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Ask the Experts: Cincinnati

Ask the Experts: Cincinnati

Teresa Davidson and Catherine Evans talk with The UC Health Transplant team.The American Liver Foundation in collaboration with the UC Health Transplant department invites you to an Ask the Experts panel. This educational program invites patients, caregivers and anyone interested in liver transplants to learn about liver diet/nutrition, medication usage, ...

A Healthy Diet, a Healthier Liver, a Healthier You

So, what should you eat to ensure that your liver can function normally?

If you’re a liver patient, your diet is adjusted to meet your individual needs. Talk to your doctor about what’s best for you. Still, here are some general food tips for a healthy or healthier liver:

  • What to avoid: Don’t eat foods high in fat, sugar and salt. Stay away from a lot of fried foods including fast food restaurant meals. Raw or undercooked shellfish such as oysters and clams are a definite no-no.
  • Talk to your doctor about alcohol and your liver health: Depending on the state of your liver, you should avoid alcohol. If you’re allowed alcohol, limit it to no more than one drink a day if you’re a woman and two drinks a day if you’re a man.
  • Eat a balanced diet: Select foods from all food groups: Grains, fruits, vegetables, meat and beans, milk, and oil.
  • Eat food with fiber: Fiber helps your liver work at an optimal level. Fruits, vegetables, whole grain breads, rice and cereals can take care of your body’s fiber needs.
  • Drink lots of water: It prevents dehydration and it helps your liver to function better.

How you should eat if you have…

Bile Duct Disease

Bile is a liquid made in the liver that helps break down fats in the small intestine. Bile duct disease keeps bile from flowing to the small intestine.

Diet Recommendations:

  • Use fat substitutes
  • Use kernel oil (i.e. canola, olive, corn, sunflower, peanut, flax seed oils) because it needs less bile to break down fats than other types of oil

Cirrhosis

Cirrhosis is the scarring and hardening of the liver.

Diet Recommendations:

  • Limit salt and foods that contain a lot of salt
  • Talk to your doctor about how much protein to have in your diet

Fatty Liver Disease

Fatty liver disease is the build-up of fat in liver cells.

Diet Recommendations:

  • Limit foods that are high in calories
  • Eat foods that have fiber

Hemochromatosis

Hemochromatosis is the build-up of iron in the liver.

Diet Recommendations:

  • Do not eat foods that have iron
  • Do not use iron pots and pans
  • Do not take pills with iron
  • Do not eat uncooked shellfish

Hepatitis C

Hepatitis C is a disease of the liver caused by the hepatitis C virus.

Diet Recommendations:

  • Limit foods that have a lot of iron
  • Do not use iron pots and pans
  • Limit salt and foods that contain a lot of salt

Wilson Disease

Wilson disease is the build-up of copper in the body.

Diet Recommendations:

  • Limit foods that have copper such as chocolate, nuts, shellfish and mushrooms
  • Do not use copper pots

Do you realize that your liver is depending on you?

It’s true. Even though you can’t see it hidden away under your rib cage, if your liver could speak to you, it would say: “I’m working hard, doing my best to process what you eat and drink into energy and nutrients. Hey, I’m also your filter! I’m trying to remove harmful substances from your blood. So, won’t you at least help me?”

A talking liver—sounds odd, doesn’t it? But actually, your liver does communicate with you.

If you eat a healthy diet, your liver “tells” you that you’re doing a great job. You get the message because your liver is able to function properly and, provided your overall health is good, you feel in great physical shape.

If, on the other hand, you aren’t careful with your diet, your liver is defenseless. When you consume fatty or fried foods, and pile on the salt, your liver literally is under attack.

If you don’t help your liver, it can’t help you. The result: Liver disease and, possibly, disorders that could affect other organs. Of course, it’s important to maintain a healthy weight. In addition to eating a healthy diet, exercise regularly.

10 Healthy Tips to Follow at the Supermarket

  1. Pick out vegetables and fruits without high-calorie sauces or added salt & sugars
  2. Choose fiber-rich whole grains
  3. Pick up poultry and fish without skin prepared in healthy way
  4. Decide over lean cuts of meat instead of those high in fat
  5. Eat fish at least twice a week, especially fish containing omega-3 fatty acids (e.g. salmon, trout and herring)
  6. Make sure your dairy is Fat-free (skim) or low-fat (1%)
  7. Avoid foods with partially hydrogenated vegetable oils to reduce trans fat
  8. Limit saturated fat and trans fat by replacing them with the better fats (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated)
  9. Cut back on beverages and foods with added sugars
  10. Choose foods with less sodium and prepare foods with little or no salt

