thanbey
02-10-2005, 03:16 PM
It doesn't matter whether you have decided not to treat, you are waiting for something better to treat with, you are treating, or you have either successfully treated or did not respond, here is what you need to know about the care and feeding of your liver.
You can use these management strategies to get ready for treatment or to prevent progression of liver disease (with monitoring by your doctor). You can increase your odds of responding (really!) and your odds of not relapsing. No matter what descisions you make, these strategies will improve your quality of life, no doubt about it, and possibly protect your liver from disease progression.
A complete lifestyle change and a commitment to a healthier life is required.
1. Exercise. Any is better than none, but a true cardio program on a regular (and frequent basis) is optimum. At work, take the stairs. At home, hop on a treadmill while watching TV and so forth. Begin by aiming at a total of not less than 30 minutes a day. Nothing increases energy and reduces fatigue like regular exercise.
Never sit when you can stand, never stand when you can walk, never walk if you can run. Never ride if you can get there by walking or biking.
2. Lose weight. Even a 10 percent weight loss will make huge difference. Maintaining a normal weight is more than a temporary diet. It means avoiding liver unhealthy food choices. Limit red meat, if you can. Eat more fish, especially wild fish. Never save starving children by cleaning your plate. Don't eat just because you can. (in restaurants in particular) Generally, a restaurant portion is twice or three times a healthy portion of food. So, take a friend and split the meal or take a doggie bag.
3 Eat better. Learn about fats and carbohydrates and commit to eating the good ones and avoiding the toxic ones. Not all are created equal. This is critical for a your liver. Forever.
4 Snack sensibly. If it makes your fingers greasy, do not eat it. Choose fruit, yogurt. Avoid "fake" foods, even the so called diet ones. Go for a handful of nuts or an apple.
Forage for fiber and go with whole grain. Two thirds of anything you eat should be plants.
5. Learn to read food labels. 3 grams or less of fat. More than five ingredients? skip it.
6. No alcohol. Doctors often think that wine in moderation is good, but what is moderation? The answer often depends on what the doctor's drinking habits are.
Alcohol is a liver toxin. And alcohol is alcohol, whether it is wine or beer or vodka. Avoid it totally. You can get the same good stuff that is touted in red wine from eating blueberries, raspberries or red grape juice. Seriously. The rest is marketing.
7. Check out the B vitamins if you have a fatty liver, especially. There is some evidence, but not conclusive evidence, that B vitamins assist the liver in processing out the fat and maintaining health. B-6 and B-12 have been specifically studied and B-12 may have some protective value for those with hepatitis C.
8. Consider a support group. Many companies now offer healthclub discounts or walking clubs to encourage employee health. What a great way to take a break during the day: an nice walk with your co-workers, a pick up basketball game or a yoga class.
9. Drink lots of water. Flushing toxins requires sufficiet fluid intake. Also, get enough sleep. The liver and GI system actually recover while you sleep. A liver needs its rest!
10.Do not smoke. There is nothing that mitigates or reduces the damage to your liver that smoking causes. There is no doubt about this anymore: smoking causes liver scarring called fibrosis. In combination with a fatty liver, you have two liver toxic processes going on. This includes exposure to second hand smoke. We know about the damage to heart and lungs, now we have evidence that the liver is a serious risk, too. If you are going to treat, tackle smoking first for your best chance to reduce side effects and increase response rate.
11. Lastly, educate yourself. Fatty liver was once thought to be a benign condition. Now we know it can lead to cirrhosis of the liver and liver failure if not managed. In combination with hepatitis B or C, this only makes the liver more vulnerable to assaults on it.
It is a serious disease that should be taken and managed seriously. For this reason, watch your over the counter and prescription medications. Try to take as few medications as possible.
I hope this helps,
thanbey
You can use these management strategies to get ready for treatment or to prevent progression of liver disease (with monitoring by your doctor). You can increase your odds of responding (really!) and your odds of not relapsing. No matter what descisions you make, these strategies will improve your quality of life, no doubt about it, and possibly protect your liver from disease progression.
A complete lifestyle change and a commitment to a healthier life is required.
1. Exercise. Any is better than none, but a true cardio program on a regular (and frequent basis) is optimum. At work, take the stairs. At home, hop on a treadmill while watching TV and so forth. Begin by aiming at a total of not less than 30 minutes a day. Nothing increases energy and reduces fatigue like regular exercise.
Never sit when you can stand, never stand when you can walk, never walk if you can run. Never ride if you can get there by walking or biking.
2. Lose weight. Even a 10 percent weight loss will make huge difference. Maintaining a normal weight is more than a temporary diet. It means avoiding liver unhealthy food choices. Limit red meat, if you can. Eat more fish, especially wild fish. Never save starving children by cleaning your plate. Don't eat just because you can. (in restaurants in particular) Generally, a restaurant portion is twice or three times a healthy portion of food. So, take a friend and split the meal or take a doggie bag.
3 Eat better. Learn about fats and carbohydrates and commit to eating the good ones and avoiding the toxic ones. Not all are created equal. This is critical for a your liver. Forever.
4 Snack sensibly. If it makes your fingers greasy, do not eat it. Choose fruit, yogurt. Avoid "fake" foods, even the so called diet ones. Go for a handful of nuts or an apple.
Forage for fiber and go with whole grain. Two thirds of anything you eat should be plants.
5. Learn to read food labels. 3 grams or less of fat. More than five ingredients? skip it.
6. No alcohol. Doctors often think that wine in moderation is good, but what is moderation? The answer often depends on what the doctor's drinking habits are.
Alcohol is a liver toxin. And alcohol is alcohol, whether it is wine or beer or vodka. Avoid it totally. You can get the same good stuff that is touted in red wine from eating blueberries, raspberries or red grape juice. Seriously. The rest is marketing.
7. Check out the B vitamins if you have a fatty liver, especially. There is some evidence, but not conclusive evidence, that B vitamins assist the liver in processing out the fat and maintaining health. B-6 and B-12 have been specifically studied and B-12 may have some protective value for those with hepatitis C.
8. Consider a support group. Many companies now offer healthclub discounts or walking clubs to encourage employee health. What a great way to take a break during the day: an nice walk with your co-workers, a pick up basketball game or a yoga class.
9. Drink lots of water. Flushing toxins requires sufficiet fluid intake. Also, get enough sleep. The liver and GI system actually recover while you sleep. A liver needs its rest!
10.Do not smoke. There is nothing that mitigates or reduces the damage to your liver that smoking causes. There is no doubt about this anymore: smoking causes liver scarring called fibrosis. In combination with a fatty liver, you have two liver toxic processes going on. This includes exposure to second hand smoke. We know about the damage to heart and lungs, now we have evidence that the liver is a serious risk, too. If you are going to treat, tackle smoking first for your best chance to reduce side effects and increase response rate.
11. Lastly, educate yourself. Fatty liver was once thought to be a benign condition. Now we know it can lead to cirrhosis of the liver and liver failure if not managed. In combination with hepatitis B or C, this only makes the liver more vulnerable to assaults on it.
It is a serious disease that should be taken and managed seriously. For this reason, watch your over the counter and prescription medications. Try to take as few medications as possible.
I hope this helps,
thanbey