Naturally Treating Fatty Liver Disease
Have you been told that you have a fatty liver and are wondering what to do next?
You are not alone.
Many of my clients have digestive issues that they believe may be related to a particular food they are eating. Some opt for allergy testing, while others elect to get blood work or an ultrasound to determine if there are any serious problems.
More and more of my clients are being diagnosed with a fatty liver. And the question to me: “Now what do I do?”
What is a fatty liver?
A fatty liver is the result of excess fat in the liver. Fat builds up in the liver when a person’s diet contains more fat than their body can handle. Having a fatty liver can lead to fatty liver disease, which in turn leads to chronic illnesses. Those who are overweight, have belly fat, are insulin resistant, pre- diabetic and who crave sugars and starches are likely to have a fatty liver. However, many people who are ultimately healthy but are not overweight are learning that they too have a fatty liver.
The liver is one of the most important organs in the body. It is located in the upper right part of the tummy and its functions include:
- Helping to process or remove alcohol, medications and toxins from the body.
- Storing fuel for the body. The food we eat is broken down into a type of sugar called glucose that is used for energy. Excess glucose is stored in the liver as glycogen to be released at a later time when we need the energy.
- Making proteins that are essential for blood to clot.
- Making cholesterol.
- Making bile, which digests fat.
Non- alcoholic fatty liver disease
Most people have no symptoms of a fatty liver. However, some experience persistent pain in the upper part of the stomach, digestive issues and fatigue. Having a fatty liver is not due to drinking in excess, but directly related to the foods that we eat.
70-90 Million Americans have a fatty liver and don’t even know it.
What causes a fatty liver?
A fatty liver is not caused from eating healthy fats such as coconut oil, avocado, nuts and seeds; rather it is the result of consuming sugar, fructose, high fructose corn syrup, sodas, fast foods and pre- packaged foods. These foods cause inflammation in the body, which leads to insulin resistance and pre- diabetes. Inflammation also creates belly fat around the organs and in the liver.
Did you know that:
The Standard American Diet is what is causing so many to have a fatty liver.
Having a fatty liver puts one at high risk for having a heart attack.
Sadly, we are now seeing young children with fatty livers – these kids have been drinking soda daily and are at risk for liver failure and even heart attack.
How can you reduce your risk for fatty liver? Change your Diet now!
- Cut out sugar and high fructose corn syrup (sodas, pops, ketchup, cookies)
- Read labels
- Reduce starch (processed flours, processed foods)
- Eat more vegetables
- Incorporate healthy oils such as olive oil, macadamia nut oil and avocado oil into your diet
- Eat raw nuts and seeds
- Eat wild fish and wild meats or grass fed beef or bison
- Exercise
- Take Fish Oil Supplements
- Eat Cruciferous Vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and Brussels sprouts
What can you do if you have a fatty liver?
All of the above. Additionally, the following supplements have been found to be helpful:
- Milk Thistle
- Lipoic Acid
- N- Acetyl-l-Cysteine
- B Vitamins (Including Choline and Inositol.)
- Magnesium
For additional information about the connection between choline and the development of accumulated fat in the liver (non-alcoholic fatty liver) check out the following article written by Dr. Michelle Kmiec: Animal Feed Has More Nutrition Than FDA Approved Nutrition for Humans.
You also might want to check out The Gluten Free Sugar Free Way, an online program where you will learn how food plays an integral role in your health. Learn how to change your diet for the better by simply removing 3 foods that cause inflammation in your body and that can lead to a fatty liver.
November 21, 2015 @ 5:47 am
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December 18, 2015 @ 2:33 pm
Women had always been coiscnous of their weight. The trend for some had been to look pencil-thin to be called beautiful. Still, there are some women who prefer to look “healthier”, meaning, not being too skinny, balancing their weight with their actual height.Some women who wanted immediate results on their dieting scheme tend to crash-diet, meaning they deprive themselves the needed food by their bodies.For those who starve themselves, they usually are the ones who are most prone to binging, thus, packing on more pounds than they had shed during their limited food intake.Below are some tips on dieting to help eliminated or lose weight the safe and effective way.Eat small meals. Most people, especially women, tend to eat when they are bored or have nothing else to do. Some use food to console or reward themselves over some things or events in their lives.The best way to limit food intake is to eat only when hunger strikes, and in doing so, by taking only small meals. If an individual is used to eating 3 slices of bread, cutting it down to 1, as a starter, would be a good idea.By cutting down the amount of food intake, but taking it more frequently, the individual would not feel that he or she is hungry since they are still ingesting food when need, though at an amount which is much healthier.For example, instead of skipping eating breakfast and then eating a big lunch, it would be best to eat breakfast and then eat a smaller lunch.Choose the foods to snack on. Office workers tend to snack on sugary goodies available on vending machines in their offices. What an individual has to do to limit the temptation to snack on these is to store nutrition packed foods such as the following:1. Dried fruits (raisins, figs, apricots)2. low-fat Granola bars3. whole wheat pretzels4. puddings which are low-in fat5. power bars6. low-fat popcorns7. dry-roasted mixed nutsq Eat foods high in fiber. Recent studies have shown that an increase in the intake of fiber-rich foods can contribute to weight loss. Fiber aids in the digestion process and makes an individual feel fuller at a much longer period of time, thus contributing to the decrease in the urge to eat.Foods high in fiber includes apples, pears, whole grains like pasta and wheat, lima beans and turnip green.Drink lots of water. Water replaces lost fluids in the body. It likewise aids in the digestion process. Drinking at least 8 glasses of water a day may reduce pangs of hunger since it makes the individual feel fuller, thus minimizing the urge to eat.It also flushes our toxins in the body and aids the kidney to function properly.It would be advisable to carry or have water nearby all the time. Office workers might want to have a container of water on their table so as to remind one self to drink.During small walks or jogs at the park, it would likewise be advisable to carry a jug of water for easy reach.Stress and sleep levels. If an individual who wants to lose weight deprives one self of the much-needed sleep, he or she might feel tired and sluggish during the day. Such fatigue might be confused with hunger or the need to eat, thus a weight losing idea buster.Sleep at least 8 hours a day, or whatever number of hours best suits the individual. It has been noted by some researchers that the ideal number of hours of sleep varies from person to person.Teenagers whose growth hormones are kicking, might need at least 10 hours of sleep, while older people feel re-charged and rested on a four-hour sleep.Stress on the other hand is said to promote a physiological change which might make loosing weight a hard task. A stressed body releases a hormone called cortisol. Said hormone encourages build up of fat cells in the abdomen as a result to response of the body to stress.Still, the idea of loosing weight should be done only for some very important matters. If issues of weight cause some health problems, it would be good idea, but to want to loose weight (even if one already feels satisfied with his or her looks) just because others told you so to look beautiful would not be very wise.Live a healthy life and be happy.
