Vancouver Magazine, March 2017 by NextHome

I’m on a Boat: How Much Does it Cost on the 50* Years!

al Estate?

TOP SAMOSAS BLAH BLAH BLAH BL BEAUTY THE ARBOR: OUR REV IEW BL AH BL AH BL AH BL AH BL AH BL AH BL AH BL AH BL AH BL AH

Start Running Get a Dog Freeze Your Brain Feast on Kelp Print a New Heart Eat Kimchi Every Day Sit Up Straight Spend Your Money

25 Ways To Live Forever

NEW W EST

E S TA BL ISH E D 1967

Forever Young North Vancouver’s B.J. McHugh is an 89-year-old marathoner who’s running laps around us all.

MARCH 2017 // $4.99

VA N M AG . C O M

COVER PHOTO: EVA AN KHERA J; COVER ST YLING BY LUISA RINO; COVER HAIR AND MAKEUP: MEL ANIE NEUFELD; COVER OUTFIT: TOPSHOP HOODIE(HUDSON’S BAY), LULULEMON HEADBAND, LONG SLEEVE TEE, NIKE CAPRI PANT (NORDSTROM); HOURGL ASS: ANDREA DONET TI; HOUSEBOAT: BYRON EGGENSCHWILER; COMMISSARY CONNECT: CARLO RICCI; SAMOSAS: ARIANA GILLRIE; PANCAKE: ARIANA GILLRIE; TUCSON SIGN: COURTESY OF VISIT TUCSON

M A R C H 2 0 1 7 // VO LU M E 5 0 // N U M B E R 2

FE ATURES

25 Ways to Live Forever

From blood transfusions to juice cleanses to IV drips to good old-fashioned walking, we explore the myriad ways—both peer-reviewed and too-good-to-be-true— Vancouverites chase the dream of eternal youth.

City

Taste

Play

19 At Issue What happens to atrisk youth when they age out of government care?

31 The Dish Why we’re craving this dumpling for dessert.

61 Travel Looking for a sunny escape? Tucson’s got you covered.

32 Reviews Can the Arbor live up to the high expectations?

22 City Informer The fiscal realities of living on a boat.

24 Modern Family The entrepreneurial foodies mixing things up at Commissary Connect.

64 Hot Take The best beauty goods on the market now.

34 Taste Test We track down the best samosas in town.

36 Moveable Feast Eat your way through New Westminster.

26 Future of the City How to design a city with women in mind.

VA N M A G . C O M M A R C H 2 0 1 7

Client: C|Prime / Size: 4.6” X 4.9” / CMYK / Vancouver Magazine

Editorial Director Anicka Quin Art Director Paul Roelofs Executive Editor Stacey McLachlan

A NEW YORK ITALIAN STEAKHOUSE

Food Editor Neal McLennan

IN THE HEART OF DOWNTOWN VANCOUVER

Senior Editor Jessica Barrett

Reflected in its carefully crafted menu, C|Prime puts a premium on locally sourced and curated ingredients. Using the finest cuts of BC-raised meats, fresh seafood, vegetables and cheeses paired with innovative, rich sauces and salts, the restaurant offers incomparable dishes that showcase both Italian and New York inspired flavours.

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Fred Herzog: Shadowlands

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See the visually arresting works of Fred Herzog, the Canadian pioneer of colour street photography. His passion for capturing everyday life comes together in this striking exhibition.

January 21 - May 22, 2017

Matisse Drawings: Curated By Ellsworth Kelly from The Pierre and Tana Matisse Foundation Collection is organized by the American Federation of Arts and the Mount Holyoke College Art Museum in collaboration with The Pierre and Tana Matisse Foundation.

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EX C EPTIONA L IND OOR & OUTD OOR FUR NIS H INGS

So You Want to Live Forever... We run, we cleanse, we freeze our brains—and then what?

these days my runs seem to peak out at about 10K, but there was a period in my life when I ran half marathons. Part of the early motivation then was a newfound delight in discovering I could ever be a runner—while my sister had been a competitive marathoner (our family cheered her over the finish line at Boston back in 2007), childhood asthma had always held me back. One learn-to-run group in Vancouver later, and I had my sights set on the distance. (An aside: The worst part of racing, I discovered, were those last couple of kilometres. Inevitably, some well-meaning spectator would shout out, “The finish line is just around corner!”—giving me hope that I really would see that arching banner around the next bend. A note to future spectators: the death of that hope when you realize that you still have two more kilometres to go is just a little bit crushing after you’ve already pushed yourself through 20.) But of course the other, more important motivation was personal health and wellness. Our only slightly tongue-in-cheek story, “25 Ways to Live Forever” (page 39), explores all the tricks Vancouverites are using in their attempts to turn back the clock: some testedand-true (walking to ward off cognitive decline), others less so (though it turns out Walt Disney never really had his head frozen, cryonics continues to be a thing). Our cover model, B.J. Hughes, is proof positive that marathon running keeps

VA N M A G . C O M M A R C H 2 0 1 7

you young: the record-setting 89-yearold North Vancouverite was practically running circles around our photo crew. Like any 40-something, I’ve tested my own share of rejuvenating products, from regular doses of high-EPA fish oil (success! my brain really does work better with it) to a hydrocolonic (don’t ask). But I’ve also come to appreciate that living forever is just one part of the equation. We need to continue to invest ourselves into creating a community that we want to live forever in. As I write this, I’m days away from heading to Seattle to join the Womxn’s March and add my voice to those of our friends south of the border. Part of wanting to live forever means living in a place where our hard-won rights stay protected and where we all work to create a better place than the one we entered into. As much as I’ve had sleepless nights since the most recent U.S. election, I’ve also grown hopeful about being a part of a chrysalis moment, when we all stand up for what’s important—for many more decades to come.

Coming Up Next Issue If We Build It Would a bridge connecting Vancouver to the Sunshine Coast ruin this idyllic slice of paradise or be the answer to our current housing crisis? City of Renters Though we’re a city obsessed with real estate, we’re sharing surprising stats on the world of renting, from first-person stories from tenants and landlords to our picks for the hottest neighbourhoods to sign a lease in next.

Anicka Quin editorial director

anick a . quin @vanmag . com

PORTRAIT: EVA AN KHERA J; ST YLING BY LUISA RINO, MAKEUP BY MEL ANIE NEUFELD; DRESS COURTESY NORDSTROM; WATCH COURTESY TIFFANY & CO. PHOTOGRAPHED AT THE AVIARY, THEAVIARY.CA; VANCOUVER AERIAL: JOSEF HANUS/123RF

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VA N M AG .C O M/C I T Y

City Kid Crisis Nearly half of youth who age out of foster care will be on income assistance six months after their 19th birthday. This is where Barbara Lawson and the Aboriginal Youth Mentorship program come in.

AT ISSUE

CARLO RICCI

The Matriarch

As at-risk youth face losing all government support at 19, one woman has found a different way to help Aboriginal children in B.C.’s foster care system. by

Amy O’Brian

BarBara Lawson Likens herseLf to a single mother of 16 children. Her phone is always on, ready for a 3 a.m. call from a stranded teenager. At 7 a.m., she can often be found knocking on doors to rouse heavy sleepers so they’re not late for work or school. In the evenings, you might find her making multiple lasagnas or a giant pot of chicken noodle soup to feed her brood. Lawson’s kids, as she calls them—who are between the ages of 16 and 24—have grown up in government care, bouncing between homes, many floundering as they try to navigate their way into adulthood without parents or j

VA N M A G . C O M M A R C H 2 0 1 7

City

AT I S S U E

job, she knew it wouldn’t be a temporary gig. There were going to be rough patches and missteps, but walking away wasn’t an option. So she introduced the kids to her 21-year-old daughter, as well as her 78-year-old mother, who talked to them about her time in residential school. Some of the young people now call Lawson’s mother Grandma and travel to Tsawwassen to have dinner with her and clean her house. “These relationships go on for a lifetime,” Lawson says. At the Aboriginal Children’s Village—which incorporates housing units on the top floors and bright offices and gathering spaces at ground level—visitors pass between totem poles to enter. Aboriginal culture is threaded throughout the mentorship program, Lawson says, with gentle teachings and guidance. Guest speakers are occasionally invited to the weekly dinners. One recent guest was Melanie Mark, the NDP MLA for VancouverMount Pleasant, who spent time in foster care and later worked with — ba r ba r a l aws on , a b or ig i na l you t h m e n t or s h i p Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond, the a n d hous i ng pro g r a m m a nag e r former representative for children and youth in B.C. “We can’t ignore the variable of and aren’t artistic and creative,” or simply because they like the food race in all of this,” she says during an and the sense of belonging. They cook Archie says. “The reality is that they interview at her Commercial Drive are the reason I feel so much joy together, eat together, notice who’s constituency office. “Aboriginal in my work.” missing, and catch up. The older leaders are saying they should have Archie, Lawson and thousands participants share their stumbles a say in the determination of their and successes with the younger ones, of other British Columbians are children. They’re saying, ‘You’ve done calling for continued support for who are still in government care a bad job of kidnapping our kids, of young people beyond the age of 19. and, therefore, still receiving More than 17,000 people have signed scooping up our children, of trying food and housing. to kill the Indian in the child. That a petition asking that young people Nearly half of young people who model didn’t work.’” receive consistent financial support age out of government care will be on Roughly 60 percent of youth in until the age of 25 so they can have income assistance six months after their 19th birthday. Lawson is there— secure housing and money for transit government care in this province are and food while they attend school and Aboriginal. As high as that figure before and after that milestone —to find work. The petition also advocates is, it’s not a statistic Kris Archie give them a gentle nudge toward chooses to broadcast in interviews or for the idea that young people aging finding a job or applying for school. Vancouver Foundation reports. out of foster care should be able to She helps them navigate things “To talk about that stat without count on long-term relationships like MSP and job applications, and acknowledging that history means with caring adults. connects them with other supports. When Lawson took the mentorship that we perpetuate the idea that She also teaches them how to make close family. On their 19th birthdays, kids in care lose all of their supports, including housing. They can easily end up homeless with no family to turn to for help—which is where Lawson steps in. “I don’t ever want these kids to have no one to call,” she says. “I’m that bridge to keep them safe, but also there to help them when they need it.” The Aboriginal Youth Mentorship and Housing program—provided by Lu’ma Native Housing Society— started in early 2014 with five or six kids. Lawson joined soon after as the program manager. She now has 20 young people who regularly attend the Monday- and Wednesdaynight dinners and workshops at the Aboriginal Children’s Village in East Vancouver. Some of them aren’t technically in the program anymore, but they come because they have a younger sibling who attends

