FOR THE LOVE OF FOOD: Standing desks are overrated, the new EPA head is terrifying, and how mushrooms might save the bees

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

This week standing desks are overrated, the new EPA head is terrifying, and how mushrooms might save the bees.

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Links of the week

• Psychology’s Replication Crisis Is Running Out of Excuses – Sadly it’s looking like we know less and less about psychology than we thought we did, as many hallmark studies are having trouble being replicated by other groups. This article does a nice job of explaining the issue and gives some reasons to be optimistic. (The Atlantic)
• Scott Pruitt’s Environmental Rollbacks Stumbled in Court. His Successor Is More Thorough. – Heads up for US voters. The EPA is being dramatically weakened from the inside out. I can’t imagine a worse time in history for this to happen. (NY Times)
• Does cutting carbs really help keep weight off? The big new diet study, explained. – Interesting update and balanced explanation of the status of the science. Of course, you personally should focus more on what works for you and generally minimize the processed foods you’re exposed to. (Vox)
• The spin instructor’s ‘love yourself’ approach didn’t motivate her. So what would? – There are different types of motivation. Which works best for you? (Washington Post)
• How the mushroom dream of a ‘long-haired hippie’ could help save the world’s bees – Very cool. I hope he’s right. (Seattle Times)
• Should you eat a low-gluten diet? – Interesting new data suggests that eating GF may help with digestion, but not because of the lack of gluten so much as the different kinds of fiber you’re eating. (ScienceDaily)
• How Meditation Might Help Your Winter Workouts – I’m not terribly surprised by this association, as mindfulness is one of the most important ingredients in making harder, value-based choices. (NY Times)
• Workers Fear Injury as Administration Clears Way for Faster Chicken Slaughter – It’s well known that increasing the speed of industrial meat processing lines is a huge risk factor for worker injury. It’s sad to see the progress made in the past few decades being undone. (Civil Eats)
• Let picky eaters play with their food, and don’t force ‘thank you’ tastes – The latest suggestion is to stop pushing your kids to be less picky, but instead focus on setting up a more positive dining experience. Sounds more pleasant for everyone. (Washington Post)
• Just Months of American Life Change the Microbiome – Fascinating. (The Atlantic)
• Are You Sitting Down? Standing Desks Are Overrated – A bit more nuance on the science here. (NY Times)
• TOMATO FENNEL & WHITE BEAN STEW – Some of my favorite flavors. (Dishing Up the Dirt)

What inspired you this week?