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I have been toying with the idea of sending Ian to his Shichida Method class again next term. This Japanese education programme really works wonders on Ian and he can do his puzzle and read as early as 18 months. But the cost has been the main prohibiting factor. We actually had bought some of Shichida materials for us to practice at home after he quit his class when he reached the age of 2 years old. But sometimes “the kiasuness” seem to be dominating. Hehe. The attitude for wanting to give the best to my kid has been there for ages. I guess it’s the same for all parents…You need to go to either Harvard or Cambridge… nothing less… such a pressure…  hahha… it’s ok.. University of Malaya pun bolehh.. (honestly…)

Active Ian..

If not education it’s the diet. DHA is a must. I know certain nurseries that feed their charges with fish oil every morning. Some research indeed discovered improvement in cognitive abilities and memory contributed by the increased intake of DHA. Now the scientists at Anmum Essential have gone one step further, by providing Ganglosides in their milk formulation. Anmum Essential has both DHA and Gangliosides together in a unique formulation. These two elements complement each other. DHA is a key building block for brain cells, while Ganglosides are involved in the formation of brain cell connections. The nutrients combined work in synergy to help deliver the best for the brain. It’s like building a house. Having a blocks are not enough as you need the cement to keep things together. With these two elements, the house foundation becomes stronger.

With these two nutrients in Anmum Essential, I don’t think I shall look further for the supplies of DHA and Gangliosides. Salmon?? Forget about it. So I have been forcing Ian to drink his milk on a daily basis. If he doesn’t want to drink I normally would just mix it up with his Milo or his favourite cereals.

Hopefully all these efforts will pay off.

We recently visited Cambridge University in the UK. It is really a small city. Even smaller than Petaling Jaya. The roads are small and narrow and can only enough to fit through one car. Thus, there is no wonder that many people here travel by bicycle. Selling bicycle is a big business here. Just so happened when we arrived there was a huge graduation ceremony. So everybody in town walking around in their nice Graduation robes. I said to myself, “Oh, these are the brightest people in the world!”  Just look at the faces of their family. Some come from a low income and mid income family, and some come from the well-heeled family. You can tell this from the clothes their families and relatives are wearing. Some are really flashy but some are really moderate.

THE GRADUATION ON CAMBRIDGE’S LAWN

I guess, being genius does not come from being rich. It comes from mainly the kind of education, motivation and last but not least the food that you eat when you are young. It has been traditionally recommended by scientists that the intake of DHA in a child’s diet is needed to help reach  his potential in intelligence and cognitive abilities. DHA is a key building block of brain cells. Imagine Bob The Builder doesn’t get enough of his blocks to build his house. The outcome is a small and uncomfortable house or a big house with weak foundations. This is exactly the reason why many growing up powder today contain this nutrient – DHA is important.

BUT, for optimal brain development and function, DHA alone is not enough. Kids also need other nutrients such as Gangliosides that work together. While DHA is a key building block of brain cells; Gangliosides helps ensures greater connections between the brain cells, just like cement between blocks in our Bob The Builder case. The more brain cells connections the faster kids learn.

The result, an intelligent kid. I have been so kiasu about all this that I have been feeding Ian with the best milk in town which has these two important brain nutrients in combination – i.e. Anmum Essential. The result, he can read his alphabets and simple phrases before he turns two. Check out the video of him reading:

So far, I have not found any other brand of growing up milk that can offer this powerful double brain benefit. The new Anmum Essential formulation has levels that are even higher:

• 80% more DHA
• 25% more Gangliosides

Ian in front of King’s College, Cambridge University

Ian and Papa in front of Corpus Christi College, University of Cambridge

You can’t change the genetic, but you can change his diet. So, let’s give him the best that he can get.

We are having someone new in the house. Ian is getting a baby brother soon. Everybody in the house was a bit panicky with the preparations even though this is not the first time we are having a baby. Since Mama is away in the UK, Papa is left with Tok Mi to make sure everything is baby friendly in the house. We will be flying to UK soon to join Mama who is due to deliver sometime in June. Ian is still sticking to his well and good Anmum Essential. I guess our new baby when he gets to be 1 year plus will also be doing Anmum Essential. It’s like part of the family now. A well trusted brand that will be with the family for many times to come. Like a passed down tradition.