healthy meals, loads their Compass cards and sources running shoes so they can exercise regularly. “We have this unreasonable expectation that kids leaving foster care can do it all on their own,” says Kris Archie, who runs the Youth Homelessness Initiative at the Vancouver Foundation. Only the worst outcomes make the news: the suicides and overdoses, of which there are too many. But Archie says most of these young people are bright, funny and complex, and they’re going through the same tumultuous times that nearly everyone in their late teens and early 20s goes through, but without family support. “The only thing you hear about them is what you see on the news or hear on the radio—it’s that they’re bad and troublesome and somehow not deserving of love and attention,

I don’t ever want these kids to have no one to call.”

VA N M A G . C O M M A R C H 2 0 1 7

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Support System Weekly familystyle dinners help give young people in care some permanence and stability in their lives.

Aboriginal people aren’t capable of taking care of their own kids,” she says. “I think if there’s a desire to highlight the majority of Aboriginal children in foster care, it requires a look at the systemic racism that is perpetuated by the child welfare system that goes back to residential schools, that is connected to the colonization that continues to impact communities here in this province.” The Aboriginal Children’s Village is the creation of Aboriginal leaders who wanted children in care to have some permanence and stability in their lives. One of the goals was to build community around the child, to create a sense of support and understanding, even if mistakes are made or if the young person isn’t interested in playing what Melanie Mark calls the “eligibility game” for supports and services. “Rigid rules for people who come from very vulnerable backgrounds don’t help them reach success,” Mark says. “They have already experienced the harshest consequence of maltreatment or neglect or abuse or what have you. So placing those conditions is not interpreted as support. It feels punitive.” Nobody gets kicked out of Barbara Lawson’s mentorship program.

When a few of the young people started partying too much last summer, Lawson bought them gym passes and told them she had ways of finding out how often they were going. “We pull out fitness all the time when addiction comes up,” she says. If someone quits their job or drops out of school, she helps them set a new goal. If they want to leave their living arrangement, she helps them determine whether it’s necessary and what the alternatives are. As of November, five of Lawson’s kids were enrolled in college and six were in jobs they were hoping to keep long-term. One young woman said she was looking into architecture prerequisites after being inspired by the architect of the Aboriginal Children’s Village, Patrick Stewart, who was also a foster child. The mentorship program gets no provincial funding. Instead, Lawson depends on grants and foundations to cover salaries and the youths’ transit passes, weekly meals, outings, gym passes and other expenses. “Those costs are nothing compared to the homelessness, addictions, justice costs, hospital stays and income assistance that would result [without the program],” Lawson says.

Vancouver-based friends and mutual gastronomes Lindsay Anderson and Dana VanVeller traversed the whole of Canada (37,000 kilometres, according to their odometer) to amass the 90plus recipes that make up this book. The duo developed some of the recipes themselves, but the majority came from chefs, farmers and matriarchs—all proof that “Canadian cuisine” is nothing if not multifaceted. Available March 7

LISTEN

Nelly Furtado The Ride

Parting ways with Universal Music after the commercial shortfall of her two previous albums, the Victoria-born singersongwriter retreated into domesticity in 2013. She returns with this, her sixth long-player and first with Sony. “Islands of Me,” a teaser track released in September, suggests understated electro-pop is the way forward. Available March 31

WATCH

Valley Song Set in his native South Africa, this work from prolific playwright and novelist Athol Fugard was first staged in 1995. (The New York Times declared it “an instant classic.”) Simultaneously a study of the generation gap and of Fugard’s then-rapidly evolving homeland, it depicts an elderly farmer grappling with his granddaughter’s dreams of becoming a singing star in Johannesburg. Pacific Theatre, March 24 to April 8

VA N M A G . C O M M A R C H 2 0 1 7

City

INFORMER

How Much Does It Cost to Live on a Boat in Vancouver? by

Stacey McLachlan Byron Eggenschwiler

illustration by

For a certain type of person (Matthew McConaughey, for example), living on a boat has always been the ultimate fantasy. But the appeal of boat life has expanded recently to include a certain type of Vancouverite, too—one who likes wearing shoes and getting haircuts but who also doesn’t have $2 million to buy a condo. Is it actually cheaper to trade your studio apartment for the high seas, though? On Kijiji, I found a 42-foot aluminum pontoon houseboat currently docked in the Shuswap that looks like a pretty sweet deal at $45,000. (It’s currently named La Casa Bella but I would prefer something a little more pun-forward, like Murder She Boat or Sea Something, Say Something.) No matter the name, I’d be getting some bang for my buck: it’s 609 square feet, essentially the equivalent of one and a half Yaletown condos. But with great pontoon comes great

VA N M A G . C O M M A R C H 2 0 1 7

Ah, the open sea—the last real estate frontier. responsibility, as the saying goes. Insurance ranges from $2,000 to $4,000 annually, and in Vancouver, you’re not allowed to just drop anchor anywhere—I guess the freewheeling “international waters” I’ve heard so much about are just another Hallmark invention designed to sell greeting cards—so you’ll need to pay moorage fees to dock it somewhere. These depend on your boat size and location:

my 42-foot imaginary vessel would cost me a $2,170 annual licence fee plus $13.14 monthly per foot ($551.88) at the city-operated Heather Civic Marina, or six times that amout at the private Coal Harbour Marina. I’m no math whiz, but even after you pay off the boat, rent isn’t exactly a killer deal. With low-end insurance, it works out to about $900 monthly: cheaper than one and a half Yaletown condos,

sure, but not by much. And then there are the costs of utilities and maintenance (because, you know, boat). But don’t worry: you’ll have plenty of time to save up for the high costs of boat-life. The waiting list is years long for one of the 27 non-transferable liveaboard slots at Heather Civ. Ah, the open sea—the last real estate frontier. Got a question for City Informer? stacey.mclachlan@vanmag.com Twitter: @vanmag_com

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1 “I moved to Kelowna in the ’80s to study and to get away from a breakup. I lived in a motel with a kitchenette. I needed to meet people, so I started making these cookies and bringing them to people in my class—they thought they were pretty good!”—Alan Boysen, owner of Cookies of Course

City

M O D E R N FA M I LY

Culinary Crusaders

Strathcona’s Commissary Connect is the co-working kitchen space that’s brought together a ragtag band of local entrepreneurs—from bakers to butchers, former construction workers to home chefs—and created a community around a shared love of food. Sally Michael White Carlo Ricci

as tolD to PHoto by

Group portrait taken at Commissary Connect, October 6, 2016

VA N M A G . C O M M A R C H 2 0 1 6

2 “I’d been working in construction for 10-plus years and I was sick of being told what to do. I started smoking ribs in my apartment and had [my partner] Juli test them out for me—she went to culinary school and had been working as a chef. She loved them, so we thought we’d try it out as a career.” —Matt Thomas, co-owner of Georels cured and smoked specialty goods

3 “I didn’t know what I wanted to go back to school for, so I signed up for a baking course. I thought it would be a hobby. It was not a fun hobby course, it was super-intense and hard, and then it ended up I did really well in it. I’d never picked up a piping bag before.” —Emily Upham, owner of When Pigs Fly Pastries

4 “It was a big year for me. I had my daughter [in late 2015] and I thought, I can either go all in with this or go all in as a mom. I’ve decided to do both, which is pretty crazy. She knows how to stir and mix. I’m prepping her young.”—Jenell young.” Parsons, owner Parsons of the Pie Hole

5 “I’m a CPA, but to be honest, I didn’t want to just be an accountant. I always wanted to own my own business and the accounting side of it was almost something that I avoided until I got my CPA. As soon as I finished my designation, I got my licence for the food truck.”—Sarb —Sarb Mund, Mund owner of Commissary Connect and Soho Road Naan Kebab

