Grab an apple, sit down in your favourite chair outside the kitchen, put a pillow behind you and enjoy a good read. I hadn't done that for a while but it is inspirational. It isn't a bad idea to change it up once in a while. I spend far too much time at the kitchen table, whether it is eating, opening the mail or playing on my iPad.
Despite my best intentions, I sabotage my diet on a daily basis with that little sweet sugary treat that puts me into a non-stop snack binge. Then I try to negate the sugar with salty snacks. What is wrong with me? Like many people, it is not because I am not hard-working, smart and disciplined in other areas of my life, running the household, volunteering, multitasking, entertaining... but losing weight is perpetually difficult. It is the Oprah Paradox.
I go to Weight Watchers. I write it all down. I exercise and God knows I reward myself with a little retail therapy. I stock up on all the yummy low-cal snacks. I celebrate my successes, no matter how small. Like many people I am up a pound and down a pound. I am not losing but not gaining either. That may be another small success to celebrate... but I need to wait out my cravings. Apparently, they become less intense and less frequent if you don't give in. For me it is the first mini chocolate meringue that puts me over the top. Soon it becomes nine mini chocolate meringues... and then a couple of sour peach candies... and then I am so pissed off with my sweet tooth, I make myself a giant bowl of air-popped popcorn with no salt and the littlest of butter. In itself, each snack is okay. It is the over-indulgence that does me in. It sets off a chain reaction that leads to more belly fat.
I have even been snaffling a few of those sugar-free drinks. I know they aren't good for you and they are just a bunch of chemicals. I haven't checked Coke Zero but many of them are now sweetened with Truvia. Truvia's main ingredient is actually erythritol, a sugar alcohol that triggers digestive issues like bloat and cramping. Okay, so why am I allowing myself to get pulled into something that isn't good for you. It is a good question why I have let myself get sucked into my cravings.
Apparently, 75% of women with excess pounds have fat buildup in the liver. It is the chicken and egg syndrome. The original theory was that excess liver fat was the result of weight gain but maybe the opposite is true: Fatty liver is a key cause of weight struggles. The modern-day diet high in sugar and starchy carbohydrates, nutrient-poor and sugar-rich foods are a recipe for liver fat.
This is sick but true! Think of the yummy foie gras that is served at fancy restaurants. It is basically fat-laden duck liver. They take the ducks and they force-feed them starch, which turns into sugar. It's sugar that causes the liver to become inflamed and fatty. The same thing that happens to ducks happens to human livers.
Once the liver is fatty and inflamed, the body's ability to regulate weight is severely compromised.
The good news is fatty liver is totally possible to repair and heal. So how do you know if you have fatty liver?
Here are some of the symptoms... If two or more of these symptoms apply to you, you may want to clean up your diet and cut down on your starches and sugars.
Excess weight, especially in the belly area. 75% of overweight people and 85% to 100% of obese people have fatty liver.
Persistent fatigue. 73% of people with fatty liver report feeling generally run-down and 44% suffer from extreme daytime sleepiness.
Light-headiness, dizziness and weakness. 56% experience symptoms of dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system which regulates unconscious body movements.
Problems with memory and concentration. 50% have mild cognitive symptoms. 46% experience moderate to severe cognitive impairments.
Abdominal pain. 48% report a feeling of fullness or tenderness in the centre of upper-right part of the abdomen.
Skin discolouration. 12% have hyperpigmentation of the skin, with marks usually appearing on the neck, knuckles, elbows and knees.
The good news is you can repair and heal a fatty liver within four to eight weeks. People immediately feel better. They're less tired, they don't have cravings, their blood pressure goes down, their blood sugar goes down, their cholesterol goes down ...
Today I faced my moment of truth and I am going forward with liver-healing strategies. I have inspired myself and hopefully I am inspiring others as well.
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