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Mindless Eating Is a Liver’s Foe
Tackling the issue of mindless eating, these five strategies can help avert fat accumulation in the liver.
Although we don’t like to admit it, most of us know what mindless eating is. Usually what happens when planted in front of a television, movie or computer screen, mindless eating is when we chow down on food without truly being hungry. Unfortunately, mindless eating is a major culprit of excessive weight gain – a problem that leads to fatty liver disease in about one-quarter of American adults.
About Fatty Liver Disease
Seeming to coincide with the rising incidence of obesity, high cholesterol and adult-onset diabetes, fat accumulation in the liver is increasingly prevalent. Despite some fatigue or a dull pain in the upper right abdomen, the early stages of fatty liver disease generally do not produce any symptoms. This is unfortunate because, if fatty liver disease is detected early enough, it can be reversed. However, if not addressed swiftly, fatty liver disease could cause irreparable liver harm.
Fatty liver disease is known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in those who don’t drink excessive amounts of alcohol. When fat accumulates in the liver, its severity can vary:
- The early stage is a simple fatty liver, also called steatosis.
- In the next stage, liver fat accumulation is accompanied by inflammation. This is known as non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).
- As NASH advances, fatty liver can lead to cirrhosis, a severe condition defined by irreversible, advanced scarring of the liver.
About Mindless Eating
Mindless eating is what happens when polishing off a tub of ice cream or a family size bag of chips – even when you are not particularly hungry. It also can happen when a person doesn’t recognize that a modest-sized plate of food has been substituted with a jumbo platter; but the larger portion is nonetheless consumed. As studied in depth by Cornell University food psychologist Brian Wansink, Ph.D., mindless eating describes subconscious eating habits that can lead to unnecessary weight gain.
Based on various studies, Wansink has revealed the following:
- Upon asking 150 Parisians how they knew they were through with dinner they said, “When we’re full.” Upon asking 150 Chicagoans the same question, they said, “When the plate is empty.”
- When watching 168 moviegoers, people ate 34 to 45 percent more popcorn if it was served in extra large buckets than in regular-sized containers – even if the popcorn was stale.
- By using a bottomless bowl of soup that was pressure-fed under the table and refilled slowly from the bottom without the person eating it knowing, those with bottomless soup bowls consumed 73 percent more soup than those with regular bowls. Interestingly, those with bottomless bowls didn’t rate themselves as any more full than those who ate less.
Wanasink’s studies demonstrate how easy it is to mindlessly overeat, a likely contributor to many cases of fatty liver disease.
Strategies to Curb Mindless Eating
In an effort to prevent the development of a fatty liver, or at least to prevent steatosis from progressing to NASH or cirrhosis, the following tips can help stop mindless eating.
- Plan – By thinking ahead for how to handle snacking desires or second helping urges, you can develop an effective plan of action. For example, having fresh fruit and veggies cut up and ready to go for seemingly persistent hunger is a healthful snacking approach that won’t perpetuate fat accumulation in the liver.
- Record – Take the extra time to record the foods you consume in a day. With written documentation of the type and quantity of food eaten, it is relatively easy to spot mindless eating trends. In addition, it helps keep you accountable for everything making its way into your stomach.
- Water – Since being dehydrated is often mistaken for hunger, always keep a large container of water at your side. Besides filling the stomach to ease hunger cravings, drinking plenty of water is a liver-friendly habit. Once you get used to drinking more water, most people find that they actually crave it and their desire to mindlessly snack is diminished.
- Focus on eating – When eating a meal or snack, place all of your focus on the food. Since a majority of mindless eating occurs in front of the television (where the mind is not on eating), consider banning food from entering the TV room. This will help transform your experience into mindful (as opposed to mindless) eating.
- Learn to gauge fullness – Jean Kristeller, Ph.D., professor of psychology at Indiana State University, says that while it’s true many of us are mindless eaters, we can train ourselves to better know when we’re full. She suggests starting with this simple mindful eating technique. “Pour yourself a 20-ounce glass of water, drink half, and concentrate on what it feels like in your stomach. Then drink the other half. Kristellar says, “People notice an immediate difference. The water stretches the stomach and they feel full.”
These five eating strategies can help foster mindful eating – a way of life that not only protects against obesity, hypertension and diabetes mellitus, but is also puts another obstacle between having a healthy liver and developing fatty liver disease.
http://health.usnews.com/health-news/diet-fitness/diabetes/articles/2009/03/05/4-easy-ways-to-prevent-mindless-eating, 4 Easy Ways to Prevent Mindless Eating, Katharine Hobson, Retrieved August 8, 2011, US News & World Report, 2011.
http://view.mail.health.harvard.edu/?j=fe6116777167007c7111&m=febb15747d630d7a&ls=fe051c747766077d75147775&l=fe57157677630c7b7217&s=fe591c797661017a7414&jb=ffcf14&ju=fe321771706c067c741173&r=0, Eating to Boost Energy, Retrieved August 8, 2011, Harvard Health Publications, 2011.
http://www.blogher.com/5-tips-curb-mindless-grazing?page=0,0, 5 Tips to Curb Mindless Grazing, CrissiD, Retrieved August 8, 2011, BlogHer, 2011.
http://www.everydayhealth.com/heart-specialist/cholesterol-snacks.aspx?xid=nl_EverydayHealthHealthyAging_20110811, Cholesterol-Smoking Snacks, Everyday Health, Inc., 2011.
