Hello and welcome. I am J.C., and this space chronicles my journey toward health improvement.
I was diagnosed with Nonalcoholic Liver Disease (NAFLD) and have struggled with weight gain, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic. I had my gallbladder removed due to the presence of two polyps, which, fortunately, were not cancerous. When I talked with the doctors before surgery, they were concerned about my weight and recommended that I consider a gastric sleeve.
After all these events, it had not dawned on me how poor my overall health was until one day, someone noticed my breath was very bad. I was devastated to find this out because I actively try to maintain good oral hygiene. I started looking further into it and realized I had Fetor Hepaticus, a sign of the liver not functioning correctly, which was alarming because it could lead to liver failure, cirrhosis or even cancer, but I had no symptoms before, and this bad breath was a sour reminder that my life was truly at risk.
I want to share with you some findings and tips on how I have managed to avoid added sugars after realizing they were the culprit of my health issues. After one year of actively avoiding added sugars, I lost 22 pounds, and now my liver function test is almost within the normal range. I also noticed significant changes in my skin; skin tags and darkened areas on skin folds, as well as the little red bumps on the backs of my arms, have improved very much. It is important to note that I am not a health professional, and these tips should not be considered medical advice. All things posted here are based on my own experiences and my perspective on improving my health.
The change in my diet was primarily about sidestepping added sugars wherever possible, a task more challenging than one might expect given their prevalence in processed foods. This journey wasn't about drastic lifestyle changes; I didn't resort to extreme diets or suddenly take up intense physical routines. My days are mostly spent seated, working at my computer. Instead, the focus was on making informed choices, such as becoming adept at reading food labels to make subtle yet impactful decisions. For instance, when faced with options like chicken salad, I'd opt for the variant with the least sugar content, favoring a 1-gram sugar serving over a 10-gram one. Through these small, mindful choices, I've navigated my path toward better health. It's my hope that sharing these insights can offer you some actionable guidance to possibly enrich your own life.
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