6 “My office had a bake sale and I had this tiny apartment that only had a toaster oven. My sisters had given me the Bouchon Bakery cookbook and one of them said, ‘There’s a marshmallow recipe in there— you just need a stovetop and a mixer.’ When I made them the first time it was like…how is this the same thing as the crap we’ve been eating all this time?”—Joanna —Joanna McIntyre, owner of Goodmallows

7 “The beginning was a total whirlwind—I’d never done mass production before coming here. The batch [of salted caramel pecan popcorn] I was making at home would be enough to fit six and a half bags. A single batch here is about 37 bags.”—Sara Karby, owner of Batch Sweet Kitchen

9 11

8 “It’s a competitive market. This place gives you a real fighting chance at learning your product and actually knowing if you’ve got a winning ticket.”’ —David Khayutin, Khayutin, owner of Crumb Sandwich Shop

9 “For the first year, I was making loaves in my home kitchen, secretly, and I made everything by hand. I didn’t even realize that using a KitchenAid would count as making it by hand, so I literally used my hands for every single batch and made one batch at a time.”—Erin —Erin Ireland, owner of To Die For Fine Foods

10 “I started about a year ago when I needed a creative way to fundraise for some vet bills. I decided I would try to make ice cream for friends and family just by donation and throw little fundraisers. It went really well— and the dog is doing great.”—Naomi great.” —Naomi Arnaut, owner of Arnaut Say Hello Sweets

11 “When my son turned five he was diagnosed with ADHD. I started looking into natural ways to keep him off medication and everything I read told me to do it through food. I started cooking everything from scratch for my son and eliminating processed foods. He did a complete 180.” 180.”—Erika Brown, Brown co-owner of Fitness Foods

VA N M A G . C O M M A R C H 2 0 1 6

City

FUTURE OF THE CIT Y

How Vancouver Could Be Better for Women

In her six years as a COPE councillor, Ellen Woodsworth helped establish some of Vancouver’s more left-leaning policies, including a Women’s Task Force, which commissioned a strategy for gender equality. In 2011, Woodsworth founded Women Transforming Cities to help make Vancouver the most woman-friendly city in the world. Are we there yet? by

Petti Fong

illustration by

Sébastien Thibault

Isn’t it a bit weird in 2016 to suggest that women are still mostly excluded from the planning process in our cities? From 1974 to 2006, we had a woman, Ann McAfee, who was the co-director of planning, and the city’s previous city manager was Penny Ballem. Women, it would seem, are already at the table and making the big decisions.

Yes, but don’t forget the last three major hires at the city were all white males. If you don’t have women at the table when you develop these strategies, what happens are unarticulated assumptions. Gregor [Robertson] wants to be the greenest city mayor, but to have an effective green strategy you have to put a gender lens on it or it won’t see the unpaid and volunteer work that women do. Then the strategies won’t be successful. Q: What happens to cities if they don’t consider women? A: A very clear example is in Japan. The green movement there was stopped and unable to move forward. Why? Women who were already doing most of the unpaid work in the home—they refused to add more work for themselves and recycle. That was the end of the environmental movement. If we don’t involve women, you lose the voices that can make things happen, create change. Q: What’s one design change that could make Vancouver more ideal for women?

Gender Gap Vancouver’s real coat of arms features two white men (see it on page 28).

A: Think of a place like Little Mountain, the housing complex on Main Street that the provincial government demolished and sold to a private developer. It was designed so when people were cooking they could see their kids play in the courtyard and keep an eye on their own and everyone else’s children.

CHARITY GALA

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How about in all the buildings we build you have to build in child-care centres, for not just the people who live in the complex, but also for people in the neighbourhood?

FUTURE OF THE CIT Y

SWAP THE SNOW BLOWER FOR

A Warm Breeze.

Q: Is it the city’s job to have affordable child care? A: There’s a global movement called “the right to the city,” and that includes safety and affordable housing, it includes wages and many things we haven’t traditionally thought of as city issues. Here’s the reality: 67 percent of the population lives in the 25 biggest cities in Canada, and cities aren’t given the mandate or the funding to deal with these issues. Q: If women could transform cities, what would that look like? A: Vancouver should be the most women-friendly city in the world. It can do that by tackling the issues that hurt women: safety, affordable housing, affordable child-care, decent wages. Safety [on transit] is a major thing. Q: How could Vancouver’s transit system be improved? A: To be safer, public transit needs to run more frequently—buses should run all night long—and it needs to go to places where women work, including bars and restaurants. 1/5/17 7:18 PM In Toronto, women can report if 2017-01-19 12:50 PM they’re feeling unsafe using an app; that can happen here. Making bus stops lit at night is one simple thing that can be done easily.

VisitPalmSprings.com

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VA N M A G . C O M M A R C H 2 0 1 7

Q: What would you change about the city right now if you could? A: The city’s crest is two white men. Look it up. Most people don’t know and when they see it, they’ll realize that keeping it that way keeps women and our diverse population invisible. I tried to change it when I was on council and it created such a backlash, I had to back off. But if you see it, you’ll know that the city’s crest doesn’t represent who we are.

KĀ’ANAPALI BEACH RESORT Chef Tom and Chef Michael pose after a succesful event

of roasted and ours sw flav ee tg th i w

mo ame, le n and tam ses ari er, ing

On November 21st Beach Bay Café and Chef Michael Winning played host to Chef Tom Muromoto of the Kā’anapali Beach Hotel. Each chef presented their own unique and delicious poke and hors d’oeuvres to a room of local and international media, travel and food specialist, as well as some lucky Vancouver magazine readers invited as part of our #CraveKaanapali contest.

ichael’s BC Salmon ef M Pok Ch e

Do You Poke?

Guests enjoy fresh Maui Mokka coffee shipped from Hawaii for the event

Coconut Hiwa Porter from Maui Brewing Co.

Chef Tom’s Spicy Ahi Poke with lava salt

James Gordon from The Travel Guys Show & Leeta Liepins from Our City Tonight

Riaz Meghji of Breakfast TV and Melanie Booth of CTV Shelley Kekuna congratulates Linda McGrath for winning a trip to the K’aanapali Beach Hotel

Kaleigh Nevin, winner of the #TasteKaanapali contest, and guest enjoy their hors d’oeuvres

Beach Bay’s specialty cocktail the “Hawaiian Infusion” with pistachio infused Russian Standard vodka, fresh grapefruit juice, lime cordial, chili liquor and ginger

Custom surf boards from Shaper Studios

Created by the Vancouver advertising department in partnership with Beach Bay Café and Patio, Kā’anapali Beach Resort and Kā’anapali Beach Hotel

T U N A TATA K I seared ocean wiseâ&#x201E;˘ albacore, papaya slaw, yuzu vinaigrette, micro cilantro.

PHOTOGRAPH BY CLINTON HUSSE Y. FOOD ST YLING BY L AWREN MONET TA .

U N B I A S E D R E V I E WS / B E S T S A M O S A S / N E W W E S T M I N S T E R

THE DISH

STEAM QUEENS

VA N M AG .C O M/ TA S T E

is there a dumpling that isn’t adorably delicious? No, there is not. But most fall into the savoury har gow camp. These steamed chocolate-andred-bean-paste dumplings from Dinesty fall into the rarer dessert side of the game. With melting chocolate chips buried inside a creamy red-bean paste, the flavour pairing is surprising, yet the perfect après on a stillchilly spring night. On a recent trip to the restaurant’s Robson location, when our table debated if we had just a little more room for one or three of these, our server cautioned, “Just so you know, it’s going to take 15 to 20 minutes,”—then added, after a pause for effect—“but it’s really worth it.” 1719 Robson St., dinesty.ca

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Taste

REVIEWS

IS THERE ARDOUR FOR THE ARBOR?

The Arbor is already packed, but the veg palace doesn’t quite live up to the hype. by

John Burns

photographs by

Luis Valdezon

ah, how i wanted to like the Arbor, the five-doors-down spinoff of South Main favourite the Acorn. It opened in late November—which seems to me a tough time of year to launch, what with loyalty and buzz in short supply and the penniless new year just over the hill. So it had underdoggery in its favour. Plus, I’ve always loved the Acorn, a welcome counter-argument to all the veg restaurants that exist only to not sell animal. Where so many meatless spots overplay their Moosewood roots, only supplying more ammunition to Anthony Bourdain for him to decry all plant cooking as green/brown sludgifying, the Acorn has style, pizzazz. I (favourably) reviewed the place four years ago, and my enthusiasm still continues, even after founding chef Brian Skinner left, replaced by current toque Robert Clarke (not the C/Fish Counter Robert Clark). The Acorn opened back in 2012, and around that time co-owner Shira Blustein explained the choice of name: acorns, she told alt-music mag BeatRoute (she’s sung and played keyboards in local bands), are “cute little top-hatted dudes that grow

Broccoli Popcorn

VA N M A G . C O M M A R C H 2 0 1 7

The airy Main Street room

into big towering gentlemen.” I was optimistic she and Clarke would deliver on two levels: a refresh of that (tired) former Crave on Main space, and a big towering gentleman of a follow-up to the original. One thing they got bang on: the room is much prettier now, thanks to a gutting that has lightened the space with a nicely distressed plank ceiling, white walls, blond seating and better light fixtures. There’s a softness now, and a fitting focus on wood and the natural world. But the menu. Where the Acorn was all about the details, the backand-forth of particular vegetable tastes and textures in playful tension

(I still remember the bite of those pickled shimeji mushrooms on top of the walnut pâté), the Arbor (“Real Food for Comfort”) is…blunt. What is “comfort” food? We accept it as read, but all it really means is nostalgia built from carbs. We had two starters: broccoli popcorn and fried oysters. The first was simply that: broccoli florets panko’ed, deep-fried and sweetglazed, served with cilantro and diced onion. They tasted hesitantly of tamarind. The second was meant to match, I imagine, the sensory trickery of the Acorn’s halloumi, which mashes together peas, mint, lemon and beer batter to evoke

Because I’m a putz, I added “bacon” —which were dried-out lengths of, to my tongue, undressed, unmarinated, unfried ribbons of eggplant.

