How can I tackle NAFLD after having my gall bladder removed?

[TwigletsMum]

I had my gall bladder removed about ten years ago because of spiky calcium stones causing repeat acute illness. I was caring for my husband, who had a long-term , progressive illness, needed increasing levels of care from me, including tempting his appetite and trying to keep his calorie intake high enough. So I ignored my dietary and exercise needs - and put on two stone in weight (from overweight to obese).

My husband died in April.

Since then I've been trying to tackle my own health problems. I have lost 1 1/2 of the 2 stone. My target for 2025 is to hit a BMI of no more than 27. Under 25 would be lovely, but I'm not going to stress about that. I've also improved my strength and stamina - from a ridiculously low point - after being told my hip and back pain were not arthritis, as I'd feared, but tendonitis of the hip and muscle weakness, then being referred to a physio whose advice and exercise regime has been incredibly effective.

I haven't adapted my diet, except that my appetite has shrunk dramatically. Once the thing you're dreading has already happened, I guess your stress levels drop accordingly. But I would like advice on what sort of diet will be best for my liver, especially in view of the lack of a gall bladder. So, if anyone can help, I'd be grateful.

Many thanks

[Sunnyskies33]

Hi! I'm very sorry for the loss of your husband. I lost my mom to cancer in May and began focusing on my own health at that point. It sounds like you are doing a lot of the right things for your health and liver. I'm not sure if you've been diagnosed with any liver issues but even if not, good to protect it. See the dietary guidelines at the British Liver Trust as a great place to start. Lots of fruit and veggies, olive oil, avocados, fish especially fatty like salmon. Some things to avoid in addition to alcohol are added sugars, white things (refined flours, crackers, white potatoes, white rice, etc). Unrefined grains can have lots of fiber and are fine to have as part of your healthy diet. Red meats and other saturated fats are not good for the liver so be careful with those. Some people especially feel olive oil is good for the liver to prevent or fix inflammation. Best of luck with the changes! (Also, I meant to add that I had my gallbladder removed 20 years ago and haven't seemed to have any related issues. Pretty much everyone in my family needed their gallbladder out whether young/old, men/women, thin/not so definitely a hereditary thing going on there for me.)