what's good around the web!

Does anyone else feel like they blinked and September was just suddenly gone?

It was a lovely month. We transitioned from summer to autumn not so gently (thanks, Sweden), got our boy more settled into his daycare routine, and generally worked on spending time together as a family. We took a quick (and I do mean quick) trip to Tuscany for the wedding of a dear friend, and plotted out some more travel for the coming months. I've always liked September as a month, and this one did not disappoint.

when in doubt, donate

This month's donation was an easy decision: our friends who got married in Tuscany requested donations to Planned Parenthood in lieu of wedding gifts. I made a larger than usual donation since it was the money I would have been spending on a wedding present, but I'm very happy to have done so; planned Parenthood has been on my must-donate list since I started this thing.

the muffin myth, in other places

September was a busy month in other places! Over on Hello Glow I shared a guide for what to look for in a protein bar (so many of them are either full of sugar or are total junk!) and did some myth busting with Five Healthy Eating Myths Debunked.

a little bit delicious

Question: do you follow The Muffin Myth on Facebook? Each and every day I share recipe inspiration, nutrition and health articles, and just generally good stuff from around the web. Jump over and hit follow to join in on the fun!

I love a good toast for dinner meal; the simplicity, the ease, and the comfort all speak to me. Sometimes it's nice to just crack a can of beans or fry and egg and call it done. Other times, though, it's nice to fancy it up a bit, and I think that these Braised Lentils on Toast from The Full Helping are just the thing.

Looking for a way to get a mega dose of greens in? I'm a fan of pumping up my pasta with a good amount of kale. Cooking it this way tenderizes the kale a bit and may be a bit more palatable for those who aren't quite ready to go the route of a raw kale salad. Check out this Garlicky Kale Spelt Spaghetti with Crispy Capers from Natural Kitchen Adventures for a fantastic weeknight meal.

Lastly, since we're into October now, it felt fitting to finish up with some pumpkin spice. This Pumpkin Spice Chia Pudding from The Roasted Root looks almost too pretty to eat, but you know I'm gonna get that in my face anyways!

last but not least, the links

1. Hey, Hippocrates: Food isn't medicine. It's just food.

2. This is fascinating! Did you know that gut bacteria can fluctuate with the seasons?

3. How do vegetarian diets affect cholesterol levels? Spoiler: really well.

4. You guys, scientists are collecting poop from elite athletes to try and unlock the secret of endurance.

5. Instagram food is a sad, sparkly lie. But this is neat: Celery was the avocado toast of the Victorian era.

6. Meals that heal: how hospital food is changing.

7. Listen up, fellas: in this study, women preferred the smell of men who eat a particular diet.

8. A long, fascinating, and frankly frightening interactive piece by the NYT --> How big business got Brazil hooked on junk food.

9. A really interesting and scientifically objective look at what happens to your brain when you go on a diet.

10. This product is the first to claim it may reduce peanut allergies.