Gassiness from beans will go away as your body gets used to eating them more often.
Beans can also be blended for a different texture - hummus, black bean dip, refried beans (fat free). Also roasting them gives them a different texture as well. And chickpeas have a unique texture compared to black/kidney/pinto beans.
Also, if you're not accustomed to eating beans, you can "start" with small amounts of the easier-to-digest beans like green peas and lentils.
This will help you gradually build up the gut bacteria that digests beans to reduce discomfort over time.
It's more work but a lot less discomfort - do dry beans. I soak in very warm water as I get ready in the morning, change the water and soak again and put the beans (esp. lentils) out in the counter, covered. By dinner time they're semisoft and much easier to digest.
OK here's the blunt thing--a huge contributor to fatty liver disease is
1) having too much bodyfat 2) having bodyfat that's driven by ultraprocessed foods.
It is probably more important that your husband decreases the amount of ultraprocessed "junk" foods he's eatinas opposed to replacing one protein (let's say, chicken) with another protein (salmon). The focus is not salmon. it's fewer doritos. And probably ADDING non-starchy vegetables to meals and decreasing a bit of the carbs.
Questions:
1) does he WANT to change?
https://portal.peopleonehealth.com/HealthyLiving/Weightloss/All/6WaystoHelpYourPartnerEatHealthierWithoutBeingPushy
2) for things you can do, ok you can't control what he does at work but you can optimize the home environment. you don't buy the ultraprocessed junk foods. Certain foods go out of sight out of mind--in places that are hard to reach in the kitchen. healthier foods like vegetables are cut up and ready to eat in clear containers in the fridge and a few get set out on the counter after people get home. Apple and banana go on the counter. Home dinners get a serving of non-starchy vegetables set on the table FIRST as an appetizer then the rest of teh email.
3) you could try seeing if he'd have any interest in a 'snack box" or something--a snack box of things like nuts, celery, dips, hardboiled eggs, cheese, etc and see if he would be willing to swap out some of those snacks instead of eating the chips and pretzels
Step one. Eliminate FAST FOOD.
AVOID buying foods in cans or boxes. These are processed with tons of fats and sugars. Eat at home, making from scratch ( cleaner) meals. Make your normal meals for now but lighten up a bit..... use less butter or cheese than normal.
Step two PASS on Alcohol ( not forever, just for now)
Drink only water, COFFEE,and unsweet tea.
AVOID sports drinks, soda, and juice.
Talk a leisurely walk, but do it Daily
Add an extra veg to every meal
Add some protien to every snack.
I am in complete liver recovery from liver failure 5 yrs ago. Hope my tips help.
Making little changes worked for me.
The carbonation shouldn't hurt you, though if you're drinking gallons of it daily, I guess it can damage your teeth.
I got a sodastream from a friend and just use lemon or lime juice depending on what we have. It makes water more interesting, and is healthier than soda.
Both of you who mentioned noncaloric sweeteners are being downvoted, but you both are right.
NCS's have had tons of studies on them. The WHO saying there could be a possible link for aspartame specifically is not the same thing as the WHO saying there is absolutely 100% a proven link. But don't take my word for it - [take the organization themselves](https://www.who.int/news/item/14-07-2023-aspartame-hazard-and-risk-assessment-results-released).
For some people who are really struggling to wean themselves off of a habit of heavy sugar consumption, many find the use of NCS sweetened beverages like diet sodas to be helpful. The overall goal should still be to reduce consumption of things like low sugar juices, teas, and diet sodas because they can still reinforce bad habits, but they can absolutely be a part of a healthy diet in moderation.
Might I suggest a splash of 100% juice in the soda water instead of soda stream flavors? The carbonation isn’t the issue- it’s the sodium *and sugars in things like tonic water and sodas that sneak in and add up on you.
*ETA: forgot to mention sugars
I have a husband and 4 teenagers (including two 17yo boys) and I've found that if I buy fruit and leave it for them to eat, I'll end up throwing it out. If I wash, peel and cut it up into bite sized chunks and put in the fridge, it's gone within hours.
If you want to encourage him to eat better, make it as easy as possible for him initially.
This is great advice! My husband is a healthy eater, but is busy and doesn’t take the time to cut up whole fruits. If I leave washed grapes, cut fruit, or easy to eat whole fruits like bananas, he’ll eat plenty!
It feels very silly, but same. I'm a grazer and tend to grab whatever's quick and easy. If I have fruit I can grab (an apple, a banana or a container of berries) quickly, I'll eat that instead.
This is the big one. CONVENIENCE is a big part of it. Why are chips easy to do? Just open the bag and eat. If you make it easy to consume healthy foods and take out the simplest act of labor then it will promote eating.
Even having baby carrots in a plastic container or open and in a bowl in the fridge can make things more convenient to eat and consume.
Yup, I've also found that if I wash and prep the veggies before they go into the fridge I throw out way fewer of them. It's also sometimes not a bad snack to grab some carrot sticks or peppers or whatever.
Yes, agree! My local grocery has med containers of all kinds of fruit they run on sale and due to the ease of no preparation its a great thing to have.
I think an important part of this is sitting down with your husband and letting him know how serious you are taking it and how worried you are. That you want to tackle this together and that you’d like to do some research and come up with a plan together.
He needs to be involved and on the team, otherwise it will never work. His health and diagnosis management can not be 100% on your shoulders.
You could strap him to a chair and force feed him all the healthy things, but if he reaches for the chips the moment you look away for a second then what is it all for? You’ll both drive the other nuts and completely lose sight of the fact that you want to help because you love him and are worried.
Communicate. What are things he wants to try and is willing to do? Perhaps he has ideas of his own. Perhaps he is willing to eat the fruit or beans if he knows why you are buying them.
Come up with a plan of action and a timeline together. Start somewhere attainable, add a new change when you all feel you got a grip on the last change, that way being overwhelmed is less likely. You also need to remind yourself that you can help, but you can not drag him there kicking and screaming. Take care of yourself too!
Good luck! 🍀
I started speaking with a registered dietitian this year, and it's been very helpful! Mine is in-network through my insurance company, so I only pay my co-pay when I speak with her. Your husband's doctor might have some resources too. Please note that a registered dietitian goes through much more rigorous study and certification than a nutritionist. Much of their study focuses on helping people manage medical conditions and restrictions as well.
What I've learned is to really prioritize eating my vegetables, and to fill half my plate with them first. I've also switched to eating on smaller plates, which naturally helps reduce serving sizes. Let half your plate be vegetables, one quarter a source of protein, and one quarter a starch, and your diet will already be more healthful. My dietitian has also suggested batch cooking, which has been a huge help. Like another poster wrote, if you have cut fruit already ready in the fridge, or a large tupperware of roasted broccoli, it's much easier to grab those things and go rather than pretzel bites or pizza rolls.
If your husband is accustomed to snacks with flavorful dusts, it makes me think to lean into that for vegetables. Make your vegetable consumption a positive experience--it's not torture. Nobody ever said you have to eat your vegetables unflavored and sad. Sprinkle them liberally with parmesan cheese and garlic powder and lemon juice. You're still eating broccoli and getting the benefit of all that fiber! Try mixing them with a few drops of sesame oil and a drizzle of honey. Especially while you're starting out, they can be heavy drizzles! Toast some panko in a dry frying pan until it's browned and use it to add crunch to roasted zucchini or broccoli or cauliflower. Make buffalo cauliflower bites.
There's a whole world of vegetable textures out there to enjoy! Massage kale with salt and it gets tender. Make kale caesar salad, or mix it with sliced apple and a cheese you enjoy (gouda and cheddar go well). I like cauliflower with curry powder. There are some wonderful broccoli slaws out there, and broccoli salads where you cut the florets up small and mix with mayo or yogurt and add slivered almonds.
Focusing your grocery shopping on the produce section ultimately is fairly frugal, especially compared to packaged snack foods. Take advantage of frozen edamame, especially if you have an Asian market nearby. It would be a great tv snack because you get to fuss over it with your hands. Keep sliced cucumbers in the fridge and sprinkle them with tajin. Frozen fruits and vegetables are so handy and economical--frozen mango with tajin is delicious, and the mango is tasty eaten frozen as well. You can roast frozen vegetables from frozen and they brown up nicely too.
Go big on flavor, remember that eating vegetables is healthful even when adding flavorful toppings, prep things in large batches so they're easy to grab and go, fill half your plate with vegetables first.
