Show some love to your liver in 3 Ways
January is Love Your Liver Month. That means it’s the perfect time to look at how you can be kind to this part of your body. Your liver is your biggest organ and it’s important for removing toxins from the body. 9 out of 10 cases of liver disease could have been prevented so there is a lot you can do for yourself to have a healthy liver. Finding ways to be extra kind to your liver is great at any time of the year but January is a really good month to start.
3 ways to show your liver some love
Change your diet and get more exercise
What you eat and how active you are will both have an impact on your liver health. It’s thought that one out of every five people in the UK today is affected by fatty liver disease. This is where fat builds up in the liver. Over time, the more fat there is in your liver, the more chance it could stop working properly. Fatty liver disease is more of a risk for people who are overweight or obese. If you have Type 2 Diabetes or you don’t have a very active life then you’re also at risk for fatty liver disease. If you want to avoid getting fatty liver disease then healthy eating and plenty of activity are important. Losing weight is something that everyone should do slowly, as this is the best way to maintain weight loss.
Cut down on alcohol
The amount of alcohol you drink will have an impact on how healthy your liver is. A quarter of people today drink enough alcohol regularly to put their health at risk. This means they are regularly drinking more than the recommended amount of alcohol for a healthy adult – 14 units a week. It can result in alcohol-related liver disease as well as liver cancer. But the liver can repair itself so there is usually a lot you can do to change things. For example, having two or three alcohol-free days a week in a row.
Be aware of the risks of viral hepatitis
Hepatitis can be caused by one of three viruses – A, B or C. If you have Hepatitis A then you are unlikely to get liver damage but that’s not the case with Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C. Both can cause problems for your liver over the years and also lead to liver cancer. There are lots of ways to catch hepatitis, including unprotected sex, sharing razors, nail scissors or toothbrushes, open wounds, non-sterile equipment being used during medical treatment (this is usually only a risk in some countries abroad) or unsterilised equipment in tattoo studios. A blood test will tell you if you have hepatitis so get one quickly if you think you’d been at risk.
As we progress through Love Your Liver Month, which of these three ways to show your liver some love are you going to start with first? The MyLife365.Me app is designed to help you take care of your internal health by simply logging what you eat, drink and your exercise…