links I like - 06-26-12

links I like - 06-26-12

Here are a few articles I read this week which I thought you might like. Please enjoy..

The Top 5 Signs You've Taken The Paleo Lifestyle Too Far, by Justin Miller via Stepcase Lifehack. I haven't written much about the Paleo diet (although it's on my list of things to write about), but it seems to be popping up more & more in daily conversations. Justin wrote a clever piece with some over-the-top examples.

Eating Disorders Hitting Women Over 50, via usnews.com. I was very surprised with the results of this research. My initial thought was that we all get more comfortable with ourselves as we get older, and that teenage self-consciousness and angst mellows with age. Does our society put so much pressure on looks and body image that grandmothers now have eating disorders? That's sad.  Secondly, we need to teach these women healthier options, like eating healthy and exercising.

Foodie Economist Tyler Cowen Answers Your Questions, via Freakonomics. He hits on quite a few topics in this interview, but a couple points jumped out at me: A) "Not every part of a meal can be the best part," when talking about adding greens to your meal. And B) When comparing traditional low-income societies' meals with our fast food value menus, "The rice and beans tastes much better, especially if you puree ancho chiles into the mix, or put a little bacon on top, or best yet both.  It is also cheaper than McDonald's.  It is better for you.  More people should give it a try." Great point!

The myth of the eight-hour sleep, by John Durant at Hunter-Gatherer. Speaking of Paleo... John finds some research looking at our ancestors' sleep patterns. And by ancestors, in this case we're referring to the time before the Industrial Revolution, when electricity for street lighting and regimented time-keeping became part of everyday culture for western civilization.

7 Things I Wish I Knew When I Started Triathlon, via Dumb Little Man. A long-time friend of mine just ran her first sprint triathlon last week (congratulations Stacy!), and it reminded me of how far I've come over the last couple years, since my first sprint in May 2010. These tips are right on the money for anyone out there thinking about giving a triathlon a shot this summer.

That's all for this week - happy reading!

-Chris Butterworth

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