To find out more about the life-changing opportunity presented by Zrii, please visit our site at A Sweet Opportunity.com.

Ayurveda - “The Science of Life”

Ayurveda, which translates from Sanskrit as the “Science of Life”, is a 5000 year old medical system from India which aims to create dynamic balance in all areas of health. As humankind’s most ancient system of healthy living, Ayurveda is commonly referred to as the “mother of all healing systems.”

The ancient texts of Ayurveda focus on three primary areas: healing illnesses, preventing diseases, and promoting rejuvenation and longevity. Central to all of these areas is one simple tenet: align yourself with the wisdom of nature, and you will experience vibrant, glowing health.

Over the past two decades, Ayurveda has gained increasing popularity, through proponents such as Deepak Chopra. Similar to its sister-science of Yoga, millions of people across the globe are currently embracing this science of self-healing. At its core, Ayurveda aims to empower every individual by placing the ability to heal back into their own hands. Through the use of botanical medicines, healthy dietary practices, and daily and seasonal lifestyle routines, Ayurveda embodies an unparalleled, “whole- health” approach to life and healing.

Amalaki – The Great Rejuvenator!

Central to this vast science is one unsuspecting, little green fruit– no bigger than a golf ball but containing a nutritional profile that places it in a class of its own. Amalaki (emblica officinalis) grows at the base of the pristine Himalayan mountain range in northern India. In its pantheon of thousands of fruits and herbs, Ayurveda describes amalaki as the single most important botanical for promoting cellular rejuvenation, immune function, and increased vitality.

Simply stated, amalaki has one of the richest and most documented legacies of any fruit known today. In fact, amalaki has been revered as the “Nurse”, the “Great Rejuvenator”, and the “Fruit of Immortality” for centuries, due to its numerous healing properties and its ability to nourish the body on all levels. This little fruit even has its own holiday in which families share a meal under the tree, while giving thanks for the strength and luster promoted by the fruit.

The science of “rejuvenation” refers to the ability of a fruit or herb to restore ones overall health, vitality, and radiance at a core level. As modern science begins to validate what ancients have known for centuries, amalaki has emerged as the world’s most rejuvenating superfoods.

Ancient Wisdom Meets Modern Science

In addition to being heralded for its youth-promoting and rejuvenative qualities, Ayurveda describes amalaki as a potent anti-inflammatory, digestive aid, elixir for the skin and hair, and metabolic enhancer. This has been extensively validated by peer-reviewed research in the modern scientific community. Over the past 50 years, amalaki has been the subject of hundreds of scientific studies, ranging from its role in fighting cancer to its ability to increase healthy cholesterol (HDL), reduce wrinkles, and improve eyesight.

These results have posed a logical question for modern science: how could one fruit be so singularly beneficial for promoting health? In peering deep into the amalaki fruit to answer this question, modern nutritional technology has come away with some remarkable discoveries.

So What’s in This Fruit, Anyway?

Unlike many superfoods being introduced today, the chemical profile of amalaki cannot be limited to one star ingredient or beneficial compound. Instead, research has discovered an unparalleled spectrum of powerful anti-oxidants, polyphenols, tannins, and bioflavanoids. Amalaki also contains a high concentration of amino acids, trace minerals and other beneficial phytonutrients. Amalaki contains the potent phenolic combination of ellagic acid, gallic acid, and emblicanin A+B.

Together, these polyphenols are important for reducing cellular and oxidative stress, destroying immune-damaging free-radicals, and supporting the overall detoxification of the body. The bioflavanoids rutin, quercetin and powerful enzyme superoxide dismutase also contribute to the overall anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and youth-promoting qualities of this remarkable fruit.

In addition to these anti-oxidants, amalaki is widely thought to contain the most concentrated natural source of Vitamin C in nature. The fruit is also host to rare ‘mighty- molecules’ known as ascorbagins. Part of the tannin family, ascorbagins create a protective bond around the Vitamin C molecules, making amalaki’s source of Vitamin C more bio-available and bio-stable than synthetic varieties.

