. This is a total labor of love and past shows include The Devil Wears Prada, Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix, Mary Poppins and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

What are your favorite healthy living podcasts? Or just podcasts in general? —Jenn, Kristen and Margo