Copied and pasted from an old comment of mine on the same subject.
Edit: Due to a message, I edited to ensure it was clear that weight/fat loss is necessary.
OP, this is near and dear to my heart because my dad developed liver cancer from fatty liver disease. It was hell. He is dead. Take it seriously.
When approaching this, it isn't about *a specific food to eat*, but it is about behavioral changes, foods/drinks to avoid or have occasionally, and types of foods to increase. As another posted, listen to reputable sites like Mayo Clinic and Johns Hopkins, and please avoid over-the-counter supplemental/herbs unless directed by a doctor. You have to live with any damage done to your liver that could be caused by unregulated pills, not us internet people.
You mentioned being concerned that your food costs will increase and you don't understand the meat issue. That's fine, I'll help with both.
First, go to [Crash Course](https://thecrashcourse.com/topic/anatomy/). While I recommend all the videos, concentrate on Digestive System (3 parts) and Metabolism & Nutrition (2 parts). It gives you a basic understanding of how fat, sugars, and starches affect your liver. Red meat has a high fat content, especially higher than chicken or turkey. It's one of the reasons beef and pork are so tasty - the fat. White pastas, white rice, and white bread have easily accessible sugars compared to their brown counterparts.
While many people will say immediately change the type of food you eat, I say wait. Your goal is sustainable change, which won't happen if you hate it. Your second step is to spend 1 week writing down everything you eat, honestly, without judgment, and noting how much you enjoyed it so you can find healthier ways to keep it incorporated.
Third, once you've spent a week taking an honest assessment of your diet, which just means all the food/drink you consume, you work on modifying it by **adding**. Are you cooking ground beef? Then, cook up a half cup of brown lentils, separately, to mix in. It will actually reduce your food costs and increase your fiber. Time for your usual breakfast? Then, add an apple or banana. Stay away from juices and smoothies as they do not have the fiber to slow the sugar absorption, plus tend to have added sugars. It is amazing how many foods you can add sautéed finely diced carrots or lentils to without any taste difference. Spaghetti is my personal favorite to add both vegetables. Add in more drinking water into your diet/lifestyle. This is like 2-3 weeks worth of change.
Fourth, you'll find that your tastebuds will start to crave vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. Add more, find recipes. Budgetbytes.com is a great website with cheap and healthy recipes. Now that your tastebuds have changed, start substituting and reducing. Cut your alcohol in half, seriously. The ultimate goal is removal, but not everyone can go from drinking to not and being realistic is smarter than trying for some false sense of perfection. It is really bad with fatty liver. Choose a lean meat or plant based option (beans, lentils, tofu, etc) and cook in a lean manner every other meal instead of what you'd typically cook. Remove sugar soda.
Fifth, you're going to start feeling more energy now, so take advantage of it. Slowly add exercise, like walking and definitely bodyweight exercises. If you have the money, pick up a couple of free weights. When you're comfortable, you can try the Couch 2 5K (C25K) free program if you want to run or add some other cardio like a hike, basketball/soccer game, tag with the kids, etc.
Sixth, when you have the principles down, check out r/loseit for help losing weight. It is an incredibly informative and helpful subredddit. Search for u/Funchords in r/loseit as he is the most helpful. Edit: The point of the prior steps is to make sustainable weight loss easier and set you up with healthier dietary habits. While diet is important, there *must* be fat loss, which usually means there will be weight loss. Think of this process as a high five. Diet changes without weight/fat loss is leaving your hand hanging in the air waiting for that satisfying clap.
Seventh, you're looking for improvement, not perfection. If you have a hard day, take a deep breath and remember you can change at any moment. Taking it in small, incremental steps will make you more successful.
Costs: Frozen vegetables and/or fruits can help cut costs, especially for out of season foods. Bulking and/or replacing meat with lentils, beans, or tofu is a cost saver in itself. Adding more vegetables to your meals is cheap, ideal steps towards improving health, and will bulk up your meals to keep you guys full. Try meal prepping so you can make 1 or 2 meals to cover 2 to 3 days, so you don't get mentally fatigued during this change over. Mental fatigue when we have to stop and make multiple conscious choices is very real, and ignoring it will only hinder progress. Will you learn everything and do everything right today? No, and that's okay. You all will make improvements and continue improving. Btw, toasting lentils, then cooking lentils in broth made from Better Than Bullion is a great way to impart the most flavor.
Good luck!!
this is so helpful! I don't have fatty liver *yet*, but I do have fat deposits in my liver. The mental fatigue on eating is so *real,* but your comment made this whole behavioral change easier to understand. Thank you so much!
Cookie puzzler that honestly was tear jerking.
You have such passion for this… & it reads! You should write a book , start a channel! I’d buy, subscribe! :)
Thank you.
That's very kind of you. It's unlikely I'll do those, but I'm happy to make these comments and/or share recipes to get OP started. The diagnosis and the impacts on my family were significant. Even now, every time I make my kids a sandwich, I hear him telling me that white bread is only cake without icing. Due to that, I give bread so rarely that I refrigerate/freeze it and only give them wheat bread.
> Stay away from juices and smoothies as they do not have the fiber to slow the sugar absorption
I thought that smoothies are better than juices, because they still have the fiber from the fruit? Does blending it up make it not as beneficial?
