Helping You Feel Your Best!                                                                                                                                        Nutrition Tips for People
                                                                                                                                                                                         with Hepatitis C
                 Hepatitis C harms your liver. Your liver plays many important roles.  It                                                                                            IIff yyoouu hhaavvee ccoommpplliiccaattiioonnss......
                 deals with everything you eat and drink. A healthy lifestyle can help you                                                                                           …such as cirrhosis or fluid
                 feel your best and help your body cope with the hepatitis C virus.                                                                                                  retention, you need to pay even
                 HHeeaalltthhyy eeaattiinngg aanndd mmooddeerraattee pphhyyssiiccaall aaccttiivviittyy ccaann::                                                                      more attention to nutrition.
                                                                                                                                                                                     ➤Get tailored advice from your
                 ➤give your body the energy it needs to work well,                                                                                                                        doctor or dietitian.
                 ➤boost your immune system,                                                                                                                                          ➤Eat smaller meals every few
                 ➤help your liver renew itself, and                                                                                                                                       hours. This may be easier for
                                                                                                                                                                                          your body to handle and will help
                 ➤decrease some of the symptoms of your hepatitis C and the side effects                                                                                                  keep your energy level up.
                      of treatment, such as feeling tired and sick.                                                                                                                  ➤You may need to limit your 
                 EEaatt wweellll                                                                    ➤Do not take more than one                                                            intake of salt if you have swelling
                                                                                                         multivitamin per day – and you                                                   of the abdomen (ascites) or 
                 ➤Choose a variety of foods from all                                                     may need one without iron. Talk                                                  legs (edema).
                      four food groups of Canada’s                                                       to your health care provider                                                ➤Try extra-strength liquid
                      Food Guide to Healthy Eating.                                                      about which vitamin and mineral                                                  nutrition supplements, available
                                                                                                         supplements are best for you.                                                    from your local pharmacy. Some
                 ➤Get plenty of Grain Products and                                                                                                                                        examples are: Boost Plus
                      Vegetables & Fruit.                                                           TTaakkee ccaarree                                                                                      ®                             ®
                                                                                                                                                                                          Calories , Ensure Plus ,
                                                                                                                                                                                                                        ®
                 ➤Eat at least 2 servings from the                                                  ➤Avoid alcohol.                                                                       Resource Plus .
                      Meat & Alternatives food group
                      (such as meat, fish, poultry,                                                 ➤Enjoy light to moderate physical                                                LLooww--CCoosstt NNuuttrriittiioouuss CChhooiicceess
                      eggs, peanut butter, and dried                                                     activity, such as walking,                                                  Eating well doesn’t have to be
                      beans, peas and lentils).                                                          swimming, gardening and                                                     expensive.  Low-cost nutritious
                 ➤Focus on lower fat choices within                                                      stretching.                                                                 choices can be found in each food
                      each food group.                                                              ➤Build up slowly to 30 to 60                                                     group: 
                 ➤Drink 6 to 8 glasses of fluids                                                         minutes of activity, at least 4                                             ➤bread, rice, pasta, rolled oats
                      every day.                                                                         times a week.
                                                                                                    ➤Avoid food poisoning by storing                                                 ➤carrots, potatoes, frozen
                 ➤Keep your energy level up by                