Fatty liver how to fix NAFLD
Fatty Liver Did you know Fatty liver affects 1 in 3 of us and if you have diabetes this figure is higher again. Scarily the end result, if not addressed, can be a decompensated liver and even liver failure. So, if you have been thinking about losing weight and getting more active but really don’t feel the need, you may wish to think again. Many of us bury our heads in the sand and believe we are getting along fine. No aches no pains, enjoying our current way of eating, drinking and moving when we have to. So why change? Well, today, the most common cause of chronic liver disease is nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) AND…. 95% of people with NAFLD do not know they have it. I have many patients come to see me for weight loss, diabetes or healthy eating advice, and when we investigate their health further, we uncover blood markers that don’t read well. It is such a common problem and one that I fix daily so I feel it is important for you to be aware. I have been researching some information to help you further, and in this blog I have pulled a few interesting details from medical papers which I have added in below. So let’s dive in. What is non-alcoholic fatty liver disease NAFLD? It is a liver disease that is NOT caused by alcohol use. Characterized by fatty infiltration of the liver. What is the main cause of a fatty liver? Fat builds up in the liver by eating excess calories. This excess energy is too much for the liver to process and too much fat creates insulin resistance and can lead to inflammation. Fatty liver can occur if you have other conditions, such as obesity, diabetes, high triglycerides, and metabolic syndrome. What are the signs of a fatty liver? There are usually NO signs of fatty liver disease in the early stages. But you may feel fatigued and have pain in the right upper quadrant (upper right part of the abdomen)- it’s usually a dull discomfort and you may wish to investigate. How serious is a fatty liver? Early-stage NAFLD, if sorted early enough thankfully can be reversed, and doesn’t usually cause harm. But if not treated it can lead to serious liver damage, including cirrhosis. Having high levels of fat in your liver is also associated with an increased risk of problems such as diabetes, heart attacks, and strokes. What is liver cirrhosis? Cirrhosis is scarring (fibrosis) of the liver caused by long-term liver damage. The scar tissue prevents the liver from working properly. If cirrhosis (the most advanced stage) occurs, you can get more severe symptoms, such as yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes (jaundice), swelling in the legs, ankles, feet, or tummy (oedema) and itchy skin. How do you fix a fatty liver? Great news, diet and lifestyle are first and foremost the key to success. 121 Dietitian has years of experience treating fatty liver patients and would love to help you with any of the following: Lose weight Establish a healthy diet for fatty liver Create a personalized fatty liver meal plan Improve blood sugar control Create a personalized weight management programme Support your overall liver health if needing to be medicated Suggest foods, snacks, meals and recipes for optimum liver health Make recommendations for healthier food products and supplements as required In addition, we will recommend exercise and how to be more active Assist if you have diabetes or have been diagnosed with pre-diabetes Lower your cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL, HDL. … The bottom line recommendation: If you’re overweight or obese, the aim is to reduce the number of calories you eat each day and increase your physical activity in order to lose weight. Easier said than done. I know it’s not for the want of trying different diets or strict boot camp style workouts- sadly if they are too tricky they don’t last. So that is where we at 121 Dietitian can help you with no quick fixes. Interestingly, although obesity is described in 50% to 90% of patients diagnosed with NAFLD, the condition can also affect individuals with a normal weight and body mass index so if you are experiencing health issues or have a poor diet do get checked with your Doctor if you are concerned. Can fatty liver disease be cured? The good news is that fatty liver disease can be reversed—and even cured—if patients take action early, including a minimum 10% sustained loss in body weight and/or a change in the foods you eat. How long does it take for fatty liver to go away? An average period of 6 weeks to 2 months is an expected timeframe to recover from fatty liver disease. However, lifelong adherence to particular diet and lifestyle changes may be necessary to prevent relapse. What foods are good for fatty liver? Foods That Help Fatty Liver Disease include but are not limited