Feeling Good with Hepatitis C: How Diet Makes A Difference

I recommend learning about your body: what makes it swell, what makes your feel sick, what makes you feel groggy, cloudy, and foggy, etc. In my experience, knowing this can save you from many discomforts.

Certain foods give me brain fog and fatigue

For myself, learning what type of foods I can eat became a key lesson for my daily health. Eating well can save me from a severe hepatic encephalopathy (brain fog) episode. If I'm eating lots of red meats (burgers, steaks, etc.), I am foggier and more sluggish the next day. I also become more fatigued and tired. When I consume sugars, such as candy, soda or bakery items containing lots of yummy frostings, the next day, I am guaranteed a day full of sluggishness and pain. Oh my gosh, this was the hardest to put limits on. I am a candy loving, soda drinking girl. I love my sweets!

Weekends can be filled with tempting foods

Initially, it was not something I gave much thought on; After all, I have been eating these very things now for my whole life up to date. Lying in bed one night after a long weekend of BBQs filled with what now I call my “junk foods" (hamburgers, hotdogs, steaks, ribs, chips, cookies, and soda), I was bloated, tired, and my body hurt all over. My joints felt swollen and I just felt yucky all over. How could this be? I had a great time full of fun, food, family and friends.

The key I learned here was the first letter in each of those words was what I should have rated my judgment on eating that weekend. I failed to take care of Kim - GRADE  F.  But in rationalizing the weekend, I told myself that I did eat lettuce, tomatoes, and strawberries (in the pie). Who am I really kidding here? Not matter how hard I tried to justify my neglect on my body and excuse my poor judgment, I was not taking care of my liver.

How I make healthier choices

Here I am fighting end stage liver disease and not doing a thing to help myself through this. I had no right to sit there wallowing in misery over poor choices I chose to do on my own. This was a couple years ago. Fast forward through this difficult lesson to learn and lots of trial and error with food, I will say.

To these gatherings I am invited, I have learned to bring a fresh fruit salad or some sort of green type salad with me (things I know that are liver-friendly). I am not looked down upon for bringing food; In fact, the host is normally very thankful I was thoughtful to bring something to add to the table, not knowing it was for my benefit in case nothing else was there for me to consume.