Arts&life

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EDITOR KRISTEN HOLLIDAY |

Non-Dairy

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Gluten-Free

Sans gluten Sans produits

LIGHTLY CARBONATED BEVERAGE

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THURSDAY, MARCH 5, 2020 |

= MAST MASTER

THE VOICE

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Kombucha sold in the A Building cafeteria. While it's still uncertain if the B.C. government's seven per cent tax on carbonated, sugary drinks will apply to these beverages, kombucha brewers say the health benefits of drinking kombucha should differentiate the brew from commercial soft drinks. PHoTo By RU! YANG XU

‘Booch brewers fear sugar tax

It's unclear if PST will apply to kombucha, lauded for its health properties

= By RUIYANG XU

an Larsen believes in

the health benefits of

kombucha but worries

that new government categorization of certain drinks is going to affect customers.

The government will implement a seven per cent sales tax July 1 on sweetened carbonated beverages. The goal is to encourage consum- ers to consider healthier alterna- tives, however it remains unclear whether beverages with purported health benefits like kombucha will fall under the categorization.

“It’s an insult to the industry,” said Larsen, owner of Vancouver-based Culture Craft Kombucha. “Our efforts are being negated by the government and aren't being recog- nized.”

Larsen said kombucha is a tea beverage fermented with a symbi- otic culture of bacteria and yeast, also

known as a SCOBY or mother.

“T'm still going to get orders, people are still going to sell kombucha. This is something people value as part of their diet.”

— DAN LARSEN, OWNER, CULTURE CRAFT KOMBUCHA

Another Vancouver-based brewer, Kristin Zerbin, who owns Hoochy

‘Booch Kombucha, said anywhere from a quarter to halfa cup of sugar is used in the fermentation process. The end result is that the sugar effec- tively becomes healthy amino acids, trace vitamins and minerals.

There are also other health bene- fits to the drink, Zerbin said.

“Kombucha adds beneficial bacte- tia and enzymes to your overall intestinal flora.”

While there are many purported health benefits to kombucha, Tanya Choy, a registered dietitian at UBC, said there is no scientific evidence supporting these claims.

“All the studies that are relating to kombucha and improved health has been conducted in vitro [test-tube experiments] and it’s also on [non- human] animals.”

The amount of sugar in a kombu- cha drink can vary depending on

the brewer or flavor. Choy said while most of the sugar used in the fermentation process becomes some- thing else, some kombucha brewers still sweeten drinks to counteract the acidity of the beverage.

“Some flavors contain enough sugar to make up for half a can of pop per cup,” Choy said.

Two brands sold on the Lang- ara campus, Pure+ Kombucha and KeVita, range from six to 14 grams of sugar per 450 to 500 millilitre bottle. A 473 millilitre bottle of Fanta contains 49 grams of sugar.

Ifthe seven per cent tax is applied kombucha sales, Larsen believes consumers will be the most upset.

“As a producer, I’m still going to get orders, people are still going to sell kombucha. This is something people value as part of their diet now.”

SUGAR IN BEVERAGES COMPARING 500ML DRINKS

» KeVita Master

Brew Kombucha The pineapple peach flavour has 14 grams of sugar. This amount of sugar is equivalent to 3.5 regular size sugar cubes.

» Dr. Pepper

This soft drink contains about 47 grams of sugar. This is equivalent to 12 sugar cubes.

» Fanta

The orange flavour has 49 grams

of sugar in a bottle. This amount

is equivalent to 12.5 sugar cubes.

SOURCE: BRAND NUTRITION FACTS

Writers meet on Wednesday nights at the Historic Joy Kogawa House to work on their projects . PHOTO BY RYAN NG

Writing Group uses a special technique to improve its productivity and keep focused

= ByRYANNG

ocal writers are gathering

each week at the Historic Joy

Kogawa House in Marpole to

write using a technique named after a plastic tomato timer.

Invented in the 1980s by Fran- cesco Cirillo while he was a university student, the Pomodoro Technique is a time management method. Cirillo’s method has the user spend 25 minutes at a time of undivided attention on a task. An Italian, Cirillo named the method after his timer.

Ann-Marie Metten, an editor who facilitates the meet-up for writ-

ers called Shut Up & Writel, said the Wednesday night event hosted at the historic home helps writers get their work done.

“A combination of the technique and the location encourages us to

focus.”

— ANITA MIETTUNEN, WRITING GROUP MEMBER

“Before I was a disciplined editor, 1 used to procrastinate profoundly,” Metten said. “But then I learned, break it into smaller pieces. It’s just 25 minutes, and that gets you going.”

Alison Brierley, a short story writer who works nearby and spends her free time writing, said she goes to the weekly event because it’s a good place to focus.

“Tt motivates me because I know that it will happen once a week,”

25min atatime

Brierley said.

“It’s just nice to have a place to go with a dedicated time and space for something that I really enjoy.”

Anita Miettunen, who writes novels and picture books, finds the group to be supportive.

“A combination of the technique and the location encourages us to focus,” she said.

Kathryn Lee, who spends her time at the meet-up editing her young adult novel, said the tech- nique is effective because she was worried about her back problems and being in an unnatural position for too long.

“T could sit there for two hours and write, but I don’t think that’s healthy mentally or physically,” Lee said. “[Pomodoro Technique] gives me a chance to get up and stretch.”

Cindy Hu, another group member, is currently working on a draft for a screenplay for animation.

“Knowing someone else is doing the same thing and having a project to work on, it’s really encouraging,” said Hu. She said she keeps this idea

in mind as she writes on her own.