For the Love of Food

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

This week NY Times takes on industrial food, protein is more than just protein, and low fat gets an unlikely thumbs up.

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

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Links of the week

• Big Food Strikes Back <<If you’re going to read only one article on the state of the food movement in US politics, make it this one by Michael Pollan. (NY Times)
• The Dizzying Grandeur of 21st-Century Agriculture <<The above article is part of a special series the NY Times published this week on industrial food that is absolutely fantastic. This photo essay is the headline, and the rest of the articles are below. Definitely worth a weekend read.
• The Fight Over Transparency in the Meat Industry <<The last article from the NY Times series I’ll specifically call out is this one on how the meat industry has gotten more and more shady since a brief decade of transparency post-Upton Sinclair. Industrial meat is so gross and so inhumane to both its animals and employees it should rattle anyone with a conscience to her core. Personally I’ve opted out and only eat meat from trusted sources or not at all.
• Why the Variety of Your Protein Sources Matters <<Speaking of meat, another reason to avoid industrial meat is because there isn’t enough variety in nutrition. If you think you generally need to eat “more protein,” this article should help you see the nuance you’re missing. (Mark’s Daily Apple)
• IN DEFENSE OF LOW FAT: A CALL FOR SOME EVOLUTION OF THOUGHT (PART 1) <<This came out awhile ago, but I forgot to share it. If you’re familiar with Denise Minger’s work (she did the infamous take down of the China Study), you’ll know this is well worth the significant amount of time it will take to read. I have no idea what ever happened to Part 2. (Raw Food SOS)
• Negative Reps Help You Do Exercises You Thought Were Impossible <<Super interesting theory about one way to rethink your workouts. I think I’m going to give it a try. (Lifehacker)
• A Probiotic That Actually Lasts <<Interesting insight into the reason probiotics so often fail to live up to their promises. (The Atlantic)
• The Shame of Fat Shaming <<Shame is one of the most destructive forces in the human emotional repertoire, and I hate to see it built directly into our culture. (NY Times)
• The Only 3 Things You Need To Do In Order To Meditate <<This is actually surprisingly good. It’s a very short video that’s definitely worth watching. (Huffington Post)
• Hello, Tamago Kake Gohan, Your Time Has Come <<ZOMG. (Serious Eats)

What inspired you this week?