Aa
Nutrition and Hep C
Started Harvoni treatment Jan 20th. Type 1a PegInterferon and Intron-A / Ribavarin non responder (twice)
Stage 4 Cirrohsis with compensated liver. 57 year old female.
Question: Trying to drop 20 lbs I have gained in last 6 months due to job change.
Seems inadequate to many but to me important. Trying to make my life last longer by being as healthy as possible.
In doing research, I have come to realize that almost all of the foods I have been consuming are NOT good for helping my liver situation. All of the sodium and proteins. Don't know life expectancy with the liver damage but going to try like heck to make it a long time.
No side effects from the Harvoni other than I was getting dehydrated but now drink at least 8 -16 oz bottles of water daily if possible.
Can anyone help to enlist me with foods good for my liver? Fresh vegetables and fruits, but any other things? I seem to be hungry a lot. Especially since I am no longer consuming any beer. I sometimes drank beer quite regularly with my friends. Always when I was out. Did not drink at home.
Stage 4 Cirrohsis with compensated liver. 57 year old female.
Question: Trying to drop 20 lbs I have gained in last 6 months due to job change.
Seems inadequate to many but to me important. Trying to make my life last longer by being as healthy as possible.
In doing research, I have come to realize that almost all of the foods I have been consuming are NOT good for helping my liver situation. All of the sodium and proteins. Don't know life expectancy with the liver damage but going to try like heck to make it a long time.
No side effects from the Harvoni other than I was getting dehydrated but now drink at least 8 -16 oz bottles of water daily if possible.
Can anyone help to enlist me with foods good for my liver? Fresh vegetables and fruits, but any other things? I seem to be hungry a lot. Especially since I am no longer consuming any beer. I sometimes drank beer quite regularly with my friends. Always when I was out. Did not drink at home.
Hi! I'll share the 'strange' food preferences I had while I had the virus. I was treated this past summer, successfully, and since then found that my food preferences have changed. I believe those 'weird' things were helping me, while I was infected, but now that I don't have the virus, I no longer like them. You may find them helpful. Here they are:
- bay leaf -- I would put 5-7 leaves into ~pint+ of water to boil potatoes and then would drink that water. Tasted like manna all those long 19 years and I could not get enough of it. I believe that 'bay leaf infusion in potato broth' was somehow beneficial. Now it tastes bitter and yucky to me.
- sauerkraut -- in all forms, including cooked with tomato paste. I would also often drink sauerkraut juice. Recently I drank some and became nauseous with disgust -- go figure
- black coffee in the mornings -- still like it though
funny that milk thistle, which is supposed to be very good for the liver, tasted very good to me only before I got infected and now that I'm clear, but NOT during those 19 years. (strange, I know)
Also I became lacto-ovo vegetarian about a year+ after getting the virus, tried going vegan and that was a mistake. Some protein is needed, but not red meat.
I also learned to avoid iron in all forms, from checking that the vitamins had 'no iron' label to throwing away the cast iron pans. For the same reason could take vit C only on empty stomach, 'cause it increases iron absorption, when taken with meals.
What else? B vitamins, curcumin, BCA (branched chain amino acids) and generally good, 'healthy' diet. Or yes, mushrooms! shiitake, maitake, oyster, etc. (and I never liked greasy food and was never into sweets, so that did not change much).
I also did short fasts frequently, like one day a week, or at least skip a major meal once in a while, especially when appetite was low. When done regularly, that was one of the best things.
Good advice is good, but better follow your instincts :)
- bay leaf -- I would put 5-7 leaves into ~pint+ of water to boil potatoes and then would drink that water. Tasted like manna all those long 19 years and I could not get enough of it. I believe that 'bay leaf infusion in potato broth' was somehow beneficial. Now it tastes bitter and yucky to me.
- sauerkraut -- in all forms, including cooked with tomato paste. I would also often drink sauerkraut juice. Recently I drank some and became nauseous with disgust -- go figure
- black coffee in the mornings -- still like it though
funny that milk thistle, which is supposed to be very good for the liver, tasted very good to me only before I got infected and now that I'm clear, but NOT during those 19 years. (strange, I know)
Also I became lacto-ovo vegetarian about a year+ after getting the virus, tried going vegan and that was a mistake. Some protein is needed, but not red meat.
I also learned to avoid iron in all forms, from checking that the vitamins had 'no iron' label to throwing away the cast iron pans. For the same reason could take vit C only on empty stomach, 'cause it increases iron absorption, when taken with meals.
What else? B vitamins, curcumin, BCA (branched chain amino acids) and generally good, 'healthy' diet. Or yes, mushrooms! shiitake, maitake, oyster, etc. (and I never liked greasy food and was never into sweets, so that did not change much).
I also did short fasts frequently, like one day a week, or at least skip a major meal once in a while, especially when appetite was low. When done regularly, that was one of the best things.
Good advice is good, but better follow your instincts :)
Watch the Food network for ideas. Avoid the greasy stuff. go online for meal ideas. You will never be hungry on the LA diet. It's a lifestyle. Try some vegetarian dishes. Learn to cook up a storm and leave some leftovers to eat for when the tx is making you tired. Maybe google LA diet menu. It's just the basic pyramid like diet. Only one soda allowed per day. I don't drink soda. Bad for the liver. Oatmeal for breakfast? heck even pancakes have tons of iron in them.
Thanks Will research LA diet. Its weird. Having Hep C all of the years did not scare the b-geezies out of me, but having stage 4 along with that does. Not ready to hang it up yet. Hoping Harvoni treatment does the great job everyone has been talking about. 24 weeks seems a lot, but a short life is much worse. I am grateful I have this opportunity to get my life together.
Eat a good breakfast every morning. Do not skip breakfast no matter what. Use smaller dishes or bowls. You liver hates it when you consume large meals. Graze on small things through-out the day. Do not drink. It is not only bad for liver but packs on the pounds. Stop using salt and read labels.
Ask your doc to hook you up with a nutritionist. Avoid fried foods. Bake food.
Get your hands on the LA diet menu. That has the best advice for food groups.
3 fruits, 1 fat, 1 starch, 1 4 oz protein per day. Make it a lifestyle. It's what people should have been following all along for nutritional health. Research foods high in protein that are non animal proteins. Switch it up everyday.
Ask your doc to hook you up with a nutritionist. Avoid fried foods. Bake food.
Get your hands on the LA diet menu. That has the best advice for food groups.
3 fruits, 1 fat, 1 starch, 1 4 oz protein per day. Make it a lifestyle. It's what people should have been following all along for nutritional health. Research foods high in protein that are non animal proteins. Switch it up everyday.
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