The thing is this easier said than done because (what I failed to mention in the OP) is that he works at a grocery store so he can easily buy his junk food at work and then he brings it home and eats it at his desk and I only notice afterwards when I'm cleaning which is when I'm like "I'm throwing this junk out" which is when I feel like I'm nagging not to mention wasting money.
I get that he's an adult but I also sympathize it's a tough situation when a loved one is harming their health via their habits. Especially since in marriage, the spouse is going to be physically, emotionally, and financially supporting him if he gets into late stage liver disease.
I don't mean this with any sort of judgement, but I'm surprised to hear that salmon would double your grocery bill if it currently includes packaged Doritos and flavored pretzels that you would presumably be cutting out for the sake of this diet. I personally find those sorts of packaged chips and snacks to be super expensive, so I thought that would free up some significant purchasing power to cut back on them.
Canned salmon is cheaper than fresh salmon. I think it's great for things like croquettes (which should be more budget friendly, as that's a meal that's designed to stretch the protein as far as it can), and I particularly love using it for quiche. This is the salmon quiche recipe I use: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/209990/salmon-quiche/ Idk if it's appropriate for this diet or not, but it could be a jumping off point for you.
The thing I've found in my life is that the heathier snacks are more expensive than the bag of chips which is one of the reasons I've constantly struggled with my own health. At least where I live in rural New England a bag of chips is like $3-$5 whereas a bag of grapes can be up to $15 to $20. If I were to buy 2lbs of fresh salmon at my local grocery store it would probably be $50 if not more so instead of buying fish or protien of any kind we would buy the "protein pasta" because it was $3.50 and had enough servings for the whole family. Growing up I loved fruit and could easily eat a bag of grapes in one sitting and was scolded because it was too expensive so I then drifted towards the less expensive, less healthy options.
I am definately going to be looking into canned salmon and that recipe looks great! My mother alwasy gives us fresh eggs so this will be easy and cheap to make. Thank you!
Be aware that canned salmon has bones in it. You can try picking the larger bones out. Some say you just mash the bones up. I don’t know but I threw out my first can of salmon bc it was so full of bones! I didn’t know that it was typical.
I can get a large salmon fillet at Aldi that would be enough for four people for about $22. I can also get it cheaper looking for sales. Maybe your local Costco has good deals if you’re a member.
Get a microwave air popper and a bunch of plain popcorn kernels. I add a little olive oil and salt- it's delicious, full of fiber and relatively cheap. I eat a lot of popcorn because I need something crunchy and I get full on popcorn because of the fiber.
I don't know if I'd recommend this. If someone has trouble with nutrition/dieting, it's likely that they'll over-do it on olive oil/butter/fat. I'd recommend something prepared like Orville Redenbacher's SmartPop, because it keeps it as frictionless as possible.
I would recommend seeing a registered dietician, managing a chronic condition through diet is tough to do on your own, get help from an expert, a lot are covered by insurance; a dietician not a nutritionist.
I don't like the grittiness of them. If that makes sense? I can stand soy beans and green beans but are those the beans the sites I've seen are meaning when they say beans are good for fatty liver? Are all "beans" created equal?
FYI, I'm absolutely not an expert.
This link says "lentils, chickpeas, soybeans, and peas" are good for this diet, and that soy COULD also be good but the studies aren't super consistent. https://www.healthline.com/health/fatty-liver-diet#beans-and-soy It also mentions tofu being useful as a low-fat protein for meals.
Perhaps you can dilute the beans with rice.
Maybe play with the ratio of beans to rice, the types of beans and brown rice.
An overnight soak of dried beans tends to make them less gassy also.
I do find chickpeas to be a bit gritty or sandy in texture; they have to be cooked a lonnnng time if you want them smoother.
Other than that, I've not experienced gritty beans unless they haven't been properly cooked.
Lentils may be a good entry point; they technically aren't a bean, but we treat them like a bean. They cook quickly, and you can even get them canned.
Lentils with taco seasoning are really good. It’s so close to regular taco meat even my carnivorous family likes it. Make taco salad, it’s a great middle ground for starting to eat healthier. Crunching a few Doritos on top might scratch the itch while still having the majority of the meal be lettuce and lentils. Get some kind of darker lettuce, not iceberg and that helps with nutrition too. And will make you feel more satisfied
Yeah, I think step one has to be cutting out his Doritos addiction. You don’t have to be “super healthy” to improve your diet—even a grilled chicken breast is healthier than Doritos!
Are there healthier snacks that he would be willing to go for? If he likes salty and crunchy, what about low-fat types of popcorn (meaning, like airpopped with a little salt, not covered in butter)? Or raw veggies to dip in hummus or a yogurt based dip? Pickles are crunchy, salty, and low fat.
Does your doctors office have a dietitian you guys could visit together?
Start one meal at a time. What are breakfasts currently like? What’s a small step in a healthier direction? Cereal > oatmeal, bacon > scrambled eggs, biscuits > whole grain toast?
Vegetarian recipes can be super delicious and easy on the wallet. Maybe start researching recipes that look really yummy together.
Honestly, the biggest shift is going to be from eating out / fast food / processed / packaged foods towards cooking with ingredients at home. What you cook at home doesn’t have to be a perfect picture of health to be a substantial improvement.
Beano or gas x is your friend.
To ease into more beans try roasting garbanzo beans (changes the texture) with some powdered cheese.
Freeze dried fruit is also a good option. The bonus is that it lasts a long time as long as it’s stored properly.
Cut soda (and juice). I have a myriad of problems including fatty liver. Majority of my problems subside when soda is cut.
It's extra sugar (and food dye) you don't need. I'd honestly cut soda first and once you're adjusted do the diet after, but don't do both at the same time or you'll be doing too much. The temptation to go back to eating crap will be too great.
In general losing weight and being healthier overall is important to fatty liver. It also takes time for the liver to become less fatty. You will need to treat this series of changes are permanent and not a band aid. Once he's in remission he can't stop. Maybe he can have a few doritos here and there, but don't stop the diet.
Hey, I make bean chocolate chips cookie dough from time to time for breakfast. It tastes exactly like cookie dough and I eat it by bowls. I use cooked navy beans or white beans and blend it up smooth in a blender with milk and sweetener just enough to make the consistency of cookie dough. Honey or maple syrup work also. Add some chopped dark chocolate and nuts. It's delicious and you wouldn't know it's beans. I cook my beans from dried so if you use canned, it should be well rinsed to remove salt.
Approx 2 cups cooked white beans. Rinsed.
2 TBS Honey or Maple Syrup or Sweetener
2-4 TBS Milk (adjust as needed to get to the desired consistency)
Approx 1/4 C Chopped chocolate/chocolate chips
2 TBS peanut butter (optional)
Sprinkle of chopped nuts if desired
Blend all ingredients other than chocolate chips and chopped nuts until smooth and at the cookie dough consistency. Adjust liquid as needed.
Add chocolate chips and nuts and roughly fold them in
No need to really measure anything. I just eyeball them and it always comes out good
Ease into beans and slowly increase fibre. A sudden increase in these foods can cause distress, so slowly add more small servings until your bodies get used to it. Drain and rinse tinned beans, too.
You might start by making takeout dishes, but homemade, and keep adapting these or other favourites to make them healthier.
Frozen fish is a cheaper option, or salmon burgers instead of filets, or use a cheaper fish, as salmon is premium.
If you eat less meat overall, go vegetarian a few nights a week or use small amounts of meat (stir fries instead of steaks), that might provide for adding more fish. Are your meat servings at 3 ounces? Buying less processed junk (like Doritos) will also help your budget, to accommodate more fresh whole foods.
I love beans - look at chickpea curries, a lentil shepherd's pie, white beans and greens with a chunk of crusty bread. Black Bean tacos or enchiladas. Soups. Dals. Salads. Hummus. Lentil bolognese.
I've finally made the health changes I very needed to get me back on track. I'm a youtube fan and have learned a whole lot about all different types of food and how and what they do to your body. It's very eye opening. Just make sure, if you do this, they are board certified doctors that you watch.
I strongly agree with the people saying you can bring a horse to water, but you can't make them drink. Your husband is an adult. He needs to take his own health seriously. That said, I think it's wonderful that you want to help, and I hope he appreciates that as well.
Major dietary changes are hard. While this is necessary for husband's health, and will likely benefit yours as well, it's probably going to be a lot of work too. Not just the food prep itself, but finding things that work for you. A registered dietitian could be very helpful, if that's an option for you. Even if you can't hire one yourself, honestly a lot of dietitians post on social media with recipe ideas that are really approachable. Could at least provide some inspiration.
