Arz Fine Foods

I visited Arz for the second time today. I had to explain about an item that I was mistakenly overcharged for,the day before. The woman that helped me was extremely pleasant and helpful.
I love the ambiance of the place . It feels like a smaller version of the St Lawrence Market. Arz will definitely become my favourite place to shop.
http://www.arzbakery.com/

Genuine #Halal Chinese Restaurant in #Toronto Mr. Li, the owner is a famous Islamic chef, #toronto, #halal

Halal Chinese Restaurant
668 Silver Star Boulevard, Toronto, ON M1V 5N1

This is a genuine Halal Chinese Restaurant. It doesn't just say "we also serve Halal". The owner is Muslim. At the front of the restaurant there is a sketch of a Mosque. The food is authentic Chinese food. It is not Hakka food. I bought the Lamb fried rice and seafood noodles today. They were both very tasty. Many lamb dishes on the menu.

Mr. Li, the owner is a famous Islamic chef, holding the First Award from National Cuisine Contest by Ministry of Commerce, and the National First-Class Chef Certificate. When he was running his business in Xi?an, his Beef Soaking Bun was extremely popular all across China, and developed branches in Zhengzhou and Guangzhou. He is very good at processing beef and lamb. His skills, such as roasting, stewing, steaming and frying, make good-looking and delicious Islamic foods in different ways. The Whole Lamb Soup, and Mutton Soaking Bun, are the dishes Mr. Li specializes in.

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http://torontoist.com/2011/12/spice-city-toronto-on-the-lamb/

My periods are getting more painful. Why?

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health/ask-a-health-expert/ask-a-doctor/my-periods-are-getting-more-painful-why/article2308039/?utm_medium=Feeds%3A%20RSS%2FAtom&utm_source=Life&utm_content=2308039

My So called Bipolar Life

By JAMIE STIEHM, Published: January 17, 2012

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/18/opinion/my-so-called-bipolar-life.html?_r=1&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha212

Thyroid Conditions

Thyroid Conditions


• Goiter: A general term for thyroid swelling. Goiters can be harmless, or can represent iodine deficiency or a condition associated with thyroid inflammation called Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.

• Thyroiditis: Inflammation of the thyroid, usually from a viral infection or autoimmune condition. Thyroiditis can be painful, or have no symptoms at all.

• Hyperthyroidism: Excessive thyroid hormone production. Hyperthyroidism is most often caused by Graves disease or an overactive thyroid nodule.

• Hypothyroidism: Low production of thyroid hormone. Thyroid damage caused by autoimmune disease is the most common cause of hypothyroidism.

• Graves disease: An autoimmune condition in which the thyroid is overstimulated, causing hyperthyroidism.

• Thyroid cancer: An uncommon form of cancer, thyroid cancer is usually curable. Surgery, radiation, and hormone treatments may be used to treat thyroid cancer.

• Thyroid nodule: A small abnormal mass or lump in the thyroid gland. Thyroid nodules are extremely common. Few are cancerous. They may secrete excess hormones, causing hyperthyroidism, or cause no problems.

• Thyroid storm: A rare form of hyperthyroidism in which extremely high thyroid hormone levels cause severe illness.

Thyroid Tests

• Anti-TPO antibodies: In autoimmune thyroid disease, proteins mistakenly attack the thyroid peroxidase enzyme, which is used by the thyroid to make thyroid hormones.

• Thyroid ultrasound: A probe is placed on the skin of the neck, and reflected sound waves can detect abnormal areas of thyroid tissue.


• Thyroid scan: A small amount of radioactive iodine is given by mouth to get images of the thyroid gland. Radioactive iodine is concentrated within the thyroid gland.

Thai Green Chicken Curry with Coconut Rice

http://www.readersdigest.ca/food/recipes/main-courses/thai-green-chicken-curry-coconut-rice

With the subtle sweetness of coconut and traditional Asian ingredients and flavours, this mouthwatering spring-inspired meal will delight parents and kids alike. Served with coconut brown rice, it’s a simple and healthy weeknight meal.

Ingredients

1 cup U.S. long grain brown rice
1 cup coconut milk (can be low fat), divided
2 cups gluten-free vegetable or chicken broth, divided
1 lb boneless skinless chicken, cut into thin strips
1 tsp each, baking soda and corn starch
1 tbsp low sodium gluten-free soy sauce
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup snap peas, trimmed
1 cup sliced red pepper
1 cup red onion, sliced
1 cup button mushrooms, halved
2 tbsp Thai green curry paste
1 cup torn fresh basil leaves
2 tsp fresh lime juice

Directions

1. In saucepan, combine rice with ½ cup (125 mL) coconut milk and 1 ½ cups (375 mL) broth. Stir. Bring to boil over medium-high heat and reduce heat to low; cover and simmer until liquid has been absorbed, about 45 minutes. Remove from heat.
2. In a bowl, combine chicken with baking soda, cornstarch and soy sauce, mixing well to coat chicken. Let sit while preparing vegetables.
3. In large heavy skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Cook chicken just until browned on the outside, about 5 minutes (will not be cooked through; will finish cooking in sauce). Transfer to clean bowl. Add snap peas, red pepper and onions; sprinkle with salt and pepper, stirring frequently until onion begins to soften, about 5 minutes.
4. Stir in curry paste; cook until paste begins to darken, about 3 minutes. Add remaining coconut milk, scraping any brown residue from the bottom of the pan. Add remaining chicken broth and reserved chicken and bring to a simmer. Cook until vegetables are tender crisp and sauce is slightly thickened, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in basil and lime juice. Serve over brown coconut rice.

