Pokemon was also my starting point. later I had heard of Yu-Gi-Oh!, but back then I never really got in to it. Instead I watched Digimon and the 2003 re-make of Astro Boy.
I also noticed how Naruto Shippuden's first story arc was dragging its feet for a while. On a more positive note, I remember actually binge-watching episodes of the first series three and a half years ago. Now I'm going to start watching my entire first series Naruto DVD collection with an episode every Saturday evening.
I'm glad you like my recommendations. I feel that Naruto and Naruto Shippuden are both great to watch, but my advice is start with the series you want to watch.
My action anime series recommendations are:
.Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
.Attack on Titan
.Fullmetal Alchemist/Brotherhood
.Gintama
.Bleach