Podcasts are my life. I listen to them when I shower, during walks, and on the way to work/school and back. These podcasts are the ones that make me sit in the car for an extra 15 minutes after getting home just so I can hear the end.
True Crime
- Serial:
Season 1 of Serial was the first true crime podcast that I had ever listened to and it remains my absolute favorite. Sara Koenig is not a true-crime reporter, which makes the way that she tells the stories that much more interesting. She presents supporting and negating information, remaining an impartial source of info throughout the podcasts.
- Undisclosed:
After listening to season 1 of Serial, I decided to give Undisclosed a try because I wanted SO MUCH MORE information about Adnan and the evidence presented in his case. There is something so soothing about Rabia's voice to me (I even purchased her book, Adnan's Story: The Search for Truth and Justice After Serial, via audiobook so that I could hear more of her voice lol)- I really enjoy the personalities/input of Susan and Colin, as well. They go into the evidence in such depth that I feel like they are teaching me how to be a world class detective. If you are interested in the logistics of the law as well as following along with true crime stories, you will thoroughly enjoy this podcast.
- Up and Vanished:
Payne Lindsey rocks, point blank. DON'T start googling too much about this one because as the podcast unfolds, the alleged perpetrators of the crime are actually arrested and charged... how's that for a twist and win for podcast journalism?!
- In the Dark:
I am still anxiously awaiting season 2... which has been in the works for quite some time, BUT, season 1 was nothing short of amazing. A young boy from a very small town goes missing one night after riding his bike to the local store to pick up a movie with a few friends. Crimes that occur in small, "safe" towns are always so fascinating to me.
- Sworn:
This is the sister podcast to Up and Vanished. Instead of covering one story, Philip Holloway creates 1-2 podcasts that cover stories that have yet to be completely solved and come across as somewhat controversial. Topics range from disappearances to murders without a suspected killer to cases that have raised a lot of suspicion and controversy.
- Dirty John:
Ok, this podcast is TRUE and gave me the heebie-jeebies every step of the way. It's one of those podcasts where the villain is quickly revealed thanks to the title, but the story is told in such a way that leaves you questioning everything you think you know and really empathizing with the victim and her family.
- Real Crime Profile:
Laura Richards (criminal behavior analyst), Jim Clemente (retired FBI profiler and writer/producer of Criminal Minds), & Lisa Zambetti (casting director for Criminal Minds) discuss various crimes- what happened, why it might have happened, how it could have possibly been prevented, etc. I really appreciate the way the team is able to tell a great story while also providing practical information. One of my favorite things about this podcast is all of the REAL information and sources that they link in the episode notes for those struggling with similar experiences or those who just would like to further their knowledge about the true crime topic.
Wellness
- Nourishing Women Podcast:
While True Crime is my favorite category, this podcast itself is my favorite of all time. Meg and Victoria are Integrative Registered Dietitians who are freakin' hilarious and make you feel like you're there laughing in the room with them. They talk about all things wellness, focusing on particular aspects that many women struggle with that a lot of modern medicine does not address. Their tagline is "healthy living without obsession" and every single one of their podcasts really envelops this.
- Straight Up Paleo:
No, I am not "paleo". Yes, this podcast is AMAZING regardless of what foods you choose to eat. Christina and Kara empower their listeners not to eat the way they eat or believe what they believe, but to give their listeners facts about foods as well as have experts in the field come speak with them about diet trends, etc.
- Wellness Realness with Christina Rice:
Same Christina from the Straight Up Paleo podcast- I love her. She is unbelievably real and open with her listeners about health/wellness/blogging and so much more. This is the podcast that I like to listen to on long walks when I just feel like I want good vibes and quality information.
- The Health Code:
Okay, I am a HUGE fan of Sarah's Day on Youtube, so when she and her boyfriend, Kurt, came out with a podcast, I was beyond excited. I mean, honestly, I could listen to their Australian accent allllllll day. So far, they only have out 3 podcasts so far, but I really enjoy it already. Their personalities mesh together so well and I feel like I am in the room with two friends chatting about healthy hacks, training tips, lifestyle and relationship banter. Can't wait to listen to more episodes!