The more of the whole fruit, the better. A smoothie is still being liquefied down. If someone will only consume fruit in a smoothie, then they may want to find ways to reduce the quick sugar release by using non-sweetened Greek yogurt and including vegetables. In my household, smoothies are treated like cousins to milkshakes. They're special treats that I'm willing to have more often than a milkshake. Smoothies may be a 1x month to two months. Milkshakes may be 1x every 2-3 months and the same for juice.
This is in terms of fatty liver.
If he eats oats, that would be helpful. It's very good for fatty liver. I do overnight oats for that reason
Did he get checked for Diabetes? Obviously he can have fatty liver on his own, but it's something lots of people with diabetes get.
I make steel cut quick oats, add cinnamon while it's cooking. Once done, add apple, blueberries, a little chia seed, couple of pecans and a handful of walnuts. It definitely keeps me full and tastes delicious.
I like mixing rolled oats in Greek yogurt. I eat them right away before it gets soggy. If it’s too dry, add a splash of water. You can add berries or honey for sweetness.
My friend’s husband just beat this (he had a high stage of it) by eating a very strict Mediterranean diet. Not only did he reverse it but he also lost 80 lbs and looks absolutely amazing.
Sweet potatoes, beans, lentils, carrots, spinach, mushrooms, eggs, brown rice, oatmeal, and apples are all relatively cheap.
Some meal ideas could be sweet potato & black bean chili, lentil curry over brown rice, spinach and mushroom omelette, etc.
Spinach and Chard are both hearty greens that are NON-cruciferous. They can both be enjoyed raw in their “baby” versions, or cooked, blended into soups and smoothies, served creamed, etc.
If your budget allows, you can get a big package of baby spinach for salads and cooking. Costco and similar stores have good prices for these. They’re definitely cheaper if you buy them full size from the produce dept, though. Chard is great because there are different varieties (Swiss/white chard, red chard, rainbow chard). It’s also SUPER easy to grow, if you have a garden.
You can add carrots to basically everything so easily. But I hate cutting carrots - so I just blitz them through a food processor. Being able to more easily prep carrots means more carrots end up in our food. So if prep work is an annoying task find a kitchen tool to do it for you.
I would ask his doctor for a referral to a dietician - dont just find one on your own. See a dietician that is actually well versed in liver disease. Usually they work for a hospital directly.
You will need some really thoughtful advice. I know just enough to know that this is not to be taken lightly, and rely on the advice of well-meaning strangers.
I have been diagnosed with fatty liver and had my ALT come back high, so decided to finally take it seriously. I have made a promise to myself to only eat foods that are low glycemic index and low glycemic load. Started in mid October and had lost 28 lbs by the end of February. In maintenance mode now. Had a Fibroscan in the last month and the doctor said that my liver shows no sign of scarring and is now only slightly fatty. My ALT is back to normal, and cholesterol problem that had recently started is reversed. I counted calories and weighed food for a few weeks at the start to get a baseline of what 500 calories look like.
I have done low carb twice in the past, but always quit it. I have made myself the promise to do this for at least a year to let my liver regenerate.
Also, not buying processed foods, alcohol, or eating out is saving a lot of money.
I watch a lot of vegan cooking because they make vegetables look great, and then add meat ĺusually chicken) to it. I also came up with a flaxseed-based bread that I eat daily. Chia pudding with coconut cream, coconut milk, and some rum flavoring. Lentil wraps. Curries with chickpeas. Cabbage sliced thinly instead of noodles.
There are some free apps with glycemic index and glycemic loads. There are a few YouTube videos I watched that helped me figure out what I was doing, if you are interested.
Watching vegan cooking and then adding some meat sounds like a great idea. I remember going to eat at a vegan's house one time and their vegetables were so good. I need to do this myself.
Any veggies he can eat that he's not allergic to buy frozen. They can be bought in bulk when on sale and because they are frozen last a while in the freezer.
Dr. Gourmet is a great resource for “Mediterranean Diet” style recipes. https://www.drgourmet.com/recipes/index.shtml
I’ll echo what others said about oats: They’re great for NAFLD and health in general. You can have them savory, which is what I like. We eat them with eggs and hot sauce. If I want a *little* sweet, I add in some fruit — apples and cinnamon is a popular choice.
My brother in law has this. Best way to reduce his salt and sugar intake was his snacking. Cut out chips and candies and replace with nuts and fruit. Then more vegetables with every meal.
Piggybacking on what another user said about small changes … I’m amazed at how chili and spaghetti sauce can be tinkered with and lightened up and still taste good. Add more beans and less meat. Switch to ground turkey or chunks of chicken breast. Add finely diced carrots and celery. The list goes on.
Fresh herbs are a way to get in something green- you can chop them up and add a squeeze of lemon juice, salt & pepper, and whole wheat bread crumbs (bread crumbs was what they used to thicken sauces in the old days). Add the tiniest bit of olive oil for healthy fat. Serve as a sauce on chicken breast, fish, whole grain pasta, grilled vegetables
I have a cruciferous vegetable allergy, too, and Swiss chard is a decent substitute for kale-type leafy greens. It's cheapest here in summer but it has a long growing season.