The Arburger Vegan Chocolate Mousse Sablefish

THE DEETS

The Arbor

3941 Main St. thearborrestaurant.ca Highlights The pulled-jackfruit steamed buns ($9) are excellent, the room is light, airy and inviting, and the menu’s puns—and there are plenty—are spot on, too.

fish and chips. Here, fried oysters are (oyster) mushrooms panko’ed, deep-fried and dill-sauced, served with cilantro and diced onion. If they were tediously similar, it’s my own fault for ordering two plates from the “Fried” side of the menu (other options: artichoke, onion rings, fries), I suppose. From “Fresh,” we chose pulledjackfruit steamed buns. I was thinking steamed buns like char sui bao or xiaolongbao, but these were open sandwiches like those at Bao Down. These were our top pick, and a trio of them burst with flavour and some welcome tang. (The raw cucumber planks were disconcerting, though.) The last dish should have been a slam dunk. The Arburger patty had a good texture but was almost devoid of taste (perhaps dry-aging isn’t required for beans?), and was hardly redeemed by the dolorous application of lettuce and pickle, and a whisper of “Rob’s ketchup” (notable enough to be listed on the menu but otherwise forgettable). Because I’m a putz, I added “bacon” ($2)—which were dried-out lengths of, to my tongue, undressed, unmarinated, unfried ribbons of eggplant. There are a few flatbreads, a spaghetti with “neatballs” made from the burger patty, a daily mac ’n’ cheese… Those arrived at the tables around us and seemed in the ballpark of what I’ve already described. Perhaps comfort is in the mouth of the beholder and bland works better for others than for me. But all I’ve described plus a jazzy vegan chocolate mousse was $50 for lunch (we drank water), which, given my holiday Visa statement, is no comfort at all.

AMUSE-BOUCHE

Zero Zero Pizza 415 Abbott St. pizzeria00.ca

This Gastown spot aims to break us up with our thin-crusted Neapolitan pizza crush with a thick, doughy dose of how (evidently) they do it in Rome: thick and doughy. The pizza comes in long rectangles, with pieces cut off to order and then reheated. I’m not sure if this reheating is traditionally Roman, but if it is, it ranks up there with men fighting lions on the list of bad decisions Romans have made over the course of human history. It turns the entire piece dry—there’s not enough cheese to withstand the degrees— and hardens the bottom into something resembling drywall. To be fair, it’s very filling, and at just under $5 for two scalene pieces it’s well priced, but even the friendly staff can’t change the fact that—regionally accurate or not—this place is sadly superfluous in our crowded pizza landscape.—Neal McLennan

Slickity Jim’s Chat and Choux 1387 W 7th Ave. skinnyfatjack.com

We’re not sure why Main Street’s eternally busy Slickity Jim’s Chat and Chew decided to open its homonymously named second location (It’s French! It’s too clever!) on the unremarkable corner of Hemlock and 7th, but the cozy, eclectic space—decked out with vintage chandeliers and charmingly tacky boat paintings—easily captures the original’s appeal and draws a steady stream of locals off the Granville– Broadway corridor. Join them to brunch hard with cornflakecrusted honey butter French toast or a cast-iron pan piled with tender braised ribs, fresh chimichurri and sunny-side-up eggs.—Stacey McLachlan

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Taste

T H E TA S T E T E S T

Sweet Cherubim

SAMOSA SHOWDOWN

Whether they come from an acclaimed Indian restaurant or a beloved hole in the wall, one thing’s for sure: samosas are damn good. In an effort to find the city’s best, we asked two Vancouver chefs and one avid VanMag reader to sample the offerings from these six local purveyors. by

Kaitlyn Gendemann Ariana Gillrie

photo by

Pak Punjab Sweet and Samosa House One taste tester thought this samosa showed promise (“It looked really nice and crunchy on the outside”), but the thicker-than-average pastry resulted in an exterior that was oversaturated with oil after frying. The flavours were also “too simplistic” to make an impact on our judges. 12811 96 Ave., Surrey, 604-585-8686

HONOUR ABLE MENTION

The Samosa House Though some might find it overpowering, this spicy samosa, with its crisp exterior and pronounced flavour profile, managed to secure the numbertwo position. 109–12837 88 Ave., Surrey, thesamosahouse.com

Follow @vanmag_com and look for the #VMTasteTest hashtag for your chance to be a judge.

This chickpea, rice and vegetable samosa failed to really impress our judges, who all agreed that it had a well-intentioned but confusing filling. But it did receive praise for its homemade quality: “I feel like someone really nice made this,” said Danelesko. 1105 Commercial Dr., Vancouver, sweetcherubim.com

Homemade This baked samosa, thrown in as a control, was made by our general manager’s mother, Barjinder Johal. Filled with potato, onion, ground coriander and cumin, it teetered on the edge of being too spicy, but, according to Chan, was far better seasoned than the others.

Meet the Judges Meeru Dhalwala is co-owner of Vij’s and Rangoli. Her steady hand and inventive palate in the kitchen have brought worldwide acclaim to both enterprises, where she serves more than 100 samosas every day.

BEST IN SHOW

Clement Chan is owner of Torafuku and Le Tigre. With extensive training in baking and pastry arts from the Art Institute of Vancouver and Vancouver Community College, this chef has little time for soggy samosas. Tessa Danelesko is our Twitter contest winner. When she’s not busy taste-testing samosas, you can find her working as project coordinator for the B.C. Cetacean Sightings Network.

All India Sweets and Restaurant “Talent has gone into this,” said Dhalwala, who was impressed by the finesse and technicality of All India’s samosa. The thinness of the dough and the mild flavour, which acts as the perfect vehicle for chutney, was further appreciated by our other taste testers: “It’s jam-packed full of potato and has the best pastry.” 6507 Main St., Vancouver, allindiasweetsrestaurant.com

New Bhaia Sweet Shop and Restaurant This “weird” samosa was our judges’ least favourite: stuffed with chicken and chickpeas, its lack of moisture had everyone reaching for a glass of water. 5740 Fraser St., Vancouver, newbhaiasweet.com

Taste

M OV E A B L E F E A S T

NEW WEST’S REGAL FOOD SCENE by

Maia Odegaard Ariana Gillrie

photographs by

Solodko Ukrainian Bakery

The Royal CiTy, the Brooklyn of Vancouver, Queensborough—whatever you want to call it, New Westminster is fast becoming a destination for young people with an urgent desire for affordable real estate and an even more urgent desire for up-and-coming spots to dine and drink. And while more trendy rooms pop up around the original capital city, its solid blue-collar roots will likely keep the gentrification monster at bay, and the majority of new additions have a home-grown ethos and a focus on local charm rather than big names.

Longtail Kitchen

EI GH

. ST

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NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK

E. AV

H . ST Q

S EN R

YSI Q UA

R. ED

RIVER MARKET

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E AV

AL OY CA

. ST

ST. NT

Old Crow Coffee

TH EL FRO

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Fraser River

New Westminster’s main drag, Columbia Street, is home to many options, but a recent addition is stealing the spotlight. 1 El Santo (680 Columbia St., elsanto.ca)—so named for owner Alejandro Diaz’s childhood hero, a luchador known as The Saint—serves innovative takes on tacos, but venture beyond to his more innovative creations, like Yarrow Meadows duck leg carnitas with roasted tomatilla. Great mezcal and tequila list, too (which can be sampled while admiring a wrestling-mask wall display made entirely of wine corks). At the foot of the river runs rough, industrial Front Street, home to 2 Old Crow Coffee (655 Front St., oldcrowcoffeeco.com), which is owned by California native Stephanie Vu and features rotating art exhibits, live music and an all-around chill vibe. Solid beans (Timbertrain, Phil and Sebastian), good light fare (avocado toast with pickled onions) and great train watching. Take a short walk down the Fraser to 3 Raincity Juicery (417 Front St., raincityjuicery.

Re-Up BBQ

Freebird

Wild Thyme

Raincity Juicery El Santo

Angelina’s

com), but don’t forget your growler—yes, this cold-pressed-juice emporium will fill your 64-ounce jug with New West Sunset (a colourful mash-up of orange, carrot and beet) for a scant $30. As a counterbalance, feel free to snag their enviable ginger beer, too—perfect for corrupting with some Gosling’s rum (or vodka, in a pinch).

