A more creative approach, perhaps?

The first time I did art & craft work with my son, we made a wind-chime. Or should I say, I made the wind-chime.
Well, an ordinary piece of craft you would say, and I would most certainly agree. But what made me ashamed was not how ordinary this piece of work was. It was that this craft was well ... 90% my work and only 10% my son's. *blush*

In short, this was the work of an adult made to look like a child's.

And you could probably tell, the only part he helped to do was to punch holes, under my guidance.

Try to take a look at kids' crafts everywhere; in preschool, sunday school classes, you will probably see the same thing. Beautiful pieces of craft, wonderful laces of fish, or ingenious piglets made out of cupcakes wrappers. Do we wonder how much of it is really a child's work?

Ok, I'm not saying a child is incapable of such wonderful work. There are instances where childrens' work blow our mind away, a thousand times. One way is to look at their developmental stage and how much of the craft originates from the child.

I remembered once when my son came back from a particular class and showed me some colourings. I asked him, "oh that was so beautiful, you coloured it?" "No, my teacher coloured it." came the reply. There was no pride in his voice, he just said it matter-of-fact, flatly.

To be fair , I suppose the teachers everywhere were probably under pressure to show parents what 'real work' took place in class. It would also be almost impossible to have 20 kids pick up their favourite materials and do what they like with only 2 teachers ratio.

So, the question to ask is, would such approach to art have a place in class?

A craft that has been conceptualized and steps that are thought out by a teacher leaves little room for a child's imagination. That is why you would see 20 crafts done by 20 kids looking exactly the same. The same ingenious piglet made out of cupcakes wrapper is the same 'ingenious piglet" by 20 kids.

Thankfully, all is not lost. :) There is a place for such craft. It is when we decide to hone in a specific skills, for instance, cutting, pasting, hole-punching, pasting... that is where such craft requires the attention of doing a skill repetitively so that the child can perfect it, through practise. Or where a craft is called upon as a reinforcement to a subject, concept, or a lesson.

This is a craft of an owl. I followed the instruction of a craft book, merely because this particular craft trains the art of cutting straight lines and using scotch tapes to paste. You can see that these skills forms the intent of this project.

There are at least 12 straits lines to cut and probably about 15 tapes to stick. Talk about repetition. As a parent-teacher, I praise how well the child could hold s scissors or tape papers and not how beautiful he created the owl.

There is difference between his work versus mine. Someone else came up with the owl concept, not him. So give credit where credit is due. Of course, I could say, "look how we created the owl", or "look how your cut papers can create an owl".

Technical dexterity is an important consideration of art. It is however, not the only thing that counts. For that matter, creativity is not really an art subject as much as it is a lifeskill. We need creativity to solve problems, or to get along with others, for instance.

Young children are the world's most imaginative people, yet it is most contradictory that their natural imagination and creativity not given an outlet to flourish.

This year, during lantern festival. I told my son, aged 3, that we are going to make a lantern. I was doing a lesson on mid-autumn festival and wanted to emphasize the significance of a lantern. So I initiated the idea of making lantern. However, he is free to choose the materials and conceptualize his craft. Ask 20 kids how they would like their lanterns made, and you most definitely would have 20 different designs. Now that is creativity!

Creativity lets a child take it from ground zero. He conceptualizes, designs, and makes various decisions on how it would function.

He owns the process of making his craft, he imagines how the craft would look at the end.

Ask a child "who made the lantern?"and you will most certainly see that unmistakable beam right across the child's face, "I did it!" He knows and you know that it is 100% his work. What confidence and pure fun that brings!


But beyond that, we would have built in a child, lifeskills that extends further than just preschool years. Lifeskills are survival skills. Problem-solving, decision-making, creativity, having ownership, independent thinking/ group discussion (if you have more than one child together), are just a few skills-set that can be achieved with this approach to art.

Adults often look only at the results and ignore the process. We missed much of the effort that a child has put in. The process is bigger than the performance itself!

We need both technical excellence and innovation. The key is to strike a balance. It is not hard, with a little imagination. Anyone can help a child's creativity take flight!

Next time we look at a child's art, try not to t be too quick to dismiss the results. There are alot more going on then we ever know.

