That's Fit

If you would like to start trying for a baby soon, you may as well pick a paint color for the room now. That's because it's entirely possible for mothers to have some influence on the gender of their child by following either a high-calorie or calorie-restricted diet, say U.K. researchers.

In a joint study conducted at the University of Exeter and Oxford University, it was discovered that when women eat a diet rich in calories (including a regular breakfast) around the time of conception, they might be increasing the liklihood that they will give birth to a boy. Conversely, by restricting their caloric intake at this time, women may be improving their chances of giving birth to a girl.

It is known from IVF research that high levels of glucose encourages the growth and development of male embryos while inhibiting female embryos, just as low levels of glucose might encourage the opposite. However, researchers caution against restricting calories for the purpose of increasing your chances of having a girl. As one a fertility expert from the University of Sheffield stated in a recent BBC News interview, "It has been observed in some animal studies that even small changes in female diet can affect the life long health of the offspring, so it is important that the mother has appropriate nutrition at the time of conception and throughout her pregnancy."

Kids in predominantly Caucasian countries get pretty good sleep, says a new study. Better than kids in Asian countries, anyway.

This study, led by researcher Jodi Mindell of Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia, is the first ever to look at sleep patterns in infants and toddlers cross-culturally. The results, says Mindell, are astonishing. Here are two of them.

• Mindell found significant variability in bedtimes and total sleep time. For example, 15.1 percent of children in Canada shared a room, compared to 94.5 percent in Thailand, and the percentage of parents who believed their child had a minor or severe sleep problem ranged from 11 percent in Thailand to 76 percent in China.
  
  

• Kids in Asian countries were more likely to have later bedtimes, shorter total sleep times, increased parental perception of sleep problems, and were more likely to share a room than children in Caucasian countries. But there were no significant differences in night wakings and naps.
  
  

Mindell says her findings present more questions than they do answers, like: Why the differences? Could it be different cultural practices? And what is the impact of these differences? Seems it's time for another study.

Millions of women suffer from chronic headaches, with 90 percent of them experiencing migraines. As if that isn't difficult enough to deal with, a study showed that women with chronic headache were four times likelier to report symptoms of major depression than were those with episodic headache.

The women who reported the symptoms of major depression were three times more likely to have symptoms related to the headache, like low energy, trouble sleeping, nausea and other pains and problems. These painful physical symptoms could cause or provoke major depression, and depression can heighten pain perception.

While the cause of the link between headache and depression isn't entirely known, it is certain that one is related to the other, making the research and treatment of both all the more important.

Having just watched a beloved family friend endure a debilitating bout of chemotherapy, I'm very skeptical about a new survey released by the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS).

According to an article that appears in the current issue of Men's Health, a NCCS survey found that 94 percent of cancer patients claim that chemotherapy is not as enfeebling as most people perceive it to be. Again, I find this figure to be somewhat hard to believe. Even as a kid, when a good friend's father battled cancer, I witnessed the manner in which the treatment assaulted his body. I'm doubtful that he felt his initial concerns proved to be unwarranted once his treatment concluded.

In no way am I casting doubt on the efficacy of chemotherapy; rather, I'm simply voicing my opinion on this particular study. I simply find it hard to believe -- given what I've experienced personally with loved ones -- that such a high percentage of people finish treatment and essentially take the attitude of "It wasn't as bad as everyone makes it out to be." Could I be wrong? Of course -- wouldn't be the first time, definitely won't be the last. That's why I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on the results of this survey. Feel free to weigh in on this matter in the comments section below.

An eye-opening study from the University of Miami revealed that by ages 12 to 14, half of obese children have metabolic syndrome, a group of risk factors that predicts type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

This information is cause for concern, as the numbers of obese children has continued to rise steadily since the data for this study were collected (between 1999-2002, at which time more than 17 percent of chidldren aged eight to fourteen were obese).

As these children age, their chances of facing a lifetime with a chronic illness escalates if they're weight is not reined in. As one researcher from the University of Miami study states in a WebMD article, "If a kid is age 8 with metabolic syndrome, it will take 10 years or less for that child to become a type 2 diabetic or develop heart disease."

The study analyzed data data on some 1,700 children as part of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

It's kind of strange, really; there are literally thousands of supplements out there claiming to do this and that for your health and fitness, yet very few have the empirical research to prove it. And, as odd as it may seem, the one thing that continuously shows promise in scientific studies is a household ingredient almost everyone already uses: Caffeine.

