For The Love of Food

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

Why you shouldn’t tweet and eat, fake chicken is not ethical and orange juice isn’t good for you.

Want to see all my favorite links? Be sure to follow me on on Digg. 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.

Links of the week

• Shout it From the Rooftops: Juice is Not Natural <<I’m going to continue posting articles about Tropicana until people stop asking me about it, which will probably be never. (Obesity Panacea)
• The Dangers of Tweeting While Eating <<Some data on all that mindful eating stuff I keep talking about. (Men’s Health)
• A Chicken Without Guilt <<BS of the week. I’m no supporter of industrial or inhumane animal farms, but to propose that a product made from Monsanto’s GMO soy beans is ethical is just ignorant. I’m super disappointed in Mark Bittman for this. (New York Times)
• Walking May Lessen the Influence of Genes On Obesity by Half <<Your health is a reflection of both nature and nurture. Never throw in the towel just because you think you have “bad genes.” (ScienceDaily)
• Reinventing the Office: How to Lose Fat and Increase Productivity at Work <<Some really innovative ideas here about how to create a healthier office space. Love it. (Tim Ferriss)
• Reasons That Vitamin D May Matter <<Nothing revolutionary here, but if you need a primer on why myself and many others recommend vitamin D supplements for many people this is a decent explanation. (New York Times)
• Food Is Important <<This is a cool story, well worth reading. (Michael Ruhlman)
• What the Grave of a Listeria Cantaloupe Victim Looks Like <<Proof that industrial produce can be (and often is) just as dangerous as industrial meats. (Bill Marler)
• BREAKFAST TACOS WITH AVOCADO RADISH SALSA <<I met Kimberley last weekend at the Edible Institute conference in Santa Barbara, and I’m already in love with her blog. (The Year In Food)

What inspired you this week?

For The Love of Food

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

How to eat anything you want without gaining weight, why lard may be the new black and how some organic foods are poisoning you.

Want to see all my favorite links? Be sure to follow me on on Digg. 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.

Links of the week

• How Do You Not Weigh 500 Pounds? <<I’m a little late on this post but still think it’s worth putting at the top of the list. I love these tips for eating what you love and not gaining weight, and use them all myself. I had only one complaint that I left in the comments. (Amateur Gourmet)
• Who Killed Lard? <<Excellent story examining why lard went out of fashion (hint: it wasn’t for health reasons) and why it may be due for a comeback. (NPR)
• Organic Food Sweetener May Be a Hidden Source of Dietary Arsenic <<I’ve always been suspicious of how many “healthy” foods contain brown rice syrup. I guess they think arsenic is healthy, which means I’m calling BS of the week on all the organic processed foods that are really just expensive junk food in disguise. (ScienceDaily)
• Can you build up tolerance to delicious foods? <<If you want to love chocolate even more, try eating less of it. (Obesity Panacea)
• Is Fructose Being Blamed Unfairly for Obesity Epidemic? <<Sure we love to demonize high-fructose corn syrup, but fructose alone is not our biggest problem. (ScienceDaily)
• Is Sugar Fattening? <<And just in case you’re suspicious of the last article, here’s all the gory details of why sugar isn’t good but also may not be as bad as everyone says. (Whole Health Source)
• Health care professionals, Twitter, and the Abuse of Public Trust <<Do you believe health advice from people just because they have an MD? Would it surprise you to hear most doctors have less than 2 hours of nutrition training and no background in analyzing scientific data? (Weighty Matters)
• How Exercise Fuels the Brain <<A really cool mechanism was uncovered of how exercise actually improves cognitive ability. (New York Times)
• Moroccan Mint Roasted Vegetables Recipe <<I’m making this asap. Moroccan food is my fave. (101 Cookbooks)
• What Processed Food Looks Like during Digestion–of Course It’s Not Pretty [Video] <<How much ramen did you eat in college? (thanks for the link Sandra!) (Scientific American)

What inspired you this week?

For The Love of Food

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

This week McDonald’s comes up with a game changer, Dr. Oz proves once again that he’s a scumbag, and science gives us a few more reasons to eat fish.

Want to see all my favorite links? Be sure to follow me on on Digg. 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.

