A Healthy Milestone

Some of you who have followed our blog since we started know that in 2007 I was diagnosed with Fatty Liver Syndrome.

In the simplest terms, Fatty Liver Syndrome (like the name suggests) is a condition where the body’s liver starts accumulating dangerous amounts of fat. According to the most recent information, the number of Americans living with Fatty Liver Syndrome are between 10 and 20 percent. While it might sound normal to have a large build-up of fat on your liver if you're overweight, it isn't. In the liver of a patient with Fatty Liver Syndrome, the liver cells accumulate large droplets of fat that consist of mostly triglycerides. These large fat accumulations result in an increase in liver enzymes and inflammation. This inflammation causes scarring and hardening of the liver (cirrhosis) and results in decreased liver function or even complete liver failure.

This was one of the main reasons Mrs. and I decided to get fit in 2008, and I received some surprising news today from my doctor. I had some blood work done just before Christmas and my doctor wanted to speak with me over the phone to discuss my test results. After months of eating better and exercising regularly, my liver enzymes are ... NORMAL.

If someone looked at my liver enzyme test results today, there's absolutely no reason to believe that I have Fatty Liver Syndrome. This is fantastic news because many doctors and nutritionists say it's possible to completely reverse the effects of Fatty Liver Syndrome with diet and exercise ... and I'm living proof that it's possible!

As you can imagine, Susan and I are extremely happy about the news and we feel a renewed sense of commitment to getting even more fit in 2009.