NOT YOUR AVERAGE FOOD COURT

A few steps from the New Westminster SkyTrain station lies the food-focused Riverside Market, home to the likes of Angus An’s 4 Longtail Kitchen (116–810 Quayside Dr., longtailkitchen.com) with its modern take on traditional Thai street food and his recently added sister spot, 5 Freebird (105–810 Quayside Dr., freebirdchickens.com), serving up Asianstyle free-range, hormone-free rotisserie chicken with chicken rice, a robust

Wild Rice

chicken broth and green papaya salad for sides. Also, there is the forever home of famed food truck 6 Re-Up BBQ (114–810 Quayside Dr., reupbbq.com)—a 2013 bus accident taught the truck the appeal of an immovable building—where the Lower Mainland’s pulled pork and ribs pioneers continue to impress, Southern-style. If you’re looking for more of a sit-down meal, 7 Wild Rice (112–810 Quayside Dr., wildricebc.ca), that former Pender Street stalwart, has moved east to where owner Andy Wong and chef Dante Ramos have found a new audience for their fusion classics like Peking duck tacos and ginger margaritas.

SNUG LOCAL EATERIES

Many locals seem to gravitate toward cozy spots over cavernous chain restaurants, exemplified by 8 Angelina’s Restaurant (960 Quayside Dr.,

breakfastnewwestminster.com), where they go for Dutch-style pannekoeken (and waffles and pancakes), all made from scratch. Head up the steep hills of the Royal City for 9 Wild Thyme (705 12th St.), a pint-sized Lebanese café known for its fresh brick-oven flatbread, or man’oushe. Following the same small-is-better ethos is 10 Solodko Ukrainian Bakery (444 6th St., facebook.com/solodko.ca). Young couple Iryna and Sergii Kuznietsov started out selling their dark rye bread and chocolate babka at farmers’ markets in RIchmond, but soon found they couldn’t keep up with the demand. A bricks-and-mortar location was the only solution, and now New West natives can stuff themselves with handmade varenyky (a.k.a. perogies), sauce-drenched cabbage rolls and spinach-and-feta-loaded piroshki, in addition to baked goods and borscht just like Baba used to make.

VA N M A G . C O M M A R C H 2 0 1 7

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TEE AND CAP: LULULEMON; IV Y PARK CAMOU BOMBER AND LORD AND TAYLOR LONG-SLEEVE TEE: HUDSON’S BAY.

Live Forever WAY S TO

They say Torontonians want to be rich and Montrealers want to be cool. But the ultimate goal of a Vancouverite? To be forever young. Luckily, our fair city offers myriad ways to chase health and longevity—some backed by research, others by wishful thinking, but all in pursuit of eternal youth. PORTRAITS BY

Evaan Kheraj

STYLING BY

Luisa Rino

HAIR AND MAKEUP BY

Melanie Neufeld

WAYS TO

Live Forever

How do you determine someone’s biological age? Dr. Alex: We determine biological age by looking at toxicity, hormone balance, diet and lifestyle to see how the years you’ve lived have affected your body. Hormones are the body’s repair kit. When you hit menopause or andropause, nature starts to crash your hormone levels to half of what they were when you were younger. The nice thing is, though, we can intervene. The body will respond when you push it, so if you exercise hard and properly, and you eat well, you can bump up your natural hormones.

Turn Back the Biological Clock

The first step in reclaiming your youth is to figure out what your biological age is in the first place—the number that reveals exactly the damage that’s been done (or avoided) during your turns around the globe. We asked Doctors Lawrence Chan and Alex Chan from Integrative Naturopathic Medical Centre how to analyze and optimize our pesky aging bods. by

Sally Michael White

PRINT A NEW SET OF ORGANS

VA N M A G . C O M M A R C H 2 0 1 7

Is it possible to turn back the clock and forestall the aging process? Dr. Alex: With aging and disease prevention, if you imagine that your genetic risk factors are the bullets, then the environment is what pulls the trigger. We do a lot for treatment and prevention of these risks through IV therapies, nutrition, supplements and acupuncture. Dr. Lawrence: Basically, you want to maintain a homeostatic state. You can occasionally come out of it for fun and excitement, but if your body is toxic—from poor diet, metal fillings, airborne chemicals, pesticides, plastics—it starts skewing down until you get it back to that middle range. It usually boils down to taking care of yourself: sleep well, eat well, drink enough water, be mindful and try not to be obsessed by things.

It sounds like it’s not just about physical wellness. Dr. Lawrence: Emotions are a big factor. If you have high stress all the time, your body goes into something called sympathetic dominance, which means you start to secrete hormones like cortisol, which breaks down the body’s cells. A lot of people have sleeping issues because they’re running high levels of sympathetic stress 24/7. That adds to acidity, which adds to inflammation, which leads to degenerative diseases like cancer. The whole idea is to get your body less inflamed. If you can do that, you’ll be healthier.

Are there any new ways to optimize our bodies? Dr. Alex: With younger generations especially, we’re seeing increased interest in biohacking. They want to know how we can push the edge in terms of optimizing health. Athletes often set themselves up for injury because of the load and the cardiovascular demand on the body. One thing we offer is a blood ozone technique called major autohemotherapy, which helps to increase oxygen use and content at the cellular level. It boosts your whole internal system, so it can be used for performance enhancement, but you can also use it for cancer treatment.

Forget guns and shoes: 3D printing will soon be tasked with crafting organs, thanks to Vancouver’s Aspect Biosystems. Under its catchy slogan “Human Tissues on Demand,” the UBC biotechnology start-up company has already replicated living human tissue through custom-built 3D printers. It uses a microfluidic chip to generate a thin gel fibre—loaded with

living cells—which is then stacked into a 3D structure layer by layer and incubated for several weeks to develop into tissue, explains Tamer Mohamed, Aspect’s cofounder. Mohamed adds of the technology currently used for drug testing, “The goal is to create replacement tissue for surgical implantation.” And possibly a world without donors, to boot.—Lucy Hyslop

L E G E N D Fitness

Diet

Lifestyle

Medical

Tech

FEEL THE STING

Proponents of bee-venom therapy (BVT) claim that a honeybee’s venom— administered by either extract or straight from the stinger— can treat 40-plus ailments, from MS to skin tumours. The small dose of venom allegedly kickstarts the immune system to address your other aches and pains…and yeah, it’s going to hurt. (Talk to your physician before rattling any hives!) honeybeecentre.com

UPGRADE YOUR FITBIT

Embrace the Fermentation Lifestyle

Good news, health-minded foodies: there have never been more delicious ways to cultivate optimal microbial chemistry, make digestion easier and help balance your stomach acids. These magic treats are the product of fermentation—the breaking down of sugars into acid or alcohol by yeasts and bacteria—and you probably already love them. by

Daniela Rodríguez Chevalier

Kombucha Grab a growler of VanMag

Taste Test winner Bucha Brew’s fermented elixir at one of their 32 fill locations, or try a kombucha cocktail at Gastown’s Bambudda. buchabrew.ca; 99 Powell St., bambudda.ca KOMBUCHA: CLINTON HUSSE Y

Forget your 10,000 steps. Vancouver-based Mio Global offers an alternative way to gamify your health: their wearables award PAI (personal activity intelligence) points for getting your cardio on, whether from a spin class or gardening. “You can earn a lot of PAI from playing with your grandchildren,” says Liz Dickinson, Mio founder. The good news: the largest health study ever conducted found that those who maintain an optimum PAI score live a decade longer— which means more time with said grandkids. mioglobal.com

Kimchi Kim’s Mart is a Mount Pleasant favourite and the best place in the city to get an amazing local kimchi. 519 E Broadway, 604-708-9913 Sauerkraut Grab a side of Handtaste Ferments’ locally made ’kraut for $4 at Chinatown’s sausage and beer parlour, Bestie. 105 E Pender St., bestie.ca

Yogurt Abbotsford’s Birchwood

Dairy farm makes a creamy, tangy, European-style yogurt that’s worth the drive. 1154 Fadden Rd., birchwooddairy.com

DIY Fermentation Vancouver-

based Homestead Junction offers fermentation workshops (learn how to make your own sourdough bread), plus DIY kits and other products (think dried milk kefir grains, koji rice for sake, and a lot of jars). 649 E Hastings St., homesteadjunction.ca

GET A DOG

A little puppy love boosts happiness and mental health; exposure to their filthy coats boosts immunity for the whole family and lessens allergy risks for kids, according to data uncovered by the SFU-developed Allergy and Asthma Portal. Good dog. allergen.innatedb.com

VA N M A G . C O M M A R C H 2 0 1 7

WAYS TO

Live Forever

LEGEND

Fitness

Diet

Lifestyle

Medical

Tech

Spark One Up

Is cannabis a cure-all? If so, the Vancouver housing crisis is going to get a lot worse, because people in this city are going to live forever. Medical marijuana is easier to find than a decent burrito to munch afterward, and it can allegedly treat everything from muscle spasms to insomnia to diabetes—though what it can’t cure is the pain of embarrassment that comes from using the stoner-kid names given to each strain. by

Steve Burgess and Stacey McLachlan

The ailment Asthma The treatment “Critical Kush” Why? THCV (tetrahydrocannabivarin) helps dilate respiratory passages (though smoking probably isn’t the best intake method).

The ailment Glaucoma The treatment “XXX 420” Why? The THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (cannabidol) in this strain help lower inner-eye pressure.

