For The Love of Food

Welcome to Friday’s For The Love of Food, Summer Tomato’s weekly link roundup.

Lots of great healthy eating tips this week on the interwebs. I love the news that slow eating can help you eat less. How often are we told that enjoying food more helps us lose weight? (OK, all the time here at ST, but I’m a weirdo.) There’s also an interesting article about sodium worth reading.

I read many more wonderful articles than I post here each week. If you’d like to see more or just don’t want to wait until Friday, be sure to follow me on Twitter (@summertomato) or the Summer Tomato Facebook fan page. For complete reading lists join me on the social bookmarking sites StumbleUpon and Delicious. I’m very active on all these sites and would love to connect with you there. (Note: If you want a follow back on Twitter introduce yourself with an @ message).

Links of the week

• To Cut Calories, Eat Slowly <<Best diet news ever. I’ve always been a big advocate of slow, mindful eating and culinary appreciation. A new study suggests people really do eat less when they slow down, and it is related to the release of satiety hormones. (New York Times)
• Seven Tips for Losing – and Keeping Off — Weight <<I love this post by Holly Hickman about weight loss and maintenance. She’s kept 40 lbs off for 8 years and is gorgeous! She also loves food. (Holly Hickman)
• When It Comes to Salt, No Rights or Wrongs. Yet. <<I don’t write much about sodium even though it is a popular topic in food politics these days. Why don’t I mention it? I’m not convinced by any of the data. I have yet to see a study that separates sodium consumption from processed food consumption. Personally I don’t worry about salt and have awesome blood pressure. (New York Times)
• Coca-Cola promotes more active lifestyles <<BS of the week How could you read that headline and not laugh? If you don’t get it, also check out Yoni Freedhoff’s editorial on why Coke might not be great over at Weighty Matters. (Ottawa Citizen)
• More veggies while pregnant reduces allergies in babies <<Vegetables are good for you. They really are. (Nutrition Data)
• The FDA should put an end to bogus health claims on packaged foods, experts say <<And when they say “bogus health claims” I think they mean all health claims. Since if a food is in a package, there’s probably very little that is healthy about it anyway. (Los Angeles Times)
• Navigating the maze of sugar and artificial sweeteners <<I get asked about sweeteners all the time. I don’t use any, but this is a good resource if you’re curious. (SF Gate)
• Change Your Brain, Change Your Body <<Interesting take on differences in weight loss success strategies. I think healthstyle is more complicated than this, but it is another example of how we each need to find our own path to health. (The Huffington Post)
• A Dinner Date With India and Spain (Fried chickpeas with chorizo video recipe) <<I love Mark Bittman’s The Minimalist video recipes. Doesn’t this look scrumptious?
• Baked Kale Chips <<For some reason I’ve been asked about kale chips a thousand times in the past month, so here’s an easy recipe. Who needs potato chips? (Shutterbean)

What goodies did you find online this week?

Tags: artificial sweeteners, B.S. of the week, calories, food labels, mindful eating, recipe, salt, sodium

For The Love of Food

Welcome to Friday’s For The Love of Food, Summer Tomato’s weekly link roundup.

This week I was interviewed by the Bay Area Women’s Journal about my favorite healthy eating tips for the new year. Also be sure to read Dr. Steve Parker’s analysis of a new study that proves conclusively saturated fat is not associated with heart disease.

There are also great stories about the dangers of salt and snacking, and a hilarious flow chart describing exactly how to handle it if you drop your food on the floor.

I read many more wonderful articles than I post here each week. If you’d like to see more or just don’t want to wait until Friday, be sure to follow me on Twitter (@summertomato) or the Summer Tomato Facebook fan page. For complete reading lists join me on the social bookmarking sites StumbleUpon and Delicious. I’m very active on all these sites and would love to connect with you there. (Note: If you want a follow back on Twitter introduce yourself with an @ message).

Links of the Week

• Keep Your Diet and Exercise on Track! <<I shared some tips on healthy eating for the new year over at the Bay Area Women’s Journal.
• Watershed Science: Saturated Fat Does Not Cause Heart Disease <<No kidding, saturated fat is not associated with heart disease. This is not one study, it is a meta-analysis of all the best studies done on the role of diet in heart health. Keep in  mind though, saturated fat has also been linked to other diseases (like cancer), so this is not a free pass. But it sure is an encouraging finding if you happen to love bacon! (Nutrition Data Blog)
• Flowchart: ‘You Dropped Food on the Floor. Do You Eat It?’ <<This is just awesome. And hilarious. And awesome. (Serious Eats)
• Snack Time Never Ends <<Interesting look at children and snacking habits. Definitely worth reading. (New York Times)
• Big Benefits Are Seen From Eating Less Salt <<By far the biggest source of salt is processed foods–food companies have to fill them with salt and sugar to cover up the nasty taste. Cut down on junk and you don’t have to worry about salting your veggies. (New York Times)
• Tableware for the Slow Food Movement: Plate Tells You When You Are Eating Too Fast <<BS of the week. I’m all about the Slow Food movement (love it, in fact). But isn’t the whole point to slow down and enjoy what you eat? I fail to see how eating off this ugly electronic plate meter helps anyone embrace Slow Food. (Tree Hugger)
• DIY Refrigerator Care Saves Money, Keeps Refrigerator Alive Longer <<Who doesn’t love a good kitchen hack? Make your fridge live longer with these tricks. (Lifehacker)
• Chanterelle Omelette with Saucisson Vaudois <<This fancy omelet looks divine. This recipe is a perfect use for the beautiful chanterelle mushrooms that are in season now. (Jenn Cuisine)

What inspired you this week?

Tags: guest posts, heart disease, recipe, refrigerator, salt, saturated fat, Slow Food, snack, sodium