Yvonne knew every trendy food outlet and health food store along her well-worn work routes. As a veteran sales consultant, she regularly traveled long distances in the car or on train trips. At 50, she prided herself on eating healthy despite her hectic schedule.
Cooked vegetables, salads, protein bars, and packaged meals were her go-to foods. Her days were long, and her fridge at home was mostly bare. Struggling to lose weight, she even pushed herself to squeeze in workouts at hotel gyms.
When her doctor’s concerned face appeared over a clipboard of test results at her check-up, Yvonne was floored to learn she had sky-high liver enzymes. Yvonne’s mind raced with frustration. She‘d given up alcohol three years ago.
How could her liver be in trouble? She’d tried everything—exercise, supplements, even those new weight loss drugs everyone was talking about. Nothing seemed to last long enough to budge the stubborn weight that had crept on since her milestone birthday. I used to tell my patients this analogy: Think of a sink in an old home.
You turn the water tap on full, but it drains from the sink slowly, indicating a blockage is forming. You might ignore it for years, but eventually, the amount of water pouring out of the faucet is more than the water that’s going down the drain, causing water to overflow into your home. This is similar to what happens when the liver can no longer filter out an overload of toxins.
Fat accumulates and then circulates in the bloodstream as triglycerides and cholesterol, ultimately to be stored as body fat. This is how excess body fat, when combined with a diet that is high in refined seed oils—vegetable oils that are extracted from seeds—and sugars, leads to conditions such as metabolic syndrome and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). NAFLD can occur when too much fat builds up in the liver.
1. Fried Takeout Foods 2. Liquid Sugars Corn syrup High-fructose corn syrup Dextrose, fructose, sucrose, glucose, or maltose Brown sugar or raw sugar Fruit nectars Honey, maple syrup, or molasses Cane juice or malt syrup 3.
Seed Oil Dressings and Mayonnaise While polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) from vegetable oils were once considered safe, emerging evidence indicates otherwise. The health impact of vegetable oil or PUFAs depends on the chemical structure, how the oil is extracted from a seed or plant, and how much refinement is required. Refined seed oils contain high amounts of unstable fatty acids that can break down into toxins when heated and refined.
A diet rich in PUFAs can lead to oxidative stress, straining our metabolism. Most commercial sauces and dips are high in unhealthy PUFA oils—common examples include sunflower, canola, corn, and soybean oils, often labeled simply as “vegetable oil” or “hydrogenated oil.” Research suggests that these refined seed oils alter liver function, increasing the body’s sugar requirements and driving appetites toward refined flour and sugar.
So, our ability to cut down on these sources of excess calories is impaired, and many of us think it is our lack of willpower. In contrast, olive oil, avocado oil, coconut, palm oil, and other healthy fat oils contain mostly saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids, which are more stable. You need not think that you have to make everything from scratch at home.
A small range of healthier commercial sauces and dips, made using avocado oil or olive oil, are available in stores. With some good food detective work, you can also find affordable hummus dip made with olive oil. Another way to make easy swaps to support your liver health can start with choosing meals or snacks made with healthier cooking methods, such as steaming, stir-frying, or grilling.
Yvonne realized it wasn’t hard for her to make better menu choices while dining out. By stocking up on healthier brands of snacks for travel, she was thrilled that her weight naturally and gradually came off over a few months without adding extra exercise. She was even more pleased that she boosted her energy levels, which enhanced her ability to focus and enjoy her food options.
When she returned for a checkup, her lab tests confirmed the positive changes she had experienced—her liver enzymes were back within the normal range..
