Nutrition:

The act or process of nourishing or being nourished; specifically: the sum of the processes by which an animal or plant takes in and utilizes food substances. -Webster's Dictionary

Nutrition plays a very large part of staying healthy. There are a lot of foods that we eat that stress the Liver and other organs. Meat products are a prime example. When eating meat products you have just added stress to the digestive process, stressing the liver, gall bladder and pancreas. Meat is one of the hardest foods to digest. It can sit in the stomach for 5-7 days and ferment, causing flu like symptoms, gas, bloating, and even more stress.

Changing your diet is one of the hardest things to achieve. Most of our bad eating habits were started by us eating something thinking that it would make us feel better. By eating all of our "comfort" foods, we inadvertently made ourselves feel worse. We need to break this habit!

NEVER try to change your eating habits overnight. Take one step at a time. You don't want to throw your body into shock. Start by changing a few foods at a time. (I am still trying to change all my bad eating habits)

* Eat 4 small meals a day

* Don't eat for at least a few hours before bedtime

* Try new foods

* Eat slowly and eat alone if and whenever possible

* Don't eat in front of the TV

* Don't eat standing up

* Don't eat and then go lay down

* Try to prepare your foods in advance (then they are ready when you are)

* Chew Chew Chew, don't just inhale your food

Distilled and/or bottled water (lots and lots of this!)

Whole wheat bread

Whole grain cereals

Cheerios

Oatmeal

Cream of Wheat

Brown Rice

Veggies

Beans, all kinds, even Refried beans

Vegetable juice

Fresh fruit (in moderation)

Better Than Milk (soy product)

Corn tortillas

Organic flour tortillas made w/

unbleached white or whole wheat flour

Salsa (I can eat this one every day!)

Canned tuna

Pasta

Spices and herbs

Herbal teas, iced or hot

Lemonade made with fresh lemons and stevia for sweetening

Organic unbleached flour (white) in moderation

Organic Virgin Olive Oil

Flaxseed Oil

Homemade Vegetable Soup

Baked chips

Nayonaise (instead of mayonnaise)

Yogurt, plain & with fruit (I eat this one each day)

Foods That Are Not Liver Healthy: (I avoid these as much as possible)

Animal Products: When you consume animal products you consume what that animal has consumed, such as grains that have been chemically sprayed. Then there are the injections, growth hormones, antibiotics, steroids, etc.
Caffeine: Colas, chocolate, coffee, some teas, OTC meds. (I do indulge in my one cup of Java each morning, it's my only hope of rising to the day!)

Tap Water: Tap water may contain; chlorine, fluoride, inorganic chemicals & compounds that the liver is not able to process. Although filtered water is of course better than tap water, the filter can breed bacteria.

Junk Food: Junk food is JUNK! We need to stay away from fats, sugars, empty calories, chemicals, additives, etc. No "nutrition" found here!

Bleached White Flour: This has been chemically processed. Lots of vitamins and minerals are lost during the process.

Hydrogenated Oils: These are refined oils. This is another product that is hard for the liver to handle. Any type of oil or fat that hardens when cold. Better choices are flaxseed or virgin olive oils.

Dairy Products (animal): Dairy foods are extremely hard to digest and once again you are eating whatever the animal ate.

Fruit Juices: Fruit juices are high in concentrated sugar. Sugar is a shock to the liver, stresses the digestive process, stresses the pancreas, and it is known to feed the virus.

Artificial Sweeteners: The word "artificial" should clue you in. These sweeteners are extremely hard for the liver to process.

Processed Foods: These foods contain unnatural substances, preservatives, fillers, and chemically treated substances. Common sense, NOT HEALTHY!

Food For "Sides"

The side effects of interferon can be rough but believe it or not some food can help, others can hurt. Nausea is pretty common and when I feel that way I certainly avoid the fast food burgers, the fries and anything heavy in dairy. Rice is always good but you gotta remember that it will expand in the stomach so don't eat to much. It is a good source for energy and nutritious. I also eat frozen juice pops. Dole and Welch's make them. 100% frozen  juice pops. Stay away from the artificial ones. They really help to smooth out those waves my stomach feels at times. White grape juice is helpful and while I do like a glass of OJ I've found I have to watch the acidity of it.

I stay away from as much as possible anything terribly processed, greasy and empty calories. Of course I'm not perfect, I just have to gorge on a Big Mac once in a while or an Egg McMuffin but not very often. French Fries, well I tried them once and almost made a scene all over the floor if you know what I mean. Spicy food doesn't bother me to much but I do tone it down these days. If you get a little sore in your mouth or anything while on treatment it takes forever to heal and spicy stuff can burn those sores. Which reminds me, I ate some wings one night and gnawing on those chicken bones tore my mouth up. That is when I learned about the healing process being so slow while on interferon. I have a little sore spot with cracked skin on the corner of my mouth, it has been there for about 4 months now. Can't get it to heal. Just a little bothersome.

So, eat sensibly, eat healthy and when you can't be perfect (just like me) don't eat anything sharp and stay away from fries! Oh, and don't run with scissors. (That's just plain good advice there).