As with everything, there is the good and the bad of it. YouTube definitely has tons of channels I have no use for. But on the other hand, there are some channels sharing good information with no agenda but to share it, so I focus there. Please remember, I write for fun. I don’t think I’m an authority on the best of anything and this is by far not an exhaustive list of all my favorites in every topic. That would make for a very long post. I enjoy many different types of channels, but here are my top channels in these selected topics:

FOR BODY AND MIND

BARRE WITH MARY

Barre workouts are about high reps of small, low impact movements derived from ballet, yoga and Pilates. It’s short intense muscle work and Mary’s is the only workout channel I subscribe to that literally has me waling out in pain. She really pushes me. One thing I really like is that she doesn’t use any backround music and I realized a few years ago that I find the music in workout videos quite distracting. Although I’ve tried other barre channels, she knows her stuff and how to maximize every minute of a 30-minute workout and when I’m done, I feel like I really did something great for my body and I just feel good, period.

TRIFECTA PILATES

Pilates focuses on strength, endurance, flexibility, and posture. When I’m not feeling all the energy, pep, mental and physical strength it takes to do a barre workout with Mary, I put on Trifecta Pilates. She doesn’t use any background music either and her instruction is calming nurturing. She wants you to really lean into the movements and take it nice and slow. Pay a lot of attention to your breathing and mentally do the workouts as much as you’re doing them physically. Slow down, love and appreciate your body. Just as good for your mind as it is for your body.

ELIGNED

I’m very new to this channel but I love it. A lot of good really good stuff about lymph flushing, body function, brain function and mental health and wellness but not in a new agey way. Very digestible and kind of fun to do the workouts. A nice way to do something good for yourself without any strenuous effort.

FOR FINANCE AND MONEY MANAGEMENT

Rachel is Dave Ramsey’s daughter. I don’t agree with all of Dave Ramsey’s opinions and rules for finances and neither does Rachel, so I prefer her to him. Although Dave does share very good advice on his show, Rachel’s not as preachy and doesn’t shy away from sharing about her own financial imperfections. But the fact that Dave is her father has been very beneficial to her knowledge and understanding of the world of finance. I do enjoy her light take on the subject though. It’s as if she wants to get the information across in the most in the sweetest way possible. Since she is part of the Ramsey franchise, she does push their finance tool called Every Dollar, but honestly, I prefer Rocket Money and have a monthly subscription.

GEOERGE KAMEL

George is part of the Ramsey franchise too and a friend of Rachel’s. By the way, they have a channel together called “Smart Money Happy Hour” but I prefer them separately. George likes to have fun on his channel. He incorporates funny effects and sounds that I would normally think are kind of dumb, but he (or his editors) knows exactly where to place them and doesn’t overdo it. I’m entertained while getting useful knowledge and tips. I especially like his segment called “Millionaires in Cars Getting Coffee”, which is take on Jerry Seinfeld’s “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee”. I wonder if Jerry even knows about it!

FOR COOKING AND BAKING

NATASHA’S KITCHEN

Oh goodness, I love this channel. She’s just a normal cook not focusing on healthy or vegan or specialized and her recipes are still ones that I want to make even though I always keep cooking healthy in mind. This is why her videos are so valuable to me. She’s also super easy to follow and her shrimp taco recipe is my go-to.

CLEAN AND DELICIOUS

This channel is my go-to for healthy baking. It’s about clean and healthy ways to enjoy everybody’s favorites. I learned about the 3-ingredient cookies, sugarless breads, oatmeal muffins and a lot of other great recipes on this channel.

SARAH’S VEGAN KITCHEN

I’m not even vegan but this channel is amazing but if I were, this would be the only channel I’d need for that. She has so many good recipes that carry a ton of flavor. Another thing I love about her channel is that we get a glimpse into her life every now and then and her editing for that is top notch. If you’re trying to eat less meat in your meals or want more recipes for meatless Mondays, you really have to check out her channel.