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Monthly Archives: March 2018

Review Your Nutrition

Lisa Hyde-Barrett, RN Mesothelioma NurseThe role of nutrition before, during, and after a diagnosis of malignant mesothelioma or any cancer is being studied and the results are constantly evolving. The basic information is that your personal diet should fit your taste, contribute to a healthy lifestyle, and be affordable for you. Generally, it is recommended that your diet be low in salt, saturated fat and cholesterol, and high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and healthy fats.

The National Cancer Institute has a division, Nutritional Science Research Group, in the Division of Cancer Prevention, whose purpose is to, “promote and support studies, establishing a comprehensive understanding of the precise role of diet and food components in modulating cancer risk and tumor cell behavior.” On Cancer.gov, there are results of studies that have been conducted and their connection with cancer.

Research has shown that you can reduce your chance of getting cancer or improve your chances of recovering from it by making conscious decisions about what you eat. We all have heard through the media many propositions for what someone should eliminate but one of the most promising diets is a plant-based one which eliminates meat, dairy and eggs. Back in 2012 there was an analysis of all the studies that concluded that vegetarians have significantly lower cancer rates. A study funded by the National Cancer Institute showed that vegans have lower rates of cancer than meat eaters and vegetarians. What is it that makes vegan and vegetarians less prone to cancer? When eating animal protein, the growth hormone called IGF-1 is increased. By performing studies that collect blood from meat-eaters, vegans, and vegetarians and placing it on human cells growing in a petri dishes, the results showed that those who ate more plant- based diets were found to suppress the growth of different types of cancer. Additionally, research has shown that being overweight can be a risk factor for cancer.

When you are diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma you may lack hope and doubt that a diet change is going to improve your outcome. Despite what the cancer will bring, you may feel better by just making some positive changes. Your whole diet does not have to change overnight but simple steps can improve your overall health and outlook. The American Cancer Research encourages us to eat a diet where our plates are filled with 2/3 of plant- based foods.

We know that Mesothelioma is not related to diet but the overall control of how you treat and fuel your body may feel empowering. Possibly you do not want to change your diet and you are satisfied with your nutritional status and that is fine. Although there is not one study that could provide all the answers, find what is right for you and give it a try.

There are a lot of healthy foods and vitamins widely available to all. Supplements can help a limited diet but, unfortunately one vitamin cannot take place of a food that would otherwise be full of it. Many times, vitamins work with other vitamins and not individually so that should be considered when making food choices. Remember it is quality over quantity; if you cannot get fresh vegetable, try the frozen version. Always remember something is better than nothing.

Sleep Week

Eleanor Ericson Mesothelioma NurseWhen dealing with a diagnosis of malignant mesothelioma it is vital to take the best possible care of yourself. One of the ways to do that is to get enough sleep. The amount of sleep that can provide you with optimal physical health, optimum immune function, mental health, and cognition, is what you need to obtain. This is often easier to say and to intellectually know but to achieve can be challenging.

Mesothelioma SleepSleep is a basic need of the body for physical and psychological well-being. The importance of sleep for best health cannot be underestimated. Sleep is something that has been undervalued by many of us. The amount of sleep we need varies with age. According to the National Sleep Foundation, adults age 18-64 should get between 7 and 9 hours of sleep a night. Age 65 years and older 7 to 8 hours are recommended. Infants and younger people require more sleep. Over time not sleeping, called short sleep deprivation, can lead to various health problems, including cardiovascular disease, obesity, and all-cause mortality. The immediate effects of not getting enough sleep are irritability, negativity, bad mood, inability to concentrate, short term memory loss, apathy, poor communication and questionable decision making.

Sleep and its effect on the human body is studied by sleep doctors. These specialized experts are called somnologist- from the word “somnus” meaning sleep. These physicians have additional training in the science of sleep medicine and are board certified by the American College of Sleep Medicine. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine, is dedicated to achieving optimum health through advancing the field of sleep medicine at the state and local levels.

There have been many studies conducted regarding sleep and its effects. In our culture often people admire someone who claims to get only 4 hours of sleep a night. In one study nearly 30% of adults in the United States reported that they sleep 6 or fewer hours a week.