Links of the week

• OMG: McDonald’s Does the Right Thing <<I don’t often get to say nice things about McDonald’s, but I’m glad they gave me a reason to today by ending the use of gestation crates for pigs. (New York Times)
• You Can Gain Weight Eating Fruits and Vegetables <<I’m of the opinion that what you eat is more important than how much you eat, but let’s not forget that how much you eat is still important. (Dr. Weil)
• A Tale of Two Oz’s <<Thanks Yoni for calling BS of the week on the two-faced quack named Dr. Oz. I wonder how this guy sleeps at night. (Weighty Matters)
• How 1-Minute Intervals Can Improve Your Health <<Don’t like to workout a lot or can’t find the time? This is the solution for you. (New York Times)
• Overeating May Double Risk of Memory Loss <<Too many calories is bad for your health in many ways, including your memory as well, according to a new study. (ScienceDaily)
• A Mediterranean diet may promote brain health: study <<And for those calories you are eating, make sure there’s some fish and good veggies in there. (Los Angeles Times)
• The Egg and the Pressure Cooker <<I had no idea I could cook one of my favorite foods in my beloved pressure cooker. This is high on my to-do list this weekend. (Ruhlman)
• Dietary changes may slow retinitis pigmentosa: study <<Another reason to eat fish: “Someone adopting this dietary recommendation by age 35 could have 18 years of additional vision.” That’s impressive. (Los Angeles Times)
• Miso-Roasted Fish on Cedar Plank <<Great write up on my friend and the chef who changed my life with a meal, Arnold Wong. He also shares this delicious sounding recipe. (SF Gate)

What inspired you this week?

For The Love of Food

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

There were more excellent stories than I could fit this week. Mindful eating hits the big leagues, Jack In The Box’s shake is made of fakin bacon and sugar is more helpful than low carb for weight loss? Won’t somebody please think of the children!

Want to see all my favorite links? Be sure to follow me on on Digg. 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.

Links of the week

• Mindful Eating as Food for Thought <<Mindful eating in the New York Times?! I think someone is finally listening!
• Bread a culprit in Americans eating too much salt <<Have high blood pressure? It might be bread’s fault. (Medline)
• Bacon milkshake contains no actual bacon <<Haha, thanks Grist for calling BS of the week on Jack In The Box’s fake bacon shake.
• New Diet: Top Off Breakfast With — Chocolate Cake? <<Interesting study suggests having a little something sweet in the morning is more effective than a low carb diet for long term weight loss. As counter intuitive as that sounds it is not entirely out of line with my personal experiences. (ScienceDaily)
• Smaller Plate Won’t Help Your Diet, Research Shows <<Honestly I think this study is flawed. They specifically asked the test subjects to eat until full. In the original studies it was a more natural environment and smaller plates resulted in less eating unconsciously, and both the small and large plate groups reported the same amount of fullness at the end. (Medline)
• The Hidden Health Hazards of Lettuce <<Though I don’t agree entirely with the logic here, I do think he’s right. “Fat isn’t bad, stupid is bad.” (Ruhlman)
• The Consumer: In New Diet Math, Subtracting Is Hard <<I might be the only one who thinks it’s funny that when Weight Watchers started equating fruits and vegetables people stopped losing weight. (New York Times)
• What a World Without Ridiculous Front of Package Health Claims Would Look Like <<It might look like food. Love this one. (Weighty Matters)
• Cream of Jerusalem Artichoke and Celeriac Soup <<Two of my favorite under-appreciated winter vegetables, together at last. (Jenn Cuisine)
• Push-ups: Michelle Obama v Ellen DeGeneres <<No matter how you feel about politics, this is badass.

What inspired you this week?

For The Love of Food

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

Lots of talk this week about the pros and cons of local foods. Also, congress says pizza is a vegetable, heritage turkeys are the greatest thing since bacon and coffee/tea may reduce your risk of mercury exposure from fish.

Want to see all my favorite links? Be sure to follow me on on Digg. 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.