Tip: Add a couple of fresh lime leaves and replace regular basil with Thai basil for a more authentic flavour profile. This recipe can also be easily adjusted for vegetarians by replacing chicken with cubed firm or extra firm tofu.

Nutrition Facts

PER SERVING: about 380 cal, 24 g pro, 10 g total fat (6 g sat fat), 35 g carb, 4 g fibre, 45 mg chol, 470 mg sodium. %RDI: iron 15%, calcium 6%, vit A 35%, vit C 90%

Buttermilk Baked Chicken

Buttermilk Baked Chicken
Description: Here's a yummy dish for your holiday buffet table - and it's simple to make. Bread chicken pieces in flour, then bake until cooked through. If you've made this recipe ahead of time, refrigerate and warm up before serving, or serve cold. The chicken is delicious either way!
http://www.carnationmilk.ca/recipe-details.aspx?rid=1457

You Docs: Cholesterol-lowering drug offers several benefits

January 10, 2012, DR. MIKE ROIZEN AND DR. MEHMET OZ

Here’s a surprise: Statins, the drugs used to lower cholesterol, have more than one benefit when consumed. They also prevent heart attacks and strokes. So, what makes statins such superpowers?


First, they do reduce lousy LDL cholesterol, which helps keep your arteries younger, more flexible and freer of plaque. That’s terrific for your heart, brain and all of your roughly 10 trillion cells. Second, statins cool chronic inflammation, which effectively cools cancer activity and cardiovascular mayhem, not to mention reduces inflammatory diseases like arthritis. But that’s not all.

Statins also:

• Protect against prostate cancer, enlarged prostates and erectile dysfunction.
• Fend off dangerous blood clots in your legs and lungs.

• Slash your risk of cataracts.

• Protect against Alzheimer’s. Some statins — particularly Crestor and Lipitor (atorvastatin) — could cut your risk by 60 per cent.

• Shrink and stabilize any plaque pileups already in your arteries.

• Help protect Type 2 diabetics against an extra-high threat of heart disease.

And there’s more. Turns out the top benefit of taking statins for years isn’t protecting you against heart disease and stroke, though that doesn’t waver. Long-term use also greatly reduces your chances of dying from infectious diseases, news that surprises even statin researchers.

New data reveals that if you get a seriously nasty flu infection, statins can be life savers. People hospitalized for influenza who don’t take statins are almost twice as likely to die from flu as those who do.

There are huge payoffs to taking this one tiny pill.

YouDocs Mehmet Oz and Mike Roizen are authors of YOU: Losing Weight. Order it at StarStore.ca. Submit questions and find more info at RealAge.com

http://www.healthzone.ca/health/article/1112662

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What are some examples of Statins?  Statins that are approved for use in the U.S. include:
atorvastatin (Lipitor),
fluvastatin (Lescol),
lovastatin (Mevacor),
pravastatin (Pravachol),
rosuvastatin (Crestor),
simvastatin (Zocor), and
pitavastatin (Livalo).

How to make dosas: Recipe

http://www.thestar.com/living/food/recipes/article/1110458--how-to-make-dosas-recipe

By Jennifer Bain

Food Editor

Dosas are thin, lacy, crisp South Indian pancakes made from fermented rice and lentil batter. They’re huge in restaurants, but more modest at home. Geetha Upadhyaya cooks hers in a cast-iron skillet. She serves two to four per person with chutney ans uses “idli” rice. I could only find it in 20-pound (9-kg) bags (for a reasonable $12.99) so also tried a batch with long-grain rice that was almost as good.


Dosas

2 cups (500 mL) idli, white long-grain or white basmati rice, washed several times
1/2 cup (125 mL) white urad dal (skinned, split, black urad lentils), rinsed
1/4 cup (60 mL) channa dal (split, yellow chickpeas), rinsed
1/2 tsp (2 mL) fenugreek (methi) seeds, rinsed

Table or fine sea salt to taste
Water as needed for thinning batter
Olive oil for brushing pan
Ghee (clarified butter) for drizzling

Coconut & Red Chili Chutney (recipe follows) or purchased coconut chutney.


In large bowl at room temperature, soak rice in cold water to cover by 1 inch (2.5 cm), 6 to 12 hours. Drain; reserving soaking liquid.

In separate medium bowl at room temperature, soak urad dal, channa dal and fenugreek seeds in cold water to cover by 2 inches (5 cm), 6 to 12 hours. Drain; reserving soaking liquid.

In blender, process rice, with a little reserved soaking water, until smooth but slightly grainy. Transfer to large bowl.