Lately I saw a growing number of growing up milk powder in the market with claims about their sugar content – no added sugars, no sucrose, less sweet… Mamil Gold – no sucrose, Dutch Lady – reduced sugar, S26 – no sucrose, Nan – no sucrose, Snow – no added sugars. But can we really believe them? Sometimes it’s worth reading the finer points to avoid being misled unnecessarily. It’s our kids we are talking about here. I would advise that we shouldn’t be taking any chances. What they eat especially as it will be with them forever. Now there is some research showing there is only one choice that really is no added sugars – that is Anmum Essential.

NOT ALL GROWING UP MILK (“GUM”) ARE THE SAME!! (from Health Today Magazine)

Upon my reading and further investigations, these claims by other brands are misleading because they focus on a single type of added sugar (sucrose), while ignoring others (glucose syrup solids, corn syrup solids, dextrin, maltodextrin). Funny enough, we bumped into a sales promoter at our local Tesco who cheerfully handed over us a pamphlet which contains some explanation on an independent scientific research from world leading team at University of Sydney. The research was published recently on sugar content in growing up milk powder. The research studies on the Glycemic Load (GL) of growing up milk powders (GUMP) in Malaysia. GL is the measure of changes to the sugar level in the bloodstream after drinking a glass milk.
– A high GL means a lot of sugars added, which causes a blood sugar spike
– A low GL means no or low added sugars, which is healthier

International experts agree that children should avoid too much high GL food and drinks because excessive intake of high GL increases the risk of chronic diseases apart from them being unnecessarily hyperactive. Just take Ian for example, previously he just would not come around to sleep after drinking some milk..Jumping around on the bed had become a habit until we switched to Anmum Essential.

This research study provides independent proof that only one growing up milk in Malaysia really has no added sugars, because only one growing up milk has a low GL – that is Anmum Essentials.

The results of the study are unbelievable, but sadly true. I wouldn’t have known this until I read the research report. No other GUMP tested had a low GL.

• Mamil Gold – claims ‘no sucrose’ but it contains a lot of glucose syrup solids, which IS a form of added sugar
• S26 Gold – claims no sucrose but it contains a lot of maltodextrin, which IS a form of added sugar
• Dutch Lady – claims reduced sugar but it contains a lot of glucose syrup solids, which IS a form of added sugar
• Enfagrow/ Enfakid –both contain a lot of corn syrup syrup solids, which IS an added sugar
• Nan – claims no sucrose but it contains a lot of corn syrup solids, which IS a form of added sugar
• Snow – claims no added sugars but it contains a lot of dextrin, which IS a form of added sugar

Today in Harian Metro, there is an article that talks about this too.. this is amazing.. for a dad like me who thought any milk powder would do. I guess not. If you want to read the article, you may check out the link at http://www.hmetro.com.my/articles/Panduanpilihsususimanja/Article/ and there is also a blog details out how to manage sugar content in everyday’s diet at http://ginews.blogspot.com/. It’s just a matter of making the efforts to ensure the best of our children.

THERE IS A DANGER IN TAKING EXCESSIVE ADDED SUGARS!! (from Health Today Magazine)

So you better make sure that you check the content before you purchase a GUMP.. Here’s how…

Hope you take the right action before it’s too late…

Have you read my previous blogposts on Anmum Essential? It has been almost a month that Ian on that milk. Although it’s still early to tell on the benefits, I can see some changes to Ian already. He’s not been having his occasional flu bouts and has improved memory.This makes me more committed to give him the milk not only in the morning, but also in the evening. As it contains no added sugars, I don’t have to worry about the impact that it has on his teeth.

