Whether it’s glamorous photos of
spiced coconut spinach, the
scoop on savasana, or
motivation for marathon training, they’ve got it covered. This year, follow these 60 blogs for help staying fit, healthy, and happy in the real world.
News and Tips
1.
Fit-Bottomed Girls Take that,
Queen:
The Fit-Bottomed Girls offer advice on fitness and nutrition for women.
Dynamic duo Jennipher Walters and Erin Whitehead launched the site in
2007; today the blog features two more women who share clever insights
on everything from sports bras to Chipotle. And anyone that can fit
a review of The Biggest Loser and
an analysis of the fitness industry’s flaws in the same place is OK by us.
2.
NerdFitness You
are what you read, but here that might mean you’re a little healthier
and fitter. Steve Kamb wants readers to make daily progress toward
getting in shape. Obsessed with superheroes (
Lego people appear regularly on the site), Steve gives advice that helps normal folks work out, eat right, and gain self-confidence.
3.
Fitnessista
This site makes fitness approachable with tips from personal trainer
and nutritionist Gina. Posts range from photos of Gina’s baby girl and
fluffy dog to suggestions for using the “
scary cable pulley thing” at the gym. Readers can check in daily for recipes, new workout ideas, and honest accounts of real life.
4.
Well + Good NYC Purple cauliflower boosts
happiness. Some beauty products contain gluten. The team at Well + Good
answers the health questions you didn’t know you had. The site helps
New Yorkers get fit in the city, but readers anywhere can get the scoop
on trends like juice cleanses and boutique fitness.
5.
The New York Times Well Blog If
you don’t read any other source of health news, it’s just as Well. Tara
Parker-Pope’s health column for The New York Times doesn’t miss a beat—
whether it’s new research on heart health or the low-down on treating
exercise injuries. Pope’s a science journalist and author, and the Well
column features insights from her, as well as other bloggers and medical
experts.
6.
GOOD Health Good crosses the globe to find the most compelling health stories around, from
healthcare technology in Kenya to the
history of Plan B in the USA. The site features news and opinion from smart, edgy columnists and infographics on big issues like marijuana legalization.
7.
Dr. Weil An
advocate of “integrative medicine,” Dr. Andrew Weil runs on a blog on
every aspect of healthy living. It’s easy to implement his daily tips,
like
drinking cherry juice to sleep better and
exercising to prevent migraines. A lot of information’s geared toward the older crowd, but even youngins can benefit from his advice.
8.
TIME Healthland As exciting as Candy Land and Disney Land, Time’s Healthland is the go-to spot for the latest and most interesting findings in
health and fitness. The blog covers health news (
does stress shrink the brain?), and analyzes trends like
American drinking habits.
Healthy Eating
9.
OhSheGlows Seeds and sprouts piled on a slice of sprouted grain bread do
not make
an appearance on this vegan blog. Inspired by personal struggles with
body image and nutrition, Angela Liddon started this blog to make
healthy living and eating easier for everyone. From
cinnamon sugar pumpkin spiced donuts to
strawberry shortcake stacked pancakes, almost every recipe comes with a story on the side. (Check out
nutcracker cookies for a real tearjerker.)
10.
The Edible Perspective This
resource of ridiculously appetizing recipes puts a humanitarian, artsy
spin on traditional food blogging. A recent graduate of architecture
school, blogger Ashley takes drool-worthy photos of the recipes she
features. It’s hard to believe the
banana breakfast cookie and
chocolate avocado cake are nutritious, but all the recipes here are healthy and vegetarian— and many are also vegan and/or gluten-free.
11.
Healthy Food for Living Boston native Lauren gets creative with recipes like
avocado and strawberry grilled cheese and
peanut butter and banana breakfast polenta.
If the photos alone don’t make readers want to lick the computer
screen, many posts also feature nutritional information that proves
these recipes are nutritious ways to satisfy those tastebuds.
12.
Carrots ’n Cake Blogger Tina’s philosophy is about staying happy and healthy— not about diet-crazed restriction. The author of
a book by the same name as the blog, Tina posts daily updates on her personal life (that’s how we found out about her
adorable pup Murphy) and features easy-to-prepare recipes like gingerbread smoothies and apple omelets.
13.
Kath Eats Real Food This
food blog is the real deal: Kath Younger is a Virginia-based dietician
who developed a passion for healthy eating through her struggles with
weight loss. Her upbeat posts about trying new restaurants (kudos to
anyone who takes a picture before they take a bite of
any meal) and loving oatmeal make readers as excited about nutrition and healthy living as she is.
Special Interest Food
14.
Mark’s Daily Apple An
apple a day, plus a visit to this Paleo guide from Mark Sisson, may
just keep the doctor away. Sisson (who also made Greatist’s list of
the most influential people in health and fitness), author of
The Primal Blueprint Cookbook,
writes a lot about nutrition and the evolution of the human diet. The
blog also features some of his opinions on recent scientific research—
and the guy knows his stuff.
