How to repair and reverse fatty liver

Have you ever heard of Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)? It is actually now the most common cause of chronic liver disease worldwide and can progress to cirrhosis, liver cancer and liver failure. That’s right!

Luckily, research has shown that the right diet and nutritional therapies can repair and renew, and if detected early enough, completely reverse NAFLD.

According to Diet Finda, the diet below, designed by Dr Sandra Cabot, is intended to reduce the fat in the liver, minimise liver damage, improve the function of insulin and make weight loss easier.

If you have fatty liver, you should eat:

1. Raw plant food, especially raw vegetables most fruits are fairly high in sugar. A maximum of 2 pieces of fruit daily are allowed if you are trying to lose weight but vegetables contain very little sugar, therefore you can eat unlimited quantities.
2. Cooked vegetables of different varieties including some starchy vegetables (except potatoes); this will compensate for the fact that you will not be eating bread, biscuits and sugary desserts.
3. First class protein from one or more of the following choices –
4. Any seafood, canned or fresh (not smoked or deep-fried)
5. Poultry
6. Lean fresh red meats
7. Eggs – organic or free range
8. Legumes (beans, chickpeas or lentils) & raw nuts & seeds
9. Protein powder – make sure it does not contain sugar; ideally use Synd-X Slimming
10.Protein powder which is sweetened with the herb stevia. You can use this powder to make delicious smoothies.

Quick and healthy snacks you can eat

Canned seafood (sardines, salmon, mackerel, crab meat or tuna) – one small can mixed with the juice of ½ a fresh lemon or 1 Tbsp of natural yoghurt and fresh chopped herbs.
1. A protein smoothie made with coconut milk or almond milk and 3 tablespoons fresh or frozen berries.
2. Raw nuts and seeds of any variety by themselves, or with 1 piece of fresh fruit. Fresh nuts are best and you can add salt to them if desired. Use one handful of nuts maximum.
3. Raw vegetables – good examples are carrot, cucumber, zucchini, or celery sticks, or broccoli florets dipped into tahini, hummus or freshly mashed avocado.
4. Raw fruit – one to two pieces of fruit by itself – or with 10 raw nuts or plain yoghurt.
5. Avocado Dip or Bean Dip with sticks of raw vegetables or par-steamed vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower.
6. A raw vegetable juice – one glass full.

What you should stay away from

1. Sugar and candy; some cheap chocolates contain hydrogenated vegetable oils which are most unhealthy. If you do indulge in a little chocolate the best types are dark chocolate with a minimum of 70 percent cocoa solids.
2. Foods containing flour.
3. “Diet foods” that claim to be slimming – they are usually low in fat and high in sugar or artificial sweeteners, eg. Diet yogurts, diet jams, diet ice-cream, diet sodas, etc; These diet foods are not slimming; they are very fattening.
4. Fried snacks – such as potato chips, tortilla chips, pretzels, crackers, etc.
5. Pizza
6. Fried take away foods.
7. Biscuits – both sweet and savoury varieties, as they contain flour, hydrogenated vegetable oils, and if sweet will be high in sugar.
8. Crumpets, muffins, bagels, white bread and donuts.

Dr Cabot said you should listen to your body and follow your natural instincts when it comes to the amount of food you need. It is not how much you eat, it is what you are eating that is so important for your liver and insulin levels.

Have you ever heard of fatty liver?