Health Talk Today

The Important Role of Nutrition in Cancer Treatment

Guest post by Jillian McKee, Complementary Medicine Advocate at the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance.

Fruit and Vegetables

Good nutrition is instrumental in a cancer patient’s life because it makes a big difference in how the body responds to treatment. Sometimes treatments are very hard on the body. Eating a good diet will help the body replace damaged cells and will help in healing after surgery. If cancer patients continue to eat a good, nutritious diet during their illnesses, they will keep their strength intact. All of these issues are a concern when people are just being diagnosed, currently undergoing treatment, or recovering from cancer.

Weight is a highly important topic to doctors. As people lose weight after being diagnosed, they lower survival chances more quickly than those who can keep their weight at a healthy level. Similarly, when losing weight during their illnesses, enthusiasm and quality of life declines. By keeping their weight at a healthy level, energy levels are maintained. They can better maintain their normal lives and do not feel as hopeless as those who are feeling weak.

As people eat a nutritious diet, they can reduce the symptoms that they experience from their cancer treatments. If cancer patients are becoming malnourished, they often notice side effects that are more severe. These can be decreased by maintaining a healthy body weight. Side effects include:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Constipation
• Diarrhea
• Fatigue
• Anemia
• Anorexia

Problems with getting enough nutrition present themselves when it’s hard to eat a sufficient amount of food. Those who are currently receiving mesothelioma cancer treatments, for example, may need to have a feeding tube. This way, they will receive a healthy mixture of water, proteins, fats, vitamins, and carbohydrates. It can lead to these patients feeling much better than they did previously.

The medical staff will begin to take nutrition into consideration right after a patient has been diagnosed with cancer. They will want to identify any potential problems that could present themselves throughout the patients’ treatment. Then they can develop a plan to make sure malnutrition does not become an issue.

Jillian McKee has worked as the Complementary Medicine Advocate at the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance since June of 2009. Jillian spends most her time on outreach efforts and spreading information about the integration of complementary and alternative medicine when used in conjunction with traditional cancer treatment.

Leave a comment for Jill with your best nutrition ideas.

Posted in: Disease, Education, Food, Health Issues, Healthy Living, People.
Tagged: Cancer · Jillian McKee · mesothelioma · Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance · Nutrition
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Food That Is Good For You

by Marilyn.

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I believe that continuing to take little steps in the right direction, will add up to a healthy lifestyle. And every time I take another step, I find there’s so much more I can do. There are many stages of eating healthy. Some people think processed lunch meat is healthy. Others think more chicken and less beef is better for them. And some won’t eat meat at all.

No matter what your eating habits are today, here are some little steps you can take …

Drink more water
Aim for 8 glasses of water a day. I’ve read that everything counts: Water, coffee, tea, even the water content of food like lettuce. I think only water is counted as water. That’s what I try to drink most of the time.

Eat less salt
Add a little salt if needed, as food is cooking. But, never add salt at the table.

Eat slowly and chew well
Put your fork down between bites. Chew at least 20 times per bite. Pay attention to feeling full. Stop when you get that feeling.

Eat food that is good for you
A plant based diet is one of the healthiest. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables. And, to minimize pesticides, buy organic when possible. Use a non-toxic cleaner to wash fruits and vegetables to remove any dirt, germs from handling, surface pesticides and protective coatings. Even food you’re going to peel should be washed. When you peel or cut into it, you don’t want to drag dirt, germs and pesticides into the food.

Food That Is Good For You

Be sure to leave a comment. What’s your favorite food that is good for you?

Marilyn Kvasnok

Posted in: Education, Food, Healthy Living.
Tagged: Food · Food That Is Good For You
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How to Check for DNS Changer Malicious Software

by Marilyn.

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FBI Logo

I heard on the news that starting on Monday, July 9, 2012, anyone infected with the DNS Changer malicious software will not be able to access the Internet. The problem started last November when international hackers set up an advertising scam. When the FBI arrested the hackers, they couldn’t just shut down the malicious servers. There were 570,000 infected computers that would lose Internet service. Thru a private company, the FBI set up two clean servers to take over for the malicious servers. That gave everyone time to determine if their computer was infected. And if infected, figure out what to do to about it. Read the whole story published today at www.foxnews.com.

