Non Alcohol Fatty Liver Disease. NAFLD
Amanda Pittas: Clinical Nutritionist
Balancing lifestyle with nutrition, for a happier, healthier life!
Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and How to Prevent It.
Our liver is an amazing organ and governs much of our bodies detoxification process, hormones and digestion. So when our liver gets fatty then it’s time to re-evaluate our diet!
(NAFLD) Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease can be preventable and is most commonly linked to being related to being overweight and having Type 2 Diabetes. Not to be confused with AFLD which is Alcohol Fatty Liver Disease and this is due to excessive drinking of alcohol.
What Does The Liver Do?
The liver produces bile which helps to break down fat so that it can be absorbed by our digestive tract. It also recycles essential biochemicals, toxic substances and removes them from our body. It’s very important because it basically processes everything we eat and drink, helps to fight off infections, helps to control our blood sugar levels and manufacturers hormones and proteins.
When the liver is damaged it has the ability to repair itself but when we bombard it continuously with what I call a lifestyle load (unhealthy food and drink) it becomes overburdened and can lead to permanent damage and liver cirrhosis.
Risk Factors That Contribute to NAFLD
Basically, modern lifestyle eating habits contribute to NAFLD. Eating on a daily basis sugary foods, highly processed and fatty foods and drinking alcohol in excess all clog up the liver and make it feel sluggish. Sometimes though NAFLD can unfortunately be genetic and be the side-effect of certain medications. NAFLD is commonly found in pre-diabetics or diabetics, people who suffer from hyperlipidaemia, especially those with high triglycerides or people who have digestive issues.
Need some nutritional recipes to get you started? Then download Nutritional Balance’s free Anti-Inflammatory Recipe Book or Balancing Your Gut Recipe Book. Or if you’re really serious you can purchase our Beat Pain & Inflammation Meal Plan or Gut Healing Meal Plan.
How to Avoid NAFLD
By changing your lifestyle choices, improving your diet whilst reducing alcohol intake are the primary strategies for fatty liver disease. Increasing your physical activity has it’s advantages too. Re-shape your diet to include more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains which will help ease the burden on your fatty liver. If medication is contributing to your fatty liver disease, you might like to speak to your doctor about what you can do.
Supporting optimal health is the key to achieving a balanced lifestyle and continued wellbeing. Need a little more guidance on eating for your health? Contact Nutritional Balance and see how we can help you!
Eating For Your Liver
What you eat and the amount of healthy nutrition you provide your body contributes to the onset, progression, and treatment of NAFLD. Dietary factors that increase your risk include:
· A high-calorie diet. (the average person eats up to or more than 2,000 calories per day).
· A diet rich in trans fats (think cakes, chips and pies).
· High amount of protein from animal sources, resulting in a high intake of saturated fat and cholesterol.
· Sugary drinks and over consumption of alcohol
Ways To Reduce Your NAFLD
Keep your BMI (Body Mass Index) in check. Include in your meals and snacks proteins from plants such as beans, chickpeas, nuts and seeds instead of solely relying on meat and dairy for your protein. Adding more fibre to your diet with wholegrains, fruit and vegetables (think broccoli, collard greens and carrots etc). Limit your alcohol in-take and make time for exercise and perhaps lose a little weight in the process. When you treat your body well you will feel well.
Food As Medicine
Overall try a Mediterranean diet or just simply include more veggies in your diet, it’s worth its weight in gold! By eating whole foods such as fruit, vegetables, whole grains and healthy fats, whilst limiting processed, fried and sugar laden foods your providing your body with increased vitamins, minerals and fibre so that you can feel better both physically and mentally. You may very well find you suffer less from other diet related symptoms along the way!
Need some nutritional recipes to get you started? Then download Nutritional Balance’s free Anti-Inflammatory Recipe Book or Balancing Your Gut Recipe Book. Or if you’re really serious you can purchase our Beat Pain & Inflammation Meal Plan or Gut Healing Meal Plan.
Need a one on one approach. I can teach you how to incorporate your foodie habits with optimal nutrition and help you incorporate it into your lifestyle. Together, we will come up with a nutritionally balanced plan to address:
Gut mismanagement
Nutritional deficiencies
Skin problems
Weight gain
Autoimmune conditions
Diabetes
Cardiovascular disease
Arthritis
If you would like to know more on how to balance your life with nutrition and keep that passion for food alive book an appointment with me. Skype appointments and health rebates are available.
The information provided in this blog is intended for your general knowledge only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for specific medical conditions. None of Nutritional Balance’s services shall be used to diagnose or treat any health problem or disease. We cannot and do not provide medical advice. You should seek prompt medical care for any specific health issues and consult your physician before altering your diet. The information provided in this blog should not be used in place of a consultation with your physician or other health care provider. We do not recommend the self-management of health problems. Should you have any healthcare-related questions, please consult your physician or other health care provider promptly. You should never disregard medical advice or delay in seeking it because of the information provided in this plan.