to…. Fish and seafood. Vegetables and fruit. Whole grains. Olive oil. What are Liver superfoods? There are no superfoods as such, but fortunately hundreds of fabulous everyday foods that when combined in correct amounts and consumed regularly can provide you with the best macro and micronutrient intake for a healthy liver and life. What medication can I take for Fatty Liver? There are no direct medicines for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Losing weight, eating healthily, and regular exercise can help. If you have elevated lipids, type II diabetes, and high blood pressure with lifestyle changes you may be able to reduce some of the medication you take. Adopting a healthy lifestyle is the main way of managing NAFLD. For example, it can help to: lose weight – losing more than 10% of your weight can remove some fat from the liver eat a healthy diet – try to have a balanced diet high in vegetables, fruits, protein, and healthy carbohydrates, but low in pro-inflammatory fats, sugar, and processed
Essential Nutrition for Recovery after Surgery (Part 2)
Essential Nutrition for Recovery after Surgery (Part 2) In this follow up to our essential Nutrition & Surgery focus part one, Director and Principal Dietitian Gillian Killiner, continues in this blog to discuss the key role that vitamins and minerals play in helping your body recover after surgery. Vitamin A – essential for recovery after surgery Vitamin A is commonly known as the anti-infective vitamin for surgery. It is central to normal functioning of your immune system. Vitamin A is also needed to maintain the integrity and function of your skin and mucosal cells. When you enter a hospital or clinic for surgery, many things will stress you. You will also be exposed to bacteria and viruses that your system is not used to. Infection will quickly use up your vitamin A stores. In this way, infection starts a vicious cycle, because not enough vitamin A is related to increased severity and likelihood of death from infectious disease. It is important to go into surgery with a good supply of vitamin A in your tissues. You will need to continue consuming enough vitamin A to keep those levels optimal. Vitamin A rich foods include: beef liver, carrots, sweet potato, kale, romaine lettuce, apricots, broccoli, butter, eggs, cantaloupe melon and red pepper. Vitamin E essential nutrition for recovery after surgery The main function of vitamin E in humans is as an antioxidant which are known to neutralizes toxic radicals in the cells. Vitamin E has been shown to improve immune system functions that decline as people age. It helps increase blood flow. It does this by preventing blood clots and relaxing blood vessel walls. These properties all shorten post surgery recovery time. Vitamin E rich foods include: sunflower seeds, almonds, hazelnuts, mango, avocado, butternut squash, broccoli, spinach, kiwi and tomatoes. Vitamin D – essential for recovery after surgery Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin needed for normal calcium metabolism. You make vitamin D in your skin when you are in the sun without clothing or sunscreen. Vitamin D regulates your immune system function during times of stress. Adequate vitamin D levels are important for decreasing the risk of high blood pressure. If you do not have enough vitamin D you can prolong your recovery time. With deficiency you will not absorb enough calcium. Then your body will steal calcium from your bones. This will increase complications and longer term your risk of osteoporosis and other health problems. Vitamin D deficiency causes muscle weakness and pain. Obesity increases the risk of vitamin D deficiency. Once vitamin D is made in the skin or ingested, it is deposited in body fat stores. Storage makes it less available especially to people with large amounts of body fat. Vitamin D rich foods include: halibut, mackerel, salmon, rainbow trout, cod liver oil, sardines, tuna and eggs. Iron – essential nutrient for recovery after surgery Iron is required for a number of vital functions, including growth, reproduction, healing, and immune function. You need the right amount of iron for hundreds of proteins and enzymes. Post-operative anaemia is associated with poorer surgical outcomes including infections, increased length of hospital stay, circulatory overload, and death. Iron rich foods include: spirulina, liver, beef, lentils, dark chocolate, spinach, sardines, black beans, pistachios and raisins. Copper – essential for recovery after surgery You must have enough copper in your system for normal iron metabolism and red blood cell formation. Anaemia is a sign of copper deficiency. Copper is required for you to be able to move iron to your bone marrow for red blood cell formation. Vitamin A deficiency will make iron deficiency anaemia