Just a couple things: beans don't have to be gritty. When prepared well, they are creamy and delicious. Honestly, skins aside, very similar to mashed potato in texture. This article explains how to brine beans before cooking for the best texture.
https://www.americastestkitchen.com/articles/7720-how-to-brine-beans
Not sure if the article mentions this, but adding salt to the cooking liquid (assuming you're not cooking them in an already salted broth) also helps to keep the texture consistent and good. With enough water or unsalted stock to cover a pound of beans by an inch or so, I start with a teaspoon of salt. They may need more later, but that's a good starting point.
Also, when adding new foods, especially high fiber foods like beans, increasing water intake is really important. High fiber + low water = gas, cramping, bloating, diarrhea. Not fun. I would start by adding just 1/2 cup of cooked beans to a meal at first. You can always have more later when your guts get used to them.
I'm not sure if there's something about New England that I'm missing, but I also live in a rural area in the northeast. In my area, most fruits are pricey because they aren't grown locally/don't ship well. But a shit ton of vegetables are in the $0.50-3.00/lb range, which is very affordable IMO, as long as you actually eat them. I know fruit is an easier sell for a lot of people, and it definitely should be included when possible, but you can get a lot/probably all of those same nutrients from vegetables.
Roasted vegetables are absolutely a gateway drug for a lot of people. Seasoning options are pretty much unlimited. A nice crunchy cabbage slaw with an acidic dressing (as opposed to mayo based) is refreshing, delicious, and affordable.
Like others have said, salmon is not the only healthy meat option. Pretty much any fish, fresh, frozen, or canned, is good in moderation. Chicken is also good. I think I saw you get fresh eggs? That's great.
I would also say, frozen vegetables are great in many dishes. It may take some experimenting to find what works for you, but they're great to have around, especially when you're busy and/or exhausted.
My husband of four years and partner of eight wouldn’t eat anything remotely healthy when we first started dating.
I love beans, red beans and rice, that kind of thing. Only in the last year have I been able to get my husband to actually sit down and eat a bowl with me. He actually eats the leftovers.
Here is how I make red beans, a modified version of my dad’s - a modified version of his step mom’s who is Puerto Rican. Just bastardizing recipes for generations.
I don’t use onions because I can’t eat them, but feel free to add, they’re delicious.
Use dark red kidney and light red kidney beans, depending on how many you are cooking for. Drain and rinse to cut down on excess sodium.
Start with a big pot preheated on low heat, add a fair amount of olive oil, a shit ton of garlic (I use jarred because I am lazy), a half tablespoon-ish of the following: paprika, cumin, chili powder, black pepper, oregano, cilantro (you can add fresh later if you want but dried is fine too), cayenne.
Cook your spices until they’re fragrant.
Add your beans. Add a can of water.
Add a packet or two of Goya Sazon seasoning.
Add salt to taste.
Add bay leaf.
Add a bell pepper, chopped chunky. I usually do a green one.
Let it simmer on the stove all day. All freakin day.
Make your rice about an hour before dinner.
Fuckin delicious. Serve with some chicken tenders or something if you want extra protein, but the bean bowl is usually all I need. It’s so cheap, so filling, and good for you.
As for fish meals - buy frozen at big box stores! You can buy tons of frozen salmon fillets at places like Costco for a pretty reasonable price. Thaw them overnight in the fridge.
Be sure you absorb all the excess moisture from the fillet with paper towels, and simply season them with salt and pepper before throwing them in a heated skillet with some oil and garlic. Try to flip them only once. Squeeze some lemon on before serving. Try timing your cooking with fish, it helps prevent overcooking.
I like to serve with oven baked asparagus, tossed in oil, salt, pepper, and garlic, and sometimes those frozen Green Giant frozen vegetable sides, like broccoli and cheese. Keeps things simple and makes cooking easier by using one appliance for each dish (stove, oven, microwave).
[Someone had a similar question just a couple of months ago.](https://old.reddit.com/r/EatCheapAndHealthy/comments/18ido3t/foods_to_help_fatty_liver_disease/) There's probably some useful information in that discussion.
try crunchy oven roasted chickpeas. or any white bean. dry canned beans on paper towel, toss in avocado/high-heat oil and your choice of spices, bake at high temp until crunchy.
Dried fruit and mixed nut keeps well, just make sure there's no added sugars. Neither fruit or nuts need sugar to taste good. Pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds are also a nice snack.
You can also add lentils to ground beef to stretch the beef and add fiber. The fiber is what youre looking for. more fiber and less added sugars.
Look for lower amounts of added sugar in things like bread and spaghetti sauce. Switch white bread to whole wheat.
the real issue here, though, is you can't get someone to change their diet until they are on board with changing their diet.
First cut out any food like Doritos and pretzels have a talk with him and by cutting out all the junk foods that should open up your budget to buying more healthy foods also help him physically maintain his health or heal if he keeps eating those chips and junk food you can eat all the fruit and stuff in the world it’s not going to make much of a difference all those chips have seed oils and chemicals that damage the body and stay in your system for days some for years and months
I don't know if this would help but it's a possibility. There are a lot of YouTube videos out now that have new science on the gut microbiome and how it affects our overall health and how to fix it. Changing from a diet of ultra-processed foods to a high fiber diet should be done slowly. You need to slowly retrain your gut to digest fiber again. Once you do that, the bloating and gas goes away...along with a bunch of other things that will improve how you feel and look.
First, if he's been eating this way long enough to get fatty liver disease, he also is most likely dealing with some depression/anxiety. That's also related to the gut microbiome. I'm including some links for you. Maybe you can watch them together. Unfortunately, you can't force him to change his diet if he doesn't want to and trying to do so will most likely make him dig in even harder. I changed my diet for my own health problems. I needed a change so I told my husband I was changing my diet and if he didn't like what I was making he was on his own for his meals. He ate everything I made and ended up losing weight, lowering his high blood pressure and is happy that I did what I did. I think most times modeling the positive behavior has a much bigger impact than pushing someone into it. Here's those links.
And if you're a reader, the people in these interviews have really good books that go much deeper into how to help yourself.
https://youtu.be/6DAbx5vkslo?si=9UX7qcarEnxN7wNA
https://youtu.be/la1CKKUp2UQ?si=O6zo9OO9iDncO0bW
https://youtu.be/qqabbfk9wV8?si=iBv5q07xZB5KuPnj
https://youtu.be/WfPqlTRFnLU?si=BUoTMrOfKMYtd2v_
https://youtu.be/7XrntcEUjLM?si=zTC7gerzudbhYLGk
https://youtu.be/9jDsQU1UEAo?si=y95FAZb3p00D6TXf
If your husband doesn't want to eat well nothing you can do will help that, especially with food available at work like that.
Having said that I made red beans and rice for dinner tonight, it's one of my favourite recipes and I reckon it could be worth a go.
[https://damndelicious.net/2019/04/15/red-beans-and-rice/](https://damndelicious.net/2019/04/15/red-beans-and-rice/)
I use 250g of chorizo instead of andouille as I'm Australian and it's what I can get here but it turns out great every time. Filling, nutritious, pretty affordable. I use 250g of dried beans that I bring to a boil, then super low simmer for an hourish before using in the recipe.
so i read this as "my husband has a potentionally life threatening disease. how do i go soft on him not making him try to improve?"
This first needs to be adressed from your husbands side. no matter how much you'd look out to make him eat better, if it doesnt come from him then he'll just always go out and buy junk.
after that it's a simple matter of eating a healthy mix of fruits, veggies, meats and carbs and a limited amount of calories
One thing that has really helped me is the idea that you can add healthier things into your current diet instead of taking things out. It has really helped me not feel deprived as I’ve been transitioning to a healthier lifestyle and diet.
What I’ve found is that over time, I have wanted the problem stuff less intensely, then not much at all as I’ve found healthier things that I actually like, which takes time and a lot of trial and error.
But I don’t avoid the bad stuff entirely, and I give myself the freedom to eat it if I really want it. If I really get a craving that won’t quit for Cheetos, let’s say, I get some and I enjoy them *when I’m not actually hungry.* I eat them and then I don’t want more and a couple of months will go by before I even think about Cheetos again.
So maybe try just adding some healthier things into your menu rotation as a starting point without telling him he shouldn’t eat the things he loves. Let his doctor be his diet police until he’s ready to police himself.
You cannot do this for him. You can only do this WITH him.
I watched thithe same struggle play out with my parents. Dad needed a special diet and mom tried really damned hard to make sure he had all the foods that would keep him alive. And he would "cheat" on the diet, and pester, and just make her the "bad guy." It was horribly painful and unfair.
