When efforts to eat ‘clean’ become an unhealthy obsession

An eating disorder called orthorexia has risen in tandem with popular diets that seek to exclude “harmful” foods; food tribes such as raw veganism, keto and Whole30 are intended to help consumers feel their best, but can instill a sense of fear in those prone to eating disorders. When consumers take clean eating to the extreme it damages their ability to act spontaneously and engage with foods outside of their comfort zone in a pleasant way. Read more at NPR…

Entrepreneurs who sleep more are better at spotting good ideas

New research shows that well-rested entrepreneurs are best able to serve their ventures by getting a good night’s sleep. Study subjects who were sleep deprived were more pessimistic and focused more on superficial features rather than complex structural alignments between a novel technology and a commercial market. Read more at HBR…

Trump supporters are actually more likely to avoid gluten, according to study

A study that looked at the “complex relationship between the social construction of gluten avoidance and the potential role of political views” has found that supporters of President Donald Trump are significantly more likely to avoid gluten than self-identified liberals. The authors of the study suggest that this could be an indication of Trump-era conservatives’ tendency to distrust “conventional institutions”—which includes conventional agriculture. Read more at Vice…

Small organic dairy farmers push to close certification loophole

USDA’s Origin of Livestock provision has driven down the cost of organic milk to the detriment of small dairy farmers nationwide. Now, USDA has re-opened a public comment period that will allow pushback from organizations representing small organic dairy farms against the proposal. Read more at Modern Farmer…

For the third time this year, USDA announces another change to SNAP rules

USDA recently announced a proposal that would suppress enrollment in the Supplemental Nutrition Program by capping allowable income deductions for utility expenses. If passed, the rule would “take food stamps from up to 8,000 households and reduce payments for one in five families.” The change is anticipated to save $4.5 billion over the next decade. Read more at New Food Economy…