Good stuff for your liver?

[casher78]

So, I've got hep c. I'm still a bit freaked out, anxious, a little depressed etc. However, I don't think any of that is going to help me beat this thing. Time to buck and do something about it instead of moping, I hate it when other people mope so I need to apply that to myself as well. I'm open to suggestions. I know you guys have some great info. I've COMPLETELY changed my eating habits. No more excess sugar ( never liked the stuff anyway so that one was easy). I cut out the red meat( that one is tough, I like steaks). Nothing fried. Eating raw veggies. Chicken. Less fat. No soda. Lots of water and green tea. All this is well and good but I can't help but think there's more that can be done. Anything that you guys have tried that breaks up the monotony of a rather boring diet? I'm a cook at The "Blank"cake "blank"tory so I have access to all sorts of ingredients. Also any supplements that might help me out before treatment? Any other suggestions? Types of exercise? Anything...

[rivll]

I really enjoyed your post and I agree about sugar.
Now I am stuck on the idea of gluten free angel hair spaghetti recipe. Yum.

[heart_in_the_keyes]

BMI...thanks guys...I don't feel overweight...think it is because of age, surgery and family history of thrombosis & heart disease. I will ask at my pre-tp list heart tests appts. in the next few weeks. When I was in keyes was around 100#...big busted thanks to having a broken leg for a year...fact..increase..get a pair of crutches....lol...when I came back to Indiana went up to 130 then 160 then 180.  Have lost 40#'s over last two years so I feel pretty good about that ...

Ophanedhawk is right...it is different for those of us with cirrhosis. But something to always keep in mind is that even though there are more and more possibilities of cure or fix...not everyone will achieve that.  That is why it is important to start taking a hard look at your body and how it operates...and start taking care of your liver now...not later.

Personally I will take the stance that yes, sugar is bad for your liver. It's just bad for you period...small quanitites okay but how do we know what is real.   Do you know the average American consumes between 130-150 POUNDS of sugar a year (an average or 22 tsp a day).  Sugar is weaved into every thing we consumed. I mentioned before that if you select a food that states "no fat" you can be darn well sure it is loaded with sugars or salt.  

The AHA (American Heart Assoc.) and Cancer sites are for eliminating or cutting back on your sugars.  The food industry weaves apprx. 140#'s of sugar in to our systems unbeknownst to us in products we purchase from flour to fruit juices.  That is why it is better to juice your own fruits and veggies.

The liver is the power house of your body.  It breaks down protein 1st,  then fats, then sugars/carb.  By the time it gets to the carbs we are eating again and it has to start all over again.. (Atkins 101).  When you eat sugar it floods your brain w/dopameans "temporarily" and then you need more.  The problem with that is the sugar consumed starts to move through your blood stream with glucose which creates false energy.  Tumor cells need energy to form...they love sugar.  Too much sugar can build up fat in our arteries adding to our cholesterol..way too much.

Sugars increases your risk for developing obesity and diabetes, thus increasing your risk for fatty liver, cirrhosis and liver cancer. To keep your liver healthy, check ingredient labels for hidden sugars that come to you under other names.

I might know alot about sugar because I am a sugar freak...love it...always have...so this has been a research.  I am trying monk fruit right now...for some reason if I don't buy those m&m's I'm not tempted...I avoid the candy aisles like a plague...my biggest and hardest thing to kick and still it is fountain cokes..can't stand diet drinks...trying for chai tea w/lemon and flavored coffee.  Plus, roasting vegetable will bring out their natural sugars and are good for you. But I am replacing one sugar addition with another.

Studying teas right now...did you know that black tea is just green tea that was covered, steamed, and dried.  Nothing is as it seems....it's best to buy loose tea...the teas that ends up in the bags can amount to the dust of the loose.

It all breaks down to balance....balance of life and spirit...enjoy the elements....walk, breath...drink water, water, water ...get a juicer...buy some spices...taste and enjoy what you ingest., Last night had most marvelous gluten free angel hair spagehetti tossed with garlic, cumin, roasted onions, carrots and red tomatoes with hard parmasan shaved over the top of it. Spicey and Sweet. You can eliminate the bad and still have great food.  

I rely on my friends on this website to give me marvelous ideas and advice....my only regret is that I didn't take an interest in this earlier.... I miss my steaks, my amaretto, my sugar cream pie, gummie bears, jelly beans... Looking forward summer and not cooking as much....LOL. . .

