In many years of providing perosnal chef service, cooking classes and researching healthy eating as the core to vital living, I've discovered that it is essential we each have a health & wellness team.

I'm not a nutritionist, dietitian or a doctor. These are specialists in their field and I recommend that anyone embarking on change in heatlh or special diet consult their heatlh professionals.

What I bring is wide-reaching food knowledge and practical tips, advice, recipes and coaching - and for those with little time, fully prepared meals that are delicious as well as being balanced and complete. My clients include professionals, students, artists, athletes, busy families - and many health professionals, among them dietitians, nutritionists and doctors themselves, and who also recommend my meal service and classes to their clients and patients.

Quality vs Quantity | Eating Local | International Culinary Exchange

Quality Versus Quantity

Allium Foodworks uses:

• quality meat that is steroid and horomone free
• wild-caught fish and seafood
• whole grains such as brown rice, quinoa, millet, barley and buckwheat
• beans, lentils, quinoa, and soy as alternative proteins
• fresh produce and herbs, much of it locally produced
• organic broths and stocks
• natural salts - both sea & mined from around the world (English Maldon, Hawaiian Alaea, Himalayan Pink, French Gray, etc.)
• natural sweeteners, often filtered but unrefined - honey, maple syrup, maple sugar, agave nectar, evaporated cane/beet juice, jaggery, piloncillo, palm sugar, rice syrup, date sugar
• healthy fats - olive oil, grapeseed oil, coconut oil, hemp oil and organic, non-GMO canola.
• no hydrogenated trans-fats (full or partly)
• no artificial colours or flavours
• no artificial preservatives
• no MSG (autolyzed or protolyzed yeast protein)
• no artificial sweeteners or refined sugar
• no GMO products (genetically modified)

Eating Local - Keeping Edmonton Original

A huge supporter of local producers, whenever possible I use local produce, meats, oils and condiments, many of them organic. From farmers' markets to small stores, from buying direct to ordering online, there are many ways to support the food producers and food artists in our local area. (Check out the resources page on my web site.)

Some of the producers I use are Sunworks Farms, Buffalo Valley Variety, Morinville Greenhouses, Doef's Greenhouses, Verry Berry Honey Farm, K&K Deli, Medicine Man Bison, and Irving Farms, as well as the many wonderful vendors at the various farmers' markets in the surrounding area.

As much as possible, I like to use local small businesses such as Planet Organic, The Italian Centre, Treestone Bakery, Bon Ton Bakery, Billingsgate Seafood, Fin's Seafood, Wild Earth Foods, Lucky 97, El Safadi Market, Canakor Foods, Hiep Thanh Trading, and Sunbake Pita Bakery.

When I do need to shop at a larger market, I like going to Save-On. Not only do they have the best fresh produce of the chains, they also have a wide range of organic, natural and ethnic foods. The staff is incredibly friendly and helpful and though it is a chain, the store management is very supportive of local charitable and community events, truly a hallmark of a local business.

Keep Edmonton Original is an exciting and important initiative to encourage everyone to support local shops and businesses in an effort to maintain the unique spirit and energy of Edmonton. Learn how you can help Keep Edmonton Original and as a business owner, become a member.

International Culinary Exchange

The 100-Mile Diet has its benefits and reducing eco-footprints is one of them. That said, I also believe that the growing affection for and influence of international cuisine has been a huge asset to healthful eating. Many spices and herbs, a number of vegetables, and most fruit is not readily available locally, nor produced in sufficient quantity to satisfy our needs.

The import and trade of food products locally, regionally and internationally keeps our borders, cultures and palates open to new and different flavours and allows our diet to maximize benefit from a wide range of produce and ingredients. Not eating foods produced elsewhere also impacts the export of our agriculture and manufactured products abroad. Like eating, consuming is all about balance.