The makers of an over-the-counter gender prediction test say their product, the IntelliGender, will let expecting moms know the sex of their baby as  early as 10 weeks after conception.

It’s a simple urine test that’s based on the science that certain hormones found in the pregnant woman’s urine, when combined with a “proprietary mix of chemicals”, will react  differently depending on whether the woman is carrying a boy or a girl.

Apparenly, within 10 minutes of taking the urine test, the specimen will turn green if it’s a boy, and orange if it’s a girl.

But IntelliGender co-founder Rebecca Griffin is quick to say that they do not guarantee 100% accuracy. The test, after all, is not a  diagnostic tool.

For that, you need to wait for a sonogram at around 20 weeks.

So what do you think?

Would you take the test?

(article source)

Having trouble toilet training the toddler?

Then check out this interesting idea - a musical diaper that triggers a ‘wetting alarm’. 

Seriously.

In a study recently published in Neurology and Urodynamics, the participants (young healthy children between 18 and 30 months) in a daycare center were observed for the effectiveness of wearing a diaper with an ‘alarm’ system. Some wore the actual diapers with the actual wetting alarm and others wore diapers with a placebo alarm.

The results - those wearing the ‘wetting alarm’ diapers achieved independent bladder control almost 60% of the time as compared to the placebo alarm group that achieved independent bladder control only 8.3% of the time.

Makes sense really. The ‘wetting alarm’ training method offers both the child and the caregiver immediate information of any leakage which allows the caretaker to take the child to the bathroom at that particular moment. This offers the child awareness of bladder behavoir and more quickly helps the child make a connection between feeling the need to urinate and the need to get to the toilet.

Will this make the musical diaper the next big thing on the supermarket shelf?

(source and image)

Trying to get some kids to eat vegetables is like pulling teeth. They’ll do just about anything to avoid that green, orange, or yellow thing sitting on the plate. Hiding it doesn’t work. Somehow, they always seem to know it there.

Well, turns out there’s an easier way to get your kids to eat their greens, yellows, and oranges.
Just give them a cool name like ‘X-ray Vision Carrots’, ‘Tomato Bursts’, or ‘dinosaur broccoli trees’ and the vegetables won’t stand a chance. They’ll be goobled up quick.

That’s the finding of a new study by Cornell University researchers. They presented 186 four-year old “X-ray Vision Carrots” and found that these pre-schoolers ate nearly twice as much as they did on the lunch days when they were simply labeled as ‘carrots’.

As researcher Brian Wansick says “Cool names can make for cool foods”. And the best of this is that once the kids started eating the carrots, they continued to eat them even on days when they were no longer labelled ‘X-ray Vision Carrots’.

Such a simple idea with great results. But I think that many mothers already knew this.

But the interesting thing is that doesn’t just work on kids. Adults too have an affinity for cool food names. For example, changing the name of seafood filet to ‘Succulent Italian Seafood Filet’ on a restaurant menu resulted in sales increased by 28% and taste rating increased by 12%.

Maybe it’s all in our mind.

(image source)

Today’s Sunday Sidebar focuses on three different cases that intrigue and mystify me.

First up, the 60 year old woman from Western Canadian who recently gave birth to twins. Seems she had her heart set on having children and when it didn’t happen naturally, resorted to IVF treatment in India (Canada apparently has a cutoff age of 50). I’m sorry but having twins at 60 sounds more like a nightmare than a blessing. Keeping up with one infant would be hard enough but two? Even a thirty year old might have problems doing that.

Second up, the baby faced 13 year old father in England. These kids (the mother is just 15) might have the energy to raise a child but as we all know, it takes so much more than just energy. It takes money. It takes maturity.

And third, there is Octo Mom who, even though she already has six children under age of 7, went to a fertility clinic, an action that resulted in her recently having octuplets. I’m still trying to get my head around this one. Why would anyone do this? Actually, why would any doctor allow this to happen? This woman believes that she can raise all 14 children but also go back to college in the fall and complete a master’s degree in counseling. Seriously, she plans on studying! When! How! The house will be full of children.

Any thoughts?

No one ever said baby naming is easy.

With hundreds of thousands of names to choose from, family expectations, and societal trends and fads, it’s definitely something that expectant parents agonize over.

One California couple, having a hard time making a decision,  has come up with a unique baby naming plan.  