I’m always skeptical about these kinds of stories. So, I checked it out with AVG. I’ve used their anti-virus software for years and trust the company. I found the story there, too. Read the whole story titled Check for DNS Changer or face Internet blackout this Monday.

I wasn’t too surprised to learn that my AVG Free version was aware of the problem and checking my computer with my automatic scans. But, I wanted to double check anyway. I went to the site the FBI set up thru the private company: The DNS Changer Working Group (DCWG) I clicked Detect, then chose the English URL maintained by the DCWG.

DNS Changer Check-Up

I was happy to get the clean bill of health, until I read the paragraph below it …

“Had your computer been infected with DNS changer malware you would have seen a red background. Please note, however, that if your ISP is redirecting DNS traffic for its customers you would have reached this site even though you are infected.”

I decided to dig a little deeper for assurance that my computer is not infected with the DNS Changer malicious software. According to PC World’s article, Protect Yourself From DNSChanger, I could manually check my server. I followed the directions there and checked my DNS server at the FBI’s site. The result:

“Your IP is not configured to use the rogue DNS servers.”

Now, I’m reasonably convinced that I won’t have a problem tomorrow. But, without checking, I wouldn’t have known.

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Did you know about the DNS Changer malicious software?
Did you check your computer?
What results did you get?
Leave a comment with your experience.

Marilyn Kvasnok

Posted in: Education, Internet, Websites.
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What Do the Recycle Numbers Mean?

by Marilyn.

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Recycle Numbers Chart

Recycle Tips

Don’t choose plastic if there’s another option.
Don’t re-use plastic bottles. They’re meant for a one-time use. Several uses can allow the chemicals to leach into food and drinks.
Use stainless steel or glass instead of plastic.
Limit the use of plastic wrap.
Never use plastic wrap in the microwave.
Never cover hot food with plastic wrap. Consider using a plate as a cover. Or use a glass bottle with a lid.
Recycle plastic bottles to keep them out of the landfills.
Buy concentrated, non-toxic cleaning products. You’ll pay less and recycle less plastic. Non-toxic products are safe for your family, your home and the planet.

Marilyn Kvasnok

Posted in: Education, Green Cleaners, Healthy Living, Household Tips, Living Green, Reduce Reuse Recycle, Toxic Chemicals.
Tagged: Household Tips · Plastic · Plastic Bottles · Recycle Numbers · Reduce Reuse Recycle
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Anti-Stress Kit

by Marilyn.

8 comments

Anti-Stress Kit Front

An Anti-Stress Kit makes a great gift. I’ve given them to all the teachers as an end of the school year thank you. I’ve given them to all the doctors, nurses, therapists and aides after a hospital stay … A couple of times. And I always have a few just to say thank you on the moment’s notice.

Anti-Stress Kit

You’ll need a small bottle to hold the contents.
The first time I made them, I found round glass bottles (like a globe) with a plastic, screw on top. They were at a local craft store for 35 cents each. Other times, I found cylinder shaped bottles (pictured) and mini-mugs with tops. The last time, I shopped at a dollar store and bought plastic salt and pepper shakers with a covered butter dish. So, for $1.00, I got 2 bottles. Plus, I used the cover to the butter dish for a drawer divider. I’m still looking for a use for the butter dish bottom.

Anti-Stress Kit Parts

Anti-Stress Kit contents.
• Eraser … I used a small one that fits on top of a pencil.
• Penny … Shiny and new.
• Marble.
• Rubber band.
• String … About 6 inches long.
• Hershey Kiss candy
• Hershey Hugs candy

• Ribbon … Long enough to go around the neck of the bottle and tie.

• Anti-Stress Kit Card

This Anti-Stress Kit Contains:
An eraser, so you can make all
Of your troubles disappear.
A penny, so you can never
say you’re broke.
A marble, in case someone
says you’ve lost all of yours.
A rubber band, to stretch yourself
beyond your limits.
A string, to tie things together
when they fall apart.
And hugs & kisses, to remind you
that someone, somewhere, cares.

Print this verse on card stock.
You can download mine here.

On the back of the verse, you can add your contact info or the reason for the gift.
I’ve also added my business card in addition to the verse.

Use a one hole punch to make it easy to thread the ribbon.

Anti-Stress Kit Back