15.
The IF Life The I and F in “IF” don’t
just stand
for “Intermittent Fasting.” In this blog, “2-meal Mike” writes about
his life of on-and-off fasting combined with “intensity fitness” and
“instant freedom.” His optimism combined with tips and hacks show
readers they can get fit and happy with some knowledge and hard work.
16.
Sodium Girl Salt
may be kryptonite for Jessica Goldman (aka Sodium Girl), but that
hasn’t stopped her from living a healthy lifestyle. Goldman suffers from
lupus and started her blog to show readers it’s possible to meet
medical needs without disappointing the taste buds. Her delicious
recipes (yes, the
carrot and coconut donuts are salt-free) and nutrition advice will charm any reader into a second visit.
17.
Simply Gluten-Free Carol
Kicinski loves biscotti. And cheesecake. And flatbread. And she makes
them all gluten-free. Kicinski (also a cookbook author) offers recipes
and advice for dealing with gluten intolerance, like which flours to use
for baking and how to travel without starving.
18.
Choosing Raw Gena
Hamshaw gets it. A nutritionist and a pre-med student, she’s into
healthy eating. For her, that means a lot of vegan and raw foods, and
her blog helps readers find meals that are tasty and nutritious— like
almond and chickpea bread and
mung bean pancakes. In non-recipe posts, she dishes about real life, like trying awesome new restaurants and spending time with friends.
19.
The Paleo Solution On
The Paleo Solution, Robb Wolf (another of our top influencers!) and
other writers explore all things Paleo, including advice, recipes, and
scientific research. (Wolf’s a former research biochemist.) Download the
podcasts in his
Paleo Solution series for some quick tips.
Healthy Parenting
20.
Peas and Thank You If the photos of little girls with ice cream smeared on their faces don’t melt your heart, the “recipeas” for
chocolate pudding pie and
tofu dippers will.
This cookbook author and mom of two shares her adventures in a
vegetarian, family-friendly lifestyle (with lots of gluten-free ideas,
too). Her step-by-step instructions for cooking and baking make healthy
eating quite… ap
pealing.
21.
Super Healthy Kids This blog’s geared toward kids’ cuisine, but it’s hard for anyone to resist
breakfast pizza pancakes and
pumpkin French toast.
Supermom Amy Roskelly makes healthy eating easy, with creative recipes,
nutrition news, and practical tips. (Bet you can’t name all
14 ways to use granola!)
22.
The Allergic Kid Everyone’s
parents should be as innovative and determined as Libby, whose son has
been diagnosed with allergies to nuts, shellfish, eggs, dairy, and meat.
The blog inspires readers to get cooking, with recipes for everything
from
crockpot curried chicken to
vegan mac ’n cheese. Other posts cover allergy topics in the news and advice on reading food labels.
23.
Stay at Stove Dad An
editor at The New Yorker, a foodie, and a dad, John Donohue makes
healthy eating a priority in his family. The author of the bestselling
cookbook
Man With a Pan, Donohue blogs about (and illustrates!) his experiences whipping up fancy feasts like
four fish cioppino and messier meals like
mashed-potato pancakes. He’s also got adult-only insights on purchasing wine and splitting up cooking responsibilities.
24.
This Mama Cooks! Anne-Marie Nichols is one hot mama— though she occasionally features cold concoctions like
salmon, blueberry, and lemon salad.
Whether her readers need ideas for holiday party appetizers or want to
share their favorite guacamole recipes, Nichols has got healthy family
eating totally covered.
Photo Fab
25.
101 Cookbooks There’s nothing not to love about this vegetarian recipe blog, from mouthwatering photos of
roasted winter squash salad to super-easy
preparation tips for macaroons.
Photographer and cookbook author Heidi Swanson can convert anyone to
vegetarianism with her inventive (not to mention gorgeous) recipes.
26.
Kitchen Corners Blogger Da brings readers new ideas about cooking and nutrition from her travels around the world. Her photos of
rainbow cake and
poke salad belong better in an art museum than in a cookbook, and every recipe’s accompanied by a true tale from the kitchen.
27.
Simply Scratch Laurie
McNamara’s got an itch for fresh, healthy cooking. Her close-up photos
convey the powdery texture of flour and the sound of olive oil sizzling
in a pan. Check out the
double dark chocolate Merlot cookie recipe for a taste of love at first sight.
28.
Sprouted Kitchen Sara Forte’s passion for healthy cuisine comes through in her blog on vegetarian eats. In breathtaking photos, she captures the
beauty of basil and
cauliflower, inspiring even meat lovers to try their hand at dishes like crusted butternut squash and plum tarts.
29.