We could also be less impulsive with our praise for art work which we know is not 100% a child's. He knows that we are either being phony or just too lazy to recognise where his true potential lies.

my music journey & a new hobby

I love music , how much? like air (second to water), like hues (second to rainbow), like hymns (second to God) ... I grew up in the environment of music ... my father works for the greatest music company (then), and my mums hums the best childrens' songs (she's a kindergarten teacher). My encounter with music started when I was just 4 yr-old. I got a nice piano. Unfortunately, I could not recall feeling magical when I touch the keyboards, there was always one more grade to go and one more exam to take. Finally at grade 6, I called it quits and moved on to competitive singing. I was so in love with singing.

I started competing as young as 8-yr-old actually (thanks to my mother who spotted my love for singing), I think its got to do with having her radio blaring all day... mandarin songs! Unfortunately, I never bagged a first. I vaguely remembered being overwhelmed by the Big colourful lights on stage (at semi-finals) and forgot my lyrics. That day I cried my heart out. I could not take my dinner and I was only 8.

Then I was involved in a local radio company that produces drama (the then Singapore Broadcasting Corporation). I did singing and voice acting for 5 years. I was picked out of a company of 20, after endless rounds of audition to sing at a radio program. I was about 10 yr-old. Then at about 12 yr-old, I developed chicken pox and after a long medical leave, never really made it back to the group, much to the regrets of many of my mentors who begged my mum to persuade me to go back. It was a time of chaos for me. I was young, impulsive and very confused.

At about 19 yr-old, I was accepted into one of the most prestigious choir. After several rounds of audition, I was finally accepted into The Singapore Youth Choir. I love the beautiful blending of voices, the male tenors, the female sop (Then, I'm a higher sop :) ), the amazing repertoire of songs makes my hair stand up on ends. I love the choir, particularly of beautiful voices, even without music accompaniement. I dream of travelling with the choir to perform. Like usual music groups, frequent auditions are common, only to maintain a stellar standard. SYC is a performing choir
with strict standards. I often feel like I have to be perfect to be in. So in one of the auditions, I crumbled singing an Italian song, only to repeat the 1st stanza the second time round. I knew I was voted out.

I left the music scene to pursue other interests, only to be attracted by night scene. Ambient music, techno music, canto pop, bright lights, fancy clothes, platform dancing etc. etc. At one point, I picked up smoking and my voice was like never before. I could never hit high notes.

Then at 21, God came. In his presence, I felt so ashamed with scanty clothes, I dropped on the ground crying and shaking. After that I could only dance in his presence and to please God.

When I finally belonged to a local church, I served in worship ministry as a vocal back-up. Frankly, the blend of voices was not great, it was a far cry from what I experienced in all my years of music background. I struggled with pride. And then I realised I had to start from ground zero. It was my faith experience, and not how badly others sing. Then I fell in love, hook line and sinker. It was the worst experience to love a musician and not have him love you back. I thought I was going to marry him, then I thought I was going to die. I left the front line ministry, but survived. ;p

In my late twenties, God did something in my heart. He dugged out the pride of years and years of musical experiences that made me think I was better than good. He flung out feelings of failures. He set me free from the lies I was shackled too. I began to cry and cry non-stop at a keyboard class. But after that, I played like never before. For the first time, I finally felt that magical touch. I felt I was not good yet, but not a failure. Something miraculous took place. He parted the red sea literally inside me. My brother (a talented musician, he performs smooth jazz in cafes, pubs, weddings and is proficient on guitars and drums) commented my music is finally flowing like water and not raining rocks! (See the spiritual connotation?)

Today, I am a mother of two toddlers. I play the keyboard now and then, and they worship with me. We worship as a family every Monday evening over my keyboard. We battle as a family and make desperate calls to God in hard times over my keyboard. But most of all , I loved singing in the night. When all my boys go to bed, I put on music, a you-tube trailer, a CD and I sing and sing... on top of my voice. One night, I sang "The greatness of our God" next to my sleeping boys and then the next day, my elder boy started singing the chorus . God truly knows how to surprise me.

I love this new hobby... when I sing, right beside my sleeping boys, none of them wakes, even when I sometimes go crazy and sing real loud. :)

God... he is soooo good. He is not done with me I know. He still continues to make all things new.

