For The Love of Food

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

Most of the food news this week focused on the controversy over organic versus conventional agriculture, and I’m already tired of it. I normally post 10 links on Friday, but today I could only find seven additional good stories, so I didn’t waste your time by posting three more lame ones. It was a short week anyway, so consider this a holiday.

That said, all these are definitely worth reading. Learn why you should be scared of chicken breasts, romantic dinner settings can help you eat less, healthy eating helps your brain and more.

Want to see all my favorite links? Be sure to follow me on on Delicious. I also share links on Twitter @summertomato,  Google+ and the Summer Tomato Facebook page. I’m very active on all these sites and would love to connect with you. (And yes, I took that pepper heart pic myself).

Links of the week

• Farm Use of Antibiotics Defies Scrutiny <<Are you worried about antibiotic resistance caused by the production of industrial meat? Because you certainly should be. Share this far and wide. (New York Times)
• Setting the Mood for Smaller Meals <<It seems that even at a fast food joint my tricks to eat slower and more mindfully can also help you eat less without noticing. And guess what, you can do all these things at home. (New York Times)
• Even in Normal Range, High Blood Sugar Linked to Brain Shrinkage <<Worried about dementia? Better watch your blood sugar. (ScienceDaily)
• Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome Associated With Impaired Brain Function in Adolescents <<Oh and btw, even teenagers have impaired cognition as a result of poor blood sugar control. (ScienceDaily)
• Keeping Up a Healthy Lifestyle Pays Off in Added Years: Study <<This study claims healthy living adds another 5.5 years to your life on average. I’ve seen other studies report as many as 14 years. All you’ve got to do is eat delicious food, avoid cigarettes and move your body a bit. Any takers? (Medline)
• The Benefits of Middle-Age Fitness <<Fitness doesn’t just extend the length of your life, it also improves the quality (by more than a decade). (New York Times)
• Stir Fried Japanese Eggplant with Ginger and Miso <<Eggplant is in season, and Asian preparations are my favorite. Yum yum. (Simply Recipes)

What inspired you this week?