“I hope to make a full recovery” thanks to diet and exercise.

“Five years ago, I started having pain in my stomach, so severe that it woke me up at night”, recalls Sandra Dupont, now 50. Go to a gastroenterologist: the blood test shows nothing special, but based on the doctor’s suspicions, Sandra is prescribed a fibroscan, a test that measures the degree of elasticity of the liver, and therefore any possible lesions of the organ. Although she had already suffered from irritable bowel syndrome for several years, a new diagnosis came: “We realize I have fatty liver.” In other words, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, a pathology that develops when excess fat accumulates in the liver, hence its nickname “fatty liver disease”. A diagnosis that specifically explains why this mother of three hasn’t been able to lose weight since her early menopause, at age 43: “It felt like I was still four months pregnant!”

“I consulted a dietician and started exercising seriously”

For Sandra, first “Relief” Finally put a finger on the disease, then apparently “concern” For the rest, the verdict is the same “Awareness”. “I decided to consult a dietician and started exercising seriously”Lots of running and cycling to work in, with three sessions per week in the gym. “The illness alerted me to the need to take care of myself, which I didn’t do before: I rarely went to the doctor, I didn’t exercise, I didn’t eat healthy, a lot of processed food on the plate”

Particularly the fault of Parisian life “Very active”: “I had to run everywhere, with my family life and my job I had no free time!”

Today, no more junk food and its fat-sugar-salt triptych, make way for homemade. “I no longer eat processed food at all, I cook fresh produce and low GI (low glycemic index) dishes and I try to consume as little sugar as possible.” A strict diet, adopted by the entire family, requires certain logistics: “It’s trying to anticipate the race, especially since I’m a vegetarian, so I have to be careful not to lack protein, vitamins, etc. I plan my menu for the week, I know what I need.” I need it. And I do not deviate from it. It requires organization.”

Definitely complicated, but necessary because, due to her irritable bowel syndrome, which causes bloating, constipation or even diarrhea, Sandra’s body does not hesitate to notify her of the slightest deviation. “As my gut can’t tolerate any food, like processed or too sweet, it immediately sounds the alarm. At least it’s radical! My stomach is my thermometer.”

Like all addictions, avoiding sugar is a “daily battle.”

“The biggest sacrifice in my eyes is giving up sugar”, recognizes the mother. used to “(from his) early childhood”, She had in fact “Habit to eat too much sweet” : Packets of biscuits for snacking with your kids, industrial dishes full of refined sugar for meals, sweets… “Too little alcohol and no soda” On the other hand, while fatty liver disease is also nicknamed “soda disease”.

Saying no to sugar is like all addictions “Daily Struggle”According to Sandra, still hunts regularly “A Little Sugar Craving”. “Sometimes it takes a momentary fatigue at work or bad news to turn me to sugar. Now, it’s mainly a psychological addiction, so it’s a question of desire, but it’s hard to get it to reason with you all the time.” Even more so when there are temptations everywhere in the supermarket.

Not to mention that sugar calls for sugar: “It’s enough to take a sweet break for a day to get sugar again after two or three days. It’s only when I manage to not have it for two or three weeks that the cravings disappear,” says “something that clicks.” Meanwhile, to trick her senses and satisfy her craving for sugar, Sandra finds some strategies, such as two clementines for a four-hour shift. “But okay…”, she whispers. Understand: It is not the same as…

The good news is that we are slowly getting out of the sugar habit. Residents of Nouvelle-Aquitaine are apt to say so. By eating less, certain foods that are low in sugar will eventually appear sweeter than before and therefore more palatable to the palate. “For example, today, I eat dark chocolate with at least 70% cocoa, and that suits me. Before, I used to eat a whole bar of milk chocolate… Eventually, it will be necessary for me to completely ban sugar. My From the diet. I’m going there!”

“My liver has lost 4 cm of fat in three years”

Fortunately, effort always pays off – “I’m living proof of that, and that’s what drives me!”, Sandra rejoices. His non-alcoholic fatty liver disease had not progressed to NASH, the severe form of the disease, but his last ultrasound revealed that his liver had “Lose 4 centimeters of fat” for three years. “I have good hopes of completely curing my steatosis in the coming years!” Without any drug treatment, focusing only on nutrition and physical activity.

And, bonus points, this new lifestyle didn’t just affect disease: “Today my skin is better, I no longer have acne or pimples. On a body level, I no longer feel bloated, heavy like after a big meal. I also notice that I am less tired than before… I have clearly has increased the quality of life.”

Health benefits have been duly noted by his entire family, and J “Pressing to continue in the long run”…

“Because even this fatty liver disease is tomorrow’s cancer. My gastroenterologist said: ‘If you do nothing and the disease progresses, it’s cirrhosis of the liver or even cancer.’ And people who eat very badly are at risk, you need to know that. Therefore, Sandra advises everyone to contact their doctor in case of symptoms, and to learn about the websites of organizations specializing in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: “Today there are more and more books, shows, social networks dedicated to how to take care of yourself, to be independent. The information is out there, people are starting to understand how much the industry is poisoning us. Eating well is one. Education. , it can be learned. Having experienced it myself, I know it’s hard, but life is so precious.”