9 The ailment Osteoporosis The treatment “Pineapple Purps” Why? The highTHCV strain is thought to stimulate bone growth.

The ailment Arthritis The treatment “Blue Widow” Why? Thanks to massive amounts of THC, this strain is highly anti-inflammatory.

They say money can’t buy happiness, but Elizabeth Dunn, UBC psychology professor and co-author of Happy Money: The Science of Happier Spending, has other ideas. Q: How can spending money make you happier? A: One way is to buy experiences. Indulging in a nice dinner out or a weekend away will provide more happiness than buying a high-definition TV or other shiny things. Another is to make things a treat…so don’t buy that expensive smoothie every day.

The ailment Crohn’s Disease The treatment “Confidential Cheese” Why? Muscle spasms and cramps are reduced thanks to CBD levels.

PERFORM A BALANCING ACT

How did you get into acro yoga? I started yoga because I hurt my upper back. I started with Bikram’s, and then I went on a retreat where they offered partner yoga. Today I do acro yoga twice a week, for hours at a time.

It must be an incredible workout. I don’t realize how much I’ve worked out until after the fact: I’m so focused and I’m having

GO SHOPPING

VA N M A G . C O M M A R C H 2 0 1 7

“Acroboy Troy” (not pictured) picked up yoga to treat a bad back and neck about five years ago; today, he’s teaching acro yoga (a two-or-more-person form centred on balance and focus) to the yoga-curious. At 51 years old, he’s an outlier in a community of spry twenty- and thirtysomethings, but he’s living proof that anything’s possible for the young at heart. —Stacey McLachlan so much fun doing it. I look at the clock and think, I can’t believe time is going so fast. Is it dangerous? I have a healthy sense of fear. You’re not using an apparatus; you’re working with someone who’s moving with you. I practise basing; that means I’m on the bottom. Effective communication and accurate selfassessment are both paramount.

You must have an incredible connection with your partner. When I approach acro yoga, it’s actually a little clinical. Some people get the wrong impression; it can look sexual. But when you’re practising, that should be the furthest thing from your mind. Ready to try it yourself? Troy teaches in Richmond regularly. facebook.com/yogaboy.troy

Buying time can also buy you happiness. Another pair of heels isn’t going to change the way you spend your time, but paying a cleaning service so you don’t spend your Saturdays cleaning your house will. Another trick is to pay now, consume later. Pay for that vacation right away—you get the financial pain out of the way, and you get the pleasure of anticipation, a valuable source of happiness. Or you can invest in other people. If you have $5 in your pocket, use it to make somebody else’s day. You’ll give yourself an emotional boost as well. Every time you are buying something that’s intended to make you happy, stop and ask yourself, how will this purchase affect the way I spend my time? If it’s not going to make any difference, just put your wallet away.—Jennifer Van Evra

THAI RESTAU RANT ( on Burrard)

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Freshen Up Your Blood

The Snopes-disproved legend of Keith Richards swapping out his blood after a night of hard partying for that of a younger man may not sound so far-fetched in the future, if recent studies are to be believed. by

YOUNG-BLOOD THERAPY—“parabiosis”—works in mice, no question about it. Multiple experiments conducted at Harvard and elsewhere within the last five years have found that blood transfused from young mice into old ones had a rejuvenating effect. The old mice grew peppier. They performed better on memory tests. Their fur grew sleek and lustrous. Something in that new, rich plasma was healing and repairing aging organs by activating dormant stem cells. No one knows which among hundreds of goodies in the young blood—circulating proteins, growth factors, immune-system boosters— might be responsible, or whether whatever mechanism is at work could also work in humans. But that hasn’t stopped research from moving to the human-experiment stage. If you’re over 35 you can be part of a clinical trial run by the U.S. National Institute of Health and receive blood from a donor between 16 and 25 years old to see if and how it spruces you up. In a separate study going on at Stanford, Alzheimer’s patients receive youngblood transfusions to see if it stems cognitive decline. The endgame is to isolate the magic active ingredient in the blood serum and sell it in a pill. There’s a what’s-old-is-new-again dimension in all this. The idea of young blood as an elixir goes back to ancient Greece. The difference now is the potential customer. It used to be the poor, who, unable to procure expensive medicine, would slip the executioner a few pennies for a cup of blood. Now only the rich, such as PayPal founder and Trump booster Peter Thiel, can afford to roll the dice on this life hack. The NIH trial, sponsored by the Monterey-based company Ambrosia LLC, costs $8,000 (U.S.) to participate in.

TIME-TRAVEL TO A STRESS-FREE CHILDHOOD

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Diet

Don’t Stop Running by

Bruce Grierson

Fitness

Amy O’Brian

Lifestyle

Medical

Tech

NORTH VANCOUVER’S B.J. McHugh holds the marathon world record for an 88-year-old by an astounding 92 minutes…and that’s just one of dozens of other age-based running feats. Now 89 years old, the former nurse is taking a break from running for the time being—but only because she slipped getting off the podium at an award ceremony for athletic achievement.

Q: A:

Where did you spend your childhood?

Q: Do you have a special diet? A: I eat everything and anything. Breakfast this morning was oatmeal, a boiled egg and grapefruit. I have steak every Saturday night.

I grew up in Ontario, one of eight kids. I grew up in the Depression, so I learned to make do. We lived on a farm east of Toronto; my parents pulled me out of classes each spring to work in the fields.

Q: What about drinking? A: I have a glass of shiraz every night, even before a marathon. It’s part of my daily routine.

Q: When did you start running? A: I always skied and played tennis, but I didn’t start running until my 50s. I ran my first marathon at 55—when I was still smoking!

Q: Will you be running forever? A: Running gets the heart rate up. You get that high; nothing takes the place of running. I think I would find life without it terribly boring.

Were you lucky enough to have a childhood filled with cookies and fireside family game nights? Go ahead and tick off a box on the longevity checklist. A recent study shows adverse childhood events affect how we age. The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, examined the relationship between telomeres— the caps at the ends of each strand of DNA—and stressful childhood events. Shorter telomeres are

associated with disease and old age, while longer ones indicate health and strength; the childhood troubles that predicted shorter telomeres included physical abuse, run-ins with police and having parents with substance abuse problems. But since there’s nothing we can do to reverse the effects of adverse childhood events, why not go do something nice for a kid in need of a boost? You can live forever vicariously.—Amy O’Brian

RUN, B. J, RUN

LONG SLEEVE TEE: LULULEMON; NIKE CAPRI PANT: NORDSTROM

When McHugh isn’t running, she’s walking. Everywhere. “I refuse rides. I tell my friends I need the exercise.”

WAYS TO

Live Forever

Freeze Your Brain We may not have the cure for mortality now…but transhumanists believe one day we will. And their cryogenically frozen brains will be ready. by

Danielle Egan

AFTER HIS HEART STOPS BEATING, Keegan Macintosh is not going to die. When his legal death occurs, the 32-year-old will be cryopreserved, his life suspended until a future day, a future place, and a time when it’s possible to reanimate bodies and brains. He’s not in danger of this happening any time soon, but Macintosh wants to be prepared. “I don’t plan on needing cryonics for a long time, but I enjoy my life. I hope it’ll be a long one, potentially a much longer one in a future society,” says Macintosh, a healthy, fit public speaking and drama instructor with an interest in life extension, from nutrition to the philosophy of transhumanism, which holds the view that we’re evolving far too slowly to solve the world’s problems—disease, climate change,

TAKE YOUR BRAIN FOR A WALK

There are plenty of benefits to walking—cardiac health, relaxation, elevated mood—but a UBC researcher has shown that walking can also help ward off cognitive decline in people at risk of dementia. In one study, associate professor of physical therapy Teresa LiuAmbrose had 71 participants aged 56 to 96—all with cognitive impairment from damage to tiny blood vessels in their brains—walk three times per week, gradually increasing their intensity. Others did not

VA N M A G . C O M M A R C H 2 0 1 7

follow the exercise program but kept with their usual routines. Among the walkers, they found significant improvement in memory and cognitive function; in other words, they could help stave off the cognitive declines associated with dementia. But they had to keep up the pace: six months after the study, those who had stopped walking saw the benefits diminish. “The head and the body are connected,” says Liu-Ambrose. “And exercise truly is the magic pill.”—Jennifer Van Evra

