Foie Gras in People

Question:
What do Ducks or Geese overfed with large amounts of corn and not allowed to exercise have in common with people?

Answer:
Fatty Livers - in Ducks we call it Foie Gras and some consider it a delicacy to eat. In people we call it non-alcoholic liver disease and it is frequently found in people with Diabetes, Insulin Resistance and Metabolic Syndrome (Abdominal Obesity, High Blood Pressure, High Cholesterol, & Insulin Resistance). Just like the ducks, our livers get fatty when extra calories not needed for energy are stored there as fat.

Question:
Can children have fatty liver disease?

Answer:
Yes, fatty liver disease has been found in children as young as 2 years old - it becomes more common as their weight increases. In a study in California, 81% of the case of fatty liver disease in children were found in those who were overweight.

The good news is most cases of fatty liver disease can be reversed!
As the liver becomes less fatty, cholesterol levels improve and insulin resistance decreases.

Eating a healthful diet and engaging in regular exercise are essential for reversing fatty liver. Following are several visualizations you can use to help you make positive changes in how you take care of yourself:

· Instead of thinking of white carbohydrates or fatty, fried foods as delicious treats, think of them as disguised pieces of lard. Imagine the gluey mess that lard creates in your blood vessels, contributing to feelings of sluggishness, being bloated and tired.

· Plan on eating a fruit, vegetable or other healthful snack when hungry between meals. Increase the fiber in your diet. Picture your nutritious food melting away the fat in your liver, and the fiber grabbing the fat and escorting it out of your body. Make a mental connection between this dissolution of your liver’s fat with feeling good and having increased levels of energy.

· Choosing to flop on the couch and stare at a television encourages your liver to grow fat. Whenever you know you should move but just don’t feel like it, visualize evil smiling fat globules racing to your liver and growing before your eyes. Walk around during commercials, lift weights while you sit and give those fat blobs the evil eye.

· As you move around, imagine your muscles kicking the extra fat out of your liver. Whether you walk, bike, swim, box, dance or do other forms of exercise, an active body moves the calories to parts of your body that need them so they don’t get stuck in your liver.

Choose to be more healthy now so you can stay more active as you age!