Zrii- A Formulation Like No Other

The ancient texts of Ayurveda constitute some of the oldest and lengthiest medical texts in the world. Within this great collection of texts, exist hundreds of finely tailored herbal mixtures, each designed to unlock the full potency of a given fruit or herb. Simply put, the beneficial qualities of one plant are used to ‘potentize’ the qualities of another plant– and it is through this synergistic activity, that the most complete and potent healing effects are derived.

Based on its remarkable nutritional profile, amalaki stands on its own as a superfood like no other. In designing Zrii, the fruit could have been easily combined with only fruit juices to create a leading liquid nutritional drink. In learning about the ancient texts and formulations, however, the Zrii team raised this question: why not combine ancient wisdom with modern nutritional science to create a synergistic blend like no other product on the market? In combining amalaki with select herbs and fruits, the potency of amalaki could be effectively ‘unlocked’ in ways that fruit juices could not achieve alone.

In addition to the challenge of creating a potent synergistic blend, no other company had successfully utilized amalaki in a juice-based liquid delivery system. In order to accomplish this task, Zrii assembled a truly world-class formulation team. The team includes award-winning Western medical doctors, world- renown Ayurvedic physicians and scholars, and PhDs in chemistry and modern nutrition.

After months of working on the formulation, the team emerged with a formulation that features amalaki and 6 supporting ‘actives.’ Inspired by a classical Ayurvedic formulation featuring the revered botanical triad of amalaki, turmeric, and tulsi, the formulation also aimed to strike a broader, global chord.

In addition to these powerful ingredients, the team drew upon the wisdom of Traditional Chinese Medicine, due to the highly complementary and adoptogenic properties that the fruits schizandra and jujube share with amalaki. Lastly, the famed Ayurvedic fruit haritaki was added to the blend for its mild detoxifying properties, and ginger was included for its assistance in helping to digest and assimilate all of the ingredients more effectively. In addition to helping ‘potentize’ the amalaki, each of the 6 supporting actives also holds widely recognized healing properties of their own:

1. Turmeric (root)- improves circulation, digestion, and reduces inflammation
2. Tulsi (leaf)- improves digestion and intestinal health
3. Schizandra (fruit)- enhances mental function and memory; excellent ‘brain tonic’
4. Jujube (fruit)- calms the nerves and serves as a mild rejuvenative
5. Haritaki (fruit)- serves as a mild-detoxifying agent, nourishes the tissues
6. Ginger (root)- improves digestion, absorption, and assimilation

Wildcrafted in the “Lap of Himalayas”

There’s an old saying in Ayurveda: “Use the whole fruit to treat the whole person.” Zrii honors this adage by using the purest, whole-food source of amalaki found anywhere in the world. Harvested in the nutrient-dense soil at the foot of the Himalayas, amalaki grows in some of the cleanest air and water on the planet. The fruit is wildcrafted, a harvesting technique where the amalaki fruits are taken from trees as they are naturally found in nature– as opposed to harvesting from large fields that are planted only with amalaki trees (called ‘mono-cropping’). The latter varieties are considered to be nutritionally less potent or inferior to wildcrafted varieties. The wildcrafted varieties are also grown in completely organic conditions, without the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides of any kind.

The amalaki in Zrii is hand-picked according to ancient techniques, and processed by a cold-pressed method which utilizes the whole plant. Upon extracting the amalaki from 100% juice, the extract is then vacuum dried using a proprietary method to retain its nutritional potency.

In tasting Zrii, the purity of the amalaki, and 6 supporting active ingredients comes through in the vibrancy of the taste. The ability for a food or drink to “enliven the tongue” is a hallmark of Ayurveda’s use of food for healing. When you drink Zrii for the first time, you will feel this potency and aliveness. In combining the amalaki with anti-oxidant-rich juices such as pomegranate, grape, cranberry, and raspberry juice, the resulting blend is delicious, with a nutritional complexity that offers a wholly unique and exciting flavor.