L E G E N D Fitness

ignorance, war, you name it. “We’re not perfect, and we never will be,” says Macintosh. “But we can overcome our built-in frailties with technologies”—like molecular nanotechnology, genetic engineering, artificial intelligence, and cryonics. “The prospect that cryonics will work is only slightly less terrifying than the prospect that it won’t work,” he admits. “I don’t cherish the idea of waking up to a world without my friends and family.” So far, Macintosh has been unable to convince his husband to sign up too—ditto for the family dog. “Luckily, I know a half dozen other Vancouver cryonicists, like Carrie,” he says, raising his coffee mug to Carrie Wong, a 32-year-old geologist working in oil and mining satellite mapping. Wong met Macintosh in 2012, while they were students at UBC. “Cryonics is very comforting to me,” says Wong; she and her husband signed up in 2013. “It means I don’t have to think about what happens after I die, all that anxiety about the afterlife. I feel like this is the best shot I have.” Approximately 2,500 people around the world have bet on cryonics as their chance at an afterlife, signing up for one of two cryopreservation facilities: the Alcor Life Extension Foundation in Arizona or the Cryonics Institute in Michigan. Two hundred and ninety people are currently cryopreserved in these facilities, including two Canadians and one British Columbian, each held in a container resembling a human-sized Thermos. The journey to that giant Thermos is a complicated one that ideally should begin within minutes of legal death to provide the least cellular damage from oxygen and blood deprivation, particularly to the brain. Cryobanks are duty-bound to cryopreserve all clients, no matter the condition on arrival, but for the best chance of a successful future thaw, they recommend that the elderly or terminal move to nearby hospices prior to death so that they can provide an immediate emergency response. If that’s not possible, or if death is accidental, it’s optimal to have a local ER team standing by. For U.S. cryonicists there’s a company called Suspended Animation, providing ambulatory services in Florida and California. Elsewhere, cryonicists have created

SKIP THE CLINIC WAITING ROOM

As much as we love sitting in a stuff y lobby for three hours with the hacking-up-alung crowd, the free EQ Virtual app is a terribly civilized alternative to the usual clinic experience. Log in to video chat with a B.C. doctor right from your sickbed (go on—show off that weird hot tub rash!), and have your prescription sent directly to your local pharmacy. eqvirtual.com

Diet

Lifestyle

Medical

Tech

volunteer teams, including a Toronto group waiting to spring into action for approximately 15 Torontonians. In Vancouver, Macintosh and Wong founded the Lifespan Society to ostensibly provide standby services for 25 B.C.-based cryonicists, including their sort of surrogate grandfather, 78-year-old West Vancouverite Charles Grodzicki, whose chosen resting place is the Cryonics Institute, 3,000 kilometres away. “Charles is healthy, but he’s our oldest member, and we want to give him the best shot,” says Wong. Optimal ER starts immediately, with CPR and the restoration of breathing and blood circulation, ideally by heart-lung

If we can come back, were we really dead in the first place?” —K EEGA N

M AC I N T O S H , C RYON IC I S T

resuscitator, a.k.a. a “thumper.” Then, anticoagulants are administered by IV to prevent blood clotting, so that when the cryobank begins the process of vitrification— replacing blood with “cryoprotectant” chemicals that inhibit ice formation—the potential for freezer burn is minimized. (Think antifreeze and airtight Tupperware.) Lifespan members—about a dozen B.C.ers, half Vancouver-based—are in the process of acquiring medical supplies, training and a list of local funeral directors willing to put bodies on ice for speedy transport to Michigan and Arizona. The cryobanks function as non-profits, much like organ donation and cadaver research organizations, their clients paying annual membership fees combined with either a prepayment or the signing over of life insurance policies, the option that both Wong and Macintosh chose. Macintosh and Wong have opted for brain-only vitrification, which, at $90,000 (U.S.), is a cheaper alternative to the $200,000 (U.S.) sticker price for the whole body. Once they reach Alcor, only their heads will be vitrified and placed in the liquid nitrogen-filled Thermos, gradually cooling to -196°C. The goal, according to Alcor, is to “regrow” a new body using

CHEW ON SOME KELP

Move over, kale: there’s a new green in town. A study from Newcastle University suggests that alginates in sea kelp help suppress fat absorption by 75 percent. (One side effect: it increases kelp absorption by 100 percent.)

VA N M A G . C O M M A R C H 2 0 1 7

WAYS TO

Live Forever

LEGEND

future regeneration techniques. “It’s all in here,” says Macintosh, tapping his temple. “My body? They can upgrade it.” Sound like science fiction? Today, it still is. We can vitrify and store eggs and embryos and thaw them successfully when they’re needed, but not human organs, much less entire human bodies and brains. Yet while religions that promise an afterlife are rarely scrutinized for scientific validity, critics have called cryonicists “corpsicles” and accused cryobanks of quackery, though they guarantee nothing more than cold storage and revival only if big medical breakthroughs happen in the future, particularly in molecular nanotechnology. They point to recent breakthroughs, such as the thawing of a rabbit kidney and the structural preservation of a rabbit brain. And the strides in mainstream medicine, from the recent introduction of cold comas to prevent brain trauma to basic CPR techniques introduced in the ’60s, that are continually redefining death. “To me, cryonics makes more sense than the current definition of death,” says Macintosh. “It’s actually an ultraconservative form of medicine—don’t give up until you are very sure that nothing will be possible ever. We don’t think about it as bringing back a ‘dead person.’ If we can come back, were we really dead in the first place? Cryonics isn’t something socialized health care can afford to do now. But it’s my choice. Not everyone can be an early adopter.” “We have a saying in our circle—last one in, first one out,” says Wong. “We’ll be the least well preserved and probably the last to be brought back.”

HAVE TWO KIDS

18 48

VA N M A G . C O M M A R C H 2 0 1 7

Fitness

Diet

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Cultivate Your Microbiome

When it comes to keeping fit, you’ve truly got to go with your gut. “I look at the list of the top 10 causes of death for Canadians, and nine of them now have microbial links, including strokes and heart attacks,” says B. Brett Finlay, a UBC professor specializing in microbiology and infectious diseases. Here’s how to keep that digestive tract in tip-top shape. by

Stephanie Orford

Chew Some Probiotic Gum

Mouth microbes are now known to play a major role in your health. Brushing your teeth three times daily, for example, can reduce your risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s…but who has time for that? Luckily, probiotic gum delivers a dose of friendly oral bacteria to boost your immune system, reduce bad breath and offer other health perks. Finlay suggests choosing a brand containing the bacterial strain Streptococcus salivarius K12, like BLIS K12 (available online).

Say No to Steak

Thanks to microbes, cutting red meat out of your diet lowers your risk of heart disease. A particular type of bacteria that thrives on the L-carnitine in red meat has been linked to atherosclerosis, the hardening of your arteries. In other words: if you eat steak regularly, these mean microbes are probably going to town in your gut. Go vegetarian or vegan and there’ll be nothing left for them to chew on.

Put Your Poop in the Post

It’s not a gross prank. Mail a sample of your feces (and $299 U.S.) to American company DayTwo and they’ll analyze your tummy bugs. The company will then create a personalized diet to help you lower your blood sugar levels and improve your health, all by keeping your beneficial bacteria happy.

A longitudinal study done by researchers from SFU and UBC found that the number of children a woman has could slow the rate at which her body ages; researchers also suggest that women are likely to get more social support from family and friends when they have more children, increasing their metabolic energy and using it to maintain the body. But though that may seem like you should keep poppin’ out those babies, the damage of the financial stress of more than two kids quickly outweighs the benefits.—D.R.C.

The Sweet Spot WELL-BEING

NUMBER OF CHILDREN

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“I hated joining a program, but I hated my life even more. All that hate turned into love.” “I went through nine different programs with no success. I wanted to die. The John Volken Academy saved my life!” “Thank you! Not for saving my life, but for giving me a life worth saving!” “Has it been easy? No. But has it been worth it? DEFINITELY!” “I wish the whole world knew about the amazing things that happen at the John Volken Academy.”

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Renovate Your Condo

Fitness

The most value-adding features in housing aren’t the ones that make people feel rich—they’re the ones that make people feel safe, says Martin Pennels, a Green Building designer and consultant at EcoVan Green Construction. So forget the backsplash and embrace “wellness architecture” to improve your resale value (and your health). by

Graham Templeton

Light Bright Too-bright lights at night and an abundance of disruptive blue light from screens can lead to chronic disturbances in sleep and mood—so architects are designing with natural circadian rhythms in mind, using engineering plug-ins like Lark Spectral system to analyze light impact during the planning process.

The cheekily named Soylent meal-replacement drink mix claims to boost energy, improve health and help with weight loss. But while this super-powered dinner-in-a-cup could be useful on busy workdays, there’s one problem: it looks, tastes and feels like pancake batter. There are, however, some ways to “hack” the product with add-ins that (marginally) improve the flavour and texture.—Andrea Garza

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Up in the Air Pennels says air quality is easily the numberone health priority for his customers; that’s why the Bjarke Ingels-designed Vancouver House condo development will use ultraviolet light and a carbon filter to purify the oxygen inside (and it’s not the only luxury development using this “air ionizer” technology).

Paint It Pure A fresh coat of colour can release chemicals like acetone and formaldehyde for years after construction completes, so safety-minded builders are choosing paints with low or no VOCs (volatile organic compounds).

#YesFilter Clean water is now such a major concern that filters are no longer left at the tap or the jug but installed as part of a building’s water system—like builders did at the residences at the Hotel Georgia.

Detox by Design As the list of materials believed to release toxic airborne particles keeps getting longer, developers are pushing eco-friendly materials like bamboo or cork as a selling point.

GIVE UP CHEWING

Diet

MATCHA SOYLENT

Method Add two teaspoons of matcha powder to the standard recipe. Result Soylent that now tastes like matcha. Whether this is an improvement is up to you.

PE ANUT BUT TER AND JELLY SOYLENT

Method Mix with two tablespoons of peanut butter, 10 strawberries and ½ cup of milk. Result Like blending water and a PB and J sandwich.