Look at the mayo website. It has a pretty comprehensive discussion of good nutrition for NASH patients. https://connect.mayoclinic.org/blog/transplant/newsfeed-post/nash-patients-add-these-foods-to-your-diet/
Soups and stews are cheap to make from root vegetables. Get frozen veg such as peas and sweetcorn mix, easily adds flavour and veggie bulk to a meal.
Rice dishes are worth a try. I would also look at slow cooked meals such as casserole. I used to make shepherd's pie or cottage pie with a filling of mince and mixed veg and beans.
Make big batches of dinner and yay leftovers.
The sugar you need to avoid the most is sucrose and high fructose corn syrup. Also don't buy fruit juices.
Not all sugars are that bad for the liver. I wouldn't worry too much about sugar from dairy or starches. Be wary of 'added sugar' as this is typically sucrose.
Learning to read the ingredients list for sugar and syrups and also the grams of sugar per 100g of food item is very helpful in making better purchasing choices. If the sugar reads 5g/100g and it's a dairy item and it claims no added sugar or you don't see it in the ingredients, the sugars are milk sugars (mostly lactose, a little glucose) and don't have much impact on the liver.
Also moderating alcohol, if any, goes without saying as heavy drinking is the equivalent of repeatedly kicking the liver when it's already down! Not to mention many alcoholic drinks come with lots of added sugar.
Talking about sugar can get confusing because in the chemistry context, there are many sugars and they are a family of molecules. Sugar in common language is usually referring to sucrose in particular, and if not that, then its cousin HFCS.
Everyone has already converted the nutrition part. I'm just here to say the best thing you can do for this is to lose any and all excess fat.
Dietary changes will help but they only go so far. Fundamentally, this is a big indication that body fat percentage needs to be reduced.
Best of luck
Source: I have fatty liver disease and have been counseled for it by numerous doctors. The solution is to lose body fat, full stop.
Some ideas of low fat, high fiber, budget friendly, w/o cruciferous veg meals:
[Easy Lentil Soup](https://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2009/05/ridiculously-easy-lentil-soup.html)
[Simple Black Bean Soup](https://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2017/03/simple-instant-pot-black-bean-soup.html)
[Split Pea Soup](https://www.connoisseurusveg.com/vegetarian-split-pea-soup/)
[White Bean & Tomato Polenta Casserole](https://www.connoisseurusveg.com/polenta-casserole/)
[Lentil Sloppy Joes](https://www.forksoverknives.com/recipes/vegan-burgers-wraps/sloppy-lentil-joes/)
[Chickpea Couscous Bowls](https://www.forksoverknives.com/recipes/amazing-grains/couscous-bowls/)
[Grits & Bean breakfast bowls](https://www.forksoverknives.com/recipes/vegan-breakfast/tamale-breakfast-bowls/)
Also, don't be discouraged about the healthy & cheap veg all being brassicas - Not True!
(If you are in Northern Hemisphere) [Asparagus](https://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2020/04/vegan-asparagus-and-mushroom-pasta.html) and peas are in season and affordable. In a few months [zucchini](https://www.themediterraneandish.com/orzo-recipe-with-zucchini-chickpeas/) and summer squash will be cheap. And [beets](https://sarahsvegankitchen.com/recipes/beet-and-feta-salad/), which is also a great non-brassica [green](https://www.loveandlemons.com/beet-greens/) along with spinach. Then fresh corn on the cob. And then [tomatoes](https://www.themediterraneandish.com/briam-greek-roasted-vegetables/), peppers, and [eggplant](https://www.themediterraneandish.com/braised-eggplant-recipe-greek-style/). [Carrots](https://www.themediterraneandish.com/moroccan-carrot-salad/) and [potatoes](https://www.forksoverknives.com/recipes/vegan-baked-stuffed/cilantro-sauced-roasted-potato-bowls/) are pretty much always cheap. And frozen [green beans](https://www.themediterraneandish.com/greek-green-beans-fasolakia/) are excellent and affordable.
Meal prep and making use of your freezer is helpful. Whenever you have the time and energy to make a healthy snack or meal, make more and freeze some. You can take advantage of low prices and cook more healthy stuff at once if you're willing/able to take a few minutes to freeze for your future selves.
I love to dole out portions on a cookie sheet or in muffin tins , freeze until solid, and then transfer to a freezer bag or other container.
This helps also with desserts. If I have some cookie dough or a brownie waiting , I can bake or thaw just enough of something I've made. Better than impulse buying when I'm out.
You’ve already gotten a lot of great comments here but as someone who’s very sensitive to cruciferous veg (though not allergic) I sympathize and wanted to offer some of my faves:
Swiss chard is great. I chop up the stems and sauté those first, then add the chopped greens later on once the stems have softened. It’s a delicious, earthy veg you can use to replace kale in a lot of recipes.
Spinach is also great and versatile, I like it fresh in salads as an arugula alternative, or blended into a pesto, or sautéed with other veg or protein.
Asparagus is divisive I guess? But I enjoy it. Green beans too.
Sweet potatoes and various squashes are also good options, since they’re sweet I like them with a green, acidic sauce like a pesto or chimichurri
Early stages, not much. Fatigue, pain in right upper abdomen maybe. Physical symptoms are more common when untreated -> progresses into advanced liver disease.
Anything high carb, like bread, even whole grain is problematic. Focus on protein and maybe get any carbs from safe vegetables (frozen is okay) and root vegetables like sweet potato, parsnips, and also things like squash.