In a recent study published in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition Exercise, evidence shows that caffeine reduces "pain" during exercise. Now, I put the word pain in quotation marks because I feel it's necessary to clarify something first before proceeding about the study. Unlike the old fitness maxim "No Pain, No Gain," the pain described in this case refers to the buildup of tenseness in the muscles. The burn, if you will. Pain should never be the goal; in fact, pain should be avoided at all costs. Yearn For the Burn? Sure, that fitness credo works fine. But No Pain, No Gain? Sorry ... no dice. Anyway, sorry for the cautionary detour. Back to the study.

Researchers discovered that when volunteers were given 5mg of caffeine per kilogram of bodyweight, they reported less muscle fatigue during a 30-minute session on an exercise bike (at 80-percent effort) than volunteers who were given a placebo. Bear in mind, however, that excessive amounts of caffeine have also been shown in separate studies to restrict blood flow during exercise. Therefore, using this old and new information as a general guide, it seems that allowing yourself a small amount of caffeine before workout is a safe and effective way to give yourself a little boost.

Have fitness questions? Fitz has your answer. Our ThatsFit.com fitness expert -- and now your own virtual personal trainer -- will help you get fit, increase your overall health and do it in a fun way. Drop your questions here in the Comments section below and we'll choose two per week to publish on That's Fit! Learn more about Fitz here.

Q. Dear Fitz, I know that most people are trying to lose weight, but I am trying to gain. Gain muscle, that is. I am going to the gym three to four times per week. I'm using the weight machines there, but It doesn't seem like I am gaining any muscle. Could you give me some advice? What types of healthy food should I eat? Should I be doing more reps with less weight or fewer reps with more weight? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks, Lea Rettig

A. Hey Lea, your question is superb, and the answer thank goodness is quite simple. Strength training should be challenging. Funny enough, my clients always seemed shocked and follow up that feeling of shock by giving me dirty looks when I pass them the dumbbell I'd like them to lift. Along with that dirty look, I receive chronic cries of, "Fitz! That's heavy!" Well, yes. Yes it is. The purpose of strength training is to get stronger, and yes ... build muscle. If I were to give them weights they could already lift comfortably ... they wouldn't be getting any stronger!

When we think about the biological clock ticking away, we pretty much immediately think of women. After all, age only matters for the mom -- the father can be as old as he wants and it doesn't make a difference, right?

According to a recent Danish study of over 100,000 children, not exactly. Children in the study who were fathered by men over 45 were much less likely to reach their nineteenth birthday than were the children of men in their late 20s.

The older men's children were especially likely to die from birth defects like heart problems. Another common cause of death was as a result of suicide, accidents, or fights, which could be explained by their higher rates of autism, epilepsy, and schizophrenia.

When I think interesting and engaging reading material, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition immediately jumps to mind. Nothing gets me going like page after page of almost incomprehensible empirical findings written by some of the most cerebral people on the planet. Okay, fine ... so I don't actually read the journal ... or many of the articles for that matter. I'm more of an abstract guy, probably a carry-over from my Cliff Notes days back in high school.

That all being said, in the course of skimming through a recent edition of this well-respected journal, I happened upon a study on vitamin C that caught my attention. Thanks to the abstract, I learned right away that having higher levels of vitamin C in the bloodstream may help reduce the risk of stroke. Upon further examination of the article itself, I found that this comprehensive study (which included 20,649 British men and women) revealed that people with the highest level of vitamin C had a 42 percent lower risk of stroke than people with the lowest levels.

Even when outside variables -- such as age, sex, smoking, BMI, blood pressure, cholesterol, exercise habits, etc. -- were controlled for, these findings remained the same. Researchers posit that high vitamin C levels may signal a healthy lifestyle that lowers the risk of stroke, specifically a diet rich in fruits and vegetables.

Peanut allergies have become pretty popular. And what causes them remains a bit confusing.

When my now almost three-year-old daughter was a baby, our pediatrician told us the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended peanut consumption be delayed until age three because the allergy was believed to be developed due to repeated exposure at a very young age. But new studies suggest no relation between allergies to peanuts and when a child began eating them. This is what AAP had to say. Since the cause is still clear as mud, study authors recommend more research on the cause of early allergic reactions to peanuts, as well as successful prevention efforts.

