Suffering from Fatty Liver? Do the Following
Fatty liver is a health condition that encourages the build-up of fat in the liver. This is caused by various factors, including poor lifestyle and feeding habits. When there is an unhealthy accumulation of fat in the body, then different severe and chronic health conditions begin to surface. Studies have found that there are two types of fatty liver disease, and they include
- Alcoholic
- Nonalcoholic
The former, as the name implies, is caused by the excessive consumption of alcohol, while the latter is not caused by alcohol but by other factors such as unhealthy feeding and lifestyle habits. Although, up until now, research has not been able to specifically pinpoint exactly what the unhealthy lifestyle and feeding factors that cause fatty liver are. However, it has been discovered that people with the following conditions tend to have nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. This category of people includes;
- People who are aching from type 2 diabetes or insulin resistance
- People who are overweight or obese
- High blood pressure patients
- People with high levels of blood cholesterol (bad cholesterol)
Currently, no drug has been discovered to remedy fatty liver disease. In other words, fatty liver is a disease that does not have a cure just yet. However, certain feeding and lifestyle changes and adjustments can help improve symptoms, improve the health condition itself, and have been found to be the most effective way of treating this conditio0n for now.
Thus, the question now should be, what are the dietary and lifestyle adjustments and changes that need to be done to correct this liver defect? What lifestyle and feeding habits can be helpful in the treatment of fatty liver? Read on to find out.
Natural Home Remedies for Fatty Liver
If you have nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, have it at the back of your mind that not all foods and lifestyle habits are healthy for you. To begin with, you would have to cut down on some feeding habits, stop eating certain kinds of foods and start some correctional lifestyles like engaging in physical exercises to shed off some excess weight.
In addition, before adopting any of the lifestyle and feeding adjustments, if you have nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, it is important to speak with a professional medical practitioner first to avoid complications of your condition.
Lose Excess Weight
Research has identified excess weight gain as one of the leading factors that trigger the nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Therefore, reducing your weight is an essential part of preventing and treating nonalcoholic fatty liver disease symptoms and progression.
When you engage in healthy physical exercises, you automatically begin to reduce the tendency of fat build-up in your liver. In addition, in cases where the fat has already accumulated in the liver, physical exercises can also eliminate it. All you really have to do is stick to your weight loss routine or physical exercise plan. Some of the ways through which this can be effective are; having an early morning jogging partner, parking your car far away from your destination and trekking the remaining distance, dancing, walking up and down the stairs, and cycling, among others.
Check Out the Mediterranean Diet
Mediterranean diet, according to research, has been discovered to help reduce fat build-up in the liver without even initiating weight loss. Thus, if you have a healthy weight and do not want to lose weight while treating nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, then you can try out the Mediterranean diet.
Coupled with this, the Mediterranean diet also eliminates opportunist health conditions that spring up from nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. These opportunistic health conditions include; high bad cholesterol levels in the blood, type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance, high blood pressure, and so on.
The Mediterranean diet comprises of several plant-based foods, some of which include; fruits and vegetables, legumes, and so on. to make a Mediterranean diet on your own, here is a list of foods you can add to your diet;
- Fruits and vegetables; eat different types of this category of foods. Try out green leafy vegetables, figs, potatoes, cucumbers, eggplants, oranges, tomatoes, apples, berries, peppers, carrots, and squash.
- Legumes; add beans, pulses, lentils, peas, and chickpeas to your diet.
- Healthy fats; not all fats are unhealthy. Despite having fatty liver, you need healthy fats in your Mediterranean diet. These fats can be gotten from certain fishes like salmon and tuna in the form of omega 3, avocados, olives and olive oils, nuts and seeds, and extra virgin oils.
- Fish and lean meats; eat poultry, eggs, skinless chicken, and turkey in moderate proportions. In addition, make sure not to eat them more than twice per week.
- Whole grains; add unprocessed whole grains and cereals to your Mediterranean diet. Healthy sources of whole and unprocessed grains include; whole wheat bread, couscous, quinoa, whole-wheat pasta, and brown rice.
Drink Coffee
Coffee supplies a number of benefits to the liver. It encourages the liver to produce enzymes that protect the liver from inflammation. Recent studies have revealed that daily consumption of coffee has drastically reduced the possibilities and risks of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Try to drink at least two to four cups of coffee per day to reduce your risks of developing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Researchers have suggested black coffee to be the best option as it does not in any way contain added sugar or added fat.
Become Active
A sedentary lifestyle has been linked with higher risks of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Asides from this, inactivity has been discovered to contribute to certain other chronic health conditions like heart diseases and obesity, which is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes. One of the fasted and most effective ways of overcoming non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is by staying active. One of the best ways to begin, according to fitness professionals, is by starting with at least 120 to 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week. By calculation, this is about 30 minutes per day. Doing this for at least 5 days will go a long way in beating down your fatty liver risks and also eliminate it if you already have it.
Begin with moderate exercises, take walks to the supermarket, start early morning joggings, use the stairs rather than the elevator and finally, reduce the number of times you sit down per day.
Avoid Processed Foods with Added Sugar
Fructose and sucrose are dietary sugars that have been associated with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Some of the foods that contain these types of added sugars include;
- Candy
- Sugary cereals
- Baked goods like doughnuts, cookies, cakes, pies, and pastries
- Ice cream
- Soft deinks
- Energy drinks
- Sweetened dairy products
- Sugary yogurts
- Sports drinks
Check the labels of packaged foods to find out the amount of added sugar content it has. These sugars can come with names like maltose, fructose, sucrose, and other words that end in “ose.” Some other kind of added sugars asides the “ose” ones include;
- Honey
- Syrup
- Fruit juice concentrate
- Molasses
- Corn sweetener
- High fructose corn syrup
- Cane sugar
Read the nutritional fact label to know the ingredients of what you are buying and what you are going to invest in your body system. Check well for the sugar because the lower the sugar, the better for you.
Reduce Blood Cholesterol Levels
The nonalcoholic fatty liver disease makes the body unable to regulate or manage cholesterol contents by itself. This can automatically worsen your condition, lead to severe complications and chronic health conditions like heart diseases. In order to control and regulate your blood cholesterol levels, limit your intake of some finds of fats. Some of the fats to stay away from including;
- Transfat; they are usually found in crackers, fried foods, and baked foods
- Saturated fats; are found in full-fat dairy products and meats
Try Out Omega 3 Fatty Acids
Some fats are beneficial to health, one of which is omega 3 fatty acids. They are richly packed in nuts and seeds, as well as oily fishes. Try to eat these foods in moderation.
In conclusion, lifestyle and dietary changes and adjustments can help regulate and control the accumulation and build-up of fats in the liver. Fat build-up and accumulation in the liver can be dangerous for your health. Without proper medication and management methods, it can develop into other kinds of severe health conditions like type 2 diabetes and heart diseases.