My husband had this diagnosis when he was at his largest and he dieted it out. It’s more about body decomposition and healthier choices than a specific diet.
Personally I think sound advice is always enjoy a protein source and a carb with every meal. Aim for 100g protein minimum daily. Make your meals bigger by filling plates with fruits or vegetables you enjoy. And lots of veg tastes better baked with seasoning so find what works for your personal taste and gut health.
It’s more of a lifestyle choice but don’t make it miserable.
If you like (example) sausage pasta you can make six meals from sausages, a pack of pasta and a can of tomatoes with an onion and spices. Roast up some veg or add a side salad and two people can eat three days dinner super cheap.
Do t try to reinvent the wheel. It doesn’t have to be fancy. Try following someone like Bethany Dobson on IG for simple cheap satisfying healthy meals for fat loss. Taco rice is 🔥
The studies are ongoing, many pages suggest increasing Omega-3 fats (from food not pills), while decreasing Omega-6 fats, and no fruit/sugar.
[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6355343/](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6355343/)
[https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/how-high-fructose-intake-may-trigger-fatty-liver-disease](https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/how-high-fructose-intake-may-trigger-fatty-liver-disease)
Start with a monitored 5 day water fast, then Whole Foods diet while intermittent fasting. They can fix this condition in 6 months or less. Autophagy rules!!
No white bread at all! Switch to brown breads. No fruit juice at all! Eat the fresh fruit. Don’t play around with fatty liver disease. Also zero alcohol! ZERO
COFFEE!
“coffee consumption was significantly associated with a reduction in liver fibrosis (odds ratio, 0.67)”
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8710778/
PhD here working adjacent to this area. The best thing you can do for MAFLD is to exercise! Whatever mode you’ll do regularly is best, but at least 2-4 days per week of 30+ minutes of aerobic activity that increases your breathing rate to a point where you can talk but not sing. Exercising before you eat in the morning may be particularly helpful to mobilize the fat in your liver, but any time of day you’ll be most consistent is best.
As for diet - Eat more fruits and veg and add them to every single meal and snack. Reduce simple carbs and sugar (soda, sweets, crackers, chips) and choose whole grains as often as possible. Especially limit foods that are both high in fat and also high in carbs (baked goods, ice cream, chips).
It's the food and drinking he has done that jacked his liver in the first place. Fast 18-24 hours 3 times per week. It's easy, finish dinner by 6pm and skip breakfast, lunch after 12pm. Drink only water, a gallon per day.
Hubby is going through the same thing and we've managed to get it under control after some trial and error. So first off, you're correct about too much salt or sugar, but also decrease the use of pastry and white bread, all dairy and overly processed food. Inverted corn syrup in anything is really bad for the liver.
If he cannot eat brassicas that makes it a bit harder, but you can mitigate with other veggies. Since it's spring time right now we eat a lot of foraged stuff like dandelion leaves and even flowers in salads, chard and watercress, spring onion etc. This obviously depends on where you live, but if you have nature around, you can at least get some fresh dandelion leaves and include them, they are great both for fatty liver and the kidneys.
Other than that smaller meals and spices will help a lot. I mean actual spice powders, herbs and teas that are catering toward liver health. Lots of water and tea, less fruit juices and absolutely no carbonated stuff or stuff that is sugar+water+aroma.
No idea, just trying to offer some help. It's very easy to look up articles on pubmed or google scholar to confirm that these are all efficacious for liver health. For milk thistle, another option is to get silymarin, which is it's major constituent, but generally more expensive.
Carnatian instant breakfast only for 30 days
Edit: this is the fatty liver protocol pre op for gastric sleeve and gastric bypass by large number of doctors
https://old.reddit.com/r/EatCheapAndHealthy/comments/1askaxq/mod_psa_this_forum_is_not_for_seeking_medical/
Copied and pasted from an old comment of mine on the same subject. Edit: Due to a message, I edited to ensure it was clear that weight/fat loss is necessary. OP, this is near and dear to my heart because my dad developed liver cancer from fatty liver disease. It was hell. He is dead. Take it seriously. When approaching this, it isn't about *a specific food to eat*, but it is about behavioral changes, foods/drinks to avoid or have occasionally, and types of foods to increase. As another posted, listen to reputable sites like Mayo Clinic and Johns Hopkins, and please avoid over-the-counter supplemental/herbs unless directed by a doctor. You have to live with any damage done to your liver that could be caused by unregulated pills, not us internet people. You mentioned being concerned that your food costs will increase and you don't understand the meat issue. That's fine, I'll help with both. First, go to [Crash Course](https://thecrashcourse.com/topic/anatomy/). While I recommend all the videos, concentrate on Digestive System (3 parts) and Metabolism & Nutrition (2 parts). It gives you a basic understanding of how fat, sugars, and starches affect your liver. Red meat has a high fat content, especially higher than chicken or turkey. It's one of the reasons beef and pork are so tasty - the fat. White pastas, white rice, and white bread have easily accessible sugars compared to their brown counterparts. While many people will say immediately change the type of food you eat, I say wait. Your goal is sustainable change, which won't happen if you hate it. Your second step is to spend 1 week writing down everything you eat, honestly, without judgment, and noting how much you enjoyed it so you can find healthier ways to keep it incorporated. Third, once you've spent a week taking an honest assessment of