Research has shown that long-term sleep disruptions may raise the risk of diagnosis of certain types of cancer. The findings that lack of sleep increases inflammation and disrupts normal immune function. Involved in the sleep cycle is a hormone called melatonin, which we produce with sleep, this hormone is thought to have antioxidant properties that help prevent cellular damage.

March 11-17 is Sleep Awareness Week. “Begin with Sleep” (#YourDayBeginsWithSleep), the focus of this week is to educate people about the importance of good sleep health for individuals to best achieve their personal, family, and professional goals. The week is sponsored by the National Sleep Foundation. The foundation is dedicated to improving health and well being through sleep education and advocacy.

Being diagnosed with cancer can lead to sleepless nights. In the middle of the night unable to sleep our darkest fears can seem to be reality. It is important when this happens that we realize that what we think at 4 a.m. is often shrouded in lack of sleep, and a negative hopeless frame of mind. It is important for all of us to take care of ourselves and get enough sleep for our physical and emotional well-being.

“The best bridge between despair and hope is getting a good night’s sleep.” – E. Joseph Cossman

Mesothelioma TV Commercials

Everyone has seen commercials for mesothelioma on television. When you are watching the news or a football game or your favorite show, you see commercials targeting people diagnosed with mesothelioma. Some of these commercials offer a free mesothelioma book, while others talk about a 30 billion dollar asbestos trust fund. What should people diagnosed with mesothelioma and their family members make of these TV commercials?

1. Any Law Firm Can Run a TV Commercial.

It’s important to keep in mind that any lawyer or law firm can pay money to run a TV commercial. This does not mean that the law firm or lawyer has any experience or track-record in actually litigating mesothelioma cases. A law firm can have a commercial on TV even if the law firm has never won a single jury verdict in a mesothelioma case. If you watch closely, you will see the name of the law firm that put the commercial on TV at the very end of the commercial. You can read the name of the firm and research the firm to find out: if they actually have a proven track-record in mesothelioma cases, if their attorneys have good credentials and if they have handled mesothelioma cases similar to yours.

2. The Firm Running the TV Commercial May Not Handle Your Case.

You may be surprised to know that there are lawyers that run TV commercials that do not actually file and litigate the claims for people diagnosed with mesothelioma. Many firms advertising on TV will come and meet with you and have you sign a contract and then send your case to a litigation firm that primarily works on the case. Marketing and litigation require different skills and focus. Some firms are very skilled in marketing and running very polished and persuasive TV commercials. Other firms put their focus on litigating cases including trying mesothelioma cases in front of juries. Some firms are skilled in both marketing and litigating. However, there is no way to make this judgment about the firm based on a 30 second TV commercial.

3. If You Found MesoLawyersCare, Then You’ve Been Doing Your Homework

If you are reading this, then you have decided to research which attorney would be best for your mesothelioma case. You have decided that you are not going to base your decision solely on a 30 second TV commercial. And if you have found MesoLawyersCare, you have done your homework in finding the group of attorneys that together have accomplished more for families affected by mesothelioma than any other group of attorneys. We are four firms that have come together to provide the highest level of representation for mesothelioma victims from coast-to-coast. While you are on our website, you can take more time than the 30 seconds it takes to watch a TV commercial. Read about us. Read about our verdicts and settlements. Read about some of our attorneys. See why people choose MesoLawyersCare.

The choice of an attorney for a mesothelioma case is very important. It is one of the biggest facts that will affect how much your case is worth. Just like you would not choose a surgeon to operate on your mesothelioma, based on a TV commercial, you should do research to find the law firm that can best help you.

Contact us today for a free, no-obligation consultation to find out how we can help you with your mesothelioma case. We also can connect you with experienced mesothelioma nurses who can help guide you through the medical decisions you are making. We are proud to have recovered more than 10 billion dollars for mesothelioma victims and families. We are also proud that we give back to fund mesothelioma research and patient services. Connect with us now to see if we can help you, by (1) using the phone number on this page, (2) starting a live chat, or (3) filling out the form on this website.

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