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Good nutrition plays a crucial role in cancer prevention. Though cancerous mesothelioma is not caused by bad nutrition, improving nutritional with a cancer diet rich in antioxidants can allow asbestosis mesothelioma patients to better fight the cancer, as well as ease symptoms and treat side effects.

Although a few other causes of malignant mesothelioma have been determined, the primary cause is exposure to asbestos. Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that was used in a number of military and industrial applications throughout the 20th century. Symptoms don’t usually become noticeable until as long as 50 years after primary exposure. Unfortunately, the cancer is typically diagnosed in later stages when treatment options are limited.

One of the most frequent side effects of mesothelioma and cancer treatment is nausea. There are a number of nutritional changes that can be made to help this problem. Dry foods such as crackers and toast can calm an upset stomach and bland foods help with nausea and acid reflux problems. Dark green leafy vegetables can also be beneficial when treating mesothelioma, because they’re rich with essential vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that help fight cancer. Dark leafy greens contain antioxidants and phytochemicals, which are powerful enzymes that help clean the body of cancer-causing agents (carcinogens) and block enzymes known to activate carcinogens.

Mesothelioma patients can also benefit from the cancer-fighting nutrients found in berries. Blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, cranberries, strawberries and loganberries are known to contain cancer-fighting phytonutrients, such as anthocyanins, ellagic acid, pterostilbene and resveratrol. In fact, extracts of six types of berries were tested in one laboratory study to determine whether they could prevent the growth and proliferation of different types of cancer cells. Each berry type was found to have unique phytonutrient combinations and extracts of all of them killed cancer cells.

Also, garlic produces a chemical called allicin which can be beneficial for mesothelioma patients. Garlic appears to have the greatest affect on stomach cancer and prostate cancer in men, but affects have been noted in all types of cancer and on different carcinogens.

This health article describes how you can gain weight the healthy way!

Nowadays it seems like everyone is looking for a solution to weight loss. But if you’re reading this health article, you might actually be looking for a solution to the opposite problem: You want to know how to gain weight and build muscle in a healthy manner without having to resort to harmful drugs or expensive weight gain supplements that don’t work.

In a nutshell, weight gain can be achieved with the combination of good nutrition and a consistent weight training program. When it comes to nutrition, it’s essential to have a combination of protein, carbohydrates, and good fats if you want to add weight. Proteins are necessary, because they repair and rebuild muscles after a workout. The average person should take in 1/2 gram of protein per pound of body weight to be healthy. But if you want to gain weight, you should consume about 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight. Red meat, eggs, fish, poultry are great sources of protein that also provide important amino acids that aid in healthy weight gain.

And don’t leave out the carbohydrates, which the body stores in the muscle tissues and liver in the form of glucose. When your body needs energy, it turns to these stored carbs for fuel. If you don’t have enough carbohydrates, your body will convert protein into carbohydrates to get energy, thereby robbing your body of the proteins it needs to help you gain weight.

Carbohydrates are comprised of three types: simple, complex and dietary fiber. Simple carbohydrates can be obtained from sources like fruit juices; complex carbohydrates come from potatoes, oats, brown rice, whole grains and pasta; and dietary fiber comes from vegetables such as sweet corn, black beans and broccoli, among many others. The best approach is to get your calories from eating raw foods, but this is not always possible for people who have trouble gaining weight. For them, meal replacements can be important tools.

To implement a weight gain program, it’s imperative that you eat several smaller meals a day rather than three larger meals. Why is this important? Because as the frequency of meals increases, so will nutrient absorption rates. More frequent nutrient delivery also means your body will be in a better position to regulate insulin levels, which factor into weight gain. The problem is that if you’re like most people, you probably don’t have time to prepare six meals a day. Meal replacements, which are commonly referred to as as MRPs (meal replacement powders), can provide a solution.

As the name suggests, MRPs are supplements that replicate the effect of having eaten a meal. MRPs don’t do anything more than a good, healthy meal; they just make eating more convenient and portable. You might think MRPs would be a grim and tasteless option. But the good news is that as more people have used and become knowledgeable about them, they have forced nutrition companies to come up with palatable products that really work. Quality MRP brands like Prolab, EAS, Met-Rx and Optimum Nutrition not only taste good; they contain an assortment of vital proteins and vitamins. (That’s not always the case with MRPs you find in the grocery store, so buyer beware.) You don’t need a kitchen to prepare an MRP; all you need is water or juice and a shaker. It’s almost like having a personal chef who provides nutritional meals at your command, any time of the day.

There are a few things to consider before you head out to the store and buy your first can of MRP. By far the most important criteria is the taste. No matter how nutritious it is, if you don’t like how it tastes, it isn’t going to help you. Next are the upgrades. Beware of companies that add extra whey protein or glutamine because these are rip-offs.

Photo by Laura Nubuck

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If you’re looking for a healthy, non-junk-food happy meal, you might want to incorporate the goji berry into your diet. This bright red berry commonly found in China and Mongolia is used as a health food and as part of many Asian medicinal practices. It also has a reputation for making people feel more content, which is why it got the name goji berry. In Chinese, that roughly translates to “the happy berry.

Also known as the wolfberry or gougi berry, the goji berry was mentioned in the earliest known medical text. In fact, documented use of the berry extends as far back as 1,900 years ago when prominent traveling healers used it as part of a regimen for their patients, believing it had the ability to keep the body nourished and healthy. These early healers would roam the country diagnosing health problems and attempting to keep their patients properly nourished. Unlike health care providers today, the healers would only be paid as long as their patients were healthy. If a person became ill, they would cease to pay the healer until he had brought them back to wellness.

And undocumented use of the goji berry extends back even longer than the 1,900 years of recorded medical history. Chinese legends tell of the first emperor of China who was reputed to have eaten the fruit daily because he believed it kept him well and free from sickness.

The goji berry has become central to many cultures throughout Asia, especially in China, and has a reputation as a healthy food with powerful natural abilities in the human body. Asians believe it can purge the body of illness, and doctors attest that they have seen regular consumption of the berry improve the health of their patients and cure various forms of sickness. As a result, the Chinese have even adopted the goji berry into many of their social events, including a special celebration meant to honor the fruit. And the goji berry has become popular in western cultures, too, where it is used as a health food. Likened to green tea, the goji berry has especially been favored by Hollywood celebrities, many of whom believe it may help them look younger longer.

Scientific Studies

Until recently the berry’s benefits were untested. Chinese medical authorities regularly used the berry and claimed to have scientific proof of its effects on the human body, but none of them were deemed accurate enough by western medical authorities.

Early in 2008, however, new studies were conducted using an approved scientific format to document the effect of a goji product in the body. The product was GoChi Juice, a health drink made from the goji berry. Clinical trials were conducted on people of all ages using a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled format. Subjects were studied and their progress measured at 14 and 30 days of using the product after consuming 4 oz. of the product daily. After 14 days of use, those who drank the juice experienced:

• Sharper mental acuity
• Better quality sleep
• Easier ability to wake up
• Feeling healthier and more content
• Improved regularity
• Improved athletic performance
• Increased energy
• Reduced stress
• Increased ability to focus

After 30 days, those who drank the goji juice were also shown to have improved immune system functioning and natural antioxidant production. The placebo group showed no significant improvements in either function. These results were so ground-breaking, after being peer reviewed, the study was featured in the Journal of Alternative and Complimentary Medicine.

Currently, China is the only country that farms the berry commercially. Though it’s is sold in many forms, the berry is most commonly marketed as a juice. Dried berries are also available. While the berries are much less expensive, they don’t contain all the nutrients found in the juice.