Meanwhile, we're still eating sunflower seed butter in our house. This web page touts its similarity to peanut butter in consistency, taste and price and offers a nutritional breakdown (it does contain a bit more sugar than some peanut butters). We started when the pediatrician gave us the nitty gritty on nut allergies and we have no plans to stop. It's really tasty. I like it better than peanut butter. We pick up a couple jars every time we go to Trader Joe's. But it's also available in other local markets.

So until researchers come up with some more news on peanuts, consider sunflower seed butter as a tasty alternative that you don't have to worry about.

Did you eat breakfast today? How about yesterday? If you answered "No," you may be interested to learn that starting the day off with a substantive meal can help keep your weight in check.

The American Journal of Epidemiology reports that participants in a recent study who sourced 22 to 50 percent of their total daily calories from their breakfast gained an average of only 1.7 pounds over a four-year span. By contrast, those who did not eat breakfast -- or only sourced up to 11 percent of their daily calories from breakfast -- gained about three pounds.

Researchers posit that eating a meal after a long period of fasting -- as in, sleeping through the night, skipping breakfast, and then eating at around noon -- releases excess amounts of insulin, leading to fat storage and, as a recent Japanese study revealed, prevents the breakdown of stored fats.

Wouldn't it be grand if you simply had to eat a chocolate bar every day? Not complying with your daily prescription would mean the study of heart disease would take a hit. People could get sick, for goodness sake. You wouldn't want that on your conscience, would you?

Participants in Britain will soon be eating one grand chocolate bar every day for one whole year to help researchers determine whether compounds called flavonoids found in chocolate and other foods help reduce the risk of heart disease for menopausal women with type 2 diabetes. Previous studies suggest dark chocolate is linked with heart health but experts say the high sugar and fat content might cancel out some of the benefits.

One hundred and fifty women -- each one past menopause and with type 2 diabetes -- will come to the aid of science very soon. While downing their daily decadence -- half will eat a super-charged bar with 30 grams of flavonoids; the others will get chocolate without the active compounds -- researchers will look at their blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and the condition of their arteries.

Researchers hope this study has implication for a wider population. If all goes well, maybe a candy bar will soon be on your daily diet plan.

Put down the eggs, men! Well, not all of them. For some of you, anyway.

Middle-aged men who ate seven or more eggs per week had a higher risk of earlier death, say U.S. researchers reporting on the 20-year-long Physicians' Health Study. And men with diabetes who ate any eggs at all raised their risk of death.

Eggs have long been controversial -- and this research adds to a growing body of evidence about the safety of the possibly-forbidden food. Here are some initial conclusions:

When we hear about our core muscles, a number of fairly specific exercises come to mind. Chances are, your mind is shuffling through at least four or five of them right now. Well, if you really want to work your core, you might be better off skipping those exercises and instead focusing on two traditional weightlifting exercises: weighted squats and deadlifts.

Just in case you were wondering, no, the source of this information was not some musclehead magazine. In fact, it was actually Women's Health that pulled information from a recent study published in The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.

According to the article, weighted squats and deadlifts strengthen the core muscles 50 to 70 percent more than Swiss ball exercises. So, rather than always concerning yourself with "working your abs" -- as is if they were a separate entity, try working your entire body with these compound lifting movements.

We have all heard that pets can help teach kids patience, responsibility, and empathy, but according to a recent study, having a dog in the home during childhood, especially during the first year of infancy, seriously decreased a child's likelihood of developing sensitivities to allergens like pollen. Our own Maggie first broke this story a few days ago but it's worth repeating for those thinking about investing in a canine commitment -- and for those who like photos of cute kids and cute dogs. See gallery that follows.

So the science behind this theory is that dogs bring germs inside on their coats and in their mouths, thus exposing kids to them and boosting the child's immune system. Older generations were often exposed to more dirt and germs as children (you know, because kids used to actually play outside instead of sitting indoors playing video games), and therefore developed a greater resistance to many allergens than kids today.

This study in particular has taken blood samples from 3,000 six-year-olds and will test the samples for hints that the child might become allergic to things like pet hair, dust mites, and pollen. The children will be retested at age 10, but the lead researcher has already stated with confidence that, "Our results show clearly that the presence of a dog in the home during infancy is associated with a significantly low level of sensitization to pollens and allergens."