- The Chasing Joy Podcast:
Georgie, behind the init4thelongrun Instagram and blog, discusses tons of wellness topics. I love her vibe, her guests, and her positive perspective on life. Two thumbs up from me!
- The No Diet Podcast
Mark Ritz answer questions about the hottest "fad" topics in the nutrition industry like "What protein powder should I take?" & "What should I look out for in my deodorant?", as well as discuss topics like digging beneath the nutrition label and actually looking at the ingredients. I feel enlightened every time I listen to them and really respect their opinions. Always a great, quick listen.
Science
- Talk Nerdy:
With topics ranging from psychology to computer science to physics to bioinformatics, this podcast really has topics for everyone with an interest in science. Cara Santa Maria, the host, has a new guest each podcast to discuss a topic in which they specialize, and they discuss the topics intelligently yet casually, making for a pleasant listening experience. Melissa Dahl's episode about her book, "Cringeworthy: A Theory of Awkwardness," (episode 201) is one of my personal favs and one of the topics that made me really connect with the physics of sound waves when studying for the MCAT- learning is so much easier when you can find SOMETHING interesting about the topic to make you want to genuinely understand the information.
- TEDTalks Science & Medicine:
TED talks specific to science and medicine- need I say more? I just love TED talks.
Medical
- Mini Medical School for the Public:
While the name is a bit misleading (I feel that it implies you will be learning med school topics), this podcast moreso consists of recorded live lectures from leaders in the medical field. I would consider the most of the episodes to be more of medical-TED-talk-esque than a mini medical school. They also have ~3 minute episodes that go over things like "What is a Stroke?", "Signs of Sciatica", "Types of Cholesterol", etc., but I prefer listening to the talk videos. With that being said, I LOVE the information provided. They talk about topics that I think are SO important in the ever-evolving medical field, and even if you aren't interested in medicine, I think that some of the episodes would still be a great listen.
- JAMA Clinical Reviews:
I love this podcast for interviews with experts in their respective fields about the latest clinical reviews, which is super helpful if you don't have time to read the entire paper but would like an easy way to keep up-to-date with the current recommendations and possible innovations in clinical practice.
- JAMA Medical News:
Different than the above podcast, this one is more of a discussion about advances or needed advances in the fields of clinical research, biomedical science, public health, and public health policy. Some topics discussed include: "Training Physicians about Nutrition," "Researching Nondrug Approaches to Pain Management," & "The Human Diagnosis Project."
- EM Clerkship- Emergency Medicine for Students:
Although I am obviously not yet a medical student, I find the information in this podcast super interesting- perhaps because I used to work in the ER and appreciate a deeper explanation of things that I thought I understood for the most part. The host, Zack Olson, MD, discusses the topics in a way that is both interesting and understandable. The episodes are short- 10 minutes max- which I appreciate, because I feel like he efficiently boils down the topic to the main points.
Miscellaneous
- TED Talks Daily:
I listen to both the TED Talks specific to science and medicine, as well as the daily talks because the topics that I learn about via TED Talks Daily are topics that I personally would never have picked out to listen to otherwise- part of what I think is so great about them.
- S-Town:
I wouldn't categorize this podcast as a "True Crime" but, I mean, it kind of is? It is moreso a biography of the main character's life. When I was listening to S-Town, I felt personally involved in so much of the story because of the way that it's told, which is one of my favorite things about a podcast.
- The Essential Oil Revolution:
If you follow me on social media, you know that I LOVE my essential oils, and I love learning more and more about them whenever possible. Cue this amazing essential oil podcast where the host, Samantha Lee Wright, discusses essential oil uses, applications, and science with various guests who specialize in the topic of interest. She provides SO much great essential oil info, and I highly recommend checking out this podcast if you have an interest in oils.
What are ya'lls favorite podcasts? I would love to know!
xx Alexis