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Links of the week

• The Heartbreaking Cruelty of Comparing Yourself to Others <<I’m going to have to insist that you all read this one. We are all guilty of comparing ourselves to others (our meals? our bodies? our families?). Here’s the uncomfortable truth about what that gains you, and some tips on finding a better way. (Zen Habits)
• Preventing Cancer Through Good Food and Exercise <<It’s so refreshing to finally see a major publication talking about the huge impact of lifestyle choices on cancer risk. Yes, heart disease and diabetes are bad, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg of what we need to be afraid of when we are sedentary and eat poorly. (The Atlantic)
• How Exercise Makes Us Feel <<If you’re the type who hates or always avoids exercise, please read this now. (Mark’s Daily Apple)
• RETHINKING THE HOME-COOKED FAMILY MEAL <<Home cooking got a bit roughed up in the news last week, which many foodists found more than a little irritating. Thank you Michael Ruhlman for so eloquently coming to its defense. (Ruhlman)
• The secret to a happy life: revealed! <<The contents of this post are incredibly profound. I very much believe that if you can integrate these practices into your life, even your food choices will get easier. (Grist)
• Learning How to Exert Self-Control <<The original self-control researcher (pioneering the famous marshmallow experiments with children) believes we can learn to control ourselves by adopting better strategies for dealing with trying moments. I couldn’t agree more. (NY Times)
• ‘Fat Shaming’ Doesn’t Motivate Obese People to Lose Weight <<Turns out being a jerk doesn’t help people change. So could you not? (Medline)
• Artificial Sweeteners May Disrupt Body’s Blood Sugar Controls <<One of the more compelling scientific studies I’ve seen suggesting artificial sweeteners may not be so great for you. For me though, the best reason to avoid them is that they taste like crap. (NY Times)
• Food expert suggests changes to lose weight — willpower not required <<Dr. Brian Wansink is at it again with his fabulous tips to eat less without noticing. There’s even some new ones in here worth peeking at. (LA Times)
• 9 things everyone should know about cooking <<Don’t cook regularly? This one is for you. (Treehugger)

What inspired you this week?