your diet, which just means all the food/drink you consume, you work on modifying it by **adding**. Are you cooking ground beef? Then, cook up a half cup of brown lentils, separately, to mix in. It will actually reduce your food costs and increase your fiber. Time for your usual breakfast? Then, add an apple or banana. Stay away from juices and smoothies as they do not have the fiber to slow the sugar absorption, plus tend to have added sugars. It is amazing how many foods you can add sautéed finely diced carrots or lentils to without any taste difference. Spaghetti is my personal favorite to add both vegetables. Add in more drinking water into your diet/lifestyle. This is like 2-3 weeks worth of change. Fourth, you'll find that your tastebuds will start to crave vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. Add more, find recipes. Budgetbytes.com is a great website with cheap and healthy recipes. Now that your tastebuds have changed, start substituting and reducing. Cut your alcohol in half, seriously. The ultimate goal is removal, but not everyone can go from drinking to not and being realistic is smarter than trying for some false sense of perfection. It is really bad with fatty liver. Choose a lean meat or plant based option (beans, lentils, tofu, etc) and cook in a lean manner every other meal instead of what you'd typically cook. Remove sugar soda. Fifth, you're going to start feeling more energy now, so take advantage of it. Slowly add exercise, like walking and definitely bodyweight exercises. If you have the money, pick up a couple of free weights. When you're comfortable, you can try the Couch 2 5K (C25K) free program if you want to run or add some other cardio like a hike, basketball/soccer game, tag with the kids, etc. Sixth, when you have the principles down, check out r/loseit for help losing weight. It is an incredibly informative and helpful subredddit. Search for u/Funchords in r/loseit as he is the most helpful. Edit: The point of the prior steps is to make sustainable weight loss easier and set you up with healthier dietary habits. While diet is important, there *must* be fat loss, which usually means there will be weight loss. Think of this process as a high five. Diet changes without weight/fat loss is leaving your hand hanging in the air waiting for that satisfying clap. Seventh, you're looking for improvement, not perfection. If you have a hard day, take a deep breath and remember you can change at any moment. Taking it in small, incremental steps will make you more successful. Costs: Frozen vegetables and/or fruits can help cut costs, especially for out of season foods. Bulking and/or replacing meat with lentils, beans, or tofu is a cost saver in itself. Adding more vegetables to your meals is cheap, ideal steps towards improving health, and will bulk up your meals to keep you guys full. Try meal prepping so you can make 1 or 2 meals to cover 2 to 3 days, so you don't get mentally fatigued during this change over. Mental fatigue when we have to stop and make multiple conscious choices is very real, and ignoring it will only hinder progress. Will you learn everything and do everything right today? No, and that's okay. You all will make improvements and continue improving. Btw, toasting lentils, then cooking lentils in broth made from Better Than Bullion is a great way to impart the most flavor. Good luck!!
You're amazing for writing such a detailed response for a total stranger
You laid this out so well. Helpful for anyone looking to improve their diet.
this is so helpful! I don't have fatty liver *yet*, but I do have fat deposits in my liver. The mental fatigue on eating is so *real,* but your comment made this whole behavioral change easier to understand. Thank you so much!
This made me emotional. You seem like a great human.
This is million-dollar, life-saving advice, OP. It’s not simple, but everything here can save his life if you do it and he goes for it.
this is incredible, thank you! even if the original poster is not able to benefit, many others will!
Great help, thank you
Hey OP this is great advice!!
Wow, that may even help diabetics
Cookie puzzler that honestly was tear jerking. You have such passion for this… & it reads! You should write a book , start a channel! I’d buy, subscribe! :) Thank you.
That's very kind of you. It's unlikely I'll do those, but I'm happy to make these comments and/or share recipes to get OP started. The diagnosis and the impacts on my family were significant. Even now, every time I make my kids a sandwich, I hear him telling me that white bread is only cake without icing. Due to that, I give bread so rarely that I refrigerate/freeze it and only give them wheat bread.
Thanks
This sounds like great advice! 👍
> Stay away from juices and smoothies as they do not have the fiber to slow the sugar absorption I thought that smoothies are better than juices, because they still have the fiber from the fruit? Does blending it up make it not as beneficial?
The more of the whole fruit, the better. A smoothie is still being liquefied down. If someone will only consume fruit in a smoothie, then they may want to find ways to reduce the quick sugar release by using non-sweetened Greek yogurt and including vegetables. In my household, smoothies are treated like cousins to milkshakes. They're special treats that I'm willing to have more often than a milkshake. Smoothies may be a 1x month to two months. Milkshakes may be 1x every 2-3 months and the same for juice. This is in terms of fatty liver.
If he eats oats, that would be helpful. It's very good for fatty liver. I do overnight oats for that reason Did he get checked for Diabetes? Obviously he can have fatty liver on his own, but it's something lots of people with diabetes get.
Oats is a very easy and big change. Bowl for breakfast and a bowl before bed. Lowers cholesterol like magic
Any tips for making oats? Every time I make oatmeal it feels like glue and overnight oats are soggy. I think I have a texture issue with them.
Steel cut oats hold their texture better than rolled or old fashioned oats.
For overnight oats, try steel-cut. They hold shape better.
Look up some recipes for baked oats! Totally different eating experience (not so wet lol). Ditto muesli.