Of course you can find out even more about Zrii and Amalaki, and just as importantly the opportunity to be part of the Zrii busness phenomenon, by visiting our Zrii site at: A Sweet Opportunity.com

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends beginning potty training sometime between the age of 18 months and 3 years when, in most cases, your child shows “the signs of readiness”, which include staying dry for at least 2 hours at a time, having regular bowel movements, being able to follow simple instructions, being uncomfortable with dirty diapers and wanting them to be changed, asking to use the potty chair, or asking to wear regular underwear. You should also be able to tell when your child is about to urinate or have a bowel movement by his facial expressions, posture or by what he says.

Well, my husband and I decided to bend the rules once again and try something different. Maya did not show any “signs of readiness” when we began our potty training process. I have to admit that we partially owe it to diaperfreebaby.org. I do recommend taking a look at their website even though I don’t really agree with a lot of what they say (it does not pass the common sense test of mine, if you know what I mean). I’ll leave that judgment up to you and your parental instincts.

But I have to be honest, in my case, we learned certain things from them and decided to implement them in our own practice. You, on the other hand, may find the whole concept exciting enough to try it out from the beginning to the end, in which case I highly recommend checking a few books out as listed on their site.

My husband and I started to potty train our Maya when she was just 10 months old! We knew this was going to be a process, would not happen overnight and we were ready for that. Maya was just big enough to reach the floor with her feet while sitting on her potty. At that time she also was able to crawl very well. We encouraged her and were very supportive every time she revealed any interest in being around her potty.

You would be surprised how much babies can understand, but don’t expect them to show you the signs of readiness to use the potty right away. We gently started to put her on the potty, first with her diaper on, later with no diaper, always explaining what and why we are doing. I honestly think she was too young to object to the whole process but we never forced anything and we were extra careful not to discourage her.
It did not take her long at all to go. When she first went and every time thereafter, we had a mini-bathroom-party. We blew bubbles, clapped our hands, jumped, you name it. Maya was thrilled! She was so happy to make us happy, it was that simple. I think she felt very comfortable because we never forced, scared or punished her, no matter what she did or did not do.

We took our time, no pressure, no rush.  Every diaper we saved mattered to us a lot, less landfill, more money in our pockets. We let her run around the house with no diaper so she could feel how comfortable she would be with no diaper on and, yes, she did have a few accidents, it is just like having a puppy Maya is almost 21 months now and she has been fully potty trained for almost 4 months now. She had the concept down pretty well when she was 12 months.   We decided to totally do away with the daytime diapers at 17 months. She uses one diaper a day now, only when she goes to sleep.

She is a very happy, self assured kid. She amazes me when she runs to the bathroom on her own or when she looks around in public places for where the potty place is. This was a wonderful experience and we are very happy she is a big girl now.
Our baby # 2 is due in just a few weeks. This naturally makes me think of all the diapers we will need to go through again and makes me think what we can change having learned from our experience with the baby # 1. I have some very good ideas about what will be different. Watch for more in Part II of this post.

What the video doesn’t tell you is that he was picked up much closer to home…at the UCLA campus in Westwood, which is maybe a long bike ride away from us, here on the west side of Los Angeles.

I wish this were as simple an issue for me as you might expect it to be. It certainly is for my husband. It is very clear to him (my husband) where he’ll be placing Mr. McClellan’s camera… he’s notorious for taking pictures of very young girls and placing them on his web site… should Mr. McClellan decide to attempt to include our daughter on said web site. I on the other hand, have several years of law school indoctrination to inform me that so far, from what I’ve seen, and believe me I follow this story as this creep is in fact a local resident here, the legal system as it pertains to the issues at hand is operating properly.

As for the technicality that got him out, here’s some of an article in todays LA Times:

Self-proclaimed pedophile Jack McClellan was released from jail today after the Los Angeles City Attorney’s office determined that the restraining order he was allegedly arrested for violating was procedurally defective.

The court order barred McClellan from coming within 10 yards of any child in the state for three years.

Nick Velasquez, spokesman for the city attorney, said that prosecutors determined that while McClellan violated the order, the injunction itself was not lawful because it was issued for more than 22 days without a required additional hearing. He said McClellan was given no notice of the more extensive nature of the judge’s order.

“He violated the order but the court was procedurally defective so we had to dismiss the case,” Velasquez said.

Of course there is enormous debate around here about how exactly to handle this situation. There are those, like my husband, who are lighting the torches and sharpening the pitchfork as I write this. But there are more reasoned discussions taking place.