Resources

Support Group

NASH Support Group on Facebook
Visit the American Liver Foundation Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH) support group on Facebook. For more details, click here…

Informational Posters

Wellness Webinars

Wellness Know Your Liver Lifestyle & Chronic Illness
Mindfulness Utilizing Mindfulness on Your Journey to Wellness Improving Liver Health through Mindfulness Using Mindfulness to Overcome Chronic Disease
Fitness & Exercise Fitness & Exercise: The Key to Wellness Managing Liver Health with Fitness & Exercise Finding Time and Energy for Fitness & Exercise with Chronic Disease
Nutrition Eating to Your Health Nutrition & Liver Health Practical Healthy Eating for Chronic Disease Patients
Financial Literacy Reducing Stress through Financial Management Financial Literacy and Liver Disease Accessing Disability Benefits
Mental Health Maintaining Positive Mental Health Poor Mental Health Can Damage Your Liver Supporting Your Mental Health While Living with a Chronic Disease
Prevention Engaging Your Primary Care Physician In Your Wellness Journey Super Foods for Your Liver Stay Focused on Your General Health While Combating a Chronic Disease
Disease Management Preventing Chronic Disease through Lifestyle Choices Managing Your Medications with Liver Disease Living Your Life to the Fullest with a  Chronic Disease: Beauty & Brains
Vaccinations Vaccinations Are an Integral Part of Wellness Preventing Viral Hepatitis Vaccinations to Manage Chronic Disease
Obesity Awareness Prevent Obesity and Its Challenges Fatty Liver: Know the Risk Factors Balance Disease Management and Weight Management
Know Your Liver Love Your Liver: Why You Should Care Understanding Your Liver Function Test Results Preventing Liver Damage While Living with Chronic Disease
Alcohol/Smoking Wellness May Still Include Responsible Drinking Alcoholic Hepatitis: Prevention & Treatment Being Responsible With a Chronic Disease
Understanding Insurance Understanding the Basics of Health Insurance Getting Hepatitis C Treatment through Insurance

Nutrition Videos

Ask the Experts: Cincinnati

Teresa Davidson and Catherine Evans talk with The UC Health Transplant team.The American Liver Foundation in collaboration with the UC Health Transplant department invites you to an Ask the Experts panel. This educational program invites patients, caregivers and anyone interested in liver transplants to learn about liver diet/nutrition, medication usage,

Ask the Experts – NASH and Your Diet

NASH and Your Diet with Dr. Albert DoOur National Manager of Support Services Warren Hall talking to Dr. Albert Do, MD, MPH, Clinical Director of the Fatty Liver Disease Program at Yale School of Medicine. This webinar was recorded on August 16, 2021 and was funded by Intercept.

Healthy Eating at Home with Jessica Dean

Making and eating healthy food can be difficult, especially during the current crisis when you're stuck at home. Registered Dietitian Jessica Dean makes things easier by talking about which foods to buy, how to use them, alternative options, freezing foods, batch cooking, using canned products/reducing sodium. She also discusses eating

Turkey Burger

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Hummus Dip

In the Doctor's Kitchen Eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly helps the liver to work well. If you’re living with liver disease, your diet is often adjusted to meet your individual needs. You should always talk to your doctor about what’s best for you, but here are some general

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The PBC Breakfast Sandwich

In the Doctor's Kitchen Eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly helps the liver to work well. If you’re living with liver disease, your diet is often adjusted to meet your individual needs. You should always talk to your doctor about what’s best for you, but here are some general

Liver Wellness Webinar: 10 Ways To Cut Back on Salt and Sugar

Presented by Dana Angelo White, MS, RD, ATC Registered Dietician and living liver donor, Dana Angelo White, shares statistics on salt and sugar consumption, presents valuable tips on how to read food labels when shopping for groceries, and offers suggestions on ways to reduce salt and sugar consumption. This webinar

Liver Super Foods

June is Prevention Month for the American Liver Foundation’s Get Fit program! Check out our webinar of the month: Liver Super Foods Presented by: Sujit Janardhan, MD, Rush University Sponsored By:

Practical Healthy Eating for Chronic Disease Patients

Sponsored By:

Nutrition and Liver Health

March is Nutrition Month for the American Liver Foundation’s Get Fit program! Check out our webinar of the month: Nutrition and Liver Health Presented by: Bethany Doerfler, MS, RDN, Northwestern University Sponsored By:

Eating to Your Health

Sponsored By:

Super Foods for Your Liver Webinar

Nutrition & Liver Health Webinar

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Last Updated on March 26, 2021

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