Confusing The Blue, White and Red

I'm back on Sushi again. I've been looking in to the health benefits of sushi - not because I'm particularly concerned about eating "healthy" - but because I have a theory about the therapeutic tendencies of a Sushi Lunch.

Cutbacks have left the days of Sushi-gate in the past, and sponsored sushi lunches are verbotten; except for some special few who are "crazy for the Red, White and Blue" . But in an attempt to escape our. . . opera, a colleague and I headed out to Sushi Kanata. Now, an $80 lunch may seem excessive - but we're talking about our mental health here - and it is our money.

In terms of health benefits, most articles that I've read fall back on the Nori wraps - the seaweed used in Sushi rolls, which has Vitamin A, Complex-B and C; rice is a carbohydrate (energy) and fish is protein. . . you have to ignore the heavy metals! And then there are those who grasp on to the condiments - soya sauce (protein), wasabi (vitamin C), pickled ginger (actibacterigen - according to one source, ginger's properties stimulate circulation of the blood, remove toxins from the body, cleanse the bowels and kidneys, and nourish the skin), and rice vinegar (antiseptic properties and lower cholesterol). And then there are the Omega-3 fatty acids - all good for the heart, as far as I can interpret!

But I think the ability to calm the psyche are outside the chemical properties of sushi. To me, it's friendship over something you both enjoy. Now that would be something lost on those who are "crazy for the blue, white, red and yellow"!