Links of the week

• Eating locally is no longer such a longshot <<Isn’t it wonderful when the right thing becomes trendy? (Seattle Times)
• The Inefficiency of Local Food <<BS of the week. If you aren’t sure why biological systems shouldn’t be treated like machines, check out Joel Salatin’s new book Folks, This Ain’t Normal (review coming soon). (Freakonomics)
• Congress Blocks New Rules on School Lunches <<BS of the week, part deux. You’ve probably heard that congress decreed pizza is a vegetable this week. What I learned in this article was that the real question was how much sauce (certainly full of sugar) counted as a vegetable. Apparently if more sauce was required the pizza lobbyists would have been upset (but instead they’re happy). And no, this is not from The Onion. (New York Times)
• What’s the Deal With Heritage Turkeys? <<I never liked Thanksgiving food. Granted my family’s poor cooking skills are the primary reason, but another big one is that big, dry turkeys are not the best endorsement. Everything poultry changed for me when I discovered heritage turkeys and chickens. Mind blowing. (YumSugar)
• Eating at home is (almost) always cheaper than restaurants <<I’ve been saying this forever. Eating out is a luxury. (Christian Science Monitor)
• USDA: ‘Locally grown’ food a $4.8 billion business <<Apparently local food is not only popular, it’s also booming. (Associated Press)
• EASY TIPS FOR USING THE LAST OF SUMMER’S PRODUCE <<I love this. It’s harvest time, live it up! (Ecosalon)
• Coffee and tea reduce exposure to mercury when eating fish: Université de Montréal study <<I wouldn’t bank on this quite yet, but it’s a pretty cool finding if it pans out with further research. (Montreal Gazette)
• Is cheese better than butter for heart health? <<So this was funded by the dairy industry… BUT it is actually a well-designed study. Also it’s the third or fourth pro-cheese for health study I’ve seen in the past few months. The working hypothesis is there is added benefit because cheese is the leading source of vitamin K2 in the diet. (Medline)
• How To Make Candy Apple Cookies <<I’m generally not a huge fan of sweets, but if you’re going to have something every now and then apple-based “cookies” a pretty good choice. Personally I’d lean toward more natural and healthy toppings (dark chocolate, peanuts, dried fruit, etc.), but the proof of principle here is cool. Also, huge congrats to my friend Brit for launching her new creative living site! (Brit)

What inspired you this week?

For The Love of Food

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

This week I found a fantastic piece on the environmental impact of real meat versus fake meat (read this book if you’d like to learn more on this topic), another about how the honey market is flooded with a fake product, as well as two counter arguments in the great 8 glasses-a-day debate. Good readin’!

Want to see all my favorite links? Be sure to follow me on on Digg. 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.

Links of the week

• Steak or Veggie Burger: Which is Greener? <<Don’t you love smart people? I sure do. All vegetarians and omnivores alike should read this. (Mother Jones)
• Is Breakfast The Most Important Meal? Fact Vs. Myth<<My latest column at ZocDoc, and why I think breakfast is a habit worth cultivating.
• Tests Show Most Store Honey Isn’t Honey <<Holy hell. Great job by Food Safety News for calling BS of the week on all the fake honey flooding US markets. All give you 2 guesses where most of it is from.
• Really? The Claim: Drink Eight Glasses of Water a Day to Protect the Kidneys <<Most experts say our need to drink more water is a myth, recent data suggests it may be beneficial after all. Personally I drink when I’m thirsty, which ends up to be about 2 liters a day. (New York Times)
• Don’t just sit around — it may increase your risk of cancer <<Apparently too much sitting doesn’t just make you fat and give you diabetes, it also may contribute to cancer. And yes, this is true even if you exercise regularly. (Los Angeles Times)
• The LA and New York Times Forget Something Important <<I was just going to ignore the obnoxious reporting that was all over the media this week about how banning sodas in schools is not effective for getting kids to drink less sugar, but thanks Yoni for explaining why. (Weighty Matters)
• Men and heavy people may outpace women and slim people in eating speed <<I cannot emphasize this enough. Are you sure you’re chewing your food? (Los Angeles Times)
• Cutting Boards 101 <<This is actually really interesting, despite the gratuitous use of exclamation points. (Plum and Radish)
• Food politics semantics: the meaning of “natural” <<An update on the word “natural” on nutrition and food labels. (Food Politics)
• Red Quinoa with Butternut Squash, Cranberries and Pecans <<Doesn’t this look yummy for fall? (Gluten-Free Goddess)

What inspired you this week?