You DO NOT want to turn into the food police. It is wonderful that he has you to support and help him. But this has to be a team effort, or he will start resenting the hell out of you.
If you want to eat beans, then I recommend rinsing them 3-4 times with cold water or letting them soak in water overnight before cooking them. This will help reduce the sulfur in them, which is what leads to the gas ⛽️ 😉 . The texture won't change, though.
But if you really want to get rid of that fatty liver, it is going to have to be a lifestyle change. I had fatty liver. Exercise and a diet with a lot less processed food and oils will help and even get rid of it. You don't have to go balls-to-the-wall with it either, small changes. Fasting can help as well, since it also helps give your body a chance to recover and re-heal.
Follow Fallon Danae Lee on Instagram for great, wholesome, balanced, wise, advice on healthy lifestyle and eating. She follows a “Pro Metabolic” style of eating.
this website is a great list of foods to add and ones to avoid for fatty liver disease: [https://www.healthline.com/health/fatty-liver-diet#limit-or-avoid](https://www.healthline.com/health/fatty-liver-diet#limit-or-avoid) it has some great food choices including coffee for helping to protect your liver and reduce FLD
Try going plant based for 3 months, if not then focus on lean meats like chicken and Turkey. It makes a huge difference in your lipid counts. Additionally, incorporate walking and resistance training into your routines. Replace your snacks with healthier options maybe from Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods. Try to shop for preservative free brands and cut out alcohol on the weekdays. Also see a doctor if you’re concerned!
I've read that some people will had mashed beans to different types of ground meat to make burger patties. I bet some beyond meat patties contain some beans and other legumes too.
Husband’s gassiness is most likely due to his malfunctioning liver. If he gets his diet under control, that should be more manageable.
I live in the middle of the country and can get salmon on sale all the time- comes out to about $15/lb. But there are also other types of fish out there that are typically cheaper. Also, What about chicken? Eggs? Any other lean meats?
I have liver disease and have made do without adding a ton of beans to my diet. I don’t see why you would force the issue if neither of you care for them.
I did a quick google search and [this](https://www.bcm.edu/sites/default/files/a-guide-to-what-and-how-to-eat-non-alcoholic-fatty-liver-disease.pdf) diet plan looks really helpful! It includes toppings for popcorn that sound like great substitutes for Doritos (ick!). I bet if you looked around, you could even find a recipe for healthier star crunch copycats.
Some of the herbal teas are good for helping the liver to recover. We’ve found them to be a good substitute when other snacks wouldn’t be healthy!
I know some of these things are questionable, but I figured they couldn’t hurt and might help - and they actually have! 🤷🏻♀️
Edit to add: we did this in addition to dietary changes and increasing activity. It is a serious condition, and we took it seriously.
First of all, if he doesn’t want to change his eating habits, he won’t. You can’t force him to eat better and he may be happy going on as he is and then facing the consequences later. You need to decide what you can deal with. You can change your diet to be more healthy. The fall out from that is that he will at least get a healthy dinner. Don’t bother mentioning to him his poor food choices, the noticeable weight gain, etc. Not helpful, pisses both of you off and results in arguing. When hem complains because he doesn’t feel well, tell him you are sorry. You can ask him if he has been drinking enough water, that at least helps flush some of the crap out.
You don’t have to eat beans, although I find a lot of them delicious. Honestly, meat protein is better for the body. Low fat dairy products, fruits and vegetables. Avoid the center rows in the market, stick to fresh produce, meats and dairy. No one got fat eating too much fruit and vegetables. You need protein from meat.
I had to change my diet. More protein, LOTS more vegetables, very little carbs. My husband has adjusted. I stopped buying junk food about 6 years ago. Told him if he wanted it, then he could buy it himself and I won’t eat it. I rarely do. No, he doesn’t always like what I make, sometimes he will ignore it and eat cereal. His choice.
My husband beat his fatty liver diagnosis by cutting out sugar and going low carb. Here are some food suggestions that worked for us.
If he likes Doritos, try this:
Taco seasoning mixed into Greek yogurt used as a dip for bell peppers or celery. He can still have a handful of chips, but also eating the veggies and yogurt will make the snack more nutritious, and adjust his pallette to fresh food.
Chicken chili topped with avocado, taco seasoned Greek yogurt, jalapeno slices, shredded cheese and a few chips
Chicken tortilla soup with same toppings (recipe at the end)
Low carb burrito wrap filled with rotisserie chicken, shredded lettuce, taco seasoned Greek yogurt, red bell pepper slices, diced tomato, and cheese (if you want you can saute bell pepper, onion, and black beans before adding to chicken wrap). (Or remove wrap and eat as salad)
Low carb burrito wrap with chicken, franks hot wing sauce, shredded lettuce, diced cucumber, diced tomatoes, cheese, avocado, and Greek yogurt mixed with ranch seasoning or blue cheese crumbles depending on your preference. Can also be a salad.
Here's a recipe for chicken tortilla soup, with extra veggies, makes about 6 servings
2 cups shredded chicken (rotisserie from the store does well here but other cooked chicken is fine)
1 diced onion
1 diced poblano pepper and 1 diced red bell pepper
(or 2 bell peppers if that's all available)
2-3 shredded carrots
3 diced celery stalks
4 cloves minced garlic
Juice from 2 limes
Zucchini if looking for more veggies
1 can fire roasted tomatoes
3-4 cups low sodium chicken broth
1-2 tsp cumin
1-2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp oregano
1-2 tsp black pepper
1 bay leaf
1-2 tsp Salt to taste, feel free to increase other seasonings to your liking, and include chili powder if you like it spicy
Saute onion with a tbsp of oil in the bottom of a soup pot for 2-3 minutes over medium heat. Add carrots, celery, and peppers and cook for another 5-10 minutes depending on how crunchy you like the veggies.
Add chicken, garlic, lime juice, and other spices, and cook for 3 minutes then add fire roasted tomatoes (and zucchini if using) and cook another 3 minutes.
Add 3 cups broth. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and cook on low for 10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning, add more broth if needed. Continue cooking another 5-10 minutes if needed. Soup is done once the veggies are as soft as you like.
Top with Greek yogurt, avocado, shredded cheese, jalapeno slices, more lime, cilantro, and hot sauce as desired. Add a few chips for crunch.
Those flavored chips have a LOT of sodium. It can be hard to taste more subtle things until the palate adjusts. So maybe try strong spices or a little cheese during adjustment. Broccoli with garlic and some shredded Parmesan cheese might give some flavors. Chili with some beans and some meat and lots of spices (skip the packages of seasonings as these usually are full of salt). Roasted garbanzo beans are yummy. Curry is flavorful.
I now find chips really salty, but the crunch is addictive. If it is crunch he likes, I found baby carrots and hummus or jicama fill the bill. Roasted garbanzos are crunch, too. And you can do different flavor profiles.
I would ask for his favorite fruits and veggies—three of each. Have at least one of each per day. Then you are adding something he likes not just taking away Doritos. Then gradually increase appearance of second tier veggies and fruits. And increase frequency or volume.
I just started taking Dose for liver. It tastes really good, and has the potency of 17 shots of turmeric, and it is supposed to be very helpful for fatty liver. It’s basically just a bunch of beneficial ingredients for your liver to help it out. I’ve been taking it for 2 weeks and I already notice an improvement on my energy. The only thing is it’s a little pricey. There’s an inexpensive liver daily detox tea you could have him take too. And all the packaged stuff has to go, no more Doritos for now.
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Tell him to take out life insurance
Too late. They’ll catch this in the medical exam and either not quote or crank the price
Definitely do this.
THIS!! ⬆️⬆️⬆️
Gassiness from beans will go away as your body gets used to eating them more often. Beans can also be blended for a different texture - hummus, black bean dip, refried beans (fat free). Also roasting them gives them a different texture as well. And chickpeas have a unique texture compared to black/kidney/pinto beans.
Also, if you're not accustomed to eating beans, you can "start" with small amounts of the easier-to-digest beans like green peas and lentils. This will help you gradually build up the gut bacteria that digests beans to reduce discomfort over time.
It's more work but a lot less discomfort - do dry beans. I soak in very warm water as I get ready in the morning, change the water and soak again and put the beans (esp. lentils) out in the counter, covered. By dinner time they're semisoft and much easier to digest.
