My family will testify that my diet is not great. I don't like fruit and I have a particular distaste for tomatoes, sprouts and salad etc. However, my appetite has significantly improved since my last major surgery (2003) and I now have more variety in my diet.
In recent months I have done much research into what foods are beneficial for the liver. There are a lot of fad diets and detox suggestions online. Certain ingredients such as garlic, lemon, turmeric, apple cider vinegar, ginger are all said to be 'liver friendly. .As a result have started to incorparate some of these into my diet. For example, I have recently made a delicious lemony lentil soup I found on Pinterest. But a lot of the recommended foods can in large quantities be dangerous for those taking certain medications. One of those, is blood thinners which I have been taking since I was very young. As a result I have resisted the idea of going to Holland and Barrett to purchase vitamin supplements.With so much informations out there and not wanting create more problems for myself or my medical teams I decided to find an experienced dietician in the hope that they could advise me appropriately.
I found an experienced dietician working in the Wrexham/Chester area. Her website , www.vienutrition.co.uk ,explained that she specialised in gastrointestinal disorders and had a number of years working in the NHS. Having spoken to her over the phone I was confident I had found the right person for me.
I saw Jeanette at a private clinic two weeks ago. She began by asking me about my medical history, eating habits etc. She asked me what I wanted out of the consultation. I explained that I wanted to improve my eating habits to help nourish my liver. I was prepared to include supplements if she thought they would be beneficial (in conjunction with my medical team) but without compromising on the foods that I love. I was expecting some suggestions regarding increasing/deccreasing ingredients in food etc. Instead she explained that she was more concerned with regular meals and protein intake. If patients with a healthy liver go for long periods without food their body will automatically feast on 'glycogen' stores in the liver. This is a natural process. In patients with liver damage the body attacks the muscle as it cannot seek energy from the liver.
At present she states that I do not give her cause for concern so she sees no need for a follow-up. However, for my reassurance she offered to see me at her NHS clinic in Wrexham to monitor me. I will need to get a referral via my GP.
Following our consultation Jeanette has sent me. a breakdown of our. discussion and her. food recommendations.