Home / Andrea Yu – Toronto Freelance Writer

Foodism Toronto • 18th March 2019

Tex-Next: San Antonio's food scene

We visit San Antonio, one of the fastest growing cities in the US, to find out how chef-entrepreneurs are replacing the city’s tacos-and-brisket reputation.

G Adventures Blog • 13th March 2019

How to bring mindfulness into your travels

Travelling can bring moments of stress and anxiety. But mindfulness practises can keep you calm and connect you with your surroundings.

Toronto Star • 10th March 2019

Toronto programs help people connect over a meal

Zenon Godzyk usually eats his meals alone. But on this Thursday evening, he’s in the company of a dozen other diners.

Maclean's • 1st March 2019

The enduring legacy of Canada's racist head tax

On June 22, 2006, Stephen Harper formally apologized for the head tax of up to $500 levied on 81,000 Chinese immigrants to Canada.

Toronto Star • 15th February 2019

ROM curators' tips for keeping collections

Four years ago, the Royal Ontario Museum’s mineralogy department acquired 21,000 gems. But there was a small issue of where to store it.

Escapism Toronto • 4th February 2019

Room Service: Red Sands Hotel

This hidden gem in south-central Utah has the charm of a small hotel with the amenities and standards of big-name chains.

Toronto Star • 2nd February 2019

Feelosophy is yoga with a special touch

With Feelosophy, touch is the central focus of the class. Founder Ashley Brodeur helps students feel relaxed while inspiring openness around touch.

Toronto Star • 19th January 2019

Body positive fitness focuses on wellness, not weight loss

Jenna Doak was fixated on achieving a figure that fit her profession as a personal trainer. “I was gung-ho crazy about being thin and having no body fat.”

Chatelaine • 3rd January 2019

Why The Stress Of Dieting Is Making Us Miserable

Sheri Phillips Morrow was seven when she first started feeling anxious about her weight. In her 20s, when her weight climbed to 240 pounds, she joined a dieting centre. “I felt like I had to fix myself,” she says.

Toronto Star • 28th December 2018

Are hangover pills a holiday miracle or hogwash?

Like most of us after a night of hard drinking, Vancouver-based Nishal Kumar suffered bad hangovers. And he found the severity of his symptoms worsened as he got older.

Toronto Star • 17th December 2018

Giving the gift of experiences

“People like to buy kids stuff.” That’s one thing Krista Beehler noticed when she had her first child in 2014. She was overwhelmed by the amount of pretty presents that arrived after her daughter Zinnia was born.

Toronto Star • 4th December 2018

How to keep your kids happy and your budget in line over the holidays

Though holiday spending is a rite of the season, there are ways to minimize the statement shock when credit card bills roll in early next year.

Toronto Star • 23rd November 2018

Take a deep breath to reduce holiday stress

“The rushing, hurrying and the expectations that exist around the holidays make me stressed out,” says Quiet Company founder Emily Thring. “Practising mindfulness and meditation helps me be more present."

Local Love | United Way • 22nd November 2018

How to fight off the bystander effect

Here’s why the bystander effect happens and how to safely and effectively defuse public harassment.

Toronto Star • 20th May 2017

Hard-to-find brews delivered to your doorstep

When Highlander Brew Co. founder Dwayne Wanner offered tastings at Toronto beer festivals, fans often asked where they could buy the ale. “How do you get it? You drive four hours to the brewery."

Toronto Star • 6th November 2018

You either love or hate mooncake

The highlight of the Mid-Autumn Festival comes when the meal is over. Heavy pucks of dense mooncake are cut into wedges and served from a decorative metal tin.

MENU Magazine • 3rd September 2018

Tequila Takeover

Like many of us, Eric Brass at one time treated tequila as a “close your eyes, plug your nose and hope for the best” experience. But that all changed after he went to Mexico on an exchange.

Toronto Star • 2nd November 2018

Puppies and yoga. What could possibly go wrong?

There’s another animal making its way into Charmaine Pang's cat-cow yoga pose — a six-week-old Australian shepherd puppy is crawling under Pang to seek shelter under her arched back.

Local Love | United Way • 15th August 2018

The surprising ways city parks create barriers

GTA parks have a problem when it comes to being accessible to people of all abilities. Here’s how they can change for the better.

Toronto Star • 19th October 2018

Mascots created at custom costume shop on Geary St.

Halloween is the only time of the year when most of us dress up in character. But at Sugars Mascot Costumes, whimsical characters are a way of life.