The Citadel of Health

A library of books, podcasts, social media accounts that I follow and that have helped me along my journey

It is often said that standing on the shoulders of giants is the best way to learn.

The internet has provided us with an ocean of knowledge about health and wellness. The flipside is that information overload can lead us to feeling overwhelmed and not knowing the appropriate source to follow. 

I am a staunch believer that good health and fitness can help people elevate their performance, improve their relationships with friends, family, colleagues, and overall make the world a happier place to live in.

This newsletter contains my go-to books, podcasts and social media accounts, for health and nutritional information, that have provided me the most value. I am sure that the sources here will help you kickstart your fitness journey, which is the purpose of this newsletter. 

Books 

1. Why We Sleep- Matthew Walker 

Sleep along with exercise and nutrition are the three pillars of health that are dependent on each other. This book will open your eyes to the impact that sleep has on our lives. I did a  twitter thread and wrote an article on sleep, inspired by the book. 

2. Breathe- James Nestor 

The importance of breathing, the most important function of the human body, is not spoken about enough. This book provides the science of breathing and some great examples of yoga teachers, athletes, scientists and more, who used effective breathing techniques to enhance their lives and the lives of others with their teachings. Covered key points of the book in my twitter thread.

3. Atomic Habits- James Clear

This book lays out the principles applying habits in your life in a simple way, which can give you exponential results over the long term. James provides some great techniques to get you started and keep going on your fitness journey. At the end of the day, it is our habits that define who we are in the long run. 

4. The Energy Plan- James Collins 

This book covers techniques by James Collins on using the power of nutrition to perform at your peak level. The book lays out some great information which is relevant for athletes, working professionals and students. For the football lovers, James was the ex nutrition coach for Arsenal FC under Arsene Wenger, before beginning his own venture.

5. The Dry Fasting Miracle- Luke Coutinho 

Luke Coutinho is one of the leading wellness coaches and is leading the Health and Fitness revolution in India. In this book he covers the powerful effects of fasting for our bodies. I am personally a huge fan of Luke, linking a great discussion that he had on the BeerBiceps show.

6. Tools of Titans- Tim Ferris 

In this book Tim Ferris who is an entrepreneur, podcaster, investor, lifestyle guru, interviews guests across various fields. It provides a fascinating insight into the minds of some of the most successful people across 3 sections- health, wealth and wisdom. You can open up any chapter and begin, there is no order to this book. 

7. The 4 Hour Body- Tim Ferris

Another book by Tim Ferris which contains tips and tricks to reach your physical and genetic potential within 4 hours or less every month. Of course, the book comes with a disclaimer but this book in my opinion works better for somebody who has a specific goal to achieve in a short time or someone who wants to improve their athletic performance.

8. The Almanack of Naval Ravikant 

Naval Ravikant is one of the most successful entrepreneurs and is well known for sharing his principles for building wealth and creating long-term happiness. This book contains pearls of wisdom from the mind of Naval and there is a section dedicated to health. 

9. Don’t Lose Work Out, Work Out- Rujuta Diwekar

This book lays out simple and effective ways to begin our fitness journey. Rujuta Diwekar prefers that Indians stick to locally produced fresh food to obtain our nutrition and, on the exercise front she lays out simple and effective ways to begin a strength training and yoga practice.

10. How To Not Diet- Michael Gregor, MD

This book was recommended to me by a friend who herself is a nutritionist. The book lays out the science behind long-term weight loss success. The book is extremely technical and lengthy so I would recommend this book to somebody who takes a keen interest in the science of food and nutrition or for someone who is a nutritionist or doctor by profession.

11. Arnold, The Education of a Bodybuilder- Arnold Schwarzenegger 

Arnold Schwarzenegger is the man who revolutionized the sport of bodybuilding. The art of bodybuilding is one that involves a monk level of discipline, patience and perseverance. The men who work towards building their bodies for competitions do so for years on end. This book contains the most effective lifts and exercises that one can use in the gym to enhance their physique. I received a copy of this book from Mr VV Nigudkar who lives on the floor below me. He himself is one of the most disciplined people I know when it comes to exercise. He is over 80 years of age but if you meet him, you’ll think he’s 60.  

12. Unstoppable- Tyson Fury 

Tyson Fury is one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of our generation and possibly of all time. He suffered from mental illness when he reached the peak of his career and almost committed suicide after winning the world heavyweight championship. This book covers aspects of mental health issues that Tyson went through and how he bounced back to the top of the boxing game after hitting rock bottom with his mental health. 

Podcasts 

1. The Joe Rogan Experience 

One could say that this podcast is the ‘Mecca of Podcasts’. Joe Rogan is the pioneer of the podcast game. His conversations cover topics across science, comedy, nutrition, exercise, film, music, comedy, psychology, business and more. Sticking to the theme of this newsletter I am linking the best episodes on the podcast related to nutrition and fitness.

2. The Tim Ferriss Show

I have covered Tim Ferris’ books above. Tools of Titans contains highlights of interviews conducted on his podcast. Linking discussions on health and fitness here.

3. Huberman Lab Podcast

Dr Andrew Huberman has been actively involved in the democratization of scientific knowledge across all platforms. The Huberman Lab Podcast discusses science and science-based tools for everyday life in simple and easy to understand ways. He explains how the scientific rationale behind all our behaviors in everyday life such as how to sleep better, how to improve focus, how we pick our romantic partners, how to build muscle/ lose weight, the science behind all of these topics are explained in a simple and effective manner. 

