A Few of Our Favorite Things

Health and Wellness Webzines, Magazines and Newsletters

At Speakwell we subscribe to various journals and newsletters that relate to wellness, some on-line and some as hard copy. Here are our top 5 which we find informative, useful and stimulating. There is an old temptation, probably associated with my years as a university prof., to add professional credibility to the list by including some heavy weight medical journals. We use these journals when appropriate, but their overwhelming focus is the treatment of sickness not the attainment of high level wellness, their editorial boards tend to be very conservative and their life blood is the advertising of pharmaceutical companies whose interests they often reflect.

When I looked at the list of journals which we actually read cover to cover and whose information is cutting edge and provocative, I discovered one commonality. None of them carry advertising. Like "Well" they do not feature extensive lists of references, but do draw from credible sources. I have never had a problem tracking down the original reference or research from which information is drawn.

Top 5

1. Ardell Wellness Report

Not for everybody, and not always for me. Don Ardell is a prolific, relentless promoter of high level wellness. He is opinionated, provocative, and his rants make him the Dennis Miller of wellness. Don practices what he preaches (or maybe preaches what he practices, it doesn't matter) and is a world champion in the over 60 (Methuselah) age group of triathlons.

What I like about Don's writing is that he doesn't play favorites and, when appropriate will be critical of big business, the Surgeon General, vitamins, politics, religion, and even wellness conferences. The latter two get the full Ardell treatment in issue 113 of his on-line Wellness Report.

Don is a disciple of Halbert Dunn who first gave us the term 'high level wellness' in the 1950's. He has an extensive web site which actually does carry ads. But his weekly electronic Ardell Wellness Report is ad-free, thought provoking and often fun. He actually writes a daily wellness focused essay which can be accessed on the web at: www.seekwellness.com/wellness/ardell_wellness_report.htm When you write an essay a day, they can't all be great, but even Shakespeare and Bob Dylan have come up with a few clunkers. Don makes us think, he makes us laugh, he's not afraid to offend, he does not have a 'political correctness' checker built into his computer or his brain. In a 'play it safe', economically driven world we need Don's irreverence, his sense of fun and his healthy skepticism of gurus who drive Cadillacs (or even ride bicycles).
I think what sets the EAWR apart from other wellness journals and webzines is that Don has mastered the informality and immediacy of electronic communication. It's not just another journal that's reproduced online.

There's an old saying, 'Better write for yourself and have no public, than write for the public and have no self.' Don writes for himself but manages to keep a strong public following. The Speakwell Oscar goes to the Electronic Ardell Wellness Report.

2. Nutrition Action

This is so far ahead of any other nutrition-related journal that there's no runner-up in this category. They have excellent feature articles and provide accessible, useful information about many of the brand name foods that fill our supermarket shelves. Very, very good value at: http://www.cspinet.org/nah/

3. Tufts Health and Nutrition Letter

Each issue of the Tufts newsletter seems to feature at least one article that presents new information or new perspectives on topics dear to our heart at Speakwell. It is well laid out, has a strong editorial board and always features intriguing little nuggets of information that are ideal for company newsletters. I wish they would provide a few more references to facilitate further research on featured articles. Check out: http://healthletter.tufts.edu/

4. Berkeley Wellness Letter

The grandparent of wellness newsletters. The layout format and content of the Berkeley newsletter has been a template for a number of similar publications. I felt that it got a little predictable a couple of years back, but recent issues have been insightful, timely and very readable. Like the Tufts newsletter, I wish it gave a bit more information about the source of some of its articles. Check out: www.berkeleywellness.com

5. Consumer Reports on Health

Consumer Reports uses a tabloid format to present current health related information. One of the things we like about Consumer Report is the liberal use of quizzes, tables, flow charts, illustrations and graphs to make it more visually appealing and interactive. It is strong on safety issues and consistently carries good content on fitness and nutrition. Like the Tufts and Berkeley newsletters it regularly addresses the use of alternative therapies in the prevention of, or treatment for, specific medical conditions. Check out: www.consumerreports.org/Services/health.html

Honorable Mention

American Fitness Magazine

A glossy, with a mixed bag of articles. Peg Jordan's editorials alone are often worth the price of the journal. Check out: http://www.afaa.com/600.asp

Employee Health and Productivity

A Canadian publication whose title is self-explanatory. Good graphics, stylish and smart. Well worth the subscription price for any individuals or companies involved in worksite health.

Update: This magazine is no longer in print. The publisher, Michael Moriarity, now works for the Institute for Health & Productivity Management. Their magazine has the same "look" and feel as the Employee Health and Productivity magazine. Their web site is: http://www.ihpm.org/magazine.htm

John Hopkins Medical Letter Health After 50

A similar format to the Berkeley and Tufts newsletters. The editorial board is made up entirely of MD's, so aging is looked at through a medical lens. They present good, reliable information which, in a world of Enron and health slams, is welcome. Overall, a solid little journal that has yet to win our hearts.