Canada’s new drinking guidelines, and is soup a meal or not?

Good morning and welcome back!

The days are getting ever so slightly longer and January is nearly over. Tom Brady is out, Joe Biden kneeled before Stephen Curry and the Australian Open is underway. This has been an excellent few days. 

Today’s edition has an analysis of Canada’s new drinking guidelines, a curious deep dive around our love affair for soup and a spiritual themed bar to guide your nightly thirst. 

Let’s get to it.

— Jamie Mah, Vancity Lookout Eats food editor

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HEALTH

What to make of Canada’s new drinking guidelines

I wasn’t planning on writing about this topic once again, as I did cover a few of my thoughts in Tuesday’s edition with my short piece on dry January. Nevertheless, be that as it may, tis the season and sometimes topics pick you and you’re forced to examine their influence. 

So when news dropped of new recommendations for Canada’s low risk drinking guidelines, I knew discourse was going to ensue and oh boy did it. The CBC’s report has over 6400 comments. This is definitely a hot topic issue with plenty of competing narratives. 

Let’s go through some of them.  

A consumer's right to know

Back in 2011 the Canadian government issued their low risk drinking guidelines, which stated that women should not exceed two drinks per day and men three. In 2020, the government commissioned the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) to examine new science and give an update. Their findings led them to the belief that exceeding more than two standard drinks per week is cause for concern in regards to health risks and cancer development. 

As much as I’d like to believe that all who consume alcohol readily understand its implications in regards to one’s health, I recognize and concur with those behind this study and its subsequent recommendations - that consumers deserve thorough data behind the products they buy so as to make the most informed decisions for themselves. The government has an obligation in this arena to uphold what’s best for their citizens, in spite of public and business pressure. 

I say this knowing full well that most of all the alcohol sold in Canada is run by our provincial governments, which for them is a big tax driver. They have a vested interest in selling Canadians alcohol, which makes these guidelines a sticky situation. 

It’s why so many who work in the alcohol industry feel as if the government’s presence in dispersing and regulating the sector goes against what they should be fully advocating for, which is the health and prosperity of all its citizens. 

Now what’s surprising to learn in relation to the basal driver of this announcement - that alcohol consumption leads to cancer - is that in Canada and the United States, overall cancer rates are declining. 

One might readily assume this is in large part due to medical breakthroughs, which, considering where we are as a society (I mean AI is now a thing) is entirely a great assumption, even though it wouldn’t be the main reason. 

Surprisingly, it turns out, behavior has as much to do with this than anything medically related. Hence I assume why the government is pushing this new agenda. If they can get us to change our behavior regarding how we associate and consume alcohol, further declines in relation to cancer diagnoses should follow suit. 

To illustrate this point and one we’ve, ironically, seen in the past, I want to offer this quote from The Atlantic’s Derek Thompson. He wrote it a few days ago, fortuitously I might add, for his newsletter, Work in Progress. 

“Consider the diverging histories of two cancers. In 1930, death rates for lung cancer and pancreatic cancer were measured as similarly low among the American-male population. By the 1990s, however, lung cancer mortality had exploded, and that disease became one of the leading causes of death for American men. Since 1990, the rate of lung cancer has declined by more than half. Meanwhile, pancreatic-cancer rates of death rose steadily into the 1970s and have basically plateaued since then.

What explains these different trajectories? In the case of lung cancer, Americans in the 20th century participated en masse in behaviors (especially cigarette smoking) that dramatically increased their risk of contracting the disease. Scientists discovered and announced that risk, then public-health campaigns and policy changes encouraged a large reduction in smoking, which gradually pulled down lung-cancer mortality. In the case of pancreatic cancer, however, the causes are mysterious, and the disease is tragically and notoriously difficult to screen.”

As you can see, we have proof and data that changing behavior can lead to decreased cancer incidence. 

The balancing act

Here’s where I see the dilemma. In my first edition of this newsletter I discussed how I’d interviewed a professor from UBC who’d written a book about alcohol and how it, when used somewhat responsibly, enabled and helped us grow as a society. 

