Liver disease

[Runningoncoffeealone]

After months of tests I've finally been diagnosed with NAFLD - non alcoholic fatty liver disease. Not exactly sure how bad it is yet, but I've been advised to lose weight (my bmi is 32).
I've been trying to lose weight for a couple of years now and each time I end up giving up (arthritis doesn't help because there's only so much exercise I can do) and put it all back on again.
I'm determined to succeed this time, so can I ask for any recipes you all enjoy that are liver friendly? I'm used to red meat, white pasta and rice, snacking on chocolate and cake etc and I know I've brought this on myself.

Also, does anyone know if coffee is okay to drink? I've read conflicting advice online and, as you can probably tell from my username, it's a big part of my life 😅

Any success stories are also welcome if anyone has managed to lose the weight and get their life back on track!

Tbf you don’t actually need to exercise at all to lose weight, but you do need to tackle your dietary choices and stick to a calorie allowance.

Has the GP offered to refer you to a diet programme at all? Many areas can refer you for a 12 week programme of dietary advice.

Your tdee calculations can help by calculating your calorie targets that will enable you to lose weight. You need to revisit it as you lose weight as your calories will change as your weight reduces. TDEE is the amount of calories to stay as your current weight & you minus 20% off that for a weight loss target.
tdeecalculator.net

My Fitness Pal is good for tracking calories so you know how many you have left to eat & drink.

I do have a lower calorie chocolate and banana cake recipe, it’s only around 160 calories a slice & means you don’t feel like you are missing out. I will find it and post it. It makes 9 portions and You can freeze it and take a square out when you fancy a bit of cake. It means you don’t miss chocolate too much.

Increasing fibre and lean protein are the best ways to fill yourself to help you lose weight so a low calorie, fibre packed soup before lunch & dinner can cut down calories.

BBC good food is a good site for recipes.
www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/collection/low-calorie-dinner-recipes

I will go and find the cake to post.

30g Lurpak
125g self raising flour
4g bicarbonate of soda
50g cocoa powder
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
125g dark chocolate (moser Roth- little bars from Aldi are good for this)
1 egg
300g ripe bananas (weight is without skin)
couple of tablespoons of semi skimmed milk.

Pre heat oven to 160 degrees (fan oven) and line a approx 9” square cake tin with baking paper.

measure the dry ingredients into a bowl.
melt the butter
Mash the bananas in a separate large mixing bowl
Add the vanilla and egg and whisk it all with a fork.
Add the melted butter and mix again. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and combine fully adding in the milk until it resembles cake batter.
Bash the chocolate with the end of a rolling pin and mix HALF into the batter.
Scrape the batter into the lined cake tin then sprinkle the remaining chocolate bits on top.

Bake in the centre of the oven for 20 mins.

Remove from oven and lift the hot cake out of the pan using the baking paper and leave on a rack to cool. Once cool enough, put in fridge until fully cold and the choc on top has set then cut into 9 squares with a sharp knife.

I have this. My gp advised losing weight but didn't give me a referal. But I found out that my local NHS runs a self-referal scheme that allowed me to google and find a form to fill online and I was given 12 free weeks of slimming world.

Thank you so much!

I'll look up the weight loss help with my GP - I've noticed mine in particular don't offer help unless you specifically ask.

Ooh I think I tried my fitness pal a while ago, it does ring a bell! I think I just managed to overwhelm myself with it all at once.

Coffee is very good for your liver! Strange but true .....

With FLD you should eschew low carb/high fat/high protein and instead go for a high fibre, low fat, low calorie diet.
Avoid saturated fats as much as possible and concentrate on bulky food with soluble fibre if you can. You will need to keep an eye on micronutrients just in case.
Good luck.

I got diagnosed with NAFLD last year my BMI was probably similar. I've now lost over 2.5 stone and back to a healthy BMI. I did a lot of reading around NAFLD and diet. Heres what I did and it worked as I've lost weight, a fibroscan showed good results and my liver function bloods are now back in range. I swapped all white carbs for wholegrain such as brown pasta, brown rice. Increase your fruit and veg intake. Strictly limit fizzy drinks even diet ones. Eat more chicken and finish and limit red meat to once a week. Also chocolate and sweet treats limit to once a week. I allowed myself one day a week for a treat meal, glass of wine, chocolate or cake. Drink alcohol within guidelines or less. Coffee regular and decaf is good for the liver and try nd exercise a few times a week even if its only walking. Good luck.

May I ask you both what your symptoms and how they confirmed that diagnosis? Thank you!

(size 20 here, mainly abdominal fat, diet coke chugger, sweet lover, micro meal champione). Blood test Oct, due another next month. Would NAFLD have come up when looking at my bloods in general?

My symptom was pain. A dull achy pain on the right under my ribs that sometimes became a very sharp nasty pain if I bent down from my waist too much.
After logging it with my gp they eventually (covid) sent me for an ultrasound which diagnosed fatty liver.