[BoceprevirGal]

  Artichokes always made me feel great, when I still had the Hep C. And after myTreatment, I craved fresh, home-made pesto sauce. I just threw a bunch of fresh basil in the coffee grinder, then saute with olive oil (not too hot) and crushed garlic, and add a bit of parmesan cheese, at the end.
   I think sauted veggies, hot-food, in the winter, is best. In the summer, all kinds of fresh fruit, and salad. I love a good steak, and never gave that up, just maybe once a month.
  Watch out for meats that are made from animals fed a bunch of hormones, etc. And I also enjoyed Macha tea, itis concentrated green tea powder, which you add to boiling water, you can order it, via the Internet.
   Taking D3 is a good idea also, and a vitamin C.No vitamins with iron added, or food enriched with iron, until you have a biopsy though, because some heppers have "iron-over-load", and a biposy or even a blood test I think, will tell you if you have this. If you do have iron-over-load, you will want to avoid iron.
  

[orphanedhawk]

What kind of diet is good for your liver depends on how healthy your liver is whether or not you have hep C.
Those with cirrhosis need to be on a stricter diet than those with little to no liver damage.
WIth advanced liver disease it's important to avoid salt and red meat and iron..

Nowhere did I ever encounter anything saying sweets were bad, per se, for the liver.

Main things to avoid are alcohol, and processed foods.
Always the ideal would be as fresh and freshly prepared organic food as possible.

Coffee is excellent for those with hep C and helps to protect the liver as well. Do a search for more info.

Good luck
OH

[christinatas]

WHY bmi AT 20 TOO HIGH?MINE IS 21.5 AND I AM 135 5'4 AND SMALL BONED.SOUNDS LIKE YOUR BODY FRAME IS RIGHT,MY FAMILY DOC SAID I WAS AT A GOOD WEIGHT AND MOST PPL.ARE WAAAAY TOO HEAVY.BUT YOU SOUND NORMAL WEIGHT.

[rivll]

heart-Just have to tell you that you are an amazing woman and an inspiration.
All the best

[heart_in_the_keyes]

You got some good advice and suggestion..it takes time to make all the right changes and you can't do it overnight...just have to keep working on it...one thing I will disagree with is the steak...went from stage 2 cirrhois to stage 4 in 2 yrs and only dietry change was eating a lot of steak.  when I was stage 2 my hepotologist, who is one of the leading in the nation, said to cut out the red meats, charcoaled & fried foods and processed meats and cheeses. Ignored him. wish I hadn't because now if I even eat a steak or hamburger I will be sick within a few hours and it is not pleasant.  abdomen hardens, constricts, unbelievably painful plus the right side and back, lower and upper are contstricted and in extreme pain and I become Linda Blair re anything I have eaten in the last few days. Which is the only thing that helps because the quicker I can get everything out of my system the better...

We were/are a beef family but someone very wise on this site explained to me that at stage 4 my liver just could not process the fats, proteins, and toxins. Point to make....if your doctor tells you not to, don't....everyone is different, but it will eventually catch up with you.  I agree maybe a bite or two won't hurt you but.....  

It's taken me over 6 months to change my eating habits and I am still working on them...my diet is quite like Pooh58811's now....and I am still working on it.  I have empathy for those who work full or parttime because just changing up dietry habits can take a lot of time and energy.  

Got a NutriBullet and a Montel Juicer and fix most of my own foods. Got rid of my cast iron pans.  Going to the store takes longer because I am reading all the labels.  There still have to be a balance of fat, proteins, and carbs or our bodies will not work right. Plus you need to eat raw fruit and vegetables...you need fiber.  I am in to thai, greek, cuban, indian & spanish foods so spices have always been part of my cooking.  Really getting into roastiing vegetables....hey Pooh...roasted beets are really yummy...then take them and add to a green salad with almonds and fresh fruit segments...you can take fruit juice and lemons and make great dressings...

Moderation is key...timing is another key...several smaller meals a day so we don't slam our livers all at once...especially important if you are stage 3 or 4.  BMI is very important.  Getting down to your correct body mass weight is important.  

I buy so many lemons and oranges the girl at the local store asked me if I was bartending again....thought that was funny.

Always end with drink water, water, water....can drink coffee and tea....am drinking aquahydrate water right now...stay away from vitamim drinks...unless you know what those 28 letter words mean...avoid them. Educate yourself, read labels, use smaller plates, taste your food and enjoy it for what it is.....fuel for your body....so many of you wouldn't put substandard products in your cars but will grab tha mickey d..... LOL

Moderation is key...our stomachs are the size of one of our fists balled up....not two or 3....most posters on this site know that I was a dancer/gymnst (15y) and played sports, taught dance, bartended (18y),worked as EMT, avid skier, skater, lived on a old teak clipper in the keys...sailed all over...plus traveled everywhere including India...camped in every state in US...lived in NY in the 70's and people that know me well tell me Coyate Ugly is based on me....lol...not far from truth since I did bartend in a bar just like that...and it was crazy, so this is not coming from some little old sedetary lady...I'm 65 but people think I am in my 40's.