EatLiveRun A
culinary school graduate, food writer, and former chef, blogger Jenna
knows food. Her exquisite photography shows appreciation for something
as simple as
spaghetti and veggies, though she’s also partial to tasty treats like
white chocolate peppermint milkshakes.
The best part is she knows the value of staying active, whether that
means running, walking, or— her personal passion— trekking across the
globe.
Running
30.
iRunnerBlog Runners
find advice and inspiration on this site whose bloggers include
athletes, physical therapists, and nutritionists. A self-described
“average Joe,” blog founder Scott tells tales of marathon training and
staying motivated in the real world. (Although he’s also trying to train
like Rocky Balboa.)
31.
Run, Eat, Repeat Monica’s
honest, hilarious, and helpful blog clocks her daily miles in SoCal—
and the meals that never fail to follow. Make sure to watch her “
Ask a Monican”
videos where she shares advice on marathon training, running
motivation, and occasional need-to-know questions like, “Is it okay to
stop running to pee?”
32.
iRunFar Nope,
this isn’t a fancy Apple app— but Steve Jobs would be proud. Focusing
mainly on ultra-marathoners and trail runners, iRunFar provides gear
reviews, running news, race reports, interviews, and more. I mean, who
wouldn’t want to hear a man’s story about his 100K run?
33.
Complete Running
Need some inspiration? How about injury-prevention tips? Looking for a
database with hundreds of other running blogs? Looks like
“Complete Running” isn’t lying— this site’s got it all when it comes to covering the sport.
Strength Training
34
. Stumptuous C’mon,
life is funny. And while strength training may not seem like something
to laugh about, Stumptuous’ light-hearted content for the novice
bodybuilder makes any dumbbell seem
way less intimidating. For them, it’s all about good nutrition, correct form, and ditching that “snazzy and chic” gym bag.
35.
Roman Fitness Systems John
Romaniello hates shirts, loves video games, and says he’s slightly less
badass than Samuel L. Jackson. The founder of Roman Fitness,
Romaniello’s a personal trainer also ranked on Greatist’s list of the
100 most influential people in health and fitness. But there’s still a
place here for readers who think a six-pack is what they drank last
night: The site’s got top-notch info on staying happy and the latest
crazes in nutrition and workout efficiency.
36.
Zen to Fitness If
there’s time to update a Facebook status, there’s time to read a post
(or two) on this site, whose articles take about five minutes each to
read. Posts from main blogger Chris and guest contributors offer
(sometimes snarky) advice on eating habits, solo workouts, and staying
positive.
37.
Jason Ferrugia’s Renegade Strength and Conditioning Here’s
another featured blogger from our list of the most influential people
in health and fitness. A trainer who runs his own business,
Renegade Fitness, Ferrugia focuses on pumping people up— with empowering stories
and
strength training tips. And he's not afraid to show his soft side,
either: Recent blog posts reveal how a career in fitness training saved
him from an emotional breakdown.
38.
MizFitOnline The
name’s a warning: Carla Birnberg is not the typical fitness
professional. She’s a bodybuilder, personal trainer, writer, and mom
with a quirky sense of humor and opinions on all things fitness. The
blog lets readers get to know Birnberg personally, with homemade videos
(check out “
Sh*t that Flaky Fitness Freaks Say” for an ab-strengthening laugh) and anecdotes about her family.
Yoga
39.
YogaMint Kundalini
might sound like a kind of pasta, but in fact it’s the type of yoga the
folks at YogaMint practice. Blog posts, or “mints,” won’t give you
fresh breath— just fresh takes on yoga poses, ways to relax, love, and
friendship.
40.
Daily Cup of Yoga For night owls, it’s a cup o’Joe; for Ricky Martin, it’s
the cup of life. Blogger Brian uses the daily cup to share his personal experiences learning yoga. Posts range from a guide to
using yoga nidra for sleep to inspirational snippets of poetry.
41.
The Everything Yoga Blog Diane
DeGiorgio Cesa believes yoga can relax, relieve pain, and teach people
about their bodies. A yoga therapist, she blogs about applying the
principles of yoga to daily life— whether that means learning to speak
up or laughing off mistakes.
42.
Lululemon Blog A
community of bloggers at Lululemon share thoughts on goal-setting, chai
tea, and the best excuses for not going to yoga class. The blog even
features an "
Ask a Yogi" section, where readers can submit those queries they just couldn’t ask during the last yoga sesh. Check out "
S*it Yogis Say" to learn how to turn someone
off from downward dog.
43.
Yoga Dork The bloggers at YogaDork live, eat, and breathe yoga. If there’s a story on a
yoga burglar or the
world’s oldest yoga teacher, they’ll find it. Daily posts feature musings on yoga injuries, apps for learning yoga, and celeb yogis.
Weight Loss
44.