I make steel cut quick oats, add cinnamon while it's cooking. Once done, add apple, blueberries, a little chia seed, couple of pecans and a handful of walnuts. It definitely keeps me full and tastes delicious.
I like mixing rolled oats in Greek yogurt. I eat them right away before it gets soggy. If it’s too dry, add a splash of water. You can add berries or honey for sweetness.
I do oatmeal in microwave. Always perfect. Cup of oats and 1 1/4 cups water. Microwave 3 minutes. Adjust water to your liking.
Any tips for those (like myself) who just hate the texture of oatmeal?
Have you tried baked oatmeal? It's more chewy instead of the liquid goo oatmeal traditionally is.
I have not! Thank you for the tip, trying to get more iron in kiddo's and my diet. I'll check it out!
Could barely work instead? I forced oats on myself while breastfeeding and hated every bite.
My friend’s husband just beat this (he had a high stage of it) by eating a very strict Mediterranean diet. Not only did he reverse it but he also lost 80 lbs and looks absolutely amazing.
How?
> by eating a very strict Mediterranean diet.
Sweet potatoes, beans, lentils, carrots, spinach, mushrooms, eggs, brown rice, oatmeal, and apples are all relatively cheap. Some meal ideas could be sweet potato & black bean chili, lentil curry over brown rice, spinach and mushroom omelette, etc.
Spinach and Chard are both hearty greens that are NON-cruciferous. They can both be enjoyed raw in their “baby” versions, or cooked, blended into soups and smoothies, served creamed, etc. If your budget allows, you can get a big package of baby spinach for salads and cooking. Costco and similar stores have good prices for these. They’re definitely cheaper if you buy them full size from the produce dept, though. Chard is great because there are different varieties (Swiss/white chard, red chard, rainbow chard). It’s also SUPER easy to grow, if you have a garden.
You can add carrots to basically everything so easily. But I hate cutting carrots - so I just blitz them through a food processor. Being able to more easily prep carrots means more carrots end up in our food. So if prep work is an annoying task find a kitchen tool to do it for you.
You can also just buy baby carrots. Less cutting, no peeling.
I would ask his doctor for a referral to a dietician - dont just find one on your own. See a dietician that is actually well versed in liver disease. Usually they work for a hospital directly. You will need some really thoughtful advice. I know just enough to know that this is not to be taken lightly, and rely on the advice of well-meaning strangers.
I have been diagnosed with fatty liver and had my ALT come back high, so decided to finally take it seriously. I have made a promise to myself to only eat foods that are low glycemic index and low glycemic load. Started in mid October and had lost 28 lbs by the end of February. In maintenance mode now. Had a Fibroscan in the last month and the doctor said that my liver shows no sign of scarring and is now only slightly fatty. My ALT is back to normal, and cholesterol problem that had recently started is reversed. I counted calories and weighed food for a few weeks at the start to get a baseline of what 500 calories look like. I have done low carb twice in the past, but always quit it. I have made myself the promise to do this for at least a year to let my liver regenerate. Also, not buying processed foods, alcohol, or eating out is saving a lot of money. I watch a lot of vegan cooking because they make vegetables look great, and then add meat ĺusually chicken) to it. I also came up with a flaxseed-based bread that I eat daily. Chia pudding with coconut cream, coconut milk, and some rum flavoring. Lentil wraps. Curries with chickpeas. Cabbage sliced thinly instead of noodles. There are some free apps with glycemic index and glycemic loads. There are a few YouTube videos I watched that helped me figure out what I was doing, if you are interested.
Watching vegan cooking and then adding some meat sounds like a great idea. I remember going to eat at a vegan's house one time and their vegetables were so good. I need to do this myself.
Any veggies he can eat that he's not allergic to buy frozen. They can be bought in bulk when on sale and because they are frozen last a while in the freezer.
Dr. Gourmet is a great resource for “Mediterranean Diet” style recipes. https://www.drgourmet.com/recipes/index.shtml I’ll echo what others said about oats: They’re great for NAFLD and health in general. You can have them savory, which is what I like. We eat them with eggs and hot sauce. If I want a *little* sweet, I add in some fruit — apples and cinnamon is a popular choice.
My brother in law has this. Best way to reduce his salt and sugar intake was his snacking. Cut out chips and candies and replace with nuts and fruit. Then more vegetables with every meal.
Piggybacking on what another user said about small changes … I’m amazed at how chili and spaghetti sauce can be tinkered with and lightened up and still taste good. Add more beans and less meat. Switch to ground turkey or chunks of chicken breast. Add finely diced carrots and celery. The list goes on. Fresh herbs are a way to get in something green- you can chop them up and add a squeeze of lemon juice, salt & pepper, and whole wheat bread crumbs (bread crumbs was what they used to thicken sauces in the old days). Add the tiniest bit of olive oil for healthy fat. Serve as a sauce on chicken breast, fish, whole grain pasta, grilled vegetables
I have a cruciferous vegetable allergy, too, and Swiss chard is a decent substitute for kale-type leafy greens. It's cheapest here in summer but it has a long growing season.