March 12, 2016 @ 7:34 am
Good information shared! Really like this post..
July 28, 2016 @ 1:14 am
This story reminded me of how I finally healed my fatty liver after years of agony.
My life used to be miserable. I had fatigue, blood sugar imbalances, high blood pressure, belly fat, flatulence, and many other symptoms that drained the joy from my days.
My doctor prescribed medication that suppressed my appetite but only masked the symptoms of my fatty liver.
I subsequently visited several specialists, but most regarded fatty liver as a relatively benign disorder and did not give it the urgent treatment it deserves.
I knew that there had to be another way. I searched long and hard and finally came across some simple natural remedies that finally healed my debilitating fatty liver for good…to the amazement of my doctors.
In fact, you might want to check out this article, it really helped me a lot:
http://www.journalofnaturalhealth.com/fattyliver
Hope it helps anyone reading this!
October 14, 2017 @ 4:30 pm
In my research, I realise ensuring overall health is the right way to avoid all these problems. The same remedies work for different ailments, so why not just live a healthy lifestyle? I love the tips in this blog, and I will include them in my regime. I am currently using the blessed back seed oil, and i hope these options will further my progress towards healthful living
May 29, 2018 @ 8:51 am
I’m wondering how long it takes to heal a fatty liver the natural way. I do all of the above and take 5000mg of Vitamin C. I take ALA, a blend of 23 herbs to detox and support the liver, B complex in addition to the blend of two B12s (vegan), drink lots of water, drink Burdock root tea, eat a plant-based diet, drink 16 oz of celery juice every morning per Anthony William (Medical Medium)…though exercise has been a struggle because I’m getting over advanced-stage adrenal fatigue. Getting better. Went from menopause back to having regular menstrual cycles (a win!). But my abdomen is distended and I’m 30lbs overweight despite eating pretty healthy for years. I only switched to plant-based eating two months ago. How long will this healing take, I wonder? I wonder when I’ll begin to get more energy and see reduced swelling in my belly (it make me look 3 to 4 months pregnant). Thanks!
May 29, 2018 @ 5:28 pm
Hi Allison, wow sounds like you are really doing everything you need to heal your body. Good for you. Sometimes it takes longer than we think Keep up the good work. YOu might want to be tested for allergies or sensitivities and as always it takes the gut a long time to hea. For me sometimes the healthy foods make my belly bloat. It really is a puzzle for sure.I had to give up beans and lentils and certain raw veggies and go back to lightly steamed and grass fed meats, I think everyone is different and we need to see what works for us. Keep a food diary and see if any ot the foods give you more of a bloat or less energy or more energy. I am now also doing Donna Eden’s Daily Energy Routine and that is helping. I also am taking CBD (Cannibidiol) from hemp so it is legal here in Canada and it lowers overall inflammation which I believe is the root of almost all illness. Let me know if I can help you in any way
July 13, 2018 @ 8:39 pm
Hello, “Allison”:
1ST, I don’t know what you consider “eating pretty healthy” to be, but obviously, you’re wrong or you wouldn’t have fatty liver disease. Not being critical, just saying, because I’ve had to completely revise my opinion of what is “healthy” in the last 2 1/2 years. Go low-carb or no-carb, or maybe better, go keto. Dr Eric Berg [see his youtube.com videos] says it can take 3 years to heal a fatty liver; I’m at 2 years & 9 months since I started wheat belly low carb. I’m down from a high of 280 to 212 as of 2 days ago, so I’m sure you can do it. I don’t recall when I learned I had fatty liver, but I do know that last month I got serious about treating it, partly because I have a belly, & like you, I need to lose 30 lbs, too, or at least 20 more. I’ll have my liver checked again in 9 or 12 months, to see if it’s healed. For now, know that 5oo mg of C is all you can absorb, so spread out thru the day. You can search youtube for adrenal fatigue, & I know Dr. Axe has some videos on that; I think Dr. Berg does, too. Search youtube for fatty liver, or go to Dr. Berg’s site; go to . I think he’s great. While you’re at it, check out Dr. William Davis’ site, .
I hope this info finds you well, in spite of your health problems.
Have a GREAT day, Neighbor!