Enjoy this very upbeat, summery song by Brooke Fraser. Wonderful melody.

The next song talks about how we can find ourselves in God even when our world falls out, an absolute favorite. Inspirational. Blessings!





BROOKE FRASER - Something In The Water

Send "Something In The Water" Ringtone to your Cell

Do do do do do do do do do do

I wear a demeanor made of bright pretty things
What she wears, what she wears, what she wears
Birds singing on my shoulder in harmony it seems
How they sing, how they sing, how they sing

Give me nights of solitude, red wine just a glass or two, reclined in a hammock on a balmy evening
I'll pretend that it's no thing that's skipping my heart when I think
are you thinking bout' babe? I'm crazy over you

Aaah Aaah Aaah
there's something in the water, something in the water
Aaah Aaah Aaah
There's something in the water, that makes me love you like –

I've got halo's made of summer, rhythms made of spring
What she wears, what she wears, what she wears
I got crowns of words a woven each one a song to sing
Oh I sing, oh I sing, oh I sing

Give me long days in the sun, preludes to the nights to come previews of the mornings laying in all lazy give me something fun to do like a life of loving you
Kiss me quick now baby I'm still crazy over you

Aaah Aaah Aaah
there's something in the water, something in the water
Aaah Aaah Aaah
there's something in the water that makes me love you like I do

Oooh oooh oooh Oooh(x3)

Give me nights of solitude, red wine just a glass or two, give me something fun to dooooo

Aaah Aaah Aaah
there's something in the water, something in the water
Aaah Aaah Aaah
there's something in the water that makes me love you like I do

Aaah Aaah Aaah
there's something in the water, something in the water
Aaah Aaah Aaah
there's something in the water that makes me love you like I do


Aaah Aaah Aaah
there's something in the water, something in the water
Aaah Aaah Aaah
there's something in the water that makes me love you like I –

Do do do do do do do


BROOKE FRASER - Shadow Feet <object width="480" height="385">


Shadowfeet

Walking, stumbling on these shadowfeet
towards home, a land that i've never seen
I am changing; less and less asleep
made of different stuff than when i began
And I've sensed it all along
fast approaching is the day

[CHORUS:]
when the world has fallen out from under me
I'll be found in you, still standing
When the sky rolls up and the mountains fall on their knees
when time and space are through
I'll be found in you

There's distraction buzzing in my head
saying in the shadows it's easier to stay
but I've heard rumours of true reality
whispers of a well-lit way

[CHORUS]

You make all things new

[CHORUS]

[CHORUS 2:]
When the world has fallen out from under me
I'll be found in you, still standing
Every fear and accusation under my feet
when time and space are through
I'll be found in you

Homeschoolers did it again!

Score big on PSLE
HOME-SCHOOLING may have got a bad name in recent years, but pupils like
12-year-olds Mark Tay and David Lim are challenging stereotypes.

In the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE), the results of which were
released last week, the home-schooled children scored 248 and 254
respectively, scores which would have secured them places in a number of
premier schools.

The nation's top pupil had a score of 282.

Of the 26 home-schoolers who sat the PSLE this year, nine did not meet the
benchmark set for home-schoolers by the Ministry of Education (MOE), which,
this year, is 194. They will have to retake the examination next year.

Home-schoolers are exempted from the 2003 Compulsory Education Act if their
parents seek permission and provide information on their home-schooling
programme. The children also have to meet a benchmark pegged at the bottom
33rd percentile aggregate score in any given year.

While David still wants to be home-schooled, Mark intends to give school a
try, and his score was good enough to get him a place in the School of
Science and Technology.

The parents of both children downplayed the achievements.

'We are happy, of course, but we were not going to lose sleep over the
PSLE,' said David's father, Mr Henson Lim, 46. 'More important than his
results are his character and his attitude.'

David said he had no idea how easy, or hard, the exam was going to be and,
after taking it, he was unsure of how he had actually fared.

He scored A*s in three subjects and an A in one. Said David, who will
continue to be home-schooled: 'I don't know what it'll be like in a public
school, and I'm used to my mum teaching me. And I'll also miss my siblings.'

Mr Lim, a pastor, said home-schooling was a 'very misunderstood concept'.

