Developing an interest and learning about new fields and topics is a fantastic thing to do! Simply getting more information no longer requires you to sit and study in a classroom or university. These days there are plenty of resources, easily and freely accessible from many platforms. This can range from Spotify playlists to scientific articles and online courses. This post is not sponsored in any way; the resources mentioned are those I have used, am familiar with or have been highly recommended to me by friends and past educators.
This section comes with a slight pre-warning: always examine your source.
Gossip magazines and diet articles are often trying to sell you a product and an image or lifestyle. In doing so they feed you with pictures of ‘perfect’ looking people, blur facts and state relationships between diseases, diet foods and weight loss methods which have not been properly, scientifically proven. When you come across claims, especially claims of ‘miracle cures’ and ‘crash diets’, always be critical of where they have come from. Try discover if these claims or diets have been endorsed by others and any negative effects they may have resulted in. If these posts make you feel unhappy in yourself, your body or your life, it may be time to close the article and find a new source of information that inspires rather than distresses you. If you are ever in doubt seek help and advice from medical sources either online or in person. Your health and wellbeing, both psychically and mentally, cannot be changed and sustained by temporary fixes; but, must be cared for by a long term balanced and healthy lifestyle.
Audio-books and Podcasts:
This is an effortless way to gain information, on the go, during times that suits you. Discovering and listening to high-quality audio-books and podcasts, by reputable sources, provides a unique and fun way to delve into topics of interest wherever you are. Some people may worry they won’t receive audio information as well as if there were to physically read the same source. However, research such as Rogowsky and Moyer show that there is little difference in comprehension regardless of whether we read or listen to information. Most podcasts are also free and once you find audio-books or podcasters you love, this can easily direct you to further sources. My first introduction into the field of nutrition and health came through listening to various podcasts on gut microbes and diet. A year later, I found myself working towards my Master’s in Nutrition for Global Health. Some of my personal favourites include the Deliciously Ella podcast and Tim Spector’s ‘The Diet Myth’. Immerse yourself, you never know where a simple audio-book or podcast could lead!
Online Courses:
Online courses may not be everyone’s cup of tea but, for those interested, they provide the perfect solution to studying on the go! You can study all sorts from journalism and mathematics, to criminology and fitness. A lot of universities, particularly the Open University, offer online, part-time studies for degree qualifications and professional accreditations. These are a perfect for learning while working! Other websites such as Alison Courses, Khan Academy, edX, Udemy and Coursera are brilliant for providing free, short-term courses (sometimes called MOOCs) on a range of topics. These certainly helped me recap a lot of my science materials before starting my degree. You can learn Python or do an Introduction into Human Nutrition and while the courses themselves are free to you can usually pay to take exams and gain a certified diploma. Online learning is a fantastic method to expand your knowledge in a time and way which suits you. Having done many online courses in the past, free to contact me with any questions regarding this type of learning!
Books, Magazines and Online Articles:
For those book-worms out there this method of discovering new interests and exploring existing ones is perfect. Books can go completely in-depth into fascinating topics, bringing a host of research and perspectives together in one place. Ask friends for recommendations or look at book reviews on topics you’re attracted to find new literature.
Online articles from scientific journals are usually a fantastic way of getting reliable information. Many subjects will have published research in peer-reviewed journals containing an assortment of articles. For example, anthropologists may have their work published in ‘The American Anthropologist’ or ‘Cultural Anthropology’. A vast amount of science and medical journals can be found online in, for example, ‘The BMJ’ or through databases such as ‘PubMed’ and ‘NCBI’. These databases can be used to fact check many health claims by looking to see whether other research has found the same result and reading the studies yourself.
There are magazines for all interests and many of these can be read online or through a personal app. ‘NewScientist’, ‘Discover’ and the National Geographic are a great read for individuals interested the natural world of science and technology. Since I received my first National Geographic (Kids), aged 7, it has become my favourite magazine sharing with me knowledge from across the world. ‘The Economist’, ‘Time Magazine’ and ‘Foreign Affairs’ are excellent for those interested in topics related to politics, economics and international relations. Of course, there are also many medical and health magazines such as ‘Hopkins Medicine’ and ‘NIH’; however, this tends to be the industry most shrouded in miracle claims and false facts. Therefore, I must again caution the use of celebrity and gossip centred magazines and emphasise to always check facts and sources.
I hope this post has inspired you to go and find out more ways about developing your hobbies and interests. Let me know what your interests are at the moment and some of the best articles, podcasts or books you’ve read are – I am always looking to learn new things!
Natasha x
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