Foods You Should Avoid As An Hepatitis Patient
Alcohol – No brainer. The most important change for anyone diagnosed with hepatitis is the complete elimination of alcohol from his or her life.
Wheat and Gluten – Gluten is highly inflammatory, because we were not really designed to digest it. Furthermore, the genetically modified grains have a higher gluten content. Most wheat used in making flour is genetically modified to create a wheat that is resistant to pesticides and climate stressors. These strains are very hard to digest and, therefore, inflammatory. So adapting to a gluten-free diet can be beneficial to your liver.
Tap Water –Your tap water may contain more than you bargained for, including heavy metals, chlorine, fluoride, inorganic chemicals and compounds that the liver is not able to process. Even the shower you take every day has toxins in it which are absorbed through the skin and inhaled through the lungs. Filtered water is of course better than tap water. Consider having your water tested to decide what is most appropriate for you and your family. For greater safety, you may want to consider drinking bottled water. Distilled water is another possibility, but there is some controversy over its benefits; therefore you may wish to take distilled water in moderation.
Junk Foods – These are our favorite foods but the name fits. Junk is junk, meaning worthless. Our body does not get a good source of nutrition from junk foods and, most often, they are full of all the things we need to stay away from – including fats, sugars, empty calories, chemicals and additives. Our poor livers don’t need this added stress.
White Flour (unless it is organic and unbleached) – Bleached white flour has been chemically processed. Lots of vitamins and minerals are lost during the process; about 78%. When we consume this chemically-altered product our bodies need extra vitamins and minerals in order to process it and utilize it. Instead, try these recipes for gluten-free all-purpose flour or gluten-free whole-grain flour.
Hydrogenated Oils – Hydrogenated (they are refined) oils are another product that is hard for the liver to handle. This includes any type of oil or fat that hardens when cold. A better choice would be flaxseed oil or virgin olive oil.
Dairy Products – Dairy foods are extremely hard to digest. Because those with liver disease (especially cirrhosis) are more susceptible to small intestine bacterial overgrowth than those with a healthy liver, they are also more likely to experience the symptoms of lactose intolerance. Additionally, a growing number of clinicians are recognizing that eating dairy may cause small intestine bacteria overgrowth exacerbating digestive issues in patients with a liver disease.
Fruit Juices – These beverages are high in concentrated sugar. Sugar is a shock to the liver, stresses the digestive process, stresses the pancreas, and it feeds the Hepatitis C virus.
Artificial Sweeteners – The first word gives you the first clue: artificial. These sweeteners are extremely hard for the liver to process, adding additional burden to the liver. In addition to artificial sweeteners, high fructose corn syrup is no better on the liver and, while sugar isn’t exactly liver friendly, if you’re going to eat it – do so in moderation.
Processed Foods – We all know processed foods contain unnatural substances, preservatives, fillers and chemically treated substances. Commonsense tells us this is not healthy for us.
Alcohol – No brainer. The most important change for anyone diagnosed with hepatitis is the complete elimination of alcohol from his or her life.
Wheat and Gluten – Gluten is highly inflammatory, because we were not really designed to digest it. Furthermore, the genetically modified grains have a higher gluten content. Most wheat used in making flour is genetically modified to create a wheat that is resistant to pesticides and climate stressors. These strains are very hard to digest and, therefore, inflammatory. So adapting to a gluten-free diet can be beneficial to your liver.
Tap Water –Your tap water may contain more than you bargained for, including heavy metals, chlorine, fluoride, inorganic chemicals and compounds that the liver is not able to process. Even the shower you take every day has toxins in it which are absorbed through the skin and inhaled through the lungs. Filtered water is of course better than tap water. Consider having your water tested to decide what is most appropriate for you and your family. For greater safety, you may want to consider drinking bottled water. Distilled water is another possibility, but there is some controversy over its benefits; therefore you may wish to take distilled water in moderation.
Junk Foods – These are our favorite foods but the name fits. Junk is junk, meaning worthless. Our body does not get a good source of nutrition from junk foods and, most often, they are full of all the things we need to stay away from – including fats, sugars, empty calories, chemicals and additives. Our poor livers don’t need this added stress.
White Flour (unless it is organic and unbleached) – Bleached white flour has been chemically processed. Lots of vitamins and minerals are lost during the process; about 78%. When we consume this chemically-altered product our bodies need extra vitamins and minerals in order to process it and utilize it. Instead, try these recipes for gluten-free all-purpose flour or gluten-free whole-grain flour.
Hydrogenated Oils – Hydrogenated (they are refined) oils are another product that is hard for the liver to handle. This includes any type of oil or fat that hardens when cold. A better choice would be flaxseed oil or virgin olive oil.
Dairy Products – Dairy foods are extremely hard to digest. Because those with liver disease (especially cirrhosis) are more susceptible to small intestine bacterial overgrowth than those with a healthy liver, they are also more likely to experience the symptoms of lactose intolerance. Additionally, a growing number of clinicians are recognizing that eating dairy may cause small intestine bacteria overgrowth exacerbating digestive issues in patients with a liver disease.
Fruit Juices – These beverages are high in concentrated sugar. Sugar is a shock to the liver, stresses the digestive process, stresses the pancreas, and it feeds the Hepatitis C virus.
Artificial Sweeteners – The first word gives you the first clue: artificial. These sweeteners are extremely hard for the liver to process, adding additional burden to the liver. In addition to artificial sweeteners, high fructose corn syrup is no better on the liver and, while sugar isn’t exactly liver friendly, if you’re going to eat it – do so in moderation.
Processed Foods – We all know processed foods contain unnatural substances, preservatives, fillers and chemically treated substances. Commonsense tells us this is not healthy for us.
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