'A lot of people think we are not educating our child,' he said. 'We do want
to educate our children; it's just that we see education in a different
way.'

He and wife Serene have seven children, all of whom they intend to
home-school. They said their decision stemmed from their Christian faith and
desire to build strong family bonds.

'You get a lot more time with them,' said Mrs Lim, 41, a housewife. 'People
talk about quantity time versus quality time, but you need quantity to get
quality.'

David and his siblings spend about 2 1/2 hours every day on school work, with
more time for one-on-one 'consultations' with their mother after she grades
their work.

The children follow the local curriculum closely for the four examinable
PSLE subjects, said Mrs Lim.

Agreeing with Mr Lim, Mark's mother, Mrs Tay Pui Yee, 46, said she knew a
home-schooled girl who had not met MOE's benchmark, but was one of the
kindest and most helpful girls she knew.

'You can't test skills like that in an exam,' she said. 'My son did well in
terms of results, but he is still growing in other areas.'

Mrs Tay also said she had nothing against public schooling, but chose to
home-school her children to 'give them time to breathe and grow at a pace
they feel comfortable with'.

'Kids come with different natural capabilities,' she said. 'We don't believe
the exam is everything.'

The Tay family followed much the same method as the Lims. Mark, the third of
four children, also focused largely on the local curriculum, with other
resources added on to give him a deeper or broader understanding of certain
concepts.

His two elder siblings had been home-schooled for the first half of primary
school and are now in mainstream schools. Mark is the first in the family to
have not attended primary school at all.

Mrs Tay said she did not prepare Mark by means of exam drills or many test
papers and made sure he had time for other activities, such as cooking,
baking and sports.

'Learning should not stop just because the PSLE is here,' she said.

http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_608798.html

A child's "Quiet moment" with God

We started our kiddos to lie-still-in-the-presence-of-God worship session at home. KB is 3, turning 4, Elias is almost 2-yr-old.

It is a time where the boys lie down quietly and listen to the worship songs being played by mummy on the keyboard. I played and sang "I could sing of your love forever".

After worship, I asked KB "what did God speak to you?". He said ' I love you'. I tried to clarify. "God said, I love you, who?" KB pointed to himself and said "Theo".

Sweet. I learnt about the various posture and expressions of worship at ARISE concert for kids earlier this year.

You're Fooling Yourself

You're Fooling Yourself: "You're Fooling Yourself from the Desiring God blog."

There's loads of knowledge to be found, but wisdom is a rare commodity. Why? Because wisdom is one of sin's first casualties. It's hard to admit, but true none the less: sin reduces all of us to fools. And the fact is that no one is more victimized by your foolishness than you are.

You see the empirical evidence of the foolishness of sin on almost every page of Scripture. For example, you see foolishness in full operation in the tragic story of David and Bathsheba. This is why David says, "Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place" (Psalm 51:6 NIV).

You read the story of David's sin, and you say to yourself, "What was he thinking? Did he really believe that he'd get away with this? Did he completely forget who he was? Did he think that God was going to stand idly by and let this happen?" But David is not some extreme case of foolishness gone wild; you see evidence of the same foolishness in each of our lives daily. People could say of us again and again, "What was he thinking? What was she thinking?"

What does foolishness look like? Here are four of its most significant aspects.

1) The Foolishness of Self-centeredness

We were created to live for something, someone bigger than ourselves. We were designed to live with, for, and through the Lord. God is meant to be the motivation and hope of everything we do. His pleasure, his honor, and his will are the things for which we are meant to live. But the foolishness of sin really does cause us to reduce our lives to the size and shape of our lives.

Often our living has no greater purpose than self-satisfaction and self-fulfillment. Does this sound harsh? Well, ask yourself, "Why do I ever get impatient with others?" "Why do I ever say things I shouldn't say?" "Why do I get discouraged with my circumstances?" "Why do I give way to anger or give in to self-pity?" The answer is that, like me, you want your own way, and when things don't go your way or people are in your way, you lash out in anger or you turn inward in discouragement.

2) The Foolishness of Self-deception

We're all very good at making ourselves feel good about what God says is bad. We're all very skilled at recasting what we've done so what was wrong doesn't look so wrong to us. I'll tell myself that I didn't really lash out in anger; no, I was speaking as one of God's prophets. I'll tell myself that that second look wasn't lust; I am simply a man who enjoys beauty. I'll tell myself that I'm not craving power; I'm just exercising God-given leadership gifts.