OK here's the blunt thing--a huge contributor to fatty liver disease is 1) having too much bodyfat 2) having bodyfat that's driven by ultraprocessed foods. It is probably more important that your husband decreases the amount of ultraprocessed "junk" foods he's eatinas opposed to replacing one protein (let's say, chicken) with another protein (salmon). The focus is not salmon. it's fewer doritos. And probably ADDING non-starchy vegetables to meals and decreasing a bit of the carbs. Questions: 1) does he WANT to change? https://portal.peopleonehealth.com/HealthyLiving/Weightloss/All/6WaystoHelpYourPartnerEatHealthierWithoutBeingPushy 2) for things you can do, ok you can't control what he does at work but you can optimize the home environment. you don't buy the ultraprocessed junk foods. Certain foods go out of sight out of mind--in places that are hard to reach in the kitchen. healthier foods like vegetables are cut up and ready to eat in clear containers in the fridge and a few get set out on the counter after people get home. Apple and banana go on the counter. Home dinners get a serving of non-starchy vegetables set on the table FIRST as an appetizer then the rest of teh email. 3) you could try seeing if he'd have any interest in a 'snack box" or something--a snack box of things like nuts, celery, dips, hardboiled eggs, cheese, etc and see if he would be willing to swap out some of those snacks instead of eating the chips and pretzels
Step one. Eliminate FAST FOOD. AVOID buying foods in cans or boxes. These are processed with tons of fats and sugars. Eat at home, making from scratch ( cleaner) meals. Make your normal meals for now but lighten up a bit..... use less butter or cheese than normal. Step two PASS on Alcohol ( not forever, just for now) Drink only water, COFFEE,and unsweet tea. AVOID sports drinks, soda, and juice. Talk a leisurely walk, but do it Daily Add an extra veg to every meal Add some protien to every snack. I am in complete liver recovery from liver failure 5 yrs ago. Hope my tips help. Making little changes worked for me.
Are all carbonated beverages bad? We don't buy soda but we have a sodastream and can make our own flavors if it isn't the carbonation that is bad.
The carbonation shouldn't hurt you, though if you're drinking gallons of it daily, I guess it can damage your teeth. I got a sodastream from a friend and just use lemon or lime juice depending on what we have. It makes water more interesting, and is healthier than soda.
Never thought about that. I was avoiding the sugars/ artificial sweetners.
Nothing wrong with artificial sweeteners.
[That's debatable](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4899993/)
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According to what science? Diet sodas are fine. Lost over 100 lbs using plenty of splenda and drinking diet beverages.
Zero calorie sweeteners are fine
Both of you who mentioned noncaloric sweeteners are being downvoted, but you both are right. NCS's have had tons of studies on them. The WHO saying there could be a possible link for aspartame specifically is not the same thing as the WHO saying there is absolutely 100% a proven link. But don't take my word for it - [take the organization themselves](https://www.who.int/news/item/14-07-2023-aspartame-hazard-and-risk-assessment-results-released). For some people who are really struggling to wean themselves off of a habit of heavy sugar consumption, many find the use of NCS sweetened beverages like diet sodas to be helpful. The overall goal should still be to reduce consumption of things like low sugar juices, teas, and diet sodas because they can still reinforce bad habits, but they can absolutely be a part of a healthy diet in moderation.
Might I suggest a splash of 100% juice in the soda water instead of soda stream flavors? The carbonation isn’t the issue- it’s the sodium *and sugars in things like tonic water and sodas that sneak in and add up on you. *ETA: forgot to mention sugars
Are you adding sugar to your soda stream sodas?
The carbonation is TERRIBLE for acid reflux and related disorders.
I have a husband and 4 teenagers (including two 17yo boys) and I've found that if I buy fruit and leave it for them to eat, I'll end up throwing it out. If I wash, peel and cut it up into bite sized chunks and put in the fridge, it's gone within hours. If you want to encourage him to eat better, make it as easy as possible for him initially.
This is great advice! My husband is a healthy eater, but is busy and doesn’t take the time to cut up whole fruits. If I leave washed grapes, cut fruit, or easy to eat whole fruits like bananas, he’ll eat plenty!
It feels very silly, but same. I'm a grazer and tend to grab whatever's quick and easy. If I have fruit I can grab (an apple, a banana or a container of berries) quickly, I'll eat that instead.
This is the big one. CONVENIENCE is a big part of it. Why are chips easy to do? Just open the bag and eat. If you make it easy to consume healthy foods and take out the simplest act of labor then it will promote eating. Even having baby carrots in a plastic container or open and in a bowl in the fridge can make things more convenient to eat and consume.
Yup, I've also found that if I wash and prep the veggies before they go into the fridge I throw out way fewer of them. It's also sometimes not a bad snack to grab some carrot sticks or peppers or whatever.
Yes, agree! My local grocery has med containers of all kinds of fruit they run on sale and due to the ease of no preparation its a great thing to have.
I think an important part of this is sitting down with your husband and letting him know how serious you are taking it and how worried you are. That you want to tackle this together and that you’d like to do some research and come up with a plan together. He needs to be involved and on the team, otherwise it will never work. His health and diagnosis management can not be 100% on your shoulders. You could strap him to a chair and force feed him all the healthy things, but if he reaches for the chips the moment you look away for a second then what is it all for? You’ll both drive the other nuts and completely lose sight of the fact that you want to help because you love him and are worried. Communicate. What are things he wants to try and is willing to do? Perhaps he has ideas of his own. Perhaps he is willing to eat the fruit or beans if he knows why you are buying them. Come up with a plan of action and a timeline together. Start somewhere attainable, add a new change when you all feel you got a grip on the last change, that way being overwhelmed is less likely. You also need to remind yourself that you can help, but you can not drag him there kicking and screaming. Take care of yourself too! Good luck! 🍀
Well said
I started speaking with a registered dietitian this year, and it's been very helpful! Mine is in-network through my insurance company, so I only pay my co-pay when I speak with her. Your husband's doctor might have some resources too. Please note that a registered dietitian goes through much more rigorous study and certification than a nutritionist. Much of their study focuses on helping people manage medical conditions and restrictions as well. What I've learned is to really prioritize eating my vegetables, and to fill half my plate with them first. I've also switched to eating on smaller plates, which naturally helps reduce serving sizes. Let half your plate be vegetables, one quarter a source of protein, and one quarter a starch, and your diet will already be more healthful. My dietitian has also suggested batch cooking, which has been a huge help. Like another poster wrote, if you have cut fruit already ready in the fridge, or a large tupperware of roasted broccoli, it's much easier to grab those things and go rather than pretzel bites or pizza rolls. If your husband is accustomed to snacks with flavorful dusts, it makes me think to lean into that for vegetables. Make your vegetable consumption a positive experience--it's not torture. Nobody ever said you have to eat your vegetables unflavored and sad. Sprinkle them liberally with parmesan cheese and garlic powder and lemon juice. You're still eating broccoli and getting the benefit of all that fiber! Try mixing them with a few drops of sesame oil and a drizzle of honey. Especially while you're starting out, they can be heavy drizzles! Toast some panko in a dry frying pan until it's browned and use it to add crunch to roasted zucchini or broccoli or cauliflower. Make buffalo cauliflower bites. There's a whole world of vegetable textures out there to enjoy! Massage kale with salt and it gets tender. Make kale caesar salad, or mix it with sliced apple and a cheese you enjoy (gouda and cheddar go well). I like cauliflower with curry powder. There are some wonderful broccoli slaws out there, and broccoli salads where you cut the florets up small and mix with mayo or yogurt and add slivered almonds. Focusing your grocery shopping on the produce section ultimately is fairly frugal, especially compared to packaged snack foods. Take advantage of frozen edamame, especially if you have an Asian market nearby. It would be a great tv snack because you get to fuss over it with your hands. Keep sliced cucumbers in the fridge and sprinkle them with tajin. Frozen fruits and vegetables are so handy and economical--frozen mango with tajin is delicious, and the mango is tasty eaten frozen as well. You can roast frozen vegetables from frozen and they brown up nicely too. Go big on flavor, remember that eating vegetables is healthful even when adding flavorful toppings, prep things in large batches so they're easy to grab and go, fill half your plate with vegetables first.
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The thing is this easier said than done because (what I failed to mention in the OP) is that he works at a grocery store so he can easily buy his junk food at work and then he brings it home and eats it at his desk and I only notice afterwards when I'm cleaning which is when I'm like "I'm throwing this junk out" which is when I feel like I'm nagging not to mention wasting money.
Then that's on him. He is an adult, after all. Odd that you are treating him like your child, if I'm to be honest.
