When a teacher teaches, his/her greatest wish is not only to teach the subject matter.....but "How to Learn"
What you're asking is how do you "shorten" your "learning curve", while deciphering the truths from the half-truths and non-truths. This is most difficult because many concepts and much of the information are shrouded with both qualitative-subjective, as well as quantitative-objective themes. It get's even more complicated when "empirical' evidence outweighs the so-called scientific data.
So what you are asking is a combination of:
1) Finding what works best for you..your metabolism, genetics, goals, training, etc...After all, you are an experiment of one
2) Gathering as much information as you can, and weeding out the useless from the usefull
3) Knowing....intrinsicaly and intuitively the value, validity, and worth of both the information giver..and the knowledge given.
Hope that helps
I have taught thousands, in classrooms and out, learned from many as well, but have had only "One" truely great student, my teacher as well.
DP