Foolishness is able to do something dangerous. It's able to look at wrong and see right. Had David been able to see himself with accuracy and if he'd been able to see his sin for what it really was, it's hard to imagine that he would have continued to travel down that pathway.

3) The Foolishness of Self-sufficiency

We all like to think of ourselves as more independently capable than we actually are. We weren't created to be independent, autonomous, or self-sufficient. We were made to live in a humble, worshipful, and loving dependency upon God and in a loving and humble interdependency with others.

Our lives were designed to be community projects. Yet, the foolishness of sin tells us that we have all that we need within ourselves. So we settle for relationships that never go beneath the casual. We defend ourselves when the people around us point out a weakness or a wrong. We hold our struggles within, not taking advantage of the resources that God has given us.

The lie of the garden was that Adam and Eve could be like God, independent and self-sufficient. We still tend to buy into that lie.

4) The Foolishness of Self-righteousness

Why don't we celebrate grace more? Why aren't we more amazed by the wonderful gifts that are ours as the children of God? Why don't we live with a deep sense of need, coupled with a deep sense of gratitude for how each need has been met by God's grace? Well, the answer is clear. You'll never celebrate grace as much as you should when you think you're more righteous than you actually are.

Grace is the plea of sinners. Mercy is the hope of the wicked. Acceptance is the prayer of those who know that they could never do anything to earn it. But the foolishness of sin makes me righteous in my own eyes.

When I tell my stories, I become more the hero than I ever was. I look wiser in my narratives than I could have been. In my view of my history, my choices were better than what they actually were. Often it isn't my sin that keeps me from coming to God. Sadly, I don't come to him because I don't think I need the grace that can be found only in him.

Here is what all of us must face, sin really does reduce us all to fools, but happily the story doesn't end there. The One who is the ultimate source of everything that's good, true, trustworthy, right, and wise is also a God of amazing grace.

You don't get freed from your foolishness by education or experience. You don't get wisdom by research and analysis. You get wisdom by means of a relationship with the One who is Wisdom.

The radical claim of the Bible is that wisdom isn't first a book, or a system, or a set of commands or principles. No, wisdom is a person, and his name is Jesus Christ. When you and I are graced into acceptance with him, we're drawn into a personal relationship with Wisdom, and Wisdom begins a lifelong process of freeing us from the stronghold that the foolishness of sin has on us. We aren't yet completely free, but there will be a day when our every thought, desire, choice, action, and word will be fundamentally wise!

It makes such sense then, that a repentant man (David) would reflect on his need for wisdom. Sin, in reducing us to fools, causes us to do foolish things, even though we think we're wise. And for this we need more than information, education, and experience. We need exactly what we find in Christ—grace.

Wisdom is the product of grace; there is simply nowhere else it can be found.

Out of the woods

After a bout of sickness with our 2 boys, with one being admitted to the hospital and the other not poo-pooing for four days, and mummy's voice gone! There is no way mummy could do any read-alouds. Mummy needed to rest, so there was no way kids are going outdoors.

Fortunately, things will change tomorrow. Both boys are officially out of the woods! And mummy is still working on hers.

I'm sure the boys missed their outdoor time. Tomorrow, mummy is planning yummy apple pancake for breakfast, topped with whipped cream. Then we will be off to our playground. Yeah! And just for this month, mummy will have to go to the library alone (without the boys). Because mummy is still technically unwell so will not be able to tag 2 boys out.

During this time of being indoors alot, my elder boy learnt what to do when someone has a fever. Sponging.

He learnt that when someone is not well, that means she needs to rest.

KB also learnt that even though he wants stories to be read, he can't, because mummy is having a cough and can't do it. So KB has to wait for daddy to come home for his dose of daily read- alouds.

It was a nice way of learning about putting others first, and caring for others even though we also have our wants met.

What happened with our usual "outdoor" time was taken up by the boys playing by themselves indoors and creating lots of make-believe, although KB still asks for art and craft everyday.

Mummy still have plenty to cover and a super Christmas themed preparation to do with the boys, and we are honestly running late! But well, like I said, at least they are out of the woods with some real take home lessons at such.