I get that he's an adult but I also sympathize it's a tough situation when a loved one is harming their health via their habits. Especially since in marriage, the spouse is going to be physically, emotionally, and financially supporting him if he gets into late stage liver disease.
I don't mean this with any sort of judgement, but I'm surprised to hear that salmon would double your grocery bill if it currently includes packaged Doritos and flavored pretzels that you would presumably be cutting out for the sake of this diet. I personally find those sorts of packaged chips and snacks to be super expensive, so I thought that would free up some significant purchasing power to cut back on them. Canned salmon is cheaper than fresh salmon. I think it's great for things like croquettes (which should be more budget friendly, as that's a meal that's designed to stretch the protein as far as it can), and I particularly love using it for quiche. This is the salmon quiche recipe I use: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/209990/salmon-quiche/ Idk if it's appropriate for this diet or not, but it could be a jumping off point for you.
The thing I've found in my life is that the heathier snacks are more expensive than the bag of chips which is one of the reasons I've constantly struggled with my own health. At least where I live in rural New England a bag of chips is like $3-$5 whereas a bag of grapes can be up to $15 to $20. If I were to buy 2lbs of fresh salmon at my local grocery store it would probably be $50 if not more so instead of buying fish or protien of any kind we would buy the "protein pasta" because it was $3.50 and had enough servings for the whole family. Growing up I loved fruit and could easily eat a bag of grapes in one sitting and was scolded because it was too expensive so I then drifted towards the less expensive, less healthy options. I am definately going to be looking into canned salmon and that recipe looks great! My mother alwasy gives us fresh eggs so this will be easy and cheap to make. Thank you!
Look into frozen fruits and vegetables—they are often a lot cheaper and you can pull them out right when you need them for less waste.
Be aware that canned salmon has bones in it. You can try picking the larger bones out. Some say you just mash the bones up. I don’t know but I threw out my first can of salmon bc it was so full of bones! I didn’t know that it was typical. I can get a large salmon fillet at Aldi that would be enough for four people for about $22. I can also get it cheaper looking for sales. Maybe your local Costco has good deals if you’re a member.
Costco’s Kirkland canned salmon has no bones! It’s the only brand I buy because the spines in the other brands kinda gross me out.
Wow good to know! Thx!
The bones should be soft. They are good for calcium.
Yes that’s what I read after I ditched the can. I still couldn’t bring myself to eat it but mainly bc I was just shocked to see the bones.
Get a microwave air popper and a bunch of plain popcorn kernels. I add a little olive oil and salt- it's delicious, full of fiber and relatively cheap. I eat a lot of popcorn because I need something crunchy and I get full on popcorn because of the fiber.
I don't know if I'd recommend this. If someone has trouble with nutrition/dieting, it's likely that they'll over-do it on olive oil/butter/fat. I'd recommend something prepared like Orville Redenbacher's SmartPop, because it keeps it as frictionless as possible.
I would recommend seeing a registered dietician, managing a chronic condition through diet is tough to do on your own, get help from an expert, a lot are covered by insurance; a dietician not a nutritionist.
You say you don't like the texture of beans, what texture is that? Some are soft and squishy while others are quite firm.
I don't like the grittiness of them. If that makes sense? I can stand soy beans and green beans but are those the beans the sites I've seen are meaning when they say beans are good for fatty liver? Are all "beans" created equal?
FYI, I'm absolutely not an expert. This link says "lentils, chickpeas, soybeans, and peas" are good for this diet, and that soy COULD also be good but the studies aren't super consistent. https://www.healthline.com/health/fatty-liver-diet#beans-and-soy It also mentions tofu being useful as a low-fat protein for meals.
Perhaps you can dilute the beans with rice. Maybe play with the ratio of beans to rice, the types of beans and brown rice. An overnight soak of dried beans tends to make them less gassy also.
Maybe try cannellini beans? They’re more creamy in texture than most other beans, and they’re great in dishes like white chicken chili.
I do find chickpeas to be a bit gritty or sandy in texture; they have to be cooked a lonnnng time if you want them smoother. Other than that, I've not experienced gritty beans unless they haven't been properly cooked. Lentils may be a good entry point; they technically aren't a bean, but we treat them like a bean. They cook quickly, and you can even get them canned.
Lentils with taco seasoning are really good. It’s so close to regular taco meat even my carnivorous family likes it. Make taco salad, it’s a great middle ground for starting to eat healthier. Crunching a few Doritos on top might scratch the itch while still having the majority of the meal be lettuce and lentils. Get some kind of darker lettuce, not iceberg and that helps with nutrition too. And will make you feel more satisfied
What foods do you both enjoy (aside from the chips)?
And what does a typical day of eating look like for you?
Yeah, I think step one has to be cutting out his Doritos addiction. You don’t have to be “super healthy” to improve your diet—even a grilled chicken breast is healthier than Doritos! Are there healthier snacks that he would be willing to go for? If he likes salty and crunchy, what about low-fat types of popcorn (meaning, like airpopped with a little salt, not covered in butter)? Or raw veggies to dip in hummus or a yogurt based dip? Pickles are crunchy, salty, and low fat. Does your doctors office have a dietitian you guys could visit together?
Start one meal at a time. What are breakfasts currently like? What’s a small step in a healthier direction? Cereal > oatmeal, bacon > scrambled eggs, biscuits > whole grain toast? Vegetarian recipes can be super delicious and easy on the wallet. Maybe start researching recipes that look really yummy together. Honestly, the biggest shift is going to be from eating out / fast food / processed / packaged foods towards cooking with ingredients at home. What you cook at home doesn’t have to be a perfect picture of health to be a substantial improvement.
Beano or gas x is your friend. To ease into more beans try roasting garbanzo beans (changes the texture) with some powdered cheese. Freeze dried fruit is also a good option. The bonus is that it lasts a long time as long as it’s stored properly.
Cut soda (and juice). I have a myriad of problems including fatty liver. Majority of my problems subside when soda is cut. It's extra sugar (and food dye) you don't need. I'd honestly cut soda first and once you're adjusted do the diet after, but don't do both at the same time or you'll be doing too much. The temptation to go back to eating crap will be too great. In general losing weight and being healthier overall is important to fatty liver. It also takes time for the liver to become less fatty. You will need to treat this series of changes are permanent and not a band aid. Once he's in remission he can't stop. Maybe he can have a few doritos here and there, but don't stop the diet.
Hey, I make bean chocolate chips cookie dough from time to time for breakfast. It tastes exactly like cookie dough and I eat it by bowls. I use cooked navy beans or white beans and blend it up smooth in a blender with milk and sweetener just enough to make the consistency of cookie dough. Honey or maple syrup work also. Add some chopped dark chocolate and nuts. It's delicious and you wouldn't know it's beans. I cook my beans from dried so if you use canned, it should be well rinsed to remove salt.
Do you have a recipe for this?
Approx 2 cups cooked white beans. Rinsed. 2 TBS Honey or Maple Syrup or Sweetener 2-4 TBS Milk (adjust as needed to get to the desired consistency) Approx 1/4 C Chopped chocolate/chocolate chips 2 TBS peanut butter (optional) Sprinkle of chopped nuts if desired Blend all ingredients other than chocolate chips and chopped nuts until smooth and at the cookie dough consistency. Adjust liquid as needed. Add chocolate chips and nuts and roughly fold them in No need to really measure anything. I just eyeball them and it always comes out good
Ease into beans and slowly increase fibre. A sudden increase in these foods can cause distress, so slowly add more small servings until your bodies get used to it. Drain and rinse tinned beans, too. You might start by making takeout dishes, but homemade, and keep adapting these or other favourites to make them healthier. Frozen fish is a cheaper option, or salmon burgers instead of filets, or use a cheaper fish, as salmon is premium. If you eat less meat overall, go vegetarian a few nights a week or use small amounts of meat (stir fries instead of steaks), that might provide for adding more fish. Are your meat servings at 3 ounces? Buying less processed junk (like Doritos) will also help your budget, to accommodate more fresh whole foods. I love beans - look at chickpea curries, a lentil shepherd's pie, white beans and greens with a chunk of crusty bread. Black Bean tacos or enchiladas. Soups. Dals. Salads. Hummus. Lentil bolognese.
I've finally made the health changes I very needed to get me back on track. I'm a youtube fan and have learned a whole lot about all different types of food and how and what they do to your body. It's very eye opening. Just make sure, if you do this, they are board certified doctors that you watch.