“SOYLENT GREEN”

Method Blend with spinach, arugula, kiwi, green grapes and lime juice. Result A great way to get your fruits and veggies, if you can get over the grainy consistency.

Model; not an actual patient.

glowing

naturally radiant

smooth texture visibly illuminated softer

Keep your skin looking its youthful best... Ask your doctor about

Visit www.clearandbrilliant.com to find a doctor near you. INDICATION Clear + Brilliant Laser System (1440nm and 1927nm handpieces) is indicated for dermatological procedures requiring the coagulation of soft tissue and general skin resurfacing. IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION â&#x20AC;˘ The following contraindications are routine for many laser treatments and may also be associated with non-ablative Clear + Brilliant Laser System treatments. You may not be an appropriate candidate for a treatment if you: o Have been diagnosed with or possibly have actinic keratosis, melasma, rosacea, or other significant skin conditions (e.g., skin cancer, active infections, cold sores, open wounds, rashes, burns, inflammation, eczema, psoriasis); o Are predisposed to keloid formation or excessive scarring; o Have a condition that may compromise the immune system, such as HIV, lupus, scleroderma, or systemic infections; o Have a known sensitivity to light or if you are taking photosensitizing agents or medications; o Are on systemic steroids (e.g., prednisone, dexamethasone), which should be rigorously avoided prior to and throughout the course of treatment; o Are using retinoids, which should be avoided for at least 2 weeks prior to and during treatment; o Are undergoing isotretinoin acne treatment or taking drugs in a similar class; o Have skin that is still recovering from a cosmetic procedure, such as a chemical or mechanical peel, or laser resurfacing; and o Have had botulinum toxin injections, or dermal fillers (such as collagen or hyaluronic acid) within the past 2 weeks. Talk to your doctor for more information about Clear + Brilliant, and see www.clearandbrilliant.com for additional details. C+BCA 15-028 ÂŠ Unless otherwise indicated, all trademarks are property of Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc. or its affiliates.

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Fitness

Find the Perfect Cleanse

Overindulged? Full of toxins? (Whatever that even means.) There’s a cleanse for you. by

Andrea Garza

Krokodile Pear 3-Day Green Run Juice Cleanse krokodilepear.com Price $150

What you get Seven juices per day, including two blended smoothies. How it works Drink one bottle of juice every two to three hours. Good for Weight loss, digestive health, liver and kidney detoxification. Doctor says “The calories being consumed are nutrient-rich, but it is lacking in protein and fibre,” says Lindsay Pleskot, R.D., of lindsaypleskot.com.

Renew Life CleanseSmart 30-Day Program

Spud 3-Day Soup Box Cleanse spud.ca Price $115

What you get Five vegetarian soup servings and one alkalizing lemon water per day. How it works Drink lemon water every morning, then one soup serving every two hours. Good for Increased energy, weight loss, improved digestion. Doctor says “This is a good example of a reset if someone is struggling to break old habits, but it could potentially leave them feeling hungry as it’s not super-high in protein,” says Pleskot.

finlandiapharmacy.com Price $28

Colon Hydrotherapy Cleanse 3 Treatment Package

What you get Four herbal supplement pills per day. How it works Take two capsules in the day, and two more in the evening on an empty stomach. Allow six to 12 hours for laxative effect to occur. Good for Intestinal health, colon and liver detoxification, improved digestion. Doctor says “Some people report more focus and energy after detoxing. But there’s little evidence that detox diets remove toxins,” says Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D., of the Mayo Clinic.

What you get Three 45- to 55-minute treatment sessions. How it works A medical practitioner performs a treatment that uses purified water to clear out waste from the colon. Good for Colon detoxification, eliminatory system health, chronic intestinal conditions. Doctor says “I would highly suggest discussing this with your doctor first,” says Pleskot. “This isn’t a treatment I would recommend to my clients.”

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refreshnaturalhealth.com Price $270

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Tech

SIT UP STRAIGHT

As exercise equipment goes, it looks as low-tech as it can get; as part of the anti-sedentary movement, however, Yaletown’s Fitness Table punches far above its weight. Lie on your back on a full-length Shaker-style table with your hands over your head and tucked under the top of the table (well, hello, pecs), breathing from your diaphragm while zipping your bent knees together and slowly bringing them to each side. Sitting up, with your legs wrapped around the table legs, you’ll see your body’s wonky alignment, thanks to the shape of the table and the mirror in front. “There’s nowhere to hide,” laughs owner Katharine Ford, “and gravity means you need to really work.” The “reeducation of movement” to help your core and posture— started by dancer Thérèse Cadrin Petit in Montreal in 1980—takes you through more than 800 exercises that also involve tilting the table and using soft exercise balls. Sloppy posture? It’s time to turn the tables. $100 for initial postural evaluation, $32 per drop-in plus various group packages; fitnesstablevancouver.com —Lucy Hyslop

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GIVE BACK

Live Forever

We tend to think of volunteering—whether it be handing out meals at a soup kitchen or reading Jane Austen to the elderly—as a selfless act: something you do to help your community and improve the lives of others. But research shows it has the added benefit of possibly extending your life. A review of data from 40 different studies, published in BMC Public Health, points to about a 20 percent reduction in mortality among people who regularly give their time to others compared to those who don’t. Volunteers are also less depressed and have a greater sense of life satisfaction—good news, now that you’re going to live so much longer.—Amy O’Brian

TAP A VEIN

If your Flintstones chewables just aren’t doing the trick, perhaps some IV therapy is in order. Aumakua Integrated Wellness Clinic offers intravenous vitamin therapy to boost immunity, treat hangovers and battle jet lag in their downtown naturopathic office, but if you’d prefer to experience your drip bag in style, IV Wellness Boutique does the same in an oh-so-Yaletown environment—think soft lighting, recliners and high-def screens. aiwclinic.com; theiv.ca

LEGEND

Fitness

Jim Sutherland

Medical

Tech

LIKE A LOT OF PEOPLE, when it comes to nutrition, I’ve always considered myself a rationalist. But relying on rationalism has proved to be strangely irrational. Fat isn’t what has been making people fat, apparently. And coffee, although highly addictive, proves to have virtually no adverse health implications. So, nope, it’s much better to rely on research, to be an empiricist. Do that, and a lot of things that seem like they shouldn’t be good for you turn out to be not so bad after all. GLUTEN

COFFEE

Gluten has long been recognized as a terrible thing for the roughly one percent of the population with the autoimmune disorder celiac disease, which no doubt contributed to the reception of initial Australian research establishing ill effects for non-celiacs. That study was recanted after a more rigorous follow-up did not duplicate the results, but a 2016 study by the Columbia University Medical Center confirmed that a small proportion of the non-celiac population suffers from an inflammatory immune disorder involving gluten. But gluten avoiders among the remaining population (which could be up to 98 percent of us) are doing nothing for their health except denying themselves a delicious and nutritious dietary element.

Because caffeine is so highly addictive, and coffee so sinfully delicious, it has been subject to intensive research, with results that at one time seemed cautionary for heavy users. But extensive data from longitudinal studies as well as coffee-specific research from institutions including Johns Hopkins University, the Harvard School of Public Health, UBC and the University of California, Berkeley, have found virtually no drawbacks and many benefits to moderate consumption of up to about five cups a day. These include insulating effects against dementia, diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, certain cancers and even suicide.

MSG

How could something with a name like monosodium glutamate be anything other than bad? Yet, in numerous randomized double-blind studies (considered together in a so-called systematic review, or meta-study, published in 2016 by the peer-reviewed Journal of Headache and Pain), people who believe they suffer from “Chinese Restaurant Syndrome” have reacted in the same way to placebos as to MSG, a thoroughly benign substance that’s present in almost everything we eat (and especially in things like soy sauce and Parmesan cheese). We all bought the idea that fat wasn’t heart-smart, but in truth the research back then was absent, suspect or ambivalent, and replacing fat with carbs and sugar made us fat, which really contributed to heart disease. The emerging view from the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee: chow down on the good fats (vegetable oils, especially, though it’s complicated), and don’t sweat a certain amount of the “less good” either.

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Lifestyle

Remember That Everything Bad Is Good for You

FAT

Diet

ALCOHOL

Another addictive substance, alcohol too has been intensively researched—included, in fact, within literally hundreds of longitudinal studies following millions of people over many decades. Time and time again, moderate alcohol consumption correlated with both increased longevity and better overall health—but there’s a catch. Unlike those heavy consumers of coffee, moderate drinkers prove to be wealthier, better educated and more physically and socially active than non-drinkers, and when that was taken into account by a 2016 meta-analysis in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, most of alcohol’s health benefits disappeared. Still, moderate consumption appears to be roughly a wash, health-wise, so hey!

And it’s not just a case of bad things proving to be good, but also good ones bad. Fruit juice, for example, has been revealed as mostly just another sugary drink—loads of sugar, not a lot of nutrition. Save your money instead for the coffee shop or maybe even the bar. Given the research, it’s the rational thing to do.

CHEERS TO YO U R H E A LT H

SEA NEW YORK BLOUSE: HUDSON’S BAY; CARVEN SWEATER AND FRAME DENIM: NORDSTROM

There’s room in the health-concious life for a little indulgence, too. Everything in moderation, as Oscar Wilde once said... including moderation.