Eat Foods that Heal Our Liver

Sometimes we become afraid of food with liver disease. We need to make sure that we eat foods that heal our liver.

We hear a lot of advice with liver disease.

Don’t overeat!

Low sodium!

Protein makes you loony!

Watch sugars!

Eat often!

Our liver stores and processes everything we eat. When it is attacked by the Hepatitis C Virus, or damaged by Cirrhosis,  we don’t get enough nutrients and fuel. 

I became afraid of food

A ham sandwich could mean the end of me! The wrong bite might cause ascites.

Honestly, oatmeal and toast were my main source of food. Nibbling on nuts and yogurt all day called my sanity into question on the job.

One morning, while treating the Hepatitis C Virus, I ran late for a teachers meeting. Plopping my wig on in the parking lot, I hurried in and found everyone seated. Then, I spotted the tables filled with boxes of soft, warm, donuts. It was an assortment!

I wanted a donut so bad that I was willing to go to the front of the room to get one. I made a run for it, racing down the line opening box after box until I spotted the object of my desire – a deep fried circle of raspberry-filled pastry covered in a thick glaze of shimmering sugar.

I glanced up and saw the vice principal walking my way. Was my wig was on sideways? Everyone knew that I avoided sugar and the desert table in meetings. My holy granola bar kept me from   glucose, fat, and sodium.

But not on this day. Today was different. I was a woman whose appetite had been held down too long.  I wanted that donut.

Turning my back toward Mr. VP, I curled the donut box under my body. Quickly wrapping a napkin around the little gem, I dropped it in my purse. Then I grabbed one with pink and white sprinkles, and a maple bar, and a glazed too.  Just as he arrived by my left elbow, I clamped my purse under my armpit lest I get caught with my bounty. Everyone knows that the leftover donuts are saved for coaches.

I turned to him smiling, popped the glazed goodie between my lips, and bit off a huge bite. While swiping a crust of sugar on my bottom lip with my tongue, I caught a hair as well. Still smiling, I felt the hair work around my mouth. Looking past my boss, I rushed over and slid into a chair.

Trying to appear calm and collected, I felt the hair tangled up in my mouth. It quickly became the connector for small balls of chewed up donut. The whole thing resembled a fishing line with several bobbers on it. One ball worked its way to the back of my tongue and I gagged a little.

For the next 15 minutes my mouth was a war zone. I battled to push the hair to the front. If I could just get it to my teeth, I could grab it. Every time it got close and tried to poke it out with my tongue, one of the dough balls would slide toward the back. More gagging ensued, and strange noises came from deep within my throat.

I ended up running to a nearby teacher’s lounge spitting, coughing, and wiping my tongue on cheap toilet paper. It stuck to the whole mess, and I cried like a baby.

I felt like a cheap food slut.

Falling to my knees, I gagged and spit until the hair – and the donut – were flushed down the toilet. My face was hot, and the wig was on top of my purse. That day, I felt like I was being punished  for reaching beyond the bounds of my liver loving diet.

Sometimes nothing sounds good when you’re sick. It IS hard to get your appetite up. Low sodium, low fat can sound ucky. It can lead to weight loss and malnutrition. And donut bingeing.

That day, I learned that most food cheats are not worth it. But Some Days, I eat what sounds good.

Foods that Heal Your Liver

More plant protein 

Eat several small meals a day

Keep fruit and vegetables nearby

Drink healthy protein shakes

Be consistent on eating good food

We can eat well even with End Stages of cirrhosis. Let’s Eat Foods that Heal Our Liver .

I love you, xo Karen:)

Which protein is good for your liver?

Sample of Liver Loving Diet

Low sodium Fast Food