For The Love of Food

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

Good stuff this week, particularly the new data about why diets don’t work, why probiotics do work and some interesting examples of how the food industry is responding to the food movement. Oh yes, and the invention of super broccoli.

Want to see all my favorite links? Be sure to follow me on on Digg. 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.

Links of the week

• Study Shows Why It’s Hard to Keep Weight Off <<Some interesting new data explaining why diets don’t work. (New York Times)
• Consumers ‘don’t pay attention to nutrition labels’ <<Am I the only one who thinks this might be a good thing? The labels are only there to confuse you. (BBC News)
• UK scientists grow super broccoli <<BS of the week. Hate to break it to these guys, but broccoli was already perfect. Seriously, aren’t there bigger fish to fry? (SF Gate)
• In Defense of Industrial Food <<I disagree with this, but I’m not calling BS because he brings up some important points that should be answered by the real food community. (TIME)
• Lunch with Michael Pollan: Two Words of Warning <<Pollan is right about what the food industry is doing in response to the food movement (spin!), and the next few articles illustrate exactly what he means. (Michael Ruhlman)
• Marketers use artisan label to evoke more sales <<I noticed the artisan pizzas at Dominos and the farmers market pizza at RoundTable. Who is falling for this stuff? (USA Today)
• The Candification of Our Food: The Case of the Fruit-Less Fruit Snack <<This is very important and everyone with kids (or planning to have kids) should read it. (The Atlantic)
• The ineluctable return of the McRib <<This is so well-written I had to share it, and I applaud Francis Lam for his bravery. (Salon)
• Science Probes How Probiotic Yogurts Affect Your Gut <<Super cool new research about how probiotics affect the function, not the population of gut flora. (Medline)
• The apple orchard and a savory squash, apple and quinoa crumble <<This is a delicious looking fall recipe, I’ve been all about the winter squash this year. (Cannelle et Vanille)

What inspired you this week?

For The Love of Food

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

This week the emphasis seems to be on the value of whole foods over single nutrients or supplements. Check out my article on the danger of vitamin E supplements over at KQED, the cool new study about why whole broccoli is better than its single nutrients as well as a cool trick for preventing avocados from browning.

Want to see all my favorite links? Be sure to follow me on on Digg. 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.

Links of the week

• Vitamin E Supplements Increase Prostate Cancer Risk <<Scary stuff. But read all the way to the bottom, dosage is important. (KQED Quest)
• Health Benefits of Broccoli Require the Whole Food, Not Supplements <<A small clue as to why vegetables are still more healthy than supplements. I imagine there are many more. (ScienceDaily)
• Is “Natural” A Food Marketing Scheme? <<Big thanks to Food Republic for calling BS of the week for me on the food industry’s gratuitous use of the word “natural.”
• Radical thinking on antioxidants <<I love a nice, healthy dose of reality. Antioxidants aren’t a magic bullet, not by a long shot. (Chicago Tribune)
• Cheating Father Time: 50-Year-Old Can Be Every Bit as Fit as Someone 30 Years Younger, but Exercise Is Key <<Though I still think diet is the most important factor in body weight, don’t forget that exercise is just as important in health. It also makes you look better at any size. (ScienceDaily)
• Eating Green Veggies Improves Immune Defenses <<The difference was much larger than researchers expected. (ScienceDaily)
• Proper Protein Intake Crucial for Moderating Energy Intake, Keeping Obesity at Bay <<Interestingly, raising protein intake from 10% to 15% made a significant difference in reducing overall energy intake, but raising from 15% to 25% did not. (ScienceDaily)
• First Physical Evidence Bilingualism Delays Onset of Alzheimer’s Symptoms <<I think this is really cool. Use that brain, travel, it’s good for you. (ScienceDaily)
• ‘Gardener’ Gives ‘Heirloom Life’ To Forgotten Flora <<Looks like a great resource for gardeners looking to expand their crop. (NPR)
• How To Stop An Avocado From Browning <<Really cool trick from Chow (via Treehugger) on preventing avocado browning with an onion. Also sounds like the start of a great guacamole.

http://www.cbs.com/e/7gcqHsHaWrENebawgpv5c5B_kWM4_xVm/chow/1/

What inspired you this week?

For The Love of Food

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

Some wonderfully thought provoking articles this week, including what to do about trace amounts of dangerous chemicals, why long-cooking vegetables isn’t always a crime and some excellent tips on dealing with picky eaters.

