Buy Your Tix Now! ADRLF’s 2015 Karaoke Nights Benefit: Valentine’s Day Edition, Feb 12th!

Another year, another chance to advocate for liver health! Join the Board of the Al D. Rodriguez Liver Foundation (ADRLF) — in partnership with the William F. Ryan Community Health Network — at its second-ever KARAOKE NIGHTS, a benefit to help ADRLF raise awareness about viral hepatitis and liver cancer and provide free hepatitis screenings.

Buy a song and wing it, or step up the bid and bet someone else to sing it! Hosted by Carson Kressley.

WHERE: William F. Ryan Chelsea-Clinton Community Health Center, 645 10th Avenue (at 45th Street)WHEN: Thursday, February 12, 2015. 7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. (doors open at 7)

SERVING UP: Light Hors D’Oeuvres, Bar, Music, Silent Auction, and More! Attire is festive — costumes and props encouraged!

COST: $75 per ticket. To purchase tickets, visit www.aldrodriguezliverfoundation.com and click on the “SHOP ADRLF” tab.

HOST COMMITTEE:  Norbert Leo Butz; Chuck Cooper; Dr. André De Shields; Michael Greif; Dee Hoty; Amber Iman; Dr. Lillias White; and Josh Young.

It’s that time of the year again when the halls are decked with brightly lit Christmas wreaths, menorahs, Kwanzaa decorations and Holiday parties underway! But much as we all enjoy the frenzy, it cannot be denied that the holiday season can stress out our body – and liver – as well.  So how can we celebrate a liver-friendly holiday? ADRLF offers some merry suggestions.

Juggling with holiday shopping (and holiday returns)pressure? Be calm, be bright. Let your heart be light.

Squeezing through large crowds and waiting in long lines can take the fun out of shopping. Add to that the pressure of giving your parents, your partner, and your friends the perfect gift, writing up the perfect cards, and decorating your surroundings after a seasonal house cleaning – and it’s you vs. the holiday! Studies have shown that mental and physical stress has adverse effects on the body, causing heart diseases, liver dysfunction and reduced immunity to illness. For people with liver disease, stress aggravates liver inflammation, and further disrupting proper liver function.

Can’t escape the fatty, sugar-filled holiday feasts? This year, save your liver from tears – eat smart.

Holiday gatherings offer a wide selection of tasty treats including the traditional glazed ham with creamy mashed potatoes, lasagnas, gravies, assorted pies, latkes, fruitcake, eggnog — and cookies, cookies, and more cookies. These foods are filled with sugar, fat, and cholesterol that are harmful to the liver. Choose healthier alternatives such as lean meat; broiled foods over fried ones; steamed green vegetables and skip the butter; and dark chocolate for dessert. Additionally, strengthen your liver with anti-oxidant rich supplements like fruits, milk thistle and tea.

Tempted by alcohol beverages all around? ‘Tis the season to be jolly – drink moderately.

Traditional holiday drinks like eggnog are typically mixed with liquor containing high alcohol content. Socializing during the holidays almost always means getting a round or two of alcoholic drinks — so make sure to keep a tab on your alcohol intake. For those with liver problems, swap alcoholic drinks with safer choices like green tea, which will actually help your liver breakdown toxins from that heavy holiday meal.

Ringing-in ‘all-nighter’ holiday parties? Make sure to get enough sleep.

The stress from gift shopping, organizing parties, fulfilling deadlines before the holiday break, and cooking for the family can affect the quality and amount of sleep we get. This is definitely a significant problem for people with liver disease as they are already prone to sleeping difficulties and insomnia. Manage physical and psychological fatigue by getting enough refreshing sleep this holiday season. You will not only be caring for your liver, but you will surely have the energy to enjoy the holiday’s festivities. So give yourself the gift of sleep!

FELICIDADES this holiday season to you and yours!

Slow and steady adjustments are necessary to cope with hepatitis B. (Photo Credit: Creative Commons)

Being diagnosed with hepatitis – or other diseases – may require significant and sometimes painful adjustments to one’s diet. Dealing with these adjustments doesn’t have to be too burdensome and frustrating; if you know what food to AVOID, it should be easy to identify food that you CAN eat and make the diet change perfectly manageable.

Here’s our simple guidelines for WHAT TO AVOID when diagnosed with hepatitis or any liver disease.

Hepatitis virus attacks the liver, which is an important organ that’s responsible for breaking down chemicals and fats that we take ingest. It’s important therefore for hepatitis patients to ease the function of their liver by staying away from processed food and chemically-treated produce.

Meat, for example, is difficult to digest by the body’s digestive system, requiring much more not only of the liver but the gall bladder and pancreas as well.  Many animal products also contain chemicals from the growth hormones injected to the animals, and chemical spayed on animal food.  So it is best for hepatitis patients to avoid meat products and stick with organic protein-rich alternatives. Consequently, avoid dairy foods, which essentially come from animals and are quite difficult to digest. When choosing dairy alternatives such as yogurt, make sure to check the sugar content.

Today’s grocery stores are sprawling with ready-to-eat preserved and processed food. But convenience too has its cost that’s hidden behind the good taste or price. Processed food contains chemically-treated fillers and preservatives that pose great danger to the liver and people’s health in general. Like meat, these foods add unnecessary stress to liver function that could be unsafe for people with liver conditions.

Sugar is another culprit to avoid – may it be artificial sweetener or concentrated natural sugar. While fruits are recognized to have health benefits, some have high sugar concentrations that feed hepatitis virus and strain the pancreas and the liver. Avoid fruit juices and food made with artificial sweeteners such as junk food and candies.

Eliminating these foods from your diet doesn’t have to come as a big blow. Take it one day at a time, and you’ll be surprised at how well you adjust to eating healthy foods that make you feel good in mind and body.

Show your support for ADRLF and liver health awareness with these merchandise for sale. Please use this secure payment form to complete your donation or purchase. We accept payment by method of American Express, Visa, and Mastercard.

To purchase by other methods please contact us via email at adrliverfoundation@gmail.com. ADRLF has carefully selected just a few chosen items for you to gift yourself or others as a way to further support the mission of the ADRLF and look good while doing it!

 Men and women’s T-Shirts

These T-shirts are made of 100% fine ring-spun cotton.  They are the softest lightweight fine jersey and are exceptionally smooth and tight-knit.They are casual and stylish.  It is the perfect way to proudly display your support for the ADRLF.