Mine was found when I had an ultrasound for something else. Then bloods showed very slightly raised ALT levels. Apparently 1 in 3 people will have one or something like that.

I also get a dull ache from time to time under right rib. Right under my boob. @DrMadelineMaxwell have you reversed your fatty liver? Has this pain gone now?

Thank you everyone.

Yup, also the pain with me in the same place. For me it feels dull, like something is stuck under my right ribcage and then occassionaly feels sharp and sudden. I also have on and off extreme fatigue but my GP said he doesn't think that's anything to do with my liver.

Just went back to check my results and my first test was back in October when they ran bloods to see why my joints were getting so bad, they did a full blood count, a vitamin check, thyroid check and Liver function tests, so it could be that it would come up in general tests but it's probably best to call and double check if you're worried 🙂

I've lost a stone and have less of the achy pain - most days none. And haven't had the sharp pain since either so hopfully I've reversed something! Must get back on the diet to lose more!

@Runningoncoffeealone
Im in the midst of trying to get to the bottom of high liver enzymes. May I ask why your diagnosis took several months? Im so worried about everything.

They kept checking the same tests once the liver one came back high - think I had three lots of bloods in total just for my liver, and there was a bit of a wait between each appointment.
I do have an update however as I started to get a high heart rate too and was sent for a scan and now need to have my gallbladder removed as I have quite large gallstones and my body is struggling to digest what I eat.

Are you able to ask your GP for a telephone consultation at all? I rang mine at one point as I was extremely worried and they called me back just to reassure me whilst I waited which really did help.

@Runningoncoffeealone thank you for your reply.

My high liver enzymes were also discovered for a blood test for something else. Im not a drinker but my bmi is 37 and i also have arthritis and am extremely sedentary.

I dont have any pain but my ultrasound showed multiple gallstones. Gp not sure if they could be related so Im being seen at the hepatology clinic. My bloods are improving but enzymes are all roughly double what they should be (my ALT was 3.5 times higher after Christmas!).

Since the blood tests Ive lost a stone (8% reduction in weight but 6 more stone to go!) and im focusing on healthy food whilst i wait the outcome. Not diabetic. All hepatitis forms come back negative.

If you're not having the typical excruciating biliary colic pain how did they come to the conclusion you need your gallbladder out? I was shocked when the radiographer saw them but said they're nothing to do with my levels?? How could she know? Im so worried about everything. Im 42.

Well done with the weight loss! I managed to lose 10lbs, then went through a down period and put almost all of it back on again.

It was during the scan, they said it was to check for damage levels to my liver but they also scanned nearby organs, although it could also have been because I've had a lot of indigestion. I just figured that was fine because they put me on lansoprazole and left me to it.

I'd definitely ask your GP, at the least they could explain how/why they come to the conclusion that they're not related and put your mind to ease? I'm turning 33 this year and definitely worrying more about my health.

I have incredibly high GGT (over 400) and alkaline phosphate (350). First spotted 6 years ago, went down after a few months without alcohol, sugary/fatty food. Then last Dec, in blood test for HRT, was over 400. No symptoms, though after reading posts, realise have v occasionally had dull pain on right of stomach, then sharp if bend over.

Been off alcohol since, as well as sugary/fatty food - low fat, high-fibre diet with no processed sugar. Lost 7kg, BMI now 22.35. GGT went down, then back up again. ultrasound shows liver and gall bladder normal, spleen slightly enlarged. Waiting for more results of specialised tests (proteins and hormones). (For reference, I live in Spain).

How are you getting on. I seem to going down the same route although not had a scan for 2 years. I am so worried and can't see a doctor for 2 weeks.

Hey
Found this when searching NAFLD -
Some stuff showed on my liver during ct abdomen scan -
Then had private liver mri..
Private company are saying NAFLD..
Awaiting nhs liver MRI result...

Its a scary time isnt it? My consultant explained that the MRI and ultrasound are useful is showing large abnormalities but the blood tests show more sensitive changes and effects on the liver. Ask about the ELF blood test. It can only be requested at consultant level (due to price) but is very accurate in showing the level of damage to the liver.

i lost 2 stone quickly and my mri and ultrasound were normal - i was surprised how fast this improved! The ELF score however showed I have fibrosis. Ive lost a further 2 stone and im hoping at my one year review this will have improved.

let us know how you get on.

Hey
Had my liver fibro scan today

Hope it went ok @worldwidetravel2017 When do you get the results? Funnily enough, I have mine tomorrow, after waiting for 8’months. Reading my original post, I have fallen off the wagon in terms of low fat and no processed sugar, especially over Christmas. Still lots of fibre though. Sugar is the worst, from what I’ve read - I must be stricter!! Don’t need to lose any weight, just eat more healthily. How are you with diet?

I work in a GP’s and probably take bloods for an ELF test every day at least once , in this area can be requested by a Gp and we do them for anyone with raised liver results. So basically worth asking your GPs as not all areas are consultant request only.