What should you eat with HepC and Liver Damage?

[countrygirlcansurvive]

I found this article on Nutrition with HepC and Liver damage Foods to eat and foods to avoid.

My Question is to everyone what do you feel like the best foods for you are,and What do you eat? I'm so tired of trying to figure out what I am going to eat everyday..Please give me Your Suggestions!! Country girl has got to eat before I starve my self...



Tips to Avoid Liver Damage From Hepatitis
You need a healthy liver to convert food into energy. To avoid liver damage from hepatitis, start with a well-balanced diet.
By Dennis Thompson Jr.
Medically reviewed by Pat F. Bass III, MD, MPH




People with hepatitis need to follow a healthy lifestyle to minimize damage to the liver. Start protecting your liver by paying more attention to nutrition.

"There's no special diet for hepatitis," says Keri Gans, RD, a registered dietitian in New York City and spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. "A person with hepatitis just needs to follow a healthy, well-balanced diet."

That diet should include:

    Plenty of fruits and vegetables
    Whole grains such as oats, brown rice, barley, and quinoa
    Lean protein such as fish, skinless chicken, egg whites, and beans
    Low-fat or non-fat dairy products
    Healthy fats like those in nuts, avocados, and olive oil

"That's what you want to eat, a varied diet including those components," Gans says. "I tell my clients to picture a dinner plate. One-quarter of the plate should contain high-fiber carbohydrates like whole grains, one-quarter should contain lean protein sources, and the remaining half should contain fruits and vegetables."

To help your body better process food and function at its best, you also need to make sure you drink plenty of fluids. Water is better than caffeinated drinks like coffee and cola. Aim to drink 1 ounce of liquid for every 2 pounds of body weight each day; that means if you weigh 180 pounds, you should drink 90 ounces of water, or about 11 8-ounce glasses.

What Not to Eat or Drink

Keep in mind that an unhealthy diet can contribute to liver damage. If you eat too much high-calorie greasy, fatty, or sugary food, you'll gain weight and fat will begin to build up in your liver. A "fatty liver" can contribute to developing cirrhosis, or scarring, of the liver. Fat in your liver can also interfere with the effectiveness of drugs that target the hepatitis virus.

Avoid the following:

    Saturated fats found in butter, sour cream, and other high-fat dairy foods, fatty cuts of meat, and fried foods
    Sugary treats like cookies, cake, soda, and packaged baked goods
    Foods heavily laced with salt
    Alcohol

Many experts recommend that hepatitis patients also avoid raw or undercooked shellfish, which can harbor viruses and bacteria. You may consider limiting your consumption of processed foods as well, since they can contain chemical additives and high levels of salt.

Other Precautions

Because your liver is battling the hepatitis virus, take special precautions to protect against any disease that would increase the chances of liver damage. Wash all meats, fruits, and vegetables to remove any potentially harmful residues, and wash your hands thoroughly before and after handling food to prevent cross-contamination.

Supplements for Hepatitis

People with hepatitis should talk to their doctors about taking a multivitamin once a day, says Christine Gerbstadt, MD, RD, a doctor and a registered dietitian in Sarasota, Fla., as well as a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. B vitamins in particular can help spur healing.

"You really want to make sure your body has everything it needs," Dr. Gerbstadt says.

However, you also need to make sure that you don't take in too much of certain vitamins and minerals through the use of supplements, since some can cause liver damage. Be cautious of:

    Iron
    Vitamin A
    Vitamin B3 (niacin)
    Vitamin C
    Vitamin D

Hepatitis patients looking for herbal remedies may consider milk thistle, available in capsules and other forms. Milk thistle may have some restorative properties, suggests Gans. Some studies have found that milk thistle can improve liver function in hepatitis and cirrhosis patients. However, you should always consult with your doctor before trying any supplement or herb, especially if you have hepatitis.

Thanks and by the way I'm still doing good with my tx.Start week 9 of 12 tomorrow..

~Country~

[countrygirlcansurvive]

thank you OH!
I do want to live and take care of my liver. I have changed my diet tremendously for my liver..I am glad that you are taking your time with me and I appreciate it alot..I'm just going to have to buy me the Hep C Cookbook,so I can get it all right.I would not have started this thread if I didn't care about my Liver.I am writing down everything you say I can eat,now finding some of it is different story.I will promise you I will do my BEST to eat healthy.I'm sure I am not the only one that needs this advice.Hope that it helps others too.

I am seeing a Hepatologist at a TP Center and I have 3 more weeks of tx left..

