Mayo Clinic Health Manager
Get free personalized health guidance for you and your family.
Get Started
close window
Housecall Archives
About our e-newsletters
- Free e-newsletters
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- We do not share your e-mail address
Housecall, our weekly general-interest e-newsletter, keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics with timely, reliable, practical information, recipes, blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts and more. Our biweekly topic-specific e-newsletters also include blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts, and other useful information that will help you manage your health.
Housecall Archives
close window
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Lifestyle and home remedies
By Mayo Clinic staffAlong with your doctor's help, you can take steps to control your nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. You can:
- Lose weight. If you're overweight or obese, reduce the number of calories you eat each day and increase your physical activity in order to lose weight. Aim to lose one or two pounds a week. If you've tried to lose weight in the past and have been unsuccessful, ask your doctor for help.
- Choose a healthy diet. Eat a healthy diet that's rich in fruits and vegetables. Reduce the amount of saturated fat in your diet and instead select healthy unsaturated fats, such as those found in fish, olive oil and nuts. Include whole grains in your diet, such as whole-wheat breads and brown rice.
- Exercise and be more active. Aim for at least 30 minutes of exercise most days of the week. Incorporate more activity in your day. For instance, take the stairs instead of the elevator. Walk instead of taking short trips in your car. If you're trying to lose weight, you might find that more exercise is helpful. But if you don't already exercise regularly, get your doctor's OK first and start slowly.
- Control your diabetes. Follow your doctor's instructions to stay in control of your diabetes. Take your medications as directed and closely monitor your blood sugar.
- Lower your cholesterol. A healthy plant-based diet, exercise and medications can help keep your cholesterol and your triglycerides at healthy levels.
- Protect your liver. Avoid things that will put extra stress on your liver. For instance, don't drink alcohol. Follow the instructions on all medications and over-the-counter drugs.
References
- Feldstein AE, et al. Fatty liver disease. The American College of Gastroenterology. http://www.acg.gi.org/patients/gihealth/fld.asp. Accessed Jan. 6, 2009.
- Fatty liver. American Liver Foundation. http://www.liverfoundation.org/education/info/fattyliver/. Accessed Jan. 6, 2009.
- Reid AE. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. In: Feldman M, et al. Sleisenger & Fordtran's Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease: Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, Management. 8th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2006. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/115719609-2/0/1389/588.html?tocnode=51641781&fromURL=588.html#4-u1.0-B1-4160-0245-6..50087-1_3674. Accessed Jan. 6, 2009.
- Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/nash/index.htm. Accessed Jan. 6, 2009.
- Preiss D, et al. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: An overview of prevalence, diagnosis, pathogenesis and treatment considerations. Clinical Science. 2008;115:141.
- Torres DM, et al. Diagnosis and therapy of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. Gastroenterology. 2008;134:1682.
- Sheth SG, et al. Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. http://www.uptodate.com. Accessed Jan. 6, 2009.
- Moschen AR, et al. Nutrition in the pathophysiology and treatment of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care. 2008;11:620.