Here’s an excerpt from a recent local NPR broadcast:

All Things Considered, August 17, 2007 · Jack McClellan is a self-proclaimed pedophile who used to run a Web site offering tips on how to watch little girls. He has never been accused of, arrested for or charged with an offense against a child, even though he admits to a preference for children.

Now, McClellan has become a target of concerned parents in the Los Angeles area, prompting a judge to recently forbid him from getting near any child in the state of California.

On Monday, he got busted twice for getting too close to a child care center at UCLA.

Go Here to hear the entire broadcast report. This was from a few days ago and before todays release from jail. I’ll be following this very closely as you would imagine and you’ll undoubtedly see more about this story here on this site.

If you’re a parent you probably have an opinion you can share here…if you’re a parent here in LA….Please - join the discussion!

Let’s stay safe together.

I’m not normally one to think “lawsuit” every time we see an inconvenience, but I thought parents might want to know about this…see the video below.

Here is the link to the latest recall information directly from Mattel.

It seems more toys have slipped through from Mattel’s Chinese manufacturer containing lead, again, in the paint. Please see below for more about what you can do to avoid this situation in the future and also where, in addition to the link directly to Mattel above, you can get more information.

I’m also constantly on the search for educational toys and games that you can spend some time with your child enjoying without the fear of poisoning their little bodies. As I find more, and especially as I buy them and use them, I’ll return here to fill you in on what I’ve discovered.I have a 20 month old toddler and we’re about to debut another little bundle….we don’t need this from China, Mattel or anyone else! There are alternatives…let’s explore those together.

Original post follows:

A Hidden Danger Revealed

I’m sure by now most parents have heard of the recall of close to a million Fisher-Price toys sold in the U.S. between May and August 2007. The toys were made by a Chinese vendor and included popular Sesame Street and Dora the Explorer characters.Since my daughter is a big fan of Sesame Street I was pretty scared when I heard the news. I know lead cannot be absorbed through the skin. Only prolonged exposure by chewing and sucking is risky to a child’s health and the actual lead poisoning occurs when toxic levels build up in the body but do we really want to take any chances?

Since the recall, I have been closely watching the news and what I have learned is both scary and remarkable. Lead paint in toys have been banned in the U.S. Since 1978 and China has long been aware that the use of lead paint in children’s toys is prohibited in United States.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission, the agency with 100 field inspectors, struggles against constant Chinese violations of safety standards. 80% of all the toys in the U.S. come from China and since October 2006 of the 306 recalls of products, 100% of the recalled toys were made in China.

Additionally, I learned that there is no ban on lead content in children’s jewelery. Since 2004 the Consumer Product Safety Commission has recalled 165 million pieces of jewelry with lead that could leak out. The most remarkable thing is that the Chinese government is trying to convince the U.S. that the ban on lead content is not necessary because there is no danger unless the products get damaged or cracked and the lead leaks out!!! On top of everything the U.S. District Attorney’s Office claims that the Chinese safety standards are as high the U.S. Standards.

What Can You Do?

The question I cannot help ask is how can we trust these products ever again and do we really need to flood our homes with toys that potentially put our children’s health at risk? As parents we must assure the safety of our children since we are the ones handing the toys to our babies.

I found plenty of companies that make wonderful, environmentally friendly and safe toys that I think are worth looking into. They are not only safe for our kids health and development but also teach them about sustainability and encourage creativity and active learning. Check these out yourself and let me know what you think.

Finally, if you suspect that your child may have been injured by the toys, please immediately call the CPSC hotline at 800-638-2772. Mattel has its own recall hotline: (800) 916-4498. In case there are questions about the recalled toys, here is the list, including their product number. Please keep in mind that the recalled toys were sold separately or as parts of sets. All of the toys are marked with “Fisher-Price.” To see pictures of the recalled toys, look here.

You can also test any products you have or surfaces in your home for lead right at home with this simple kit:

Buy a Premium Lead Test
Kit by
Clicking Here

Owners of a recalled toy can exchange it for a voucher for another product of the same value.
Consumer Product Safety Commission:

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