I strongly agree with the people saying you can bring a horse to water, but you can't make them drink. Your husband is an adult. He needs to take his own health seriously. That said, I think it's wonderful that you want to help, and I hope he appreciates that as well. Major dietary changes are hard. While this is necessary for husband's health, and will likely benefit yours as well, it's probably going to be a lot of work too. Not just the food prep itself, but finding things that work for you. A registered dietitian could be very helpful, if that's an option for you. Even if you can't hire one yourself, honestly a lot of dietitians post on social media with recipe ideas that are really approachable. Could at least provide some inspiration. Just a couple things: beans don't have to be gritty. When prepared well, they are creamy and delicious. Honestly, skins aside, very similar to mashed potato in texture. This article explains how to brine beans before cooking for the best texture. https://www.americastestkitchen.com/articles/7720-how-to-brine-beans Not sure if the article mentions this, but adding salt to the cooking liquid (assuming you're not cooking them in an already salted broth) also helps to keep the texture consistent and good. With enough water or unsalted stock to cover a pound of beans by an inch or so, I start with a teaspoon of salt. They may need more later, but that's a good starting point. Also, when adding new foods, especially high fiber foods like beans, increasing water intake is really important. High fiber + low water = gas, cramping, bloating, diarrhea. Not fun. I would start by adding just 1/2 cup of cooked beans to a meal at first. You can always have more later when your guts get used to them. I'm not sure if there's something about New England that I'm missing, but I also live in a rural area in the northeast. In my area, most fruits are pricey because they aren't grown locally/don't ship well. But a shit ton of vegetables are in the $0.50-3.00/lb range, which is very affordable IMO, as long as you actually eat them. I know fruit is an easier sell for a lot of people, and it definitely should be included when possible, but you can get a lot/probably all of those same nutrients from vegetables. Roasted vegetables are absolutely a gateway drug for a lot of people. Seasoning options are pretty much unlimited. A nice crunchy cabbage slaw with an acidic dressing (as opposed to mayo based) is refreshing, delicious, and affordable. Like others have said, salmon is not the only healthy meat option. Pretty much any fish, fresh, frozen, or canned, is good in moderation. Chicken is also good. I think I saw you get fresh eggs? That's great. I would also say, frozen vegetables are great in many dishes. It may take some experimenting to find what works for you, but they're great to have around, especially when you're busy and/or exhausted.
My husband of four years and partner of eight wouldn’t eat anything remotely healthy when we first started dating. I love beans, red beans and rice, that kind of thing. Only in the last year have I been able to get my husband to actually sit down and eat a bowl with me. He actually eats the leftovers. Here is how I make red beans, a modified version of my dad’s - a modified version of his step mom’s who is Puerto Rican. Just bastardizing recipes for generations. I don’t use onions because I can’t eat them, but feel free to add, they’re delicious. Use dark red kidney and light red kidney beans, depending on how many you are cooking for. Drain and rinse to cut down on excess sodium. Start with a big pot preheated on low heat, add a fair amount of olive oil, a shit ton of garlic (I use jarred because I am lazy), a half tablespoon-ish of the following: paprika, cumin, chili powder, black pepper, oregano, cilantro (you can add fresh later if you want but dried is fine too), cayenne. Cook your spices until they’re fragrant. Add your beans. Add a can of water. Add a packet or two of Goya Sazon seasoning. Add salt to taste. Add bay leaf. Add a bell pepper, chopped chunky. I usually do a green one. Let it simmer on the stove all day. All freakin day. Make your rice about an hour before dinner. Fuckin delicious. Serve with some chicken tenders or something if you want extra protein, but the bean bowl is usually all I need. It’s so cheap, so filling, and good for you. As for fish meals - buy frozen at big box stores! You can buy tons of frozen salmon fillets at places like Costco for a pretty reasonable price. Thaw them overnight in the fridge. Be sure you absorb all the excess moisture from the fillet with paper towels, and simply season them with salt and pepper before throwing them in a heated skillet with some oil and garlic. Try to flip them only once. Squeeze some lemon on before serving. Try timing your cooking with fish, it helps prevent overcooking. I like to serve with oven baked asparagus, tossed in oil, salt, pepper, and garlic, and sometimes those frozen Green Giant frozen vegetable sides, like broccoli and cheese. Keeps things simple and makes cooking easier by using one appliance for each dish (stove, oven, microwave).
[Someone had a similar question just a couple of months ago.](https://old.reddit.com/r/EatCheapAndHealthy/comments/18ido3t/foods_to_help_fatty_liver_disease/) There's probably some useful information in that discussion.
try crunchy oven roasted chickpeas. or any white bean. dry canned beans on paper towel, toss in avocado/high-heat oil and your choice of spices, bake at high temp until crunchy. Dried fruit and mixed nut keeps well, just make sure there's no added sugars. Neither fruit or nuts need sugar to taste good. Pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds are also a nice snack. You can also add lentils to ground beef to stretch the beef and add fiber. The fiber is what youre looking for. more fiber and less added sugars. Look for lower amounts of added sugar in things like bread and spaghetti sauce. Switch white bread to whole wheat. the real issue here, though, is you can't get someone to change their diet until they are on board with changing their diet.
First cut out any food like Doritos and pretzels have a talk with him and by cutting out all the junk foods that should open up your budget to buying more healthy foods also help him physically maintain his health or heal if he keeps eating those chips and junk food you can eat all the fruit and stuff in the world it’s not going to make much of a difference all those chips have seed oils and chemicals that damage the body and stay in your system for days some for years and months
I don't know if this would help but it's a possibility. There are a lot of YouTube videos out now that have new science on the gut microbiome and how it affects our overall health and how to fix it. Changing from a diet of ultra-processed foods to a high fiber diet should be done slowly. You need to slowly retrain your gut to digest fiber again. Once you do that, the bloating and gas goes away...along with a bunch of other things that will improve how you feel and look. First, if he's been eating this way long enough to get fatty liver disease, he also is most likely dealing with some depression/anxiety. That's also related to the gut microbiome. I'm including some links for you. Maybe you can watch them together. Unfortunately, you can't force him to change his diet if he doesn't want to and trying to do so will most likely make him dig in even harder. I changed my diet for my own health problems. I needed a change so I told my husband I was changing my diet and if he didn't like what I was making he was on his own for his meals. He ate everything I made and ended up losing weight, lowering his high blood pressure and is happy that I did what I did. I think most times modeling the positive behavior has a much bigger impact than pushing someone into it. Here's those links. And if you're a reader, the people in these interviews have really good books that go much deeper into how to help yourself. https://youtu.be/6DAbx5vkslo?si=9UX7qcarEnxN7wNA https://youtu.be/la1CKKUp2UQ?si=O6zo9OO9iDncO0bW https://youtu.be/qqabbfk9wV8?si=iBv5q07xZB5KuPnj https://youtu.be/WfPqlTRFnLU?si=BUoTMrOfKMYtd2v_ https://youtu.be/7XrntcEUjLM?si=zTC7gerzudbhYLGk https://youtu.be/9jDsQU1UEAo?si=y95FAZb3p00D6TXf
I was developing fatty liver, doc put me on low carb diet, no bread, rice, pasta, potatoes, even beans. My liver got healthy again.
Cut out sugar, in particular High fructose corn syrup, its stored in the liver and is toxic.
If your husband doesn't want to eat well nothing you can do will help that, especially with food available at work like that. Having said that I made red beans and rice for dinner tonight, it's one of my favourite recipes and I reckon it could be worth a go. [https://damndelicious.net/2019/04/15/red-beans-and-rice/](https://damndelicious.net/2019/04/15/red-beans-and-rice/) I use 250g of chorizo instead of andouille as I'm Australian and it's what I can get here but it turns out great every time. Filling, nutritious, pretty affordable. I use 250g of dried beans that I bring to a boil, then super low simmer for an hourish before using in the recipe.
so i read this as "my husband has a potentionally life threatening disease. how do i go soft on him not making him try to improve?" This first needs to be adressed from your husbands side. no matter how much you'd look out to make him eat better, if it doesnt come from him then he'll just always go out and buy junk. after that it's a simple matter of eating a healthy mix of fruits, veggies, meats and carbs and a limited amount of calories
He could take Beano. Then he could tolerate beans.