For 3 days

Christ rose on the 3rd day, Jonah was in the belly of a whale for 3 days, thought, word, and deed, complete the sum of human capability and lastly, 3 represents the fullness of God, the Triune God; the Father, the son and the holy spirit as in Ephesians 3:19. A complete man is found also with spirit, soul and body.

I was merely reminded of what number three signifies in the Bible as I was held 'captive' by my lack of voice for 3 days. Because of a viral that was going on in my family, I soon succumbed to it and went through just 1 day of cough before I totally lose my voice.

I never knew how much I had taken for granted the good things I have, until now. I used to complain that my voice was not good enough , I can't sing like a singer and I can't sustain the stamina required of a singer. But now, I learnt to thank God simply that I have a voice.

On the first day I lost my voice, I realised how quickly patience come over me as I related with my children, if I could hold my tongue back. Now that I don't have a choice, I had to learn it the hard way.

On the second day, a lizard jumped onto me! And I screamed in terror, but no voice would be heard. My husband who was in the bedroom did not hear me. And for the first time, no one came to my rescue when I was 'attack' by a lizard. (my helper said I scare the lizard, but I'm sure I was the one being scared out of my wits!)

On the third day, I heard a really wonderful worship song and my spirit welled up in an inspiration to sing unto the Lord. Yet, no sound came out of my mouth. This is the moment , I felt what Jonah felt. "Lord, I will do your will. I will be thankful for my voice and use it for your glory. Lord, just will you let me out of the belly of this whale? (my version: Give me my voice back?)

I borrow a phase in Tchivdjian's book Surprised by Grace “The fish’s belly was not Jonah’s prison or death chamber, but only a temporary hospital for his soul and protection for his body from the ocean depths. It’s good for Jonah to be here. God ensures that his unworthy servant is made fully aware of this undeserved deliverance.”

Well, for whatever it is worth, I'm glad I am safe from the lizard. God surely has something in mind for me. It is now, for me to find out.

I will run to you ...

What pain , what injustice, what betrayal, maybe it is time to look away and look up. More of him, less of me.

My hurts, for God to heal. My wrongs, let God deal. Accusations, leave it to God.

The battle is not mine, nor will I take things into my own hands. All I ask is that I have the strength to forgive.




Lyrics

Your eye is on the sparrow
And Your hand, it comforts me
From the ends of the Earth to the depth of my heart
Let Your mercy and strength be seen

You call me to Your purpose
As angels understand
For Your glory, may You draw all men
As Your love and grace demand

And I will run to You
To Your words of truth
Not by might, not by power
But by the spirit of God
Yes I will run the race
'Till I see Your face
Oh let me live in the glory of Your grace

Take my life (and let it be) - Chris Tomlin

... may this be a wonderful worship unto thee... loved the bridge ... " here am I, all of me ... take my life, its all for thee..."

This is an old hymn, rewritten. Words by Frances Ridley Havergal (1836 - 1879)




Find chords here

Take my life and let it be consecrated Lord, to thee.
Take my moments and my days, let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Take my hands and let them move at the impulse of thy love.
Take my feet and let them be swift and beautiful for thee.

Take my voice and let me sing always, only for my king.
Take my lips and let them be filled with messages from thee.
Take my silver and my gold not a might would I withhold.
Take my intellect and use every power as you choose.

::Chorus::
Here am I, all of me.
Take my life, it's all for thee.

Take my will and make it Thine it shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart it is thine own; it shall be thy royal throne.
Take my love, my Lord I pour at your feet its treasure store
Take myself and I will be ever, only all for thee,
Take myself and I will be ever, only all for thee.

Here am I, All of me.
Take my life, It's all for thee.
x3

(Take my life, Lord take my life. take all of me)

Here am I, All of me.
Take my life, It's all for thee.

::Repeated by crowd 5 X's::

Send “Take my life” Ringtone to Your Cell

Vitamins for kids?

Do we let our kids take vitamins? Some months ago, I was contemplating vitamins for my eldest son. Perhaps just for the simple reason of strengthening his immunity and increasing his appetite.

