FOR THE LOVE OF FOOD: The health value of friendship, the trouble with the carbohydrate-insulin model, and the sad state of the EPA

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

This week the health value of friendship, the trouble with the carbohydrate-insulin model, and the sad state of the EPA.

Next week’s Mindful Meal Challenge will start again on Monday. Sign up now to join us!

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

I also share links on Twitter @summertomato 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

• The Power of Positive People – The evidence is quite strong that the strength and quality of your social connections is as important to your health as exercise and nutrition. This is really a great read. (NY Times)
• Why the carbohydrate-insulin model of obesity is probably wrong: A supplementary reply to Ebbeling and Ludwig’s JAMA article – A deep dive into the science behind the carbohydrate-insulin model of obesity. You might be surprised. (Stephan Guyenet)
• Tens of Thousands of People Are About to Lose the Ability to Buy Fresh Food at Farmers Markets – This is an outrage. This wasn’t a policy decision, but another example of an important government contract given to a company that is completely unequipped to handle it and failing spectacularly. Ugh. (Modern Farmer)
• The EPA Is Hiding Proof That a Widely Used Chemical Causes Leukemia: Report – The EPA is being eroded from the inside out. Your health is at stake. (NY Mag)
• Vintage photos taken by the EPA reveal what America looked like before pollution was regulated – In case you need a reminder of why a functioning EPA is important. (Business Insider)
• Produce is less healthy than it was 70 years ago. These farmers are trying to change that – I hope they succeed. (USA Today)
• Supermarkets Deploy Sausage Stations, Dad Jokes to Lure Male Shoppers – “…of more than 1,700 couples between 1992 and 2006, and found that most men who participated in grocery shopping reported higher levels of sexual satisfaction than men in couples where women did most of the work.” You can’t argue with science LOL. (WSJ)
• Environmentally minded Californians love to recycle — but it’s no longer doing any good – Womp womp. (LA Times)
• The Stories That Stop Us From Being Present & Taking Action – Great reminder that you’re the one who controls where your attention stays. (Zen Habits)
• Coffee Drinkers Are More Likely To Live Longer. Decaf May Do The Trick, Too – It’s a myth that avoiding coffee is healthier. (NPR)
• Mastering Chinese-Style Ribs at Home – Probably not the healthiest recipe I’ve ever shared, but how could I not share it? (NY Times)

What inspired you this week?