I am very distressed that I am not on the sea or traveling right now but have to take care of getting healthy first.  I do know that your body processes the protein first, than the fat and then the carbs, but by the time it gets to the carbs your eating again and it has to start all over....(atkins 101)... Always ate an extremely high protein diet.  Fruit unless it was a melon, was a garnish on a drink and I do love quarter pounders so this is not coming from an angel but from someone who has experienced extreme pain in the last year or so all related to food and has had to make major changes.  So please, just do whatever you can do to be healthy.

I am going throught the pre-transplant list and they are really focusing on my BMI even though I am only 20# too heavy...(5'4" 140) so I am working on it...because I am going to get this tp thing under my belt and start traveling.  And want to work on helping to get more info out to the public.

Listen to your body...but always remember...every action has a reaction.

[1swimmer]

Drink coffee!

[can-do-man]

"Fast food is a boring diet, always the same stuff on different bun ;)"

I sure agree with that, those big macs I ate today tasted just like those whoopers I had last night..... So I am going for a large pizza with everything and extra cheese now. Or should I skip the extra cheese???

Good luck everyone...:)

[crossroadsec]

I love reading about food. It's one of the things we can do to help. Try an iron free multi. I also added a green powder with all the B's. It smells like rabbit food, but taste ok in iced green tea or orange juice. Those 2 have stayed with me before, during, and after treatment.
I like your attitude. Do it afraid. Do it depressed. Just keep going! xo Karen:)

[rooferguy]

If you cant pronounce it ... Dont eat it

[rooferguy]

Fast food is a boring diet, always the same stuff on different bun ;)

[rooferguy]

I just started eating a plant based diet with some dairy, and eventually got away from most any thing processed ... it is not boring at all, as a matter of fact is more work creating good vegitarian meals ... it takes creativity and real cooking

We also grow our own sprouts ...

This helped me out huge ... my doctor was very happy about my diet change, I also started working out and visit with a hynotherepist to help with the depression ...

The worst part of this treatment is the depression ... I am not a depressive person, and when the depression hit me it was rough ...

Thankfully
this is my last week

[mikesimon]

There is also a good bit of carbs in beets - if I'm not mistaken. I used to like them but when I saw the carbs I quit eating them.

[pooh55811]

I make my own, LOL, or buy from the Amish.

Yes, one has to check the ingredients if one is buying them. But that is a must anyway if one is going to eat a healthy diet (check labels).

The recipe I use calls for 1 tablespoon of salt for 10 pounds of beats, 4 cups of vinegar, and 1 cup of water. This yields about 3 quarts of pickled beets but you do not eat all of the juice, which contains a good deal of the salt, although I sometimes use the juice as a dressing instead of using another dressing (lettuce, avocado, pickled beets, tomato, and a little pickled beet juice).

[mikesimon]

I've seen pretty high sodium levels on some brands of pickled beets.
Just a heads up.

[pooh55811]

Pickled beets. They are tangy. Add flavor. Although picked beets are good too (or maybe to be accurate dug up beets, LOL).

And I don't want to forget the yogurt. I buy my yogurt from an organic farm which makes the yogurt from the milk of their organic pasture raised cows. I love it plain but it is also good over fresh blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries or peaches.

[mikesimon]

"Picked beets" or "pickled beets"?

[pooh55811]

Eating a good diet is always helpful, in my opinion. Here is what I try to do and some of the ideas may be helpful to you.

My diet consists mainly of:
wild caught fish
organic fresh fruits and vegetables
organic lean meats (any of them)
organic whole grains
organic nuts
organic legumes
organic eggs, cheeses, yogurt
organic cold pressed extra virgin olive oil
spices (organic if possible)
organic coffee and tea
filtered water
Unless you have advanced liver disease, there is no reason to avoid lean red meat. A person could have a variety of meats and fish and have lean red meat periodically.