Country~

[orphanedhawk]

Because you have cirrhosis, I suggest you try posting your diet question on the cirrhosis forum. It's not as active as this one but people there might be better able to help you.

http://www.medhelp.org/forums/Cirrhosis-of-the-Liver/show/1390%C2%A0%C2%A0

[orphanedhawk]

Okay, telling me about the cirrhosis explains your problem. I can empathize entirely, except for the part of being from  the South:)

You HAVE to not eat beef, no red meat. I'm sorry but you don't want to damage your brain. Encephalopathy is serious.
Are you seeing a hepatologist at a transplant center? If not you should be.

When I was diagnosed with hep C I already had ascites, a swollen belly, from decompensated cirrhosis. After taking diuretics, I was able to keep it from reoccurring by eating a practically no salt diet. You're right, it's hard and not a lot of fun but it sure beat the alternative.

You do need to eat a diet with plenty of protein. Beans are great, just leave out the salt and grease. Get creative with herbs. In time you do get used to it
.
The hardest thing is bread. I found a bread in the health food stores that didn't have salt but wasn't very good. That's the truth. I ate it anyway.
Start eating rice. Make it yourself. Get a rice cooker, that makes it easy.
I used to eat a wild rice salad with cranberries that was wonderful.

Tofu is made from soy beans. Its bland but a good protein source and like egg whites can help your albumin levels, which can be low with cirrhosis.I ate it in stirfrys. Since I'm not crazy about it, you'd need to do an online search for recipes.

You don't like eggs, but how about tossing the whites in the blender with fruit for a smoothie ?

Flax seed meal is a good additive to cereals,like oatmeal or in smoothies for protein and to keep weight up. It also is a great substitute for butter in cornbread.

Eat salads, steamed veggies with a little vinegar sprinkled over them. Chop up fresh herbs to add to your veggies, salads and meals for flavor.

When I had cirrhosis, we bought a juicer. Since I read that beets were good for your liver, I'd juice them. And I love carrot juice too. You can make all kinds of smoothies out of fruit. You can add ginger too. In fact you can juice whole ginger root and keep the liquid in the fridge to add to drinks or while cooking.
Coconut milk is another thing you can cook with or add to drinks to add more flavor. Look at recipes for Thai soups. Again, because of avoiding sodium, you can't use soy sauce or fish sauces.

I'd dice beets and cook them. Then slice ginger root into thin slivers, drizzle a little olive oil on them and keep in the fridge as a salad, to eat whenever.

I bought stevia as a sugar substitute. It's made from a leaf of a plant from So. America.

Your liver is a filter. Any additive, pesticides, herbicides, etc, are filtered through your liver. This is why organic is best, especially when you have liver disease.

This isn't about what you like or don't like. This is about survival. I am only here typing this today because I had a liver transplant in April 2009.
Hep C caused cirrhosis which  destroyed my liver.
Do you want to live or not ?
If you do, then take care of your liver.
I'm post transplant and now I can and do eat anything I please. It's wonderful.

I'm going to look for a link for more information about eating right with cirrhosis.
Good luck.

[marivirginia]

you are not a bother..we are all here to help each other..you have legitimate concerns....take care
Mary

[countrygirlcansurvive]

I do have Cirrhosis and stage 5 fibrosis(scarring bad)
I have stopped all fried foods completely.I read all Labels now and mostly everything has to much Sodium.I stopped with the Salting my foods awhile back.I had Bake Chicken,Fresh Black eyed peas and bake potato last night.I use the smart balance butter on my food and Nu Salt..I am writing all the foods down that everyone offers to me ,so I can have some what of a choice here.
I feel dumb asking this but what is tofu? You got to think I'm Southern Country Cooking kind of Gal so thats what I grew up on,Beans, cornbread Mash Potatoes and Fried Everything..How about some Bisquits and Gravy LOL
What kind of breads other than WHEAT, ewwwie! What about Sandwiches? Spices? I change pure Sugar in my half cup Coffee per day to Splenda.I like to have a fresh baked Cake and Pies around.What about Ice Cream at night,my favorite and I still eat it too.

Sorry I'm such a bother,but I'm starving trying to eat right!

Country

[orphanedhawk]

I don't eat Tbones anymore. Beef sits in my stomach like a rock.

Okay you're tired of fish and chicken. Do you like tofu ?
What condition is your liver in anyway ?
If you aren't cirrhotic, there's no reason not to eat pork or beef, for that matter.

The reason they tell people with cirrhosis not to eat beef is because it contribute to a condition called encephalopathy, which can cause delirium. It's serious and not to be fooled with.

How about sweet potatoes or yams, baked with lots of ginger ? Or pork with pineapple ?
Salads are always good, green or fruit. And fresh is healthier than frozen.

When I get tired of the same old thing, I go to the spice store and jazz things up with different spices.