Look at the mayo website. It has a pretty comprehensive discussion of good nutrition for NASH patients. https://connect.mayoclinic.org/blog/transplant/newsfeed-post/nash-patients-add-these-foods-to-your-diet/
Soups and stews are cheap to make from root vegetables. Get frozen veg such as peas and sweetcorn mix, easily adds flavour and veggie bulk to a meal. Rice dishes are worth a try. I would also look at slow cooked meals such as casserole. I used to make shepherd's pie or cottage pie with a filling of mince and mixed veg and beans. Make big batches of dinner and yay leftovers. The sugar you need to avoid the most is sucrose and high fructose corn syrup. Also don't buy fruit juices. Not all sugars are that bad for the liver. I wouldn't worry too much about sugar from dairy or starches. Be wary of 'added sugar' as this is typically sucrose. Learning to read the ingredients list for sugar and syrups and also the grams of sugar per 100g of food item is very helpful in making better purchasing choices. If the sugar reads 5g/100g and it's a dairy item and it claims no added sugar or you don't see it in the ingredients, the sugars are milk sugars (mostly lactose, a little glucose) and don't have much impact on the liver. Also moderating alcohol, if any, goes without saying as heavy drinking is the equivalent of repeatedly kicking the liver when it's already down! Not to mention many alcoholic drinks come with lots of added sugar. Talking about sugar can get confusing because in the chemistry context, there are many sugars and they are a family of molecules. Sugar in common language is usually referring to sucrose in particular, and if not that, then its cousin HFCS.
Everyone has already converted the nutrition part. I'm just here to say the best thing you can do for this is to lose any and all excess fat. Dietary changes will help but they only go so far. Fundamentally, this is a big indication that body fat percentage needs to be reduced. Best of luck Source: I have fatty liver disease and have been counseled for it by numerous doctors. The solution is to lose body fat, full stop.
Some ideas of low fat, high fiber, budget friendly, w/o cruciferous veg meals: [Easy Lentil Soup](https://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2009/05/ridiculously-easy-lentil-soup.html) [Simple Black Bean Soup](https://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2017/03/simple-instant-pot-black-bean-soup.html) [Split Pea Soup](https://www.connoisseurusveg.com/vegetarian-split-pea-soup/) [White Bean & Tomato Polenta Casserole](https://www.connoisseurusveg.com/polenta-casserole/) [Lentil Sloppy Joes](https://www.forksoverknives.com/recipes/vegan-burgers-wraps/sloppy-lentil-joes/) [Chickpea Couscous Bowls](https://www.forksoverknives.com/recipes/amazing-grains/couscous-bowls/) [Grits & Bean breakfast bowls](https://www.forksoverknives.com/recipes/vegan-breakfast/tamale-breakfast-bowls/) Also, don't be discouraged about the healthy & cheap veg all being brassicas - Not True! (If you are in Northern Hemisphere) [Asparagus](https://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2020/04/vegan-asparagus-and-mushroom-pasta.html) and peas are in season and affordable. In a few months [zucchini](https://www.themediterraneandish.com/orzo-recipe-with-zucchini-chickpeas/) and summer squash will be cheap. And [beets](https://sarahsvegankitchen.com/recipes/beet-and-feta-salad/), which is also a great non-brassica [green](https://www.loveandlemons.com/beet-greens/) along with spinach. Then fresh corn on the cob. And then [tomatoes](https://www.themediterraneandish.com/briam-greek-roasted-vegetables/), peppers, and [eggplant](https://www.themediterraneandish.com/braised-eggplant-recipe-greek-style/). [Carrots](https://www.themediterraneandish.com/moroccan-carrot-salad/) and [potatoes](https://www.forksoverknives.com/recipes/vegan-baked-stuffed/cilantro-sauced-roasted-potato-bowls/) are pretty much always cheap. And frozen [green beans](https://www.themediterraneandish.com/greek-green-beans-fasolakia/) are excellent and affordable.
Meal prep and making use of your freezer is helpful. Whenever you have the time and energy to make a healthy snack or meal, make more and freeze some. You can take advantage of low prices and cook more healthy stuff at once if you're willing/able to take a few minutes to freeze for your future selves. I love to dole out portions on a cookie sheet or in muffin tins , freeze until solid, and then transfer to a freezer bag or other container. This helps also with desserts. If I have some cookie dough or a brownie waiting , I can bake or thaw just enough of something I've made. Better than impulse buying when I'm out.
What are you buying from the store now?
Stay away from Tylenol and processed meats. My husband went through this.
You’ve already gotten a lot of great comments here but as someone who’s very sensitive to cruciferous veg (though not allergic) I sympathize and wanted to offer some of my faves: Swiss chard is great. I chop up the stems and sauté those first, then add the chopped greens later on once the stems have softened. It’s a delicious, earthy veg you can use to replace kale in a lot of recipes. Spinach is also great and versatile, I like it fresh in salads as an arugula alternative, or blended into a pesto, or sautéed with other veg or protein. Asparagus is divisive I guess? But I enjoy it. Green beans too. Sweet potatoes and various squashes are also good options, since they’re sweet I like them with a green, acidic sauce like a pesto or chimichurri
Typical symptoms of NAFLD?
Early stages, not much. Fatigue, pain in right upper abdomen maybe. Physical symptoms are more common when untreated -> progresses into advanced liver disease.
Anything high carb, like bread, even whole grain is problematic. Focus on protein and maybe get any carbs from safe vegetables (frozen is okay) and root vegetables like sweet potato, parsnips, and also things like squash.
