Morning Brief: The Link Between Fast Food & Dementia, Quebec's 'White Lotus' Pitch & More
Happy "Friday Jr." — Andrew from Narcity here. ☕
Off The Top: A TikToker revealed their sensational "hack" for saving money in the produce aisle: when heads of broccoli are priced by weight, the intrepid penny-pincher simply... cuts off the entire stock and leaves it behind. So, uh, well, pretty much stealing! Another fantastic tip: trim the legs of brand-new pants and insist on only paying shorts prices. Innovative!
In Case You Missed It
1. The Link Between Eating Ultra-Processed Fast Food & Dementia
It's generally accepted that eating a ton of fast food on a daily basis will sort of, kind of kill you (thanks, Super Size Me) — but as it turns out, even eating highly processed treats in moderation might have a life-changing impact on your brain health. A study published in JAMA Neurology earlier this month suggests that if 20% of your daily caloric intake comes from fast food or similar snacks, your risk of developing dementia could rise. Asymina Kantorowicz breaks down everything you need to know about the findings, including what actually qualifies as an ultra-processed fast food.
- It Gets Worse: If staying under that 20% threshold seems doable, it's worth noting that the Heart & Stroke Foundation says that about 50% of Canadians' calories come from ultra-processed foods — meals and snacks packed with salt, sugar, fats and all the fixings that make burgers, pizza, soda, candy and chips so addictive.
- READ THE FULL STORY HERE
2. A String Of Early-Morning Subway Attacks Is Latest Abnormal Violence In Toronto
In the latest in a string of unprovoked attacks in the GTA, a 31-year-old woman was arrested after attacking at least six people on the subway during the Monday morning rush hour. The attacks occurred on a Line 1 train between Queen and Davisville stations before the woman was detained by an off-duty Toronto detective, Stuart McGinn reports.
- Context: There's been a rash of seemingly random violent encounters this month. A 31-year-old woman was stabbed to death at High Park Station. A 21-year-old man allegedly slashed two "under-housed" men in the face. And this weekend, a group of eight teenage girls hailing from all ends of the city apparently stabbed a middle-aged man to death in a "swarming" attack.
- READ THE FULL STORY HERE
3. With The Single-Use Plastic Ban In Effect, Tim Hortons Switches Their Packaging
With Canada rapidly phasing out our reliance on single-use plastics, expect to see new packaging at Tim Hortons rolled out over the next year. The international coffee brand announced earlier this week that they'd be introducing innovations like compostable wooden and fibre cutlery, sandwich wrappers that use 75% less material and the discontinuation of plastic bags altogether in 2023. Lisa Belmonte takes us through the pictures of the new packaging and the rationale behind them.
- By The Numbers: Tim Hortons estimates the measures will save approximately 90 million single-use plastics per year.
- Context: Changes to Timmies' packaging in particular have previously rankled some of the coffee chain's most famous fans — including pop star Justin Bieber, who was a vocal critic of changes made to coffee cup lids several years ago.
- READ THE FULL STORY HERE
What Else You Need To Know Today
💪 INCREDIBLE BULK
With inflation pinching everyone's wallets these days, our Mira Nabulsi has found herself buying more in bulk. Here are six items she's heading to the Bulk Barn to buy, from spices and snacks to dog treats.
🏨 LOCAL LOTUS
With the second season of HBO's surprise sleeper hit The White Lotus in the books, it seems that everyone is talking about the dark comedic satire about wealth, privilege and relationships — including local tourism offices. According to MTL Blog's Charlotte Hoareau, Destination Québec Cité has made their pitch to the show's creator, Mike White, to consider filming Season 3 in Quebec's capital city. Death at the Château Frontenac, anyone?
🛒 OVERSTOCK AMOK
Ottawa's Quick Pick is your one-stop shop for end-of-the-line products that stores had trouble selling the first time around. Megan Johnson recently visited the Nepean location and came out with a bunch of swag like foot massagers, dinner plates and even melatonin — all priced at just $2.99. Here's what else Megan discovered in her treasure hunt.
📌 TOTAL RECALL
It's once again time to head to your fridges and pantries — especially before company arrives. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has issued notices for eight new items. Katherine Caspersz breaks down the recalled items, from listeria-exposed Gorgonzola to pickle-flavoured vodka boasting, um, dangerously high levels of copper. See the full list here.
🎂 BIRTHDAYS
She's all about that birthday; Meghan Trainor turns 29 years old today. American rapper DaBaby is 31. Firebrand senator Ted Cruz is 52 (and apparently still completely unrelated to the Zodiac Killer). Voldemort himself, Ralph Fiennes, is 60. Iconoclastic painter Jean-Michel Basquiat would have been 62 today. You can tell by the way late Bee Gees twins Maurice and Robin Gibb used their walk that they'd be 73 today. Legendary baseball manager Connie Mack — dubbed the "Tall Tactician" because he stood a whopping 6-foot 2 — was born on this day 160 years ago.
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Have a question or comment about today's edition? Let me know at andrew.potter@narcity.com or hit me up on Twitter if you'd prefer at @andrewjoepotter.
Have a great day. Alshaar will see you back here tomorrow to finish off the week!
Exterior of new Quick Pick store location in Ottawa's Bayshore neighbourhood.