I wanted to share some good news today. Having been diagnosed with fatty liver due to excess alcohol (35-40 units a week through socialising, drinking every day whilst cooking a meal, sharing a bottle or two with friends at the weekend etc. Very easily done!) I have just had the all-clear following a FibroScan! No fatty liver and no scarring. The relief made it well worth paying for this privately as the NHS is very reluctant to provide follow-ups once diagnosed. In fact, my GP told me that this would be it for life, and I would have to have regular follow-ups as it sometimes spontaneously progressed to fibrosis and cirrhosis. Terrifying news! I was devasted when I was diagnosed with fatty liver. At the time, my brother had been admitted to hospital with pancreatic cancer. The fear we faced was immeasurable and he sadly died very shortly after diagnosis.
I am stubborn, and being told by the ultrasound consultant that my fatty liver was 'up there' and asked 'do you have diabetes??' so was the extent of the fat, I was determined to act. I immediately totally stopped drinking. It was easy - go down the path of liver disease or stop drinking? Mmmmm?? Yep. Stop drinking. Also, I researched everything about diet and nutrition. I have never been overweight, always a BMI of 22-23.5. However, I had a large waist in proportion to my height and weight so I knew I had excess abdominal fat. Classic apple shape. I have since reduced my waist from 34" to a more healthy 29-30" and my weight by 18lb. This achieved a drop in body fat of 22%. I did this by fasting every day from 8pm until 10 am, cutting out all added sugar (learn what that is and how to correctly read ingredients labels as it can be snuck in so easily without it being clear) and saturated fats (there is conflicting research about fats however, I chose to go with cutting saturates and upping the healthy fats). I also cut out all simple carbs (white foods - bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, cake, biscuits) and had minimal portions of brown rice, sweet potato, wholemeal pasta etc if I needed carbs. If I was going crazy for sweets, I would have 6 squares of Cadbury low sugar chocolate. (Delicious stuff!) I slipped up from time to time, of course. However, I stuck to it perhaps 85% of the time? Oh, and I stopped putting stuff in my body that I really didn't need such as spraying perfume on my skin, using excess creams and lotions, no pain killers, minimal artificial sweeteners and no processed foods because everything that goes into our bodies has to be processed by the liver. Ok, so this might have been a bit excessive, however, I reasoned that it was only for a little while so that my liver could concentrate on getting rid of the fat. I have no evidence or read no recommendations that this level of attention is necessary 
I must admit that my obsession with food did cause some tension between my partner and I. However, he totally understands that it was worth every fuss in Tesco with me checking labels like a lunatic. He is delighted that my liver is back to good health and amazed at my steely determination to defy the GPs prognosis. So do believe in yourself and have the self-esteem to stick to what YOU want to do and need to do to look after yourself. It is your body and your mouth. You get to choose what you shove in there because YOU have to live with the results. You might need to volunteer to cook more often though so you have control.
I also proactively ate foods reputed to be good for the liver - garlic, broccoli, grapefruit, whey protein, walnuts, coffee, avocado, olive oil. I checked the research from reputable institutions rather than forums etc. In addition, I exercised for at least 15 minutes every day, even if this was just a brisk walk around the block. I also took part in my local Parkrun (which I have been doing for about 5 years) which is a 5k run. I think all these changes have added up to heal my liver. The most important being absolutely stopping drinking alcohol. And after 4 months of not drinking the consultant said I can drink again if I do so moderately. However, I have lost the taste and desire to do so. I am also frightened that I might easily slip back into old habits again. So other than a glass of quality wine if we eat out somewhere lovely, I will be sticking to sparkling water (plus it's very enlightening watching people getting slowly more drunk around you and realising how much nonsense is chatted! Lol).
Another upside is that although I did not tell my children about my fatty liver (far too ashamed of myself!), my change in eating and drinking has had a positive impact on them too. In fact, I would go as far as to say that I have silently influenced a lot of my friends - because I don't drink anymore, they have become far more aware of how much they drink and have cut down too. Bonus!! I do believe that the drinking culture in England needs to be addressed but that is another topic.
The benefits of not drinking are fantastic! I wake feeling more refreshed, I get to sleep more quickly, I never have to worry about not being able to go out in the evening if I've already had a drink, or who's going to drive if we go to friends for dinner etc. It's so liberating!
Ok, so that is my story. Please do not despair at a diagnosis of fatty liver. It can be reversed in many cases. And do not always accept what the GP has said. Do your own research, check the sources carefully and resolve to do all you humanly can to try your best. It can be hard. At times I felt like the naughty person excluded from all the fun of eating cake and having a glass of prosecco to celebrate something wonderful. However, once I realised that any celebration is memorable without alcohol, my attitude has changed. From feeling deprived, I now feel in control and can face the world proud of what I have accomplished. You can do the same so if you received a diagnosis of fatty liver, keep going! All can be well again. xx
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