High energy diet

[jacobsmum24]

Morning folks

Has anyone got good tips for high energy foods and diet ? Been feeling absolutely fine - no pains, no nausea, no diarrhea, dizziness gone but just completely fatigued. Last week the consultant thought I looked slightly jaundiced (although I thought it was a nice sun tan) so might correspond with that.

[AyrshireK]

Have you asked for referral to a hospital dietician? They would give you an appropriate diet plan for the degree of your condition. When my hubby saw a dietician he was 8 1/2 stone and deemed malnourished with muscle wastage - he too suffers from fatigue issues. He was put onto an eating plan with high carbs and high protein content as it is important to fuel with cirrhosis. After a year on that he was also given Ensure supplement drinks and managed to get his weight to 11 stone which he is maintaining and also regained muscle mass.

In a diet leaflet that hubby was given it says "When your liver is not working well or when you have liver disease, your body needs extra energy (calories) and protein. This is because sometimes your body cannot digest and absorb its food properly and therefore is unable to store and use energy"

"When you eat starchy carbohydrate it is broken down into sugar (glucose). This is your body’s main energy source. Some of this energy is stored in your muscles and liver as a starch called glycogen. This is a back-up energy store to be used later when it is needed, between meals, if you have missed a meal or during a long fast such as overnight.

The liver co-ordinates the release of this energy until you next have something to eat; these energy stores are then replaced at your next meal. If the liver is not working properly and you develop liver disease symptoms, the liver cannot replace this store.

The energy from the food you eat only lasts for 2 hours. If you have liver disease and have no energy stores, your body must find an alternative source of energy after this time. Fat tissue is hard to break down quickly, so instead your body will break down its own muscles for energy. If this continues, your muscles will get weaker and waste away.

It is important that you try and eat regular meals and snacks containing carbohydrate every 2-3 hours.

To prevent muscle being used for energy and to keep you strong, it is important to ‘re-fuel’ your body regularly. Eating meals and snacks containing starchy carbohydrate every 2-3 hours provides enough energy to stop your body breaking down its own muscles."

It is best to get individualized professional dietary advice based on your own condition. Hubbies plan was like weight watchers in reverse - cakes, biscuits, crisps, high fat yoghurts and more.

I'll send you a PM but it would be better for you to see a dietician yourself to assess you fully and advice on appropriate eating plan.

All the best, Katie

[schirrosissufferer]

Hi Jacobsmum24, this I'm afraid is something that seems to go with the territory... the other day I cleaned the car out, and then slept for a few hours after collapsing into the chair exhausted... if I do too much, I get dizzy, breathless and feel like passing out..... high sugary foods and drinks give a boost of energy, along with things like snickers bars, (they have peanuts which have lots of proteins in them, but have the downside of adding too many fats into the diet, which the liver doesnt seem to like... (sugar turns to glucose then the leftovers your body cant use turns to fats, not to mention the fats in chocolate bars, and the excess proteins which also turn into fats.. and as you know we need a low fat diet..), but slow release things like porridge and bananas give a more sustained power... but the best thing to do is to go to the doctors, and get an appointment with a dietician (if it is at all possible), who will be able to give you a good range of things that are suitable for your condition.. everyone is different, and their metabolic rate is different, and how the body uses and stores the things we put into it depends on this... Filter Coffee is supposed to be good for the liver, and gives you a boost, I believe its for the polyphenols, but only after it's filtered, but only up to 3 cups a day.. but... you will need to find out yourself what works for you and what doesnt, so the best thing to do, is to try things in moderation, and see how they work for you and how they affect you.. then go with what works for you... sorry I cant be more specific, but like I said, everyone is different and their body has different needs.. listen to your body, not your mind, and your body will tell you what it needs.. if that means rest, then rest.. the body heals itself best when it is resting, (the reason for energy loss when you have a good diet is because the body is trying to repair itself, and uses the energy for that..) but the main thing, is to make sure you have a balanced and healthy diet, and things will slowly improve..

Hope this helps, Martin

[jacobsmum24 in reply to schirrosissufferer]

Thank you Martin. I think it's the unpredictability that frustrates me. One day I can walk 5 miles, next day filling the dishwasher can wipe me out. It makes it so difficult to plan things cause I never know what kind of day I am going to have.

I think I will start to keep a food diary and see if there is any pattern whilst I await an appointment with the dietician.