4. Mindpump Podcast 

This podcast is run by three veterans in the fitness industry Sal, Adam and Justin. The podcast covers a range of topics across nutrition, common fitness mistakes, weight loss methods and more. These guys dish out a lot of content and this podcast can provide a treasure trove of knowledge.

5. The Drive- Peter Attia 

I came across Peter Attia on various other podcasts and have become a major fan of his. Peter is a physician focusing on the applied science of longevity. His practice deals extensively with nutritional interventions, exercise physiology, sleep physiology, emotional and mental health, and pharmacology to increase lifespan (how long you live), while simultaneously improving healthspan (the quality of your life).

6. Nutrition Tips 

This is Michael Gregor’s podcast on basic nutrition tips and the science behind it. The episodes are short and sweet so if you are not willing to invest your time to read the book, following this podcast would be a better alternative. 

7. Ben Greenfield Fitness 

I have recently started listening to this podcast and have been quite hooked on the topics being discussed- health, nutrition, latest technologies, mindfulness and more. Ben is a human performance consultant, speaker and one of the most popular fitness trainers.

Social Media Accounts 

Contrary to what people say about the toxicity of social media, it can be a wonderful place to learn from experts in their respective fields. I have noted down the channels where I derive the most value from these accounts.

Also do note that these individuals may be having handles across all social media platforms, I am posting the handles where I regularly visit for their specific content. 

Youtube

1. Jeff Nippard

Jeff Nippard is a pro bodybuilder and powerlifter. His science based training and nutrition based information is useful for beginner, intermediate and advanced levels of athletes and individuals.

2. Jeremy Ethier 

This is my favorite YouTube page for fitness content. Jeremy’s channel also provides training and nutrition-based information. Through the content on his page I was able to understand a number of mistakes I was making in the gym and improve my performance with compound lifts. I also came across some tasty pre and post workout meals which I make on a regular basis.

3. Skinny Recipes 

This page provides quick and easy healthy recipes. Picked a number of easy to make dishes from this channel.

4. Jeet Selal Fitness 

This channel is a no bullshit channel, where Jeet Selal- a fitness entrepreneur breaks down a number of common misconceptions and simple ways in which one can begin their fitness journey or even for pro athletes looking to improve their level of performance. 

5. Thomas Delaur 

Thomas creates videos backed by a number of scientific studies and goes in depth across topics such as weight loss, hormonal functions, muscle gain etc. I would recommend this as the go to channel if you are following intermittent fasting

6. Dr Pete Berg 

Dr Berg provides simple and easy solutions for various medical issues that we suffer from by breaking down the science in a simple and easy manner while providing effective remedies on how to cure these issues that we go through. He puts out short videos which are easy to understand. 

7. Squat University 

Squat University is run by Dr Aaron Horschig and is a physical therapist, strength & conditioning coach, speaker and writer. His page provides great insights into ways in which athletes can improve their physical performance and common reasons as to why we suffer from certain forms of pain and ways to fix them. He worked with Olympic silver medalist Meerabai Chanu to improve a shoulder mobility issue that she had been facing, this treatment eventually fixed her recurring shoulder issue and she was able to perform at her best in the weightlifting event in the Olympics, eventually winning a silver medal.

8. The Body Coach 

This is my go-to page for HIIT workouts. Joe Wicks has been filming videos for multiple years now and has created a huge library of HIIT workout videos on his channel. The videos cover beginner, intermediate and advanced workouts.

9.More Plates More Dates 

This page provides niche content covering self-improvement and bodybuilding. It is run by Derek, who is highly knowledgeable in chemistry and often puts out videos of other influencers who share fake or wrong information on their channels and he breaks down these videos in detail. 

10. Athlean X

Jeff Cavaliere has been running this channel for almost a decade now and is probably the most popular fitness Youtuber out there. All the free workout, nutrition and training advice you need can be found on this channel. 

11. Greg Doucette 

Greg is a professional bodybuilder and his Youtube channel is focused on mainly debunking fitness myths that popular influencers try to preach. He often dismantles these influencers quite hilariously and showers a few influencers with respect for the information they provide.

Instagram

Instagram is the one platform where you will find influencers peddling get fit quick regimes. Although many 1 month, 3 month, 6 month programmes can be effective, we need to question ourselves whether we are going to make these programmes a part of our daily lifestyle. Personally, I find the handles listed below preaching habits and routines which one can implement in their everyday life. 

1. Jack Hanrahan Fitness 

2. Luke Coutinho 

3. Pooja Makhija 

4. Rujuta Diwekar 

5. TJ Robertson 

6. Millind Running 

7. Bani J 

8. Yogatman- Harshvardhan Jhaveri 

9. Rishabh Telang 

10. Wim Hoffman 

11. Tyson Fury 

12. Dwayne Johnson

13. David Goggins 

Twitter 

Twitter is arguably the best platform that you can be on to learn about practically anything you want in life. It is literally a university by itself. Again this is a platform where filtering of accounts is crucial because there can be a lot of toxic content on the platform.  

Listing down my favourite nutrition and health handles here: 

1. James DiNicolantonio 

2. Sweta Sivakumar 

3. Alexander Coartes 

4. Andrew Huberman 

5. Dan Go

6. Rob- Nothing Barred Fitness 

7. Naval

8. Julianna Lung 

9. Ultrahuman 

10. Jocko Willink 

I also write about health, fitness, investing and more topics on my twitter handle. 

I am happy to answer any queries that you may be having and look forward to receiving any recommendations from you. I will be updating this library as and when I come across more interesting books, podcasts and social media pages.