Some of my findings lead me to contemplate e.excel's philosophy of nutritional immunology. I had the luxury to read the entire book, which also talked about off-the-shelves multi-vitamins. Here're some excerpts from the web - Nutritional Immunology

This article, among many talks about children NOT needing multivitamins unless they were diagnosed as having a specific deficiency. I also read about the side effects of over-dosing on multivitamins.

Another article entitled *"Fruits, vegetables not as nutritious as 50 years ago" by Seattle Health and Fitness mentioned that by the time the fruits and vegetables arrived at our wet market, its nutritional value has dipped too.

Then I discovered manna bears from manna tech, an article which supports a previous article in our intake of fresh fruits and vegetables. I extracted an excerpt;

Nutrients in Our Diets
The primary fuel for our bodies comes from nutrients in the food we eat—without them, a high quality of life stays beyond our reach. Sadly, in today’s hectic lifestyles, only 11% of Americans meet USDA guidelines for fruit and vegetable intake.

Even when we try to eat right, we find that today’s fresh produce may contain far fewer nutrients than the produce of our grandparents’ days. Modern farming techniques have shifted the focus from quality to quantity. Some scientific research indicates that you’d have to eat almost 10 oranges to get the same level of vitamin A that your grandparents got from one orange. Two peaches in 1951 supplied the RDA of vitamin A for adult women. Today, a study suggests that would take 53 peaches!*"

Today, my son take the all natural Manna bear, specially formulated for children uses all the ingredients from natural plants and fruits. He has been taking these vitamins on an average of 2 mannabears per day. He does not fall ill to any illness except for symptoms due to having sensitive lungs. He also recovers quickly in span of 2-3 days compared to a week previously. These are what ingredients of what one bottle contains:

• The phytonutritional goodness of 11 different dehydrated fruits and vegetables
• An excellent source of antioxidants
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Appendix
*Article: Fruits, vegetables not as nutritious as 50 years ago

By LANCE GAY
SCRIPPS HOWARD NEWS SERVICE

In spite of what Mother taught you about the benefits of eating broccoli, data collected by the U.S. government show that the nutritional content of America's vegetables and fruits has declined during the past 50 years -- in some cases dramatically.

Donald Davis, a biochemist at the University of Texas, said that of 13 major nutrients in fruits and vegetables tracked by the Agriculture Department from 1950 to 1999, six showed noticeable declines -- protein, calcium, phosphorus, iron, riboflavin and vitamin C. The declines ranged from 6 percent for protein, 15 percent for iron, 20 percent for vitamin C, and 38 percent for riboflavin.

"It's an amazing thing," said Davis, adding that the decline in nutrient content has not been widely noticed.

He said an agriculture scientist appears to have been the first to pick up the disappearance of nutrients in 1981 in a paper comparing the data on nutrients on garden crops grown in the United States with those grown in England.

Davis, who discussed his findings at a recent meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science meeting in St. Louis, suspects the trend in agriculture toward encouraging crops that grow the fastest and biggest is a reason for the decline. The past five decades have been marked by the "Green Revolution," which has seen a marked increase in U.S. production and yields as farmers have turned to the fastest-growing and greatest-producing plants.

The trade off is that the faster-growing plants aren't able to acquire the nutrients that their slower-growing cousins can, either by synthesis or from the soil. He said there also are differences in the amounts of nutrients lost in differing varieties of wheat and broccoli.

Davis said he doesn't want his study to encourage people to stop eating vegetables on the grounds they lack nutrients.

"That's completely wrong," he said, contending his study shows that people need to eat more vegetables and fruits, not less. "Vegetables are extraordinarily rich in nutrients and beneficial phytochemicals. They are still there, and vegetables and fruits are our best sources for these."

Al Bushway, a food-science professor at the University of Maine and an expert with the Institute of Food Technologists, said the decline of nutrients in vegetables and fruits could be made up through other foods Americans eat.

"For vegans only using plant sources for food, this could be an issue," he said. But he said most Americans would pick up adequate quantities of calcium they need by drinking milk.

Bushway said that fruits and vegetables are still crucial to providing nutrients people need. "They are an important part of the diet -- extremely important," he said.

The Agriculture Department data that Davis used doesn't include all of the nutrients scientists today can identify in fruits and vegetables.

They've done it their way - ST

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