It’s not hard to see this throughout our lives. The lubricating effects of alcohol consumption offer a litany of positives in relation to peer bonding and building relationships. Limiting this will have unintended consequences; those behind this recommendation most likely aren't factoring this into their decision process, even if that wasn’t what they were tasked to do. 

Then there’s the business aspect of things. A lot of people’s livelihoods (yours truly) depend on alcohol consumption. Surprisingly, I’m not too worried about how this will affect my job or those who sell alcohol. Adaptation is the name of the game in this field and if decline happens in one area, there’ll certainly be growth in another. Expansion of the non-alcoholic drinks sector is at an all-time high. 

Jamie’s view

I have no problem with this recommendation and any subsequent labeling that comes from it. The Canadian government has a duty to offer and present as much health related information as they can so we can make our own informed decisions. However, I also believe in a person’s free will to choose how they want to live. 

Unlike cigarettes, alcohol does have a bonding effect that I’d hate to see diminished due to public policy and pressure. There is a balancing act to this topic with many layers. I see progress on this front by way of public engagement, comprehension, behavioral modifications and awareness. All good things. 

Even still, these numbers presented from The Tyee are alarming:

“In 2020, it is estimated that alcohol was responsible for 173,531 hospitalizations and 2,672 deaths in B.C. To put this into context, in the same year opioid overdoses were responsible for 1,767 deaths. Meanwhile COVID-19 led to 1,391 deaths.”

In light of these, I understand the desire for modification. It’ll be interesting to see how we land on this in a few years time.

Explore: Funnily enough, my good friend Sean works for a preventative cancer and disease screening company. They do whole-body MRI’s and have a location in Vancouver. They’re called Prenuvo. Check them out. 

DINING GUIDE

Hail Mary’s of East Van

• Hail Mary’s 

• 670 East Broadway@Fraser

• 604 829 7032

• hailmarysrestaurant.com

• Sunday-Thursday 5pm-1am

• Friday and Saturday 5pm-2am

• Happy Hour daily from 5pm-6pm 

What they are: An east van bar that promotes all things holy whilst having a good time. 

Jamie’s thoughts 

One of the things I adore most about this spot is their identity, in that they actually have one. As you can see from the photo above and from their website and Instagram feed, the good lord and his mother service and adorn every facet of this quaint jewel. 

Run and owned by the lovely Hayley, Hail Mary’s posits a charm I quite enjoy. Old VCR tapes run along the walls with rosemarys and red velvet, a decorative dream, strewn about everywhere. 

I quite like the feel and vibe, as it has all the trappings of a local bar with a unique flair (click this link if you want a more thorough understanding). The closed in booths are a recent addition due to COVID-19, thus giving a more intimate and confessional vibe. I dig. 

Highlights are definitely the nachos, their famous potato chips and the fact that they pour Off the Rails Crazy Train IPA - seriously an underrated IPA gem from this city. 

Start the night off with a Sloth and thank me later for the good times. 

A CURIOSITY

Soup — is it a meal or not?

During its run as the most popular sitcom of its era (possibly of all time depending on how much of a Simpsons fan you are) Seinfeld pulled few punches. They had episodes about a masturbating contest, giant balls of oil and even a cockfighting rooster named little Jerry Seinfeld. 

But throughout its nine season run, the show always found a way to come back to food more often than not. The title above comes from an argument between Jerry and Kenny Bania. 

Jerry’s distaste for the fledgling comic Bania goes without saying throughout the show’s entire run. The scene (here) is by far their high point.

By taking Kenny out to Mendy's the transaction of goodwill between the two should be complete, yet all Kenny orders is soup. Having eaten a hot dog earlier, he’d like to delay the transaction for another time. Noticeably irritated by his choice, Jerry reiterates, “No, no Bania, this is the meal, the soup counts”.

But does it?

“Soup’s not a meal” is the central argument between these two fictional characters, but in real life how we eat and view soup as a society might be different.