worse. Taking a combination of vitamin A and iron will protect you from anaemia better than either iron or vitamin A alone. Copper rich foods include: beef liver, shitake mushrooms, cashews, chickpeas, kale, cocoa powder, sesame seeds, quinoa, almonds, lentils and chia seeds. Calcium essential nutrition for surgical recovery Calcium is the most common mineral in the human body. About 99 percent of the calcium in your body is found in your bones and teeth. The other one percent is found in your blood and soft tissue. The functions of calcium are so vital to survival that the body will steal calcium from your bones. It does this to keep blood calcium levels normal when your calcium intake is too low. Calcium plays many important roles. It is vital in controlling the constriction (closing) and relaxation (opening) of your blood vessels. It also aids proper nerve impulses, muscle contraction, and release of your hormones. Calcium is a key factor for good recovery from any surgery involving your bones. Only about 30 percent of the calcium in your food is actually absorbed in your digestive tract. You lose a certain amount of calcium in your urine every day. This depends on how much caffeine you drink. Too much or not enough protein in your diet will affect your calcium absorption and the strength of your bones. Calcium rich foods include: kale, sardines, yoghurt, broccoli, watercress, cheese, bok choy and almonds. Magnesium – essential nutrition for recovery after surgery Magnesium plays important roles in the structure and the function of the human body. Over 60 percent of all the magnesium in your body is found in your bones. About 27 percent is found in muscle, while six to seven percent is found in other cells. Magnesium is required by many other nutrients, like vitamin D and calcium, to function properly. Proper wound healing after surgery requires the right amounts of calcium and magnesium in the fluid around the cells involved in the injury. If you are having surgery that involves your bones, magnesium is very important for the best outcome. Magnesium rich foods include: spinach, dark chocolate, pumpkin seeds, almonds, black beans, avocado, yoghurt and banana. Zinc essential nutrition for surgical recovery Zinc is an essential trace element for all forms of life. Zinc deficiency has recently been recognized by a number of experts as an important public health issue.
Wrap up & eat right the cold season is approaching!
The cold season is certainly approaching and in more ways than one. The temperature took a noticeable dip last week and now it seems everyone around is coughing and sniffling (not us at 121 Dietitian! Yet!!). Whether by co-incidence or by design this snuffly month (October) happens to be flu awareness month. Nobody likes to feel unwell and taking time off work is never good, especially in these times when retaining your job is paramount and being in tip top health is essential. To help you protect yourself or battle through, we thought we would share our knowledge on how to protect yourself from flu and boost your immunity before the flu season kicks in. Protect yourself The Public Health Agency has just launched their Seasonal Flu Vaccination Programme 2012/2012, they have some great advice on protecting yourself on their dedicated website http://www.fluawareni.info . Boost your immunity Did you know that malnutrition (under nutrition) is a common cause of reduced immunity? We can boost our immunity simply by eating right & staying hydrated. A healthy diet plays a key part in boosting immunity. Lack of nutrients such as zinc, selenium, iron, copper, folic acid and vitamins A,C & E in the diet can lead to a deficiency which then reduces immunity. Being overweight or obese does not exempt you from malnutrition. Obesity is another factor associated with reduced immunity. The moral of this story; Poor Diet + Overweight = Bad news for the immune system Tips to boost immunity • Eat a healthy & varied diet. This will help prevent malnutrition. • Maintain a healthy weight for your height an ideal BMI is 23. • Stay hydrated, aim for 8 glasses of fluids per day, drink more when you exercise or when it is hot. • Fruit and vegetables are a great source of Vitamins A,C & E. These nutrients have a significant impact on our immunity and so this is just another reason to ensure we all get our 5 a day. • Red meat, poultry and seafood such as oysters, crab & lobster are a good source of Zinc. Vegetarian sources include whole grains, fortified breakfast cereals and dairy products. • Dietary sources of selenium include nuts and seeds, fish, chicken, rice & cheese. • Folic acid, (essential in pregnancy) can be found in dark green leafy veg, dried beans & peas and citrus fruits eg. oranges & strawberries. Information checked & correct on 16th May 2018.