There is a big forum on Facebook if you would like to find out more about other moms who have been using this milk at http://www.facebook.com/AnmumClub that will rush you to the nearest shop to buy Anmum Essential. Because not only 5 but close to 40++ people have testified as to its effectiveness. Some of the mothers had indicated that they had initial doubts about giving Anmum to their kids, but realizing that Anmum is the best for their kids, they simply took up the courage and switch. After all, Anmum is the only choice with no added sugars while still having the advanced nutrition. This sort of reasoning was what actually drove me to switch too. After all, I want the best for Ian.. What he eats or drinks today builds the make up of what he is tomorrow. Past researches have proven this. Good diet in the early stages of someone’s life can affect someone’s inteligence . Since your kids only live their early childhood lives once, I don’t think we should compromise on their diet.

Yup.. I support you mommies..

As far as I know Anmum Essential is the only milk powder in the market that has Gangliosides. This element is known to improve the cognitive development of toddlers especially in the first 5 forming years. If you are ever so kiasu, you’ve gotta to give your kid Anmum Essential, moms… hehe..

Will I become the next Angkasawan?

Life without Mama can be a bit of a challenge. Apart from the usual mess at our home, growing up kids not only need a lot of attention but also are very particular about what they put into their mouth. Ian is very particular about his milk. We have tried many brands before but Ian had finally settled on Anmum Essentials. It’s not just a random choice that I make as a so called “single parent” dad, but it is was a carefully selected and conscious decision. It was a verdict that came after a long and hard thinking. But as for Ian, it’s easy. I let him taste it and he said “Yes”. I guess it’s a miracle that he likes it after 4-5 brands that we tried and mind you this trial and error process was not cheap. There is something about Anmum Essentials that just feels right.

Ian as Little Einstein..

What is good about Anmum Essentials, is that first and foremost it has no added sugars and to top it off it’s fortified with some advanced nutrients such as DHA and Gangliosides which are the building blocks of a healthy brain. There is huge forum discussing this on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/AnmumClub?sk=app_286498954725282. I got good information and feel more confident after reading this. At least there are parents who are aligned with me in choosing this milk powder. I didn’t realize that there are so many of them already using Anmum Essentials… Damn.. I have been such a late starter..But I am just a dad okay.. give me a break …

Kids are getting smarter, and the parents need to become smarter. It’s no brainer that Anmum Essentials should be their choice as not only contains more nutrients but also less sugar. A lot of parents at the forum have used Anmum brand since they were pregnant. From Anmum Materna, they have progressed to Anmum Essentials. “Getting smarter”, “Quick in Learning” are some of the benefits.. I guess there is no need to send Ian to any enrichment class now…. Just read what they have to say below:

May be you can get your child to try out Anmum Essential now and see it for yourself.

I don’t really want to tell this story as it too personal but I guess I shouldn’t be too selfish and be more open about it. My wife comes from a lineage that has diabetes. It’s a disease that has negative and emotional connotations in the family. Her dad died due to the illness several years back which is still fresh in her memory till this day. This has taught us to be more conscious of what we eat and drink to make sure that there isn’t too much added sugars in our diet. Carbonated drinks are strictly banned in the family. Candies, sweets and lollipops are avoided at all costs.

Diabetes is the #1 disease in Malaysia. 1 in every 7 adults has it. Living with less added sugars is definitely one of the answers to all of this. Thus this is what we want for Ian. Ian has been drinking Anmum brand for quite some time simply because it contains no added sugars compared to many other brands in the market. I think it’s good that parents in Malaysia are made aware of the importance of giving their babies a no added sugars growing up milk powder so that they can take the necessary steps for their babies/kids. There are several clinics that have been promoting this healthy lifestyle. Some of them are KLINIK FAUZIAH DAN RAKAN-RAKAN and KLINIK KANAK-KANAK TTDI. There are actually videos on this too. I have posted some of the video in my last post, but I guess it’s worth putting them in the post again. Some of the points are very enlightening.

If extra added sugars are consumed by a child, those extra calories will simply go towards laying down excessive body fats and may contribute towards later overweight and obesity. When they are fat, it’s hard to get it down to the ideal size as they have been conditioned to have a big appetite. Glucose syrup solids, corn syrup solids and sucrose are all types of added sugars.

Carbohydrate per serve’ is a good guide to the amount of added sugars in a growing up milk powder. Anything higher than 11-12 g for ‘carbohydrate per serve’ is added sugars. Try to look out for food and beverages labelled “No added sugars”, “Less sugars” or “Sugar-free”. However be aware that some products that says “Sucrose free” or “No Sucrose” can still contain other forms of added sugars.

