The Growing Giant.......

On this day (7 Sept), 16 years ago, a group of people found themselves at crossroads, having had their faith shaken and with the responsibility of 2000 people in their hands. They took a leap of faith and made a decision that not just altered the course of their lives, but also the lives of many others. Led by visionaries, they started with nothing but a dream, and the belief that they could make a difference in the lives of those who had put their faith in them.

16 years later, they are still going strong. On our anniversary today, our founders, Dato Sri Vijay Eswaran and Joseph Bismark tell us why they embarked on this journey, why they do what they do, why they keep going up against all odds, and why they continue to believe.

The Living Proofs

The Liquid Gold From Tree of Life

Argan oil is a plant oil produced from the kernels of the argan tree (Argania spinosa L.) that is endemic to Morocco. It is used for nutritive and cosmetic properties. The argan tree lives to be about 150 to 200 years old and does not start producing the fruit until it is 30 to 50 years old. Because the tree is found only in a limited area, the oil itself is quite rare.

Local Berber women work in fair-trade cooperatives where they hand-crack the argan nuts in between two stones, a technique they’ve used for centuries. Instead of being put through a machine, the raw argan kernels are hand-extracted from the hard shell, hand-ground in a stone grinder, hand-kneaded for hours and first cold-pressed into the oil. It takes one woman three days to make just one liter of oil. This is why argan oil is so valuable.

In 1998, the Argan forest in Morocco was also designated as protected biosphere by UNESCO so that argan oil is sustainable.

If you want to de-clutter your cabinet and simplify your beauty routine, argan oil can become your go-to beauty elixir from head-to-toe. It’s chockfull of essential fatty acids, anti-oxidants, vitamins and minerals that promote your overall health by moisturizing, softening as well as protecting your face and hair from sun damage – without harmful toxins and parabens.

There are two varieties of argan oil. One is for culinary purposes and the other is for cosmetic use. If the oil is to be used in cuisine the kernels are roasted before grinding which brings out the delicious nutty flavour of the oil. Roasted kernels produce a lot more oil than unroasted kernels.  This is why culinary argan oil is less expensive than cosmetic.

 

Argan oil for cosmetic use is made from raw, unroasted pits. It, too, has a bit of a nutty aroma when first applied but this scent completely disappears within a few minutes.

The oil extracted from the seeds of the fruit from the Argania spinosa shrub is full of fatty acids, phenols and tocopherols (vitamin E). Some of the fatty acids present in Argan oil are alpha-linolenic, linoleic, myristic, oleic, palmitic and stearidonic acids. Argan oil is also one of the richest sources of vitamin E.

Vitamin E is great for skin and hair issues. The presence of this vitamin in Argan oil helps the skin to heal more readily from scars, especially those brought on by chicken pox, acne, eczema, burn abrasions and psoriasis. It contributes to younger looking skin by decreasing evidences of aging skin by making wrinkles and fine lines less pronounced. It helps to retain moisture in the skin while protecting against the dangerous rays of the sun, contributing to overall healthier skin and hair.

Argan oil, when consumed, offers several health and nutritional advantages. It has antioxidant properties, important in warding off cancer. It is an anti-inflammatory and has been shown to help with joint and muscle pains related to arthritis and rheumatism. Argan oil is felt to help enhance digestion and is therefore recommended for some stomach problems. It has been links with improvements in blood circulation, reductions of bad cholesterols and boosting the immune system. It may also boost energy levels.

This ‘liquid gold’ from the ‘tree of life’ is now available as Argancare through QNet. Argancare oil’s cosmetic components are as shown below.

And, the suggested applications are:

For Face and Body

• Use as your daily facial cream for wrinkles, scar tissue, visibly irritated skin and stretch marks. Apply 3 to 4 drops daily to your skin in the morning and at night, massage the oil gently until absorbed.

• Use Argancare as your daily moisturiser after a bath or shower. Rub small amounts in your palms and massage your body using upward strokes.

• Suitable for all types of skin including dry, oily and sensitive skins.

For Hair

• Styling after shampoo and conditioning: Apply 4-5 drops of Argancare and work through damp hair. Style as usual.

• Frizz control and protection: Apply 2-3 drops of Argancare to dry hair from root to tip, as often as needed.

• Enhancing hair colouring: Before colouring, apply 1 teaspoon (5ml) of Argancare directly to hair, gently massage through each strand to enhance overall ability of colour absorption. Add another teaspoon (5ml) of Argancare to the colour mix and continue colouring as usual process (You do not need to rinse hair before applying the colour mix). This process will improve the shine, softness and depth of colour.

• Reviving, hydrating and detangling: Apply a few drops to hair, wigs and hair extensions.

For Children and Infants:

• Apply 3 to 4 drops of Argancare to hair and body and massage gently before and after baths.

• Use Argan Care during weekly massages for infants to soothe and relax the skin.

• Argancare is safe for the whole family and all ages.

• Argancare is safe to use during pregnancy.

• Argancare has a shelf life of 24 months. Results are visible in 3 to 4 weeks.

