While doctors are still doing studies on what helps with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, one thing they have noticed is that fewer carbohydrates can be useful. With fatty liver disease, simple carbs and sugar are among your biggest enemies. Here are some things to know about following a low-carb diet with fatty liver.
Avoid Sugar and Fructose
The first way to cut back on your carbohydrates is to avoid sugar and fructose. Sugar includes all those sweets you enjoy, especially if you have a sweet tooth. This includes cakes, cupcakes, cookies, candy, and other baked goods. It can be hard to cut back on soda at first, but all you need to do is find healthier replacements for it. Eat more spicy foods, and you will notice you don’t have as much of a craving for sweets.
Fructose is the type of sugar found in fruits. While this is definitely not as bad for you as cookies and baked goods, you should still try to cut back on it as it contains carbs. Fruits like apples, melon, grapes, and cherries. If you want fruit, go for the types with lower fructose, like strawberries and blueberries.
Cut Back on Simple Carbohydrates
The next way to start a low-carb diet is by getting rid of all the simple carbohydrates in your diet. Having fatty liver doesn’t mean you can never have bread again, but try to switch to a whole grain or whole wheat bread, and stop eating white bread. Other simple carbohydrates include white pasta and white rice. You should also be careful with soft drinks, which are loaded with sugar.
Find Carb Substitutes
If you are having trouble starting a low-carb diet, make it easier by finding substitutes for some of your favorite foods. Here are a few ideas:
- Wrap sandwiches in lettuce leaves instead of bread
- Skip the tortilla strips or tortilla shell in your taco salad
- Have sweetness from strawberries instead of high-fructose fruits
- Enjoy sweet potatoes instead of starchy white potatoes
- Use almond flour instead of white flour for baked goods
Get creative and try new things when you are trying to stick to a low-carb diet. This helps you with your fatty liver, and will make you healthier overall. You may notice with the low-carb diet, you have lower cholesterol, lower blood sugar, and even avoid getting type 2 diabetes.