This idea of soup (is it a meal or not?) and its relevance within all our lives struck me when I asked a few friends of mine a week ago what their last meals would be before they died. Many responded with stock answers like steak, pizza or turkey dinner. But one friend of mine threw us all for a curve when he said “chicken broth.”

I was dumbfounded.

Why chicken broth? His answer was that it was the most satisfying and flavorful food item known to man. Really? I had to wonder. Still scratching my head, I got to thinking.

Is soup our best meal? And if so, why?

Personally, I believe as a society we aspire to greatness. We want to travel to Mars, cure all forms of disease and live in peace and harmony. We’re a group of wannabe perfectionists; it’s in our nature, and it’s what makes us great. This same aspiration for eminence can also be applied to how we view our love of food. 

We’re obsessed with going out for nice dinners, eating fancy desserts and drinking the best wines. We collect food memorabilia, watch shows about great chefs and drink lavish cocktails. Food is our daily obsession, and whenever it boils down to how simple food is, soup always ends up at the center. Every society on the planet has its own versions of soup, and whether it’s Ramen, Pho or Borscht, we all love it and we all do it differently.

But when looked upon as our greatest food achievement, soup never seems to come out on top. Here then I need to ask: if soup is so popular worldwide and found in so many forms, why is it not considered a meal?

Honestly, I blame its age. Originating some 20,000 years ago, soup took form as a liquid of boiled flavors from meat or fish, vegetables and water. Not much has changed since then, and it’s this simplicity that has me thinking. We slave over the nuances of creating the most elaborate creations. Our palates are so refined now that by searching for the most unique flavors we forget that what we really want is, well…soup. It’s always been about soup and it always will be about soup.

When we’re sick, we want soup. When it’s cold out, we want soup. When it’s raining, we want soup. When we’re hung-over, we want Ramen — well I do. When we eat bread we want soup. Soup’s ability to change with the seasons and our moods enables soup to deliver to us the greatest of all food sensations — comfort. It’s found on practically every food menu out there. We don’t have food kitchens for the homeless; we have soup kitchens. Soup and sandwich is our best duo. We live and die by soup.

By telling the waiter he wanted soup Kenny wasn’t just implying he wasn’t that hungry, what he really was saying was that “y’know what, even if I’m full I’ll gladly eat me some soup.” If it had been anything else, Jerry would have relented, but in this case all he could say was, “Alright! Get the soup!”

In the end, I may not have agreed initially with my friend’s choice to have “chicken broth” as my last meal. But, the more I think of what he said the more it makes sense. Soup is the one food that always leaves you satisfied and happy, and if you’re gonna go out, it’s not a bad meal to end things with I must say. In my opinion, that in itself should make it a meal.

I believe the Soup Nazi would agree with me here as well.

Where to go:

Fat Mao: Now serving with two locations (Chinatown and Downtown) your hearty Thai-style noodle soup cravings will be satisfied and then some. 

• Pro tip: Get their Wing bean and/or Thai fried egg salads. Not to be missed. 

Ramen Danbo: The broth is what gets me. Rich and hearty. Always add egg. 

Au Comptoir: This french bistro kills with their daily soup game. Definitely a hidden gem.

SHOUTOUT

Ashley Kurtz - The man behind that delicious food from Bar Susu, Novella and now Vignette

He’s the second person I’ve ever interviewed and one hell of a guy. He toiled and crafted his skillset overseas and alongside JC Poirier up at St. Lawrence. For the last two years he’s helmed the brigade for Bar Susu where he delivered one hell of a fun menu. 

Most recently, he’s moved down the street to sister Novella and soon to be, Vignette. I’ve yet to visit Novella, but I aim to go as soon as I can as I can’t wait to try all of his breakfast creations. 

Scout did a nice little write up about Vignette and their impending opening (Feb 2023) if you’re keen to learn more. 

His voice is low, he’s taller than you’d expect and he loves to bike ride. He also wanted to be a professional hockey player when he was growing up. He just got married last fall and I’m stoked for his new endeavor. Do support and visit when you can.