For The Love of Food

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

In case you missed it, here’s the archive of my appearance on Dead to the World with David Gans (KPFA radio) from Wednesday night. One of my longest discussions of Foodist to date. It will only be available until May 29:

http://www.kpfa.org/archive/id/91603

UPDATE: Here’s a more permanent version if you want to listen after the KPFA archive expires.

This week around the interwebz the salt police take a blow, chili peppers reduce Parkinson’s risk, and why sunshine is important for more than just vitamin D.

Want to see all my favorite links? (There’s lots more). 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

• No Benefit Seen in Sharp Limits on Salt in Diet <<I’ve spoken before about why I disagree with the anti-salt alarmists, but here’s more evidence if you need it. I also recommend Michael Ruhlman’s rant about idiocy of this kind of nutritionism. Good reading. (NY Times)
  
• 7 Characteristics Associated with Long Life (and How to Cultivate Them) <<And while we are on the subject of overdoing nutritionism, here’s a friendly reminder that there’s more to longevity and happiness than food. (Mark’s Daily Apple)
• Vermont House passes GMO-labeling law <<Fantastic news from the state of Vermont this week, which appears to be more enlightened than my home state of California. Fingers crossed this one goes all the way. (Grist)
• Could Eating Peppers Prevent Parkinson’s? Dietary Nicotine May Hold Protective Key <<Want to help lower your risk of Parkinson’s Disease without resorting to smoking? (Yes, cigarettes protect against it). Turns out the small amounts of nicotine in foods like peppers and tomatoes can also lower risk. (ScienceDaily)
• Can High-Protein, Low-Carb Diet Boost Fertility Treatment? <<This isn’t conclusive research yet, but since higher protein, lower carbohydrate eating patterns tend to be more nutrient dense, it is potentially a simple and healthy way to increase pregnancy odds if you’re struggling. (Medline)
• Sunshine Could Benefit Health and Prolong Life, Study Suggests <<It’s about more than vitamin D this time, showing us once again that there’s more to good health than isolated nutrients and supplements. (ScienceDaily)
• Why It’s Important to Cook Your Own Meals <<I couldn’t agree more, and this is a great explanation of why. (Mark’s Daily Apple)
• Pets may help reduce your risk of heart disease <<Cause and effect can be difficult to sort out, but it seems pet owners (particularly dog owners) have healthier hearts than people without pets. Thanks Toaster! (AHA)
• Brain Diseases Affecting More People and Starting Earlier Than Ever Before <<Degenerative brain diseases are becoming more prevalent, and it isn’t just because we’re getting older. Fortunately for Summer Tomato readers, a healthy lifestyle is one of the best ways to prevent them. (ScienceDaily)
• Artichoke Freekeh Risotto <<Though I have been meaning to, I’ve never actually tried freekeh. This may finally be the recipe that puts me over the edge. (David Lebovitz)

What inspired you this week?