Dr. Arthur Agatston, Retrieved August 11, 2011, http://www.livestrong.com/article/331091-how-to-curb-snacking/, How to Curb Snacking, Ann Wolters, Retrieved August 8, 2011, Demand Media, Inc., 2011.
http://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20110805/ways-combat-mindless-eating?src=RSS_PUBLIC, Ways to Combat Mindless Eating, Charlene Laino, Retrieved August 8, 2011, WebMD, LLC, 2011.
About the Author
Nicole Cutler, L.Ac., MTCM is a long time advocate of integrating perspectives on health. With a Bachelor's degree in Neuroscience from the University of Rochester and a Master's degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine from Five Branches Institute, Nicole has been a licensed acupuncturist since 2000. She has gathered acupuncture licenses in the states of California and New York, is a certified specialist with the National Acupuncture Detoxification Association, has earned diplomat status with the National Commission of Chinese and Oriental Medicine in Acupuncture and Chinese Herbology and is a member of the Society for Integrative Oncology. In addition to her acupuncture practice that focuses on stress and pain relief, digestion, immunity and oncology, Nicole contributes to the integration of healthcare by writing articles for professional massage therapists and people living with liver disease.
Generally a normal liver contains about 5% fat, the rest ois made up of liver cells that perform the liver’s vital work. When these healthy liver cells are replaced by fat cells and the fat in the liver is greater than 10%, that is what is referred to as fatty liver.
Milk thistle is believed to protect the liver from the damage caused by alcohol, certain drugs, toxins, and viruses. Some health professionals believe that milk thistle cleanses, this combined with a multi-vitamin may halt the progression of liver disease, as well as aid in its recovery.
What type of green tea is best for my chronic liver?
I have hep c age 48 female ast and alt are jumping higher monthly I am 5ft 6 240 lbs starting my diet today no more arbys mc d going veggie taking carrots and water for a long walk on the beach today
I have been diagnosed with fatty liver, by blood tests but it is not being investigated. Sholud I mention this to my doctor? I find this information all very helpful
I have been told that you cannot take Milk Thistle while being treated with interferon. Has anyone been told this by their specialist.
Thanks
basicly it is up to the individual Most Drs.on’t want you to take supplements because they don’t belive in them
My Dr. shared with me that Milk Thistle and multi vitamins are the only supplements I could take during my interferon treatment. I tried Milk Thistle and it made me nauseated.
Took milk thistle daily for entire 44 week treatment with inteferon, had no side effects. Treating PCP aware of use of supplement. Liver enzymes now in normal range after successful treatment & daily milk thistle. I’m a staunch supporter of milk thistle.
i am on my 2nd month of the trio treatment of pegassys, ribivarin and telaprevir and have been told by my specialist and pharmacist that i am to take NO HERBAL SUPPLEMENTS WHATSOEVER but does anyone else have any other opinions? i have taken milk thistle in the past and truly noticed no difference.. i hope i can just be on this treatment for 6 months and not the full year, but my response rate is said to be 86% and that is better than i have ever had in the past. one thing i will say, there is nothing easy about this treatment. nothing at all, and taking the 20gms of fat 3 times a day with the telaprevir is the worst part of all when u have no appetite at all! any suggestions will be appreciated! sheila
I did the 12 weeks of incivek. I took every 8 hours. I ate 1 1/2 hershey almond bars for the 20 far. Also reeses ice bars. Was easy
Be carfeful taking milk thistle if you are allergic to ragweed. My allergist said to not take it due to being allergic to ragweed.
Diagnosed with hep c in emergency room in 2006. Doc laughed and said we don’t treat people like you!!! Went home and waited to die. Finally after months of depression I told myself, “If I’m going to live then lets make it a life worth living. Quit smoking after 35 plus years of smoking 2 packs a day. Then joined weight watchers and lost 60 pounds. To keep the weight off I joined the YMCA and started swimming. Read all I could about hep c, vitamins, and supplements.
I take milk thisle 2 x day. Does it help???
Can’t tell. But now I have a life worth living. I have to be very careful about what I eat and how much. WW taught me about portion control and how to quit eating when I’m full. I believe all of the changes I made were part of the solution for me. I still get tired if I don’t watch myself. When the weather is very hot and/or high humidity I suffer from irritation towards people. Sometimes my brian is foggy and I don’t handle stress well. The people in my world don’t understand me. But most of my days are livable. I believe I am likely blessed by NOT having health insurance. Jo
I took milk thistle twice a day for 10+ years. I had hep c but did not have chirossis and I managed to grow 7cm hepto cellular carcinoma. I have quit milk thistle.
Took milk thistle for a long time 15 years. i didn’t get chirrosis but I did get HCC.
Ijust want to know that milktheistel can cause any allergy/?
Once itook it.Igot nausea and vomiting