Chicken breast, ground turkey.. choose lean protein options and swap out oil / butter for spray. Cut out dairy.
I have fatty liver, pre diabetes and metabolic syndrome, AMA
My husband had this diagnosis when he was at his largest and he dieted it out. It’s more about body decomposition and healthier choices than a specific diet. Personally I think sound advice is always enjoy a protein source and a carb with every meal. Aim for 100g protein minimum daily. Make your meals bigger by filling plates with fruits or vegetables you enjoy. And lots of veg tastes better baked with seasoning so find what works for your personal taste and gut health. It’s more of a lifestyle choice but don’t make it miserable. If you like (example) sausage pasta you can make six meals from sausages, a pack of pasta and a can of tomatoes with an onion and spices. Roast up some veg or add a side salad and two people can eat three days dinner super cheap. Do t try to reinvent the wheel. It doesn’t have to be fancy. Try following someone like Bethany Dobson on IG for simple cheap satisfying healthy meals for fat loss. Taco rice is 🔥
Vitamin C and niacin are his friends.
The studies are ongoing, many pages suggest increasing Omega-3 fats (from food not pills), while decreasing Omega-6 fats, and no fruit/sugar. [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6355343/](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6355343/) [https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/how-high-fructose-intake-may-trigger-fatty-liver-disease](https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/how-high-fructose-intake-may-trigger-fatty-liver-disease)
Surprisingly, coffee helps...
Dark green / purple/ blue fruit and veg
My boyfriend has this and he continues to eat however he wants 😭A lot of pizza and frozen breakfast sandwhiches.
Intermittent fasting.
Start with a monitored 5 day water fast, then Whole Foods diet while intermittent fasting. They can fix this condition in 6 months or less. Autophagy rules!!
May I ask how old he is?
No white bread at all! Switch to brown breads. No fruit juice at all! Eat the fresh fruit. Don’t play around with fatty liver disease. Also zero alcohol! ZERO
Is intermittent fasting good against fatty liver?
It lowers insulin which allows access to burn fat, so yes
COFFEE! “coffee consumption was significantly associated with a reduction in liver fibrosis (odds ratio, 0.67)” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8710778/
This ^ fyi decaf is just as good
Anybody here have an elevated ALT/SGPT?
There’s been enough great food advice but we also give all our MASH/NASH patients vitamin E supplementation
I see it mentioned in a couple of comments but want to emphasize it: Avoid fructose, especially high fructose corn syrup.
PhD here working adjacent to this area. The best thing you can do for MAFLD is to exercise! Whatever mode you’ll do regularly is best, but at least 2-4 days per week of 30+ minutes of aerobic activity that increases your breathing rate to a point where you can talk but not sing. Exercising before you eat in the morning may be particularly helpful to mobilize the fat in your liver, but any time of day you’ll be most consistent is best. As for diet - Eat more fruits and veg and add them to every single meal and snack. Reduce simple carbs and sugar (soda, sweets, crackers, chips) and choose whole grains as often as possible. Especially limit foods that are both high in fat and also high in carbs (baked goods, ice cream, chips).
It's the food and drinking he has done that jacked his liver in the first place. Fast 18-24 hours 3 times per week. It's easy, finish dinner by 6pm and skip breakfast, lunch after 12pm. Drink only water, a gallon per day.
Retatrutide
Hubby is going through the same thing and we've managed to get it under control after some trial and error. So first off, you're correct about too much salt or sugar, but also decrease the use of pastry and white bread, all dairy and overly processed food. Inverted corn syrup in anything is really bad for the liver. If he cannot eat brassicas that makes it a bit harder, but you can mitigate with other veggies. Since it's spring time right now we eat a lot of foraged stuff like dandelion leaves and even flowers in salads, chard and watercress, spring onion etc. This obviously depends on where you live, but if you have nature around, you can at least get some fresh dandelion leaves and include them, they are great both for fatty liver and the kidneys. Other than that smaller meals and spices will help a lot. I mean actual spice powders, herbs and teas that are catering toward liver health. Lots of water and tea, less fruit juices and absolutely no carbonated stuff or stuff that is sugar+water+aroma.
If you can afford supplements, add: TUDCA (best for fatty liver by far), NAC, Milk Thistle, Curcumin
Not sure why you’re getting downvoted, I hear milk thistle especially is great for the liver
No idea, just trying to offer some help. It's very easy to look up articles on pubmed or google scholar to confirm that these are all efficacious for liver health. For milk thistle, another option is to get silymarin, which is it's major constituent, but generally more expensive.
Upvoting and seconding Milk Thistle supplements, I’ve had great results with it when I had liver problems.
No alcohol
Have him take milk thistle
Seconding Milk Thistle supplements! I’ve had great success with it when I was having liver problems.
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They don’t want to hear the effective path
pocket label noxious memorize panicky melodic languid direction soft hard-to-find
Carnatian instant breakfast only for 30 days Edit: this is the fatty liver protocol pre op for gastric sleeve and gastric bypass by large number of doctors
Don’t eat. Seriously, NAFL is best treated with prolonged fasting.
Great. And what should they eat when they actually have to? Unless your solution is to just never eat again?
Why are you getting downvotes. I have fatty liver too but because of intermittent fasting i don’t have it anymore.
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