Saturday, January 5, 2013

Book Review on Garlic- Nature's Original Remedy

This is my book review of the book entitled "Garlic- Nature's Original Remedy " authored by Stephen Fulder   Ph.D. and John Blackwood. published by Healing Arts Press in 2000 and 1991 (original edition)

I think the word  "astounded" is the best word to describe how I feel after reading this book. It is absolutely amazing to me to see that a small under priced bulb of fresh garlic can be studied so thoroughly and have so many multiple health benefits.

What are some of the benefits of consuming raw uncooked garlic? This book describes the positive effects of raw garlic on conditions such as high blood pressure, tuberculosis, bacterial infections such as candidiasis, as well as high cholesterol. The use of garlic as a natural antibiotic is thoroughly discussed and compared scientifically to the use of traditional prescribed antibiotics.

The book also explores the folk lore behind the use of garlic and how different nations have snubbed their noses at garlic because of its notable pungent scent.
The authors calmly discuss how scientific studies have produced credible evidence of the positive effects of raw garlic on many many sick individuals who often find measurable positive results from taking raw garlic.

The best ways to consume garlic are also discussed as to their convenience factors, amounts and efficacy. The authors believe that raw garlic eaten fresh and chewed before swallowing releases the most potent and beneficial compounds. However they do also explore the benefits and drawbacks of consuming garlic oil in capsules and other garlic based tablets.

If you have any interest at all in improving your health and are looking for an informative exploration of all the dynamics of using garlic as a supplement, I highly recommend you try to find this book. It may be available at your local library or available to order online.
God bless and be well in 2013.
Carla


Thursday, January 3, 2013

Gluten Free at the Mandarin

And so my quest for all things gluten free led me to contact the Mandarin buffet restaurant head office in order to determine their perspective on the foods they offer at their buffet restaurants in Canada. I received a very friendly and helpful response which I will share with you below:

Thank you for your e-mail regarding our gluten free items. It is very difficult for me to answer your question as we do not have a detailed ingredient list available for our buffet items. There are many items that may contain gluten.
It may be helpful to let you know that we use canola oil when preparing most of our dishes. We also use corn starch in many of our soups and stir fries. Chicken base is also used in most of our hot buffet dishes and stir fries, and as far as I know, it is not gluten free. Our Garden Salad is prepared without dressing (You must select your own dressing for the salad), and our grilled items are marinated before they are cooked. Our Soy Sauce is not gluten free. Also, to my knowledge, our plain Steamed Rice and Peel and Eat Shrimp should not contain gluten.
We do have an à-la-carte menu available as an alternative to the buffet. Simply ask your hostess or server for our menu upon being seated. Our chefs may be willing to prepare a dish without chicken base or other ingredients containing gluten at your request. However, please be advised that it is almost impossible to say that any dish is gluten-free because there is a high risk of cross-contamination in our restaurants.
I hope that this information will help you, if you choose to dine at Mandarin. Thank you for contacting us with your question.
Sincerely,

Mandarin Restaurant Franchise Corporation
8 Clipper Court, Brampton ON L6W 4T9
T 905-451-4100
F 905-456-3411
E info@mandarinrestaurant.com

Sunday, December 23, 2012

Gluten Free at Starbucks

Ok, so in my quest for all things "gluten free" I contacted the  canadian head office of Starbucks.
Basically I got a long but friendly email back stating the following:



We're delighted you took the time to contact us!

Starbucks is unable to guarantee a "gluten-free" environment in our retail locations due to the potential for cross contamination with gluten-containing products. The open environment and operating procedures of our store locations may present additional risk for gluten-sensitive customers aside from the gluten-containing ingredients themselves. "Gluten-free" is a claim with specific requirements defined by government agencies and industry standards. We are unable to make this claim on a product unless the item is specifically formulated and manufactured to meet the definition of the claim.

Thanks again for writing us.  If you ever have any questions or concerns in the future, please don't hesitate to get in touch.

So that was the main gist of the email. Kinda stinks that a prosperous company would care so little for those who are struggling daily with gluten intolerance. Even Rice Crispies has come up with a "Gluten Free" brand  of rice crispies in order to meet the demand. If you want to inquire about the Starbucks locations in your neighbourhood contact their head office yourself either through their website or by snail mail:

http://www.starbucks.ca/customer-service

Note to their credit. The local Starbucks does carry some prepackaged snack bars under the brand called
"Kind" which are labelled gluten free. However, that seems to be the limit to their gluten free food options.