Author: James Fishman

James Fishman has been involved in the world of online magazines for more than 15 years. He helped launch Sunstone Online and continues to improve the magazine as site editor and administrator. His writing focuses primarily business and technology. To be in touch with James, feel free to contact him at james[at]sunstoneonline.com.

Start Trying for a Family by 23?

babies-644263_640The latest news from New Scientist is probably not going to make too many women happy. Their recent research with 58,000 women and their fertility data shows that women should start trying to have babies much earlier than one might think if they want a big family. Women who want to have a big family should start trying by age 23…and even those who only want one child shouldn’t wait past 32.

As Professor Allan Pacey, a Sheffield University fertility expert, said, “We haven’ t got a time machine we can put people in….that’s just a blunt reality. Everyone thinks you can wait – this shows you can’t.”

The fertility calculator that they’ve created works by having a woman indicate how many children she would like to have and whether she is going to be using IVF. The table will then indicate at what age she should start trying for a family for a 90%, 75% and 50% success rate.

Surprisingly, according to the chart, pregnancy does remain an option for women in their early 40s, but only with 50% odds.

One of the calculator creators, Dik Habbema, of Erasmus University in Rotterdam said, “We have tried to fill a missing link in the decision-making process. My son is 35 and many of his friends have a problem deciding when to have children because there are so many other things they want to do.”

Professor Balen told New Scientist that it’s certainly a juggling act to figure out when to start a family. As he said, “Couples need support so they can start their families early. Women who have children in their 20s are more likely to achieve their desired family size but can also expect lower lifetime earnings than women who start later. We need to ensure women aren’t disadvantaged at work and sort the lack of childcare facilities so we can enable young people to establish their careers and families at the same time.”

Late Afternoon Pick-Me-Ups

Do you hit a slump in the afternoon and feel like crawling into bed? Many of us do, and it’s not hard to get over that period and into the evening, especially if these are hours when you’re still working. Here are four ways to try to manage the afternoon.

*Take a Break: Get away from your screen for a few minutes and get some exercise. Even if you just go outside for five minutes or do stretches by your desk, you’ll give yourself energy. Continue reading “Late Afternoon Pick-Me-Ups” →

Study Finds New Dads Pack On the Pounds

baby-22194_640New dads – watch out. When that baby arrives you just might find yourself putting on the pounds. Experts who tracked 10,000 men for two decades from their teens through their early thirties found that dads were more likely to put on weight in the years after their first child arrived. Men who had no children, in contrast, actually lost weight over the period.

The researchers, who published their work in the American Journal of Men’s Health, said that fathers who put on weight were at higher risk for health problems. The study leader from Northwestern University in Chicago, Dr. Craig Garfield, said, “The more weight the fathers gain and the higher their body mass index, the greater risk they have for developing heart disease as well as diabetes and cancer.”

Ironically, the researchers found that even fathers who didn’t live with their children put on this weight, although they didn’t do so as quickly as did live-in dads.

They found, overall, for a six foot tall man, that those who had a first child put on 4.4 pounds, those who had a child but didn’t live with their children put on 3.3 pounds and men who didn’t have children lost 1.4 pounds.

Dr. Garfield emphasized that the study should teach general practitioners to speak with their patients about their health. As he said, “New dads are coming into the health care system as a paediatric chaperone.This is an opportunity to talk about things that are important for dads’ health and the child’s health and to offer dads nutritional counselling and mental health education.We now realise the transition to fatherhood is an important developmental life stage for men’s health.It’s a magical moment where so many things change in a man’s life. Now the medical field needs to think about how can we help these men of child-rearing age who often don’t come to the doctor’s office for themselves.”

Water Safety for Summer Fun

If you’re planning a vacation in the near future, or you spend a lot of time at home near the water, this video can help you to be safer. Play safely this summer to prevent tragic accidents. Get the facts.

 


Fat Fighting Foods: The Top 10 List

flax-seeds-157190429A recent article on DailyMail revealed 30 of the top foods to eat to try to lose weight. Working with nutritionist and author Fiona Kirk and with nutritionist Sharon Morey, they created this list. Here are the top ten that they presented. Read the full article to see the rest.

  1. Peanut Butter: providing long-lasting energy and a reduction in sugar cravings.
  2. Apples: contain a chemical called pectin which limits the amount of fat your cells can absorb.
  3. Red wine: drink once in a while as grape seeds contain substances that have an inhibiting effect on weight gain.
  4. Flax seeds: metabolism boosting high quality protein and fibre.
  5. Green Tea: can boost metabolism and may aid weight loss.
  6. Grapefruit: the unique chemical properties help reduce insulin levels

  7. Broccoli: study after study links calcium and weight loss
  8. Soybeans: contain lecithin, which will stop your cells from accumulating fat
  9. Quinoa: a great source of complete protein
  10. Oats: cholesterol-fighting, fat-soluble fibre

Could You Be Colorblind?

crayons-428283_640Have you ever wondered if you’re colorblind? Do people point out to you that you are dressed a bit funny, with colors that others wouldn’t choose? Or do you hear people discussing the vibrancy of flowers, or the lovely color of the sunset, and you just don’t see what they are talking about? With this easy test, you can see if you might have one of the three types of colorblindness.

Learn more about the types of colorblindness that people have – and find out if you are one of them!