I avoid:
fast foods
canned foods
processed foods
boxed/packaged foods
refined foods
fried foods
sweets
high fructose corn syrup
food additives
foods my grandmother would not recognize (except sushi and sashimi, lol)

My diet is not boring. One can create a delicious diet using the foods I listed above (in my first list). Here are some things I used to add flavor to the food. Garlic, lots of it. Onions. Various spices. Meat marinades made with lime or lemon juice, olive oil, and organic soy sauce (for pork) OR olive oil, lemon or lime juice, and garlic (for beef). A person can barbecue with the marinades, but I leave the meat in the marinade overnight and then add some organic chicken broth to the marinade and slow roast the meat in the marinade and chicken broth at 300 degrees. It is so tender it falls off the bone. I roast whole chickens but I do it by placing the chicken in a couple of inches of water (or chicken broth) in a tightly covered pot or roaster (with lots of tarragon or thyme and sage and salt and pepper for seasoning) and then roast at about 350 degrees until done. One can eat the chicken that way.  Later one can take some of the chicken and heat it up and make an orange sauce (one or two squeezed oranges ... the juice and pulp ... and a tablespoon of whipping cream.....over the heated chicken ...delicious). Ducks I cook the same way that I cook chicken. Fish I generally place in a baking dish with some olive oil in it, drizzle some olive oil over the top of the fish, salt and pepper, bake at 300 degrees for 30 min or until done. It is delicious. One can add seafood herbs/seasoning if one wishes. Vegetables I eat raw or steamed or roasted in a pan with olive oil.  One dish I love is carrots, rutabagas, turnips, sweet potato diced, coated with olive oil, placed in baking dish, seasoned with Italian seasoning, and roasted for 30 min. There are many salad recipes that are delicious. Just search for recipes on the internet ... broccoli raisin, quinoa tabouleh, etc. Often I make salads using what I have ... a combination of some of these ingredients..... leaf lettuce, tomato, cucumber, avocado, kale, spinach, pickled beets, garbonzo beans or other salad beans, fresh shelled peas (uncooked) or organic frozen peas (unheated), sunflower seeds, etc. Make a homemade dressing with olive oil and balsamic vinegar or some lemon juice and olive oil and garlic. You can make a lot of delicious stuff from scratch and once you get into it, there are short cuts and it does not take long to make it. I also sometimes cut up an apple or a pear, place it in a baking dish, and sprinkle cinnamon on top. You do not need any sweeteners. Eat entire fruits, not just the juice. One needs the fiber. I also throw in a little tumeric or cumin when I am cooking meats. I use fresh herbs for cooking. I can tell you that my foods never lack for flavor. Good food does not have to be boring or tasteless. Spices and variety make the difference.

I make egg quiches with no crust. I have it down to a science now, LOL. Spray the bottom of a round baking dish with organic cooking spray or use olive oil to oil the bottom and sides. tear up a lot of kale or spinach or use cut up broccoli and put it in the bottom of the pan, actually fill the pan up with it. Then beat some eggs and pour over the kale or spinach of broccoli. Then grate or cut up some cheese and put over the top. I use cheddar or havarti or jack or mozzarella, but many types will work. Bake at 375 degrees for about 30 min until knife comes out clean.

Plus adding things like picked beets and olives really help.

[rivll]

I don't know if you feel inspired to get creative with your cooking, but the right spices will make all the difference in a meal.
Here is a link discussing a recipe using tumeric which I think is quite good.
I have learned that most of my favorite foods come down to how they are seasoned.
I agree about organic products, particularly with meat.
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Hepatitis-Social/My-liver-friendly-turmeric-stew-recipe-/show/1800054

[Advocate1955]

Low salt, low sugar, low fat all sounds good.  Wait and talk to your doctor, but my husband's doctor said not to take iron supplements.  She said to take a good multivitamin that does not have iron added.  She also recommended organic fruits and vegetables and drink water.  Is your weight in the ideal range?
Advocate1955

[Idyllic]

You sound like you are on the right track. I agree with Can-do, not gaining weight or being close to your body weight seems more the thing. I am not super big on sweets but Tres Leche Cake is my ultimate weakness so more power to you for working anywhere near baked goods!! I can't think anything I have read lately that isn't consistent with common sense:
Hepatitis C patients should go easy on sugary, salty & fatty foods
http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-6-156863-Hepatitis-C-patients-should-go-easy-on-sugary-salty-&-fatty-foods

[can-do-man]

While eating right is always a good ideal I am not sure that eating a boring diet all the time is needed, as a matter of fact I am cirrhotic and while my doctor is all for eating better and not gaining weight it is nothing he harps about... I really don't think eating a steak at times is going to do much harm... This is a lot easier to deal with if we don't torture ourselfs... Wishing you the best......