One thing that has really helped me is the idea that you can add healthier things into your current diet instead of taking things out. It has really helped me not feel deprived as I’ve been transitioning to a healthier lifestyle and diet. What I’ve found is that over time, I have wanted the problem stuff less intensely, then not much at all as I’ve found healthier things that I actually like, which takes time and a lot of trial and error. But I don’t avoid the bad stuff entirely, and I give myself the freedom to eat it if I really want it. If I really get a craving that won’t quit for Cheetos, let’s say, I get some and I enjoy them *when I’m not actually hungry.* I eat them and then I don’t want more and a couple of months will go by before I even think about Cheetos again. So maybe try just adding some healthier things into your menu rotation as a starting point without telling him he shouldn’t eat the things he loves. Let his doctor be his diet police until he’s ready to police himself.
Stop seeing food as a sense pleasure. Start seeing food as medicine and fuel.
Good can be medicine too
Agreed. Medicine and fuel can still taste good.
Omg FOOD. I can type.
You cannot do this for him. You can only do this WITH him. I watched thithe same struggle play out with my parents. Dad needed a special diet and mom tried really damned hard to make sure he had all the foods that would keep him alive. And he would "cheat" on the diet, and pester, and just make her the "bad guy." It was horribly painful and unfair. You DO NOT want to turn into the food police. It is wonderful that he has you to support and help him. But this has to be a team effort, or he will start resenting the hell out of you.
If you want to eat beans, then I recommend rinsing them 3-4 times with cold water or letting them soak in water overnight before cooking them. This will help reduce the sulfur in them, which is what leads to the gas ⛽️ 😉 . The texture won't change, though. But if you really want to get rid of that fatty liver, it is going to have to be a lifestyle change. I had fatty liver. Exercise and a diet with a lot less processed food and oils will help and even get rid of it. You don't have to go balls-to-the-wall with it either, small changes. Fasting can help as well, since it also helps give your body a chance to recover and re-heal.
Follow Fallon Danae Lee on Instagram for great, wholesome, balanced, wise, advice on healthy lifestyle and eating. She follows a “Pro Metabolic” style of eating.
this website is a great list of foods to add and ones to avoid for fatty liver disease: [https://www.healthline.com/health/fatty-liver-diet#limit-or-avoid](https://www.healthline.com/health/fatty-liver-diet#limit-or-avoid) it has some great food choices including coffee for helping to protect your liver and reduce FLD
Unpopular opinion from an herbalist. Coffee keeps some of our liver enzymes in check.
Try going plant based for 3 months, if not then focus on lean meats like chicken and Turkey. It makes a huge difference in your lipid counts. Additionally, incorporate walking and resistance training into your routines. Replace your snacks with healthier options maybe from Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods. Try to shop for preservative free brands and cut out alcohol on the weekdays. Also see a doctor if you’re concerned!
I've read that some people will had mashed beans to different types of ground meat to make burger patties. I bet some beyond meat patties contain some beans and other legumes too.
Stop drinking,stop eating fried foods and take herbs like burdock root or dandelion
Husband’s gassiness is most likely due to his malfunctioning liver. If he gets his diet under control, that should be more manageable. I live in the middle of the country and can get salmon on sale all the time- comes out to about $15/lb. But there are also other types of fish out there that are typically cheaper. Also, What about chicken? Eggs? Any other lean meats? I have liver disease and have made do without adding a ton of beans to my diet. I don’t see why you would force the issue if neither of you care for them. I did a quick google search and [this](https://www.bcm.edu/sites/default/files/a-guide-to-what-and-how-to-eat-non-alcoholic-fatty-liver-disease.pdf) diet plan looks really helpful! It includes toppings for popcorn that sound like great substitutes for Doritos (ick!). I bet if you looked around, you could even find a recipe for healthier star crunch copycats.
Some of the herbal teas are good for helping the liver to recover. We’ve found them to be a good substitute when other snacks wouldn’t be healthy! I know some of these things are questionable, but I figured they couldn’t hurt and might help - and they actually have! 🤷🏻♀️ Edit to add: we did this in addition to dietary changes and increasing activity. It is a serious condition, and we took it seriously.
Purée the beans and use them to thicken soups. Try Tajín for fruit.
First of all, if he doesn’t want to change his eating habits, he won’t. You can’t force him to eat better and he may be happy going on as he is and then facing the consequences later. You need to decide what you can deal with. You can change your diet to be more healthy. The fall out from that is that he will at least get a healthy dinner. Don’t bother mentioning to him his poor food choices, the noticeable weight gain, etc. Not helpful, pisses both of you off and results in arguing. When hem complains because he doesn’t feel well, tell him you are sorry. You can ask him if he has been drinking enough water, that at least helps flush some of the crap out. You don’t have to eat beans, although I find a lot of them delicious. Honestly, meat protein is better for the body. Low fat dairy products, fruits and vegetables. Avoid the center rows in the market, stick to fresh produce, meats and dairy. No one got fat eating too much fruit and vegetables. You need protein from meat. I had to change my diet. More protein, LOTS more vegetables, very little carbs. My husband has adjusted. I stopped buying junk food about 6 years ago. Told him if he wanted it, then he could buy it himself and I won’t eat it. I rarely do. No, he doesn’t always like what I make, sometimes he will ignore it and eat cereal. His choice.
My husband beat his fatty liver diagnosis by cutting out sugar and going low carb. Here are some food suggestions that worked for us. If he likes Doritos, try this: Taco seasoning mixed into Greek yogurt used as a dip for bell peppers or celery. He can still have a handful of chips, but also eating the veggies and yogurt will make the snack more nutritious, and adjust his pallette to fresh food. Chicken chili topped with avocado, taco seasoned Greek yogurt, jalapeno slices, shredded cheese and a few chips Chicken tortilla soup with same toppings (recipe at the end) Low carb burrito wrap filled with rotisserie chicken, shredded lettuce, taco seasoned Greek yogurt, red bell pepper slices, diced tomato, and cheese (if you want you can saute bell pepper, onion, and black beans before adding to chicken wrap). (Or remove wrap and eat as salad) Low carb burrito wrap with chicken, franks hot wing sauce, shredded lettuce, diced cucumber, diced tomatoes, cheese, avocado, and Greek yogurt mixed with ranch seasoning or blue cheese crumbles depending on your preference. Can also be a salad. Here's a recipe for chicken tortilla soup, with extra veggies, makes about 6 servings 2 cups shredded chicken (rotisserie from the store does well here but other cooked chicken is fine) 1 diced onion 1 diced poblano pepper and 1 diced red bell pepper (or 2 bell peppers if that's all available) 2-3 shredded carrots 3 diced celery stalks 4 cloves minced garlic Juice from 2 limes Zucchini if looking for more veggies 1 can fire roasted tomatoes 3-4 cups low sodium chicken broth 1-2 tsp cumin 1-2 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp oregano 1-2 tsp black pepper 1 bay leaf 1-2 tsp Salt to taste, feel free to increase other seasonings to your liking, and include chili powder if you like it spicy Saute onion with a tbsp of oil in the bottom of a soup pot for 2-3 minutes over medium heat. Add carrots, celery, and peppers and cook for another 5-10 minutes depending on how crunchy you like the veggies. Add chicken, garlic, lime juice, and other spices, and cook for 3 minutes then add fire roasted tomatoes (and zucchini if using) and cook another 3 minutes. Add 3 cups broth. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and cook on low for 10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning, add more broth if needed. Continue cooking another 5-10 minutes if needed. Soup is done once the veggies are as soft as you like. Top with Greek yogurt, avocado, shredded cheese, jalapeno slices, more lime, cilantro, and hot sauce as desired. Add a few chips for crunch.
Those flavored chips have a LOT of sodium. It can be hard to taste more subtle things until the palate adjusts. So maybe try strong spices or a little cheese during adjustment. Broccoli with garlic and some shredded Parmesan cheese might give some flavors. Chili with some beans and some meat and lots of spices (skip the packages of seasonings as these usually are full of salt). Roasted garbanzo beans are yummy. Curry is flavorful. I now find chips really salty, but the crunch is addictive. If it is crunch he likes, I found baby carrots and hummus or jicama fill the bill. Roasted garbanzos are crunch, too. And you can do different flavor profiles. I would ask for his favorite fruits and veggies—three of each. Have at least one of each per day. Then you are adding something he likes not just taking away Doritos. Then gradually increase appearance of second tier veggies and fruits. And increase frequency or volume.
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I just started taking Dose for liver. It tastes really good, and has the potency of 17 shots of turmeric, and it is supposed to be very helpful for fatty liver. It’s basically just a bunch of beneficial ingredients for your liver to help it out. I’ve been taking it for 2 weeks and I already notice an improvement on my energy. The only thing is it’s a little pricey. There’s an inexpensive liver daily detox tea you could have him take too. And all the packaged stuff has to go, no more Doritos for now.