Roni's Weigh Don’t be fooled by the last name: Roni Noone is definitely someone. Founder of
SkinnyMinnyMedia and author of
GreenLiteBites,
Noone uses her personal struggles with weight loss to help others with
similar issues. Her posts range from motivational quotes to her opinions
on social media.
45.
Cheryl Forberg Bestselling author and chef Cheryl Forberg was the nutritionist on NBC’s reality TV show
The Biggest Loser.
But there’s no drama involved in reading her blog, where she writes
about everything from mindful eating to diet tips for travelers.
46.
The Token Fat Girl Lorrie
Fenn struggled with a binge eating disorder and worked hard to finally
achieve a healthy lifestyle. Through her blog, she helps other people
cope with eating issues with recipes, reviews, and personal stories. She
even shares her own food journal and thoughts on her progress.
47.
A Merry Life Blogger
Mary takes readers along on her journey toward health and fitness. From
her home in New Zealand, she blogs daily about the realities of weight
loss: avoiding eating for comfort, healthy food shopping, and navigating
the gym. She’s also got an adventurous side— root for Mary as she
trains for marathons, bungee jumps, and kayaks!
48.
Fitville Lee
looks for inspiration everywhere, from famous quotes to cheesy comics.
On her blog, she shares personal health goals, favorite beauty products,
and adventures trying new kinds of “
orange foods.” The site inspires readers to approach weight loss like she does, one step at a time.
Happiness and Mental Health
49.
The Happiness Project Grinches withstanding, Gretchen Rubin’s feel-good goal applies to everyone. The author of the bestselling book,
The Happiness Project,
Rubin made it to our list of the most influential people in health and
fitness. She posts daily with practical advice on topics like clearing
clutter, achieving ambitions, and finding love. This year’s challenge is
(take a wild guess) to make 2012 a happier year— it’s harder than it
looks, so start reading!
50.
Elephant Journal More
than a blog, this guide to living a mindful life gets its name from the
animal that never forgets. Founded by Waylon Lewis (also on our list of
the top 100 influencers in health and fitness), the blog features
everything that makes people think: opinions on yoga, recent scientific
research, and inspiration from favorite children’s authors. There’s no
B.S. either— writers aren’t afraid to make fun of New Age philosophy or
veganism. (According to
one writer, flatulence and “psych ward” symptoms are typical of new vegans.)
51.
Zen Habits Leo
Babauta, author of several self-help books, runs this blog on all
things peace and happiness. Every post features simple steps readers can
take to change bad habits, stop overeating, and start exercising.
Babauta says it’s as simple as taking time to breathe— so quit
suffocating and check out his tips.
52.
Marc and Angel For
those who love reading lists, couple Marc and Angel share practical
tips and tricks to improve our fitness, health, and happiness. From “
28 Ways to Stop Complicating Your Life” to “
30 Things to Start Doing for Yourself,” this wise duo provides readers with a hefty breadth of general self improvement advice.
53.
Lifehacker The idea is simple: Get stuff done. Lifehacker’s got practical solutions to common problems, from
advice on computer protection to
tips on getting better sleep.
Recent insights include: "Don’t pee on a jellyfish sting" and "use a
hollow orange as a candle." The ten-step solution to unrequited love?
Who knows, they might tackle that next.
From Tumblr
54.
Healthy Is Always Better Hailing
from the Netherlands, the voice behind this blog gives thoughtful
advice on healthy eating, inspirational quotes, and workout tips. Oh,
did we mention she’s 15 years old? Wise beyond her years.
55.
Fit is the New Beautiful This
New Zealand teen blogs about it all: motivational mantras, nutrition
advice, and personal “things I’ve learned” posts that help others stay
their happiest and healthiest selves.
56.
Fitness Treats Elise
hits the nail on the head when it comes to living a healthy, balanced
life. What’s better than a fire-burning six-minute leg workout followed
by a recipe for
peanut butter cookies
(made with apples and protein powder, mind you!)? Check out her Q&A
sections where readers chime in with different health and fitness
inquiries.
57.
Knowing Nutrition Get
a boost of positivity and head to this Tumblr for a breath of fresh and
fun wellness advice. Striving to spread her health knowledge, Tracey
shares a range of motivational quotes, infographics, and articles, while
answering health questions from readers.
58.
Tara Stiles Eats Say om
and yum with this blog on yoga, healthy eating, and mindful living. Tara Stiles, author of
SlimCalmSexy
(and Deepak Chopa’s yoga instructor), documents her daily life with
photos of healthy meals, short yoga videos, and bits of inspiration.
59.
Motivation Into Habit
Inspired by her own weight-loss journey, this blogger answers anonymous
questions and posts inspirational photos that will motivate anyone who
wants to shed those pesky pounds the smart, healthy way.
Overall Greatness
60.
Greatist Offering
the best, most approachable, easily digestible advice for staying fit,
healthy, and happy. All done with a little humor, a lotta' research, and
even more passion.