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Journalism of Courage
Two months ago, I was diagnosed with grade 1 fatty liver. And being a doctor I couldn’t sense it, was completely asymptomatic. A routine medical review that involved a normal ultrasound showed the liver appearing brighter than normal. Given my busy schedules at work, I didn’t realise when my body mass index (BMI) had climbed from 24 to 29. I had become overweight. This is my story of reversing it.
HOW IS MY FATTY LIVER NOW?
Grade 1 fatty liver, also known as mild hepatic steatosis, is the first stage of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). There is a small amount of fat accumulation (5-10 per cent) within the liver cells. Studies show that losing just 5-7% of your body weight can lead to a noticeable decrease in liver fat, reducing the risk of inflammation and further liver damage. I have already lost about 5 kg in two months with simple dietary tweaks, exercise and a seven-hour sleep, which have had a mild to moderate change in my latest scans. A little more and I can reverse it completely.
WHAT WERE MY TRIGGERS
I was a foodie and since I have to be agile during my work hours, barely ate during the first part of the day. But I would have that one big meal for dinner, indulging in what I liked. I would sleep between 1 am and 2 am. My ageing parents live in Kashmir and my dad has dementia, so I travel to see them frequently. I have to adjust travel with my work life and find compensatory hours to see my patients, a stressor undoubtedly.
CHANGES I MADE IN MY DIET
I changed all my meals, majorly cutting out refined carbohydrates, processed foods like sausages, bakes, heat-and-eat foods like kebabs and even the soda I had occasionally. Previously, I would gear up for the day with breads, eggs, aloo parathas and poha (flattened rice). Now I have switched to a high fibre, high protein breakfast. I have besan chilla (pancakes) stuffed with greens, or sautéed vegetables and avocado with eggs, or oats with walnuts and almonds.
For lunch I used to have both rice and roti with fish or chicken, now I have just either one (one roti or the smallest bowl of rice). Protein is fish/chicken (now grilled) and again a small bowl of dal (dal has carbs too). The rest are vegetables. In fact, I begin with a big fibre push of salad that kills my craving and moderates my portions naturally. I have given up post-lunch dessert/sweets.
The big change is my dinner; I have no carbs or any fried food. I have stopped eating rice and roti. I keep to dal soup, grilled fish/chicken or seasonal vegetables, sometimes tofu. I do not have red meat at all and keep to only lean meats. Sometimes, I have a moong dal khichdi with millets, which is a good source of fibre, protein and micronutrients, all of which are lower in calories than other grains and can manage weight and cholesterol levels, both of which are important factors in managing fatty liver.
I have changed my fruits to mostly berries and have them in between meals. I will admit there were a lot of cravings during my transition, but having black coffee, green tea, buttermilk and coconut water helped.
MY EXERCISE AND SLEEP NOW
I hardly walked before, which led to my weight gain. Now despite pressures, I walk for half-an-hour every day. Now that I feel lighter, will take up strength training. I have increased my sleep from five to seven hours. Small steps have shown results. And one just has to be consistent with this routine to reach one’s goal.