Want to see all my favorite links? Be sure to follow me on on Digg. 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.

Links of the week

• What to do about food chemicals eaten in tiny amounts? <<I get asked this question often, and this is an excellent answer. (Food Politics)
• Eating slowly may help you lose weight <<Easiest weight loss ever. Seriously, slow down. (USA Today)
• Fat tax in Denmark: Why they have it; could it happen in U.S.? <<BS of the week. So apparently Denmark has decided to tax saturated fat, because “saturated fats can cause cardiovascular disease and cancer.” Too bad that’s not really true. (Los Angeles Times)
• The Soft Approach: In Praise of Soft-Cooked Vegetables <<I adore this article about why cooking conventions aren’t always right. An excellent read. (Saveur)
• This Is Your Brain On Estrogen <<Women everywhere know that hormones affect body weight, here’s some insight into why. (ScienceDaily)
• 10 Tips for Dining (or Not) With Picky Eaters <<I’m perpetually baffled by both children and picky eaters. Here’s some tips on handling both. (Food Network)
• How Yelp is killing chain restaurants <<I always thought Yelp was entirely useless, but this made me smile. (Washington Post)
• Lift Weights, Eat Mustard, Build Muscles? <<Apparently there are naturally occurring steroids in mustard greens that work like anabolic steroids. Who knew? (ScienceDaily)
• Mom’s Healthy Diet Might Cut Birth Defect Risk <<I like this article because they go out of their way to say that supplements were not an adequate substitute for a healthy diet. Take note moms-to-be. (ScienceDaily)
• Spanish Chilindron Stew <<San Francisco has been rainy and miserable all week, so soup is in order. This post also inspired me to add a new cookbook to my Amazon wishlist. (Hunter Angler Gardner Cook)

What inspired you this week?

For The Love of Food

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

I had to restrain myself from including 20 articles in this week’s post, but for your sake I kept it to my usual top 10. Whatever you do don’t miss Bittman’s calculations on the price of broccoli versus McDonald’s, how easy it is to sell fruit to kids, how global warming is affecting the fishing industry, how the food industry is responding to the Real Food movement, and the other five articles.

Want to see all my favorite links? Be sure to follow me on on Digg. I also share links on Twitter (@summertomato) and the Summer Tomato Facebook fan page. I’m very active on all these sites and would love to connect with you.

Links of the week

• Is Junk Food Really Cheaper? <<Though there have been some valid criticisms that this may not apply to those in extreme poverty, it certainly applies to a good chunk of the population (college students, I’m looking at you) who complain about the cost of healthy food. (New York Times)
• When Chefs Move the Fruit <<Hey, guess what! When you make fruit look tasty by putting it in colorful bowls sales increase by 104% in schools. Why not try it in your kitchen? (ScienceDaily)
• Reebok to Pay Settlement Over Health Claims <<It’s a rare day when a government agency calls BS of the week for me. Thank you FTC. (New York Times)
• The End Of Fish And Chips: Climate Change Causing Massive Changes In European Fisheries <<This is terrifying, and it’s real. (Fast Company)
• In Debate About Food, a Monied New Player <<They’re scared. This is good news. (New York Times)
• Food products described as artisan go mainstream <<While this kind of makes me want to vomit, it also kind of makes me really happy because it means there is a demand for quality again. I’m hoping consumers are smart enough to tell the difference between authenticity and marketing. (Los Angeles Times)
• Report: U.S. spending billions of dollars to subsidize junk food <<The apple/Twinkie comparisons they use in this article are really powerful. Please read. (Los Angeles Times)
• Humans on a Cafeteria Diet <<Want to get people to voluntarily eat 50% more than they normally would? Feed them American junk food. (Whole Health Source)
• Study of the Day: Vitamin B12 May Help Prevent Brain Shrinkage <<Sharing this study because I know a lot of vegetarians and vegans read this blog, and this is a friendly reminder to get enough B12 please. (The Atlantic)
• LENTIL SALAD | BROWN BAG CHALLENGE <<This beautiful lentil salad looks like so many of my lunches I had to share. SO easy and delicious, from one of my favorite blogs Chez Us.

What inspired you this week?