Check out our Diet Reviews on AOL Health!

sheep-related stories

Fatten up if you want a baby boy

Diet & Weight Loss, Nutrition & Supplements

I'm trying to think back seven years ago to a time when I was pregnant. I'm trying to recall exactly what I ate before conceiving my baby #1. I'm not having much luck with this memory game. My long-ago diet details are pretty much a blur. Same goes for the time preceding baby #2. No idea what I ate then either. I do know this, though: I had boys. Hmmm. Could it have been polyunsaturated fats I was ingesting?

New research supports the notion that a mother's diet before conception can influence the sex of her kids. Well, in sheep, anyway.

Ewes fed a diet enriched with polyunsaturated fats for four weeks prior to breeding were significantly more likely to conceive males than females. Specifically, seven out of 10 lambs conceived by sheep on a high-fat diet were male. Five out of 10 females were delivered by sheep fed a standard diet of roughly the same calories but less fat.

Think this might work for you? Don't get your hopes up just yet -- although feel free to give it a try. Researchers are not yet sure if the increase in males was due to a diet higher in fat in general or a diet higher in polyunsaturated fats. There may be nothing magical about polyunsaturated fats at all. Same goes for breakfast cereal -- in April, it was suggested that women who consumed more calories in the form of cereal were more likely to conceive boys.

Source

Fight the signs of aging with sheep placenta

Alternative & Green Health

If your initial reaction wasn't, "Ewww! Gross!" it was probably, "Yeah, right." At least, those are the two thoughts that went through my head upon seeing the article.

Filipino doctor, Dr. Florencio Q. Lucero, has presented this idea in the form of ActiStem Dermal, a product which aims to increase collagen and elastin production, thereby decreasing the look of fine lines and wrinkles on the face. Dr. Lucero is a cosmetic surgeon who has been at the forefront of stem-cell therapy in his country.

However, he is quick to point out that ActiStem is not a stem-cell -- "it's a protein extract from the sheep's placenta." Therefore, he doesn't foresee the ethical and moral issues stem-cell usage has raised.

The product is backed by several former beauty queens (including two Miss Universes) who are now in their 40s and 50s, as well as the doctor's wife, all who claim it's safe and effective, and it's not baaaa-d news.

What do you think? Is this a healthy option with no repercussions? Is it better than what's currently on the market? Or should we all suck it up and live with our wrinkles?

Source

Get back to sleep for better health

Diet & Weight Loss

Sleep deprivation is unhealthy. Get four hours of sleep or less per night for 12 consecutive nights, and you're more likely to suffer lack of coordination, judgment, and reaction time; experience crummy moods; feel body pain; and even gain weight.

For all you sleepy heads who can't seem to get a wink of slumber, these tips are for you.
  • Sip on some chamomile tea. It contains glycine, a chemical that acts as a mild sedative and muscle relaxant. Drink this potion an hour or more before bedtime if nighttime trips to the bathroom are a problem.

Source

Featured Writers
Bob GreeneReggie Casagrande
Bob Greene
Jonny BowdenJohn GanonJonny Bowden

Tanya ZuckerbrotFadil BerishaTanya Zuckerbrot
Liz Neporent Liz Neporent