For the Love of Food

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

This week chocolate is good for everyone, your genetics make your diet complicated, and what is lost when grains are processed.

Too busy to read them all? Try this awesome free speed reading app I just discovered to read at 300+ wpm. So neat!

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Links of the week

• Inuit Study Adds Twist to Omega-3 Fatty Acids’ Health Story <<Really interesting new data shows that the high-fat Inuit (aka Eskimo) diet may have been adapted to at a genetic level. This reminds us that 1) individuals can be very different in how we respond to different diets, 2) science is an emerging story, not black and white facts, 3) there can be many explanations for the same observation. (NY Times)
• Eating a lot of fish may help curb depression risk — at least in Europe <<Interestingly enough, ethnic differences in response to fish consumption isn’t limited to height, weight and heart disease. (ScienceDaily)
• Why I Cook <<A beautiful essay on the values of cooking by one of the most thoughtful and compassionate human beings I’ve ever met, Dr. Andrew Weil. (Medium)
• What big research studies can’t tell you <<People tend to get really frustrated by the constant flux of scientific information (and advice) that gets published each day. This is a great reminder of how you should and shouldn’t interpret it. (Nutrition Over Easy)
• The Gentle Art of Trying Something & Sucking at It <<I love this. It’s naive to expect yourself to like everything the first time you try it. Worthwhile things often take perseverance. (Zen Habits)
• Cocoa flavanols lower blood pressure and increase blood vessel function in healthy people <<Much of the data supporting the health benefits of chocolate (the real stuff) have focused on at-risk individuals (i.e. those with obesity, diabetes, etc.). Two new studies show significant benefits for even young, healthy individuals. (ScienceDaily)
• Gut bacteria may impact body weight, fat and good cholesterol levels <<The science of gut bacteria just keeps getting more and more interesting. Feed it well. (ScienceDaily)
• Grinding whole grains into flour: what gets lost? <<OMG chill out you guys. (Nutrition Over Easy)
• The Nature Cure <<The research is still emerging, but fortunately you don’t actually need a prescription from your doctor to take a walk in the park. (The Atlantic)
• Miso Hungry <<Making a delicious, satisfying miso soup at home isn’t hard and is wonderfully rewarding. (Eat Me)

What inspired you this week?