Considering the long list of medications that I take for various physical conditions, I made a decision a long time ago that medication and alcohol don't mix. So even though I am well beyond the legal drinking age, I just don't. No alcohol for me. Which, for me, really isn't a problem. I have no issue enjoying myself in social situations without having a few drinks. So it came as quite a surprise when at a recent doctor's visit I was told that my liver tests were abnormal. This was followed by an abdominal ultrasound and a diagnosis of fatty liver. What? How did that happen?
What I didn't know was that fatty liver is not only restricted to alcohol consumption; it is a complication of diabetes. I was diagnosed with diabetes (type 2) sixteen years ago. My doctor at the time gave me a prescription and the standard lecture about healthy eating, exercise, and weight loss. Complications were never mentioned.
Now, I must admit, I'm an emotional eater and I was able to eat my way to becoming overweight. It didn't help that the medication I was taking slowed my metabolism and packed on 20 pounds within 6 months. Since I was comfortable with my body and was able to keep my blood sugar under control I never took the exercise and weight loss admonitions to heart.
Finding out that my liver is now damaged changed my mind very quickly. I've only got one liver, and I'm really rather fond of keeping it. So my extremely supportive husband and I made two immediate changes. First, we each purchased a fitbit; witch tracks our steps, mileage, stairs climbed, calories burned, monitors our sleep and even has a lovely vibrating alarm clock (you wear the fitbit on your wrist just like a watch). If you don't have one I highly recommend the brand. If you can't afford one, there are many different pedometers on the market that come at all different price ranges. With our fitbit we aim to get 10,000 steps per day. That is the amount recommended by the American Heart Association and also by our personal physician. The first day I wore my fitbit, I logged 1400 steps. I was highly shocked at how little I was actually moving. So far I have only hit my 10,000 step goal twice; but it is a goal that I keep working on.
Second, we changed our diet. We didn't go on a diet (I'd been on plenty of those before), we just changed what we eat. So I'll let you know what we are doing, but you should check with your doctor and find out what is right for you.
Here's what we affectionately call the liver diet:
- No Red Meat
- No Dairy (yes, this includes ice cream, milk, yogurt, and cheese)
- No Sugar
- No Caffeine (wean yourself off by getting rid of soda, going to one cup of coffee per day, then one cup of black tea, then green tea, then herbal, etc.)
- Fish, fish, and more fish (especially salmon)--be mindful of fish that can have excess mercury
- Organic, free-range chicken
- Organic, free-range eggs (love these hard boiled and toss the yolk)
- Vegetables, Vegetables, and more Vegetables (these are colorful and are very good for you--who knew?)
- Fruit, and more Fruit
- Only Whole Grains for breads, pastas, rice, etc.
- Water, water, and more water... wait did I mention water???
