For The Love of Food

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

It was a very difficult week for my family as well as the food blog community. Heart disease is still the #1 cause of death in this country, and I hope that what I’m doing here at Summer Tomato can make a small (or, hopefully, large) dent in that in the years to come.

The good news is I found a ton of fantastic articles this week, with my top 10 including why carbs aren’t the obvious enemy in obesity, why sitting too much is not the same as working out too little and why being a nudist may extend your life.

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Links of the week

• The Carbohydrate Hypothesis of Obesity: a Critical Examination <<I love this analysis calling out Gary Taubes’ over-simplistic view on carbs and obesity. I’m not at all a fan of processed foods, but health is more complicated than any one macronutrient. (Whole Health Source)
• Too Much Sitting is Not the Same as Too Little Physical Activity <<It’s a common misconception that going to the gym regularly can counteract a sedentary day job, but the evidence suggests otherwise. (Obesity Panacea)
• Are you ready for your 15 minutes of exercise? <<Previous article aside, any exercise can be tremendously beneficial (i.e. add 3 years to your life!). And the more the merrier. (Los Angeles Times)
• Picky Eating Might Be Classified as a Mental Illness <<While this is interesting, I’m a firm believer that picking eating can be overcome with an open mind and a decent chef. It’s worth finding out for yourself. (Wall Street Journal)
• Plenty of growth in farmers market industry, but USDA says there’s still room for plenty more <<In a world where a lot of things are going wrong, there are still a lot of things going right. I love this trend, look for it in a town near you. (Washington Post)
• Science Reveals Women Who Wear Less Clothing Live Longer <<In case you were looking for an excuse to be a nudist (who isn’t?!), here’s your chance. (Pssst, this is a joke). (Huffington Post)
• New study finds that fatty foods alleviate sadness <<I’ve also seen several studies correlating lowfat diets (particularly low omega-3 diets) to depression. An interesting area of research to keep an eye on. (National Post)
• Cross-Training by Lifting Weights <<Incorporating strength training was one of the biggest turning points in improving my health and physique. I recommend it for everyone. (New York Times)
• Do you suffer from portion paralysis? <<I love this post addressing our mindless eating habits that so often sabotage our best intentions. This is why eating mindfully can be so valuable. (Weighty Matters)
• Video for Jennifer Perillo: Mikey’s Peanut Butter Pie <<There was too much death and sadness this week. And despite the fact that a peanut butter pie is more likely to contribute to heart disease than help it, sometimes family, friends and memories are more important. Thank you White on Rice Couple for this incredible video dedication to Jennifer Perillo and her late husband Mikey.