Having narrowed the choice down to 17 boys and girls names, they’ve set up an online poll listing the names and hope that the world, or at least cyberspace, will help them decide. 

Want to help them out?

Cast your vote here…

Okay, all you pessimistic poops, now there’s a reason to take that oh-so-annoying Susie Sunshine a little more seriously. A recent study published in Psychosomatic Medicine reveals that people who choose to look at the glass as half full are 33% less likely to get sick when exposed to a virus. Why? Positive emotions prompt the release of chemicals that strengthen the immune system.

So the next time you have the urge to be a nay-sayer or ignore a cloud’s silver lining, think again.

This has been your Healthbolt Happy Living Tip of the day. Have a great weekend!

After the weekend I just had (see the post below for a sampling of my horrific menu!) I figured it was time to get back to good, you know? But, of course, this being the first day of Back-to-School (can I get a hallelujah?!?), there is now little to no time to cook as ideally as I’d like.

So what shall we turn to? Packaged foods, of course.

Sure, it can be tempting to grab whatever’s on sale, but with a little bit of pre-thought and preparation, you can choose some really great convenience items to enhance your home-cooked meals or to build them around.

Thankfully, Women’s Health has put together an awesome list of the 125 Top Packaged Foods just for us. You’ll find winners in categories including:

• Drinks
• Bread
• Pasta
• Fruits & Vegetables
• Frozen Meals
• Soup
• Snacks
• Meats
• Sweets
• Dairy
• Condiments & Sauces

See the whole list for the best of the best to get you and yours off to the healthiest start possible this school year. (Don’t you just love when someone does all the work for you?!)

For all the mothers out there who are, secretly or not, celebrating the fact that their monsters children are returning to school this coming week…

…wouldn’t you, some days, love to put an ad in the paper or maybe on craigslist for a ‘Live-in Nanny’?

Most of us couldn’t afford to but if you could, would you start off the ad like this…

‘My kids are a pain’

Followed by…

“If you cannot multitask, or communicate without being passive aggressive, don’t even bother replying,”

And….

“If you are fundamentally unhappy with your life, you will be more unhappy if you take this job, so do us all a favor and get some treatment or move to the Rockies, but do not apply for employment with us.”

 Doesn’t sound like the best way of getting the help you need. But the  ‘Nanny Ad’ appeared to hit a nerve and took on a life of it’s own, featuring in numerous parenting blogs, e-mailed around the world, and even inspired an article in the New York Times.

And I guess, in time, maybe a book and/or a movie…

The position, believe it or not, has been filled so the ad is no longer on Craiglist but I did manage to find a copy of the full 1,000 word ad to read for you to read.

…………………………………………………………………………………………

…..Enter here to win a DVD of the Food Matters Documentary…..

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You’ve debated them around the water cooler for years. Your mother has warned you about a good many of them. Seinfeld even had a whole show built around one of them (#5). What are they?

Old Wives Tales, of course.

But are they tales, or do some of them hold some truth a grain or two of truth? Take the quiz below to test your own knowledge on some of the most commonly accepted thoughts out there. Then check your answers and get the explanations you seek at MSNBC.com.

1. Cell phones are dangerous to use in hospitals because they can interfere with medical equipment. True / False / Maybe So

2. It’s safe to follow “the 5 second rule” for food dropped on the floor. True / False / Maybe So

3. Cracking your knuckles can cause arthritis. True / False / Maybe So

4. Cola type soft drinks can damage your kidneys. True / False / Maybe So

5. “Double dipping” spreads germs from one chip to another. True / False / Maybe So

6. Eating locally produced honey can ease seasonal allergies. True / False / Maybe So

Some of those are pretty tricky, huh? So…how did you do?

Guys, this one’s for you (although I’d imagine the findings would hold true - or at least be similar - for womenfolk as well.)

Harvard scientists have found a cheap disease-fighter that you probably (hopefully) already do: Flossing your teeth!

In their research, they found that out of 50,000 guys, those with gum disease had a 30% to 50% greater risk of kidney, blood or pancreatic cancer. Why? Possibly because the inflammation caused by gum disease can egg on the growth of cancer cells.

The key, of course, is to floss daily. And brush, too. Ahem.

This has been your Healthbolt Easy Health Tip of the Day. Go forth with fresh breath and shiny teeth, m’friends.