In blender, process urad dal mixture, with a little soaking water, until smooth but slightly grainy. Transfer to bowl with rice; stir well to combine.

Let mixture stand, uncovered and at room temperature, in warm place 12 to 24 hours. Mixture should froth a bit when swirled. Depending on the season and temperature of your kitchen, you may need to put the bowl in an unheated oven with its lights on for 5 hours.

Just before making dosas, stir well and thin with water if needed to create pourable consistency of pancake batter. Season with salt.

Brush large (about 12 inch/30.5 cm) cast-iron or non-stick skillet with oil (or use paper towel to spread oil). The oil should be barely visible. Heat over medium. (If you like, use 2 skillets at once.)

Using ladle, scoop about 1/3 cup (80 mL) batter into centre of skillet. Use bottom of ladle to gently spread batter in about 8 clockwise circles to make very thin, 8-inch (20-cm) crepe that has some tiny holes. Sprinkle lightly with ghee or more olive oil. Cook until bottom is golden, covering with lid if desired, several minutes. Using spatula, fold in half. Serve immediately. Repeat with remaining batter, brushing skillet with oil and adjusting heat as needed.

Batter will keep several days in fridge. Return to room temperature before using.

Serve dosas with chutney. To eat, break off pieces of dosa by hand and scoop up chutney.

Makes about 6 cups (1.5L), enough for about 18 dosas.

Star-tested by Jennifer Bain

jbain@thestar.ca

Magnesium

Reduce Leg Cramps, Hypertension, and Diabetes , By W. Gifford-Jones, M.D

Doctor, am I taking enough or too much calcium?" It's a question I'm often asked by patients. But I can't recall a single instance when a patient has asked the same question about magnesium.

It's ironic, as studies show that many North Americans are not obtaining sufficient amounts of this important mineral. In some cases this can be a fatal error. Now there's a simple, natural way to prevent this.

Calcium has always enjoyed star status for good reason. Without sufficient calcium, bones develop osteoporosis, and a minor fall, or a big hug, can snap a bone. But few realize that magnesium is required for more than 300 biochemical reactions in the body.

For instance, a magnesium deficiency can result in hypertension, muscle cramps, restless leg syndrome, diabetes, migraine attacks, emotional trouble, fatigue, and an irregular heart rate.

Magnesium is nature's natural muscle relaxant, but this fact went unnoticed for years.

Magnesium is nature's natural muscle relaxant, but this fact went unnoticed for years. Then in 1979, Dr. J. R. Chipperfield reported in the British Journal Lancet that patients who suffered from angina often had low blood levels of magnesium, and that by prescribing this mineral, the spasm of coronary arteries and pain could be eased.

This important finding helps to prevent heart disease, man's No. 1 killer. But in addition to expanding coronary arteries, magnesium adds oil to the circulation, preventing platelets (small particles in the blood) from clotting, and sudden death.

Magnesium plays another vital role. Each beat of the heart is controlled by an extremely complex electrical system. Low blood magnesium can toss a monkey wrench into this process, triggering an irregular heart rate called auricular fibrillation. In extreme cases, this can result in ventricular fibrillation and death.

Whether or not you die from a heart attack depends on several factors such as obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and blood cholesterol. But one dilemma, which has been difficult to explain, is why 50 percent of people who die from coronary attack have normal blood cholesterol. Low blood magnesium may be a factor.

The DASH study (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) showed that this major killer could also be calmed by a diet high in magnesium, potassium, and calcium. In another study of 30,000 male health professionals, it was found that the incidence of hypertension was less in those who had a greater intake of magnesium.

A deficiency of magnesium is also fueling the epidemic of diabetes. A report from the University of Virginia showed that a low dietary intake of magnesium is associated with increased insulin resistance.

In this study, patients were placed on a diet deficient in magnesium for a mere three weeks. Researchers found that, not only did the cells become lacking in magnesium, but also insulin became less efficient in transporting sugar (glucose) from the blood into cells.

Since 1976, Harvard University has carried out a huge study called the "The Nurses Health Study." During this time, researchers followed 85,000 nurses and 43,000 men. They discovered that nurses who consumed 220 milligrams (mg) of magnesium daily were 33 percent more likely to develop diabetes than those consuming 340 mg of magnesium each day.

So how can you get 350 mg of magnesium daily?

A good start would be the following:
• One baked potato with skin (55 mg)
• One-half ounce of almonds (43 mg)
• One shredded wheat biscuit (40 mg)
• One cup of plain low fat yogurt (43 mg)
• One-half cup of brown rice (42 mg)
• One banana (32 mg)
• Three-ounces of grilled salmon (23 mg)
• One slice of whole wheat bread (24 mg)
• Fruits and vegetables, of course.

Related Articles

• Hazelnuts: A Healthy Indulgence

Since most people don't consume 350 mg of magnesium daily, it's important to use magnesium supplements. Tablets and capsules are available from a number of companies.

Dr. Gifford-Jones is a medical journalist with a private medical practice in Toronto. His website is DocGiff.com. He may be contacted at Info@docgiff.com.

Tags: magnesiumnutrition