Protein Powehouse

One of the most common questions people ask is, “Why do I need to take supplements – can’t I get all the nutrients I need simply by eating well?” The short answer is, and this may surprise you, “No!” And this is not just my opinion.

In many ways, supplements are to humans what fertilizer is to plants. Give a plant adequate amounts of sunlight and water, and it will survive. Add some nutrient-rich fertilizer (organic, of course), and the plant will thrive.

For us humans, the same principle applies. A healthful, balanced diet supplies the body with sufficient nutrients to carry out routine tasks. Supplements such as vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, phytochemicals, and more enrich the body's internal environment to fortify cellular protection, repair, and regeneration and support the Renewal process.

Without optimum nutrition, you cannot achieve optimum health. And without supplements, you cannot achieve optimum nutrition. It's as simple as that. Personally, I can't think of any investment that pays higher dividends than that.

Here are the top reasons why it is important for everyone to take natural, whole food supplements: 

• We are sourcing our food which is largely grown in soil with depleted and insufficient mineral content. 
• There is a large transit time for the food to reach our plates from the farms, reducing it’s nutritional content. 
• Possibilities of nutrients in food getting harmed due to over cooking. 
• Hectic life style impinging on intake of regular meals. 
• Normal ageing and the resultant digestion issues. 
• Progressive increase in stress levels thus compromising our immune system. 
• High paced increase of environment toxins adversely affecting our health.

What happens when you don't get the nutrients you need? When you lack a sufficient and balanced supply of nutrients you begin to lose physical energy and mental clarity. If you remain undernourished over a period, you increase your risk of health problems. Prolonged undernourishment can make you vulnerable to serious illness and even premature death.

Seven types of nutrients are crucial to maintaining natural ideal health. These are: 

• Carbohydrates. 
• Protein. 
• Fats and oils. 
• Vitamins. 
• Minerals. 
• Water. 
• Fibre

Protein forms the building blocks of every cell in your body. You need protein for the growth, repair and replacement of these cells.

About 10,000 different proteins are found throughout your body. It's in your muscle, bone, skin, hair, nails - every body part or tissue that goes to make you up. Your body uses protein to build, repair and replace the cells and tissues that form your body parts. It's important in building bones, muscles, cartilage, skin, and blood. Hair and nails are mostly made of protein.

Protein also helps make enzymes, hormones, and other body chemicals. Protein makes up the enzymes needed for many chemical reactions and the hemoglobin that carries oxygen in your blood. Protein makes you what you physically are and keeps you that way.

Twenty or so basic building blocks, called amino acids, provide the raw material from which all proteins are made. You obtain dietary protein from both plant and animal foods.When you eat protein, your digestive system breaks it down into its constituent amino acids, and then uses genetic instructions to reassemble them into the particular proteins our body needs right now. Your body doesn't store amino acids as it does fats or carbohydrates, so you need a daily intake of amino acids to make new protein.

And, with that as the backdrop, we now have a wonderful product from the health basket of QNET……the nutriplus™. It is an excellent food supplement specially formulated with high quality Soy Protein Isolate (SPI) packed with all essential amino acids, vitamins and minerals to provide the ideal balance of protein and nutrition to the human body. It sources it’s SPI from the world leaders “Solae, USA”.

TYPES OF SOY PROTEIN: Edible soy proteins are mainly available in three forms: soy flour, soy protein isolates and soy protein concentrates. 

Soy Protein Isolate is a purified form of soy protein with 90% of protein content and a neutral flavor. It is mainly used by the food industry or by the pharmaceutical industries. It has a Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS) of 1. PDCAAS is the world standard for evaluating the quality of protein from different food sources, and the highest possible score is 1.

Soy Protein Concentrate contains 70% soy protein which is produced by removing the carbs. It is used as an ingredient in food products like baked foods, meat and cereals. When used in poultry and meat products, it increases water and fat retention and improves its nutritional value.

Soy Flour is gluten-free and can be used to make home-made soy milk, baked and fried foods (like doughnuts) or breads. 

Did You Know?

Soy Protein Isolate reduces the risk of several chronic diseases. Soy protein isolate contains phytochemicals, which have strong antioxidant properties to prevent oxidative damage by free radicals to our DNA and cells. Researchers believe phytochemicals may help lower your risk of developing certain types of cancer, cardiovascular diseases and osteoporosis.

Soy Protein Isolate promotes lean muscle mass and healthy bones. Your body’s muscle mass must be maintained to help burn calories and maintain a healthy metabolism. However, if your body has insufficient protein, it will absorb protein from your muscles.

Daily consumption of nutriplus™ can help your body maintain lean muscle mass and promote healthy bones.

In addition, it provides the following benefits: 

• Balanced mix of antioxidants, vitamins and essential amino acids. 
• Helps reduce risk of chronic diseases. 
• Helps strengthen bones.
• Helps reduce cholesterol and risk of heart diseases. 
• Ideal vegetarian source for right protein and nutritional balance.

With such wonderful health benefits that nutriplus™ provides, I have made it an essential part of diet in our family. We have already started feeling the positive changes and the benefits of it’s use. 

Thank you QNET from the bottom of my heart, for showing concern for our health.

Now, what are you thinking?