I sincerely hope what I share is beneficial to all my readers.. after all, prevention is better than cure.

For more information on how to check if there are added sugars in your child’s milk, I saw an Anmum Essential ad in The Star on 25 Jan 2012.

Step 1: Look at ingredient list for names of added sugars.

Step 2: Look at front of pack. “No sucrose” doesn’t mean there isn’t any added sugars.

Step 3: Look at Nutritional Information Panel. Anything higher than 11g-12g carbohydrate per serve means added sugars.

Step 4: Taste your child’s milk. You should take note on how sweet it is.

Step 5: Look out for “No Added Sugars”. So far, only Anmum Essential has absolutely no added sugars.

Around the same time in the Star I saw an advert from the Ministry of Health about their sugar reduction campaign. The new print ads mentioned a few thought provoking messages:

1. Added sugars can have many different names, such as corn syrup solids, sucrose and glucose syrup solids.

2. It is important to know how much added sugars there are in the foods and drinks you consume. Read the packaging and find their position in the ingredient list.

3. If an added sugar name appears near the top of the ingredient list, or there are more than one name present, then it’s a good indication that the food has high added sugars.

4. Look for foods and beverages labelled “no added sugars” or “less sugars” or “sugar free”

5. Be aware of claims about specific types of sugar as there could still be other types of added sugars in these products – e.g. a product claiming “no added sucrose” or “sucrose free” could still contain other types of added sugars.

In relation to what the Ministry of Health said, I am wondering if milk formulas such as Mamil Gold that claims to have “no sucrose” in its formula have other types of added sugars in it. I am starting to think that it is very, very important to not just read the claims, but instead check the ingredient label to be absolutely sure that the milk does not contain any added sugars.

Ian is now 2 ½ years old. Ahh such a long way to go before he can grow up and take care of himself..haha.. not that I am complaining but sometimes it can be very tiring when he starts to throw things about in the house. He is a very energetic individual and won’t keep still even for 2 minutes except for the time he is on the iphone watching youtube. Some people say it could be the food, but I don’t think so as kids are just being kids. I am a very particular person when it comes to what Ian eats or drinks. Like all other parents, I always want the best for my child even if it means forking out the extra hard earned dollars.

his has made me extremely wary of many claims made by Growing Up Milk Powder (“GUMP”)’ manufacturers and do my own studies. One of other areas that is of my greatest concern is on level of added sugars content. We all know that drinking carbonated sodas on every day basis is bad. Can you imagine how it would affect your child if high level of sugars, more than necessary is being drunk by him strictly on a daily basis ever since he or she is a baby? The scary thing is that in some GUMP brands, the added sugars levels are extremely high. Kids like ice creams and sweets. Having them eating ice creams and sweets in addition to high added sugar GUMP is a double whammy hit to their healthy diet.

I didn’t know all this until I met up with a good number of people, some of whom are professors in their field on the level of added sugars in GUMP in Malaysia. Again, added sugars are being hidden under many different names in our kids’ milk powder. Sucrose, Corn Syrup, Glucose, Fructose are actually sugars. Sugars can be good for energy it can also easily contribute to unnecessary formation of body fat. Fats in babies are not necessarily good as it can lead to obesity later on in life.

I want to be a healthy baby, Papa..

There is a good source of information that you may refer to if you want to know more about this sugar education.

I am glad to be able to know all about this earlier and I hope what I write here will benefit all parents out there.

Penyakit yang sering menghantui orang yang sedang meningkat umur selain daripada darah tinggi dan paras kolestrol yang tinggi, adalah penyakit diabetes atau kencing manis. Dengan gaya hidup muda mudi kini yang suka meminum air soda bergula telah membuatkan lebih banyak mereka yang hanya baru berumur lewat 20-an mudah mengalami penyakit kencing manis ini.

Sebenarnya pendidikan mengenai pengambilan gula yang berlebihan patut dimulakan pada peringkat awal lagi, paling bijak dan tepat adalah pada waktu bayi lagi. Ibubapa haruslah menjadi contoh kepada anak mereka dan bertindak mengawal pengambilan gula yang berlebihan ini dengan melarang anak-anak dari makan ais krim, gula-gula, kek dan juga candies. Bila sudah terbiasa dengan memakan makanan yang manis, agak sukar untuk dibuang tabiatnya. Orang putih kata “sweet tooth”.

Begitu juga dengan bayi, terdapat banyak formula susu di pasaran yang mengandungi kandungan gula yang berlebihan. Baru-baru ini, FayZ berkesempatan untuk bertemu dengan beberapa pakar dari Australia dan New Zealand yang mahir dan berpengetahuan tinggi mengenai gula. Salah seorangnya adalah seorang professor dari University of Queensland.

PERTEMUAN DENGAN PAKAR-PAKAR DIADAKAN DI BORA ASMARA, KG. PENCHALA, DAMANSARA

Perbincangan yang dilakukan memang mengasyikkan. Tidak sedar masa berlalu. Ternyata mereka sudah lamamengkaji bidang ini. Apa yang penting bagi Susu Formula kanak-kanak adalah kandungan nutrisinya kerana nutrisi seperti kalsium, zat besi dan sebagainya memang perlu untuk perkembangan fizikal dan otak. Formula susu yang sudah diperkuatkan adalah lebih baik dari segelas susu segar. Tetapi apa yang dikesalkan ialah kebanyakan pengeluar susu formula kanak-kanak, disebabkan sikap yang mengejar keuntungan dengan mengurangkan kos pengeluaran, telah memasukkan banyak kandungan gula yang tak perlu. Oleh itu perlulah kita sebagai ibubapa yang prihatin terhadap kesihatan dan perkembangan anak kita berhati-hati dengan keadaan sebegini. Jangan main langgar jea.

Cara memeriksa sama ada susu formula anda mengandungi lebihan gula

1. Ingat nama-nama gula: Keadaan gula yang berlebihan ini diselindungi di bawah pelbagai nama seperti Corn Syrup Solids, Glucose Syrup Solids atau Sucrose. Oleh itu pastikan anda cari maklumat ini di bawah ruang kandungan atau ingredients susu tersebut.
2. Periksa senarai kandungan: Jika nama-nama ini terletak di antara yang teratas di dalam senarai kandungan susu dan muncul dengan di beberapa tempat di dalam senarai kandungan di bawah nama-nama yang berbeza (syrup, glucose atau sucrose), anda boleh pasti yang susu tersebut mengandungi kandungan gula yang berlebihan. Jika kandungan susu tersebut tiada sucrose pun, ini tidak bermaksud tiada gula berlebihan, kerana gula juga terkandung di dalam bentuk karbohidrat.
3. Lihat jumlah karbohidrat bagi setiap kandungan: Tahukah anda bahawa karbohidrat juga adalah sumber gula? Oleh itu anda perlu memeriksa berapa banyak kandungan karbohidrat di dalam susu tersebut. Karbohidrat akan ditukarkan kepada gula sebelum digunakan sebagai tenaga. Oleh itu biasa kita lihat seseorang kanak-kanak itu akan selalu bersifat aktif jika memakan makanan yang mengandungi kandungan karbohidrat yang berlebihan. Kandungan karbohidrat yang lebih dari 12g boleh disifatkan sebagai berlebihan. Oleh itu kita perlu periksa label susu formula anak kita sebelum membelinya betul-betul.

Akibat Lebihan Gula
Selain daripada kesan jangka panjang yang boleh membawa kepada penyakit kencing manis, memakan lebihan gula juga boleh menyebabkan kegemukkan. Wilayah Asia adalah wilayah yang mempunyai bilangan yang paling banyak budak-budak yang gemuk/obese. It’s up to us to reduce this number!!

KESIAN BAYI INI….DID HE DRINK CONDENSED MILK FOR BREAKFAST?

Kandungan gula yang berlebihan juga mengurangkan jumlah kepadatan nutrisi yang diperlukan oleh bayi. Contohnya jika gula-gula dah banyak, ada sesetengah pengeluar susu formula yang mengurangkan kandungan kalsium, zat besi, magnesium, asid folik dan sebagainya. Tentunya ini bukan yang kita mahukan untuk anak kita. Betul tak? Kalau nak anak bijak, berikan sahaja minyak ikan dan multivitamin, tapi pastikan susu anak anda kurang gula.

Bila dah tahu pasal susu dan kandungan gulanya yang berlebihan, terus jadi risau kami. Puas kami cari sana-sini susu yang mengandungi kurang gula. Hasil kaji selidik kami mendapati satu-satunya susu formula di pasaran Malaysia yang mengandungi kurang gula adalah susu Anmum keluaran Fonterra Mula-mula cuak jugak takut Ian tak suka. Sebab bebudak nie memang cerewet. Tapi selepas mencuba beberapa lama, Ian jadi suka. Orang kata demi anak, tabahkan hati, cuba sedaya upaya. Walau[un kena daki gunung, walau kena merentas lautan..Semuanya agar anak kita dapat membesar dalam keadaan sihat. Bila dah tengok Ian syok menyonyot susu yang sedap tue..mak bapak dia sibuk pulak nak rasa..hohoho..Sedap.. lemak..nak makan dengan breakfast cereals pun boleh..
Kalau anda tak caya, boleh try sendiri. Saya cabar anda.. benda-benda nie belum cuba belum tahu..Sekali sekali cuba minum susu anak anda sekarang.. Manis tak? Tentu anda akan rasa seperti air soda manisnya.. bayangkan berapa banyak gula diletaknya dalam susu budak nie.. Tak takut kencing manis ke nanti bebudak nie.. Kalau 50 ml sehari, 3,000 ml sebulan..issh.. banyak tue. Lepas tu cuba try Anmum.. banyak bezanya beb.. inilah satu-satunya susu tanpa gula tambahan.

Ian tengah tunggu nak minum susu Anmum..

Discovered this amazing supplement when I was in the UK. At first I didn’t think it was a good idea as as much as possible we would try to give Ian his natural calcium supply from milk and banana. But since Ian has been refusing to take his milk I just thought this was a good alternative. Its calcium content is high about 300 mg for 2 tablespoons dosage (around 10 ml). Even if we force Ian to drink via syringe, he can only take up roughly about 10 ml of milk per day. Looking at his Dutch Lady milk pack’s content this is equivalent to roughly 300 ml of milk. To get Ian to drink this amount of milk is next to impossible. So I decided to actually try VITABIOTICS OSTEOCARE. By the time I decided on this, it was already too late. I was already back in Malaysia and had to buy the OSTEOCARE online.

Vitabiotics - Osteocare (Liquid)

The delivery took me close to one month using a registered Royal Mail post. But the vitamin is still in good condition when it arrived. Oh the bottle is plastic by the way.. So the night I received it, I opened the bottle and tasted it first just to make sure that Ian would love it and it’s easy on his stomach. It has lovely orange flavour. Ian has been taking it for about 2 weeks now.. We don’t take it everyday though but on alternate days… as on certain days I still want Ian to drink his Sustagen/Dutch Lady milk. Too bad that it’s not available in Malaysia or Singapore. But those who are interested may purchase it at their online shop. Vitabiotics Osteocare is suitable for kids above 1 year old.

Enough said, the list to join SHICHIDA CLASS is growing to the extent that people have to be put on waiting list. Why is this SHICHIDA METHOD PROGRAMME has been very popular in ASIA, particularly in Japan, Singapore and Malaysia? It is because of the effectiveness in training children to have great photographic memory and calculate maths at lightning speed. Ages between 0-6 years is the greatest period to train up kids for this sort of ability as their right brain is still at its development stage and can absorb anything and everything like sponge. I just show you the video below so that you can see exactly what I mean.

SHICHIDA METHOD KIDS

SHICHIDA METHODS FLASH CARDS

In Malaysia, the SHICHIDA METHOD franchise is at WISMA LIM FOO YOONG, Jalan Raja Chulan (opporsite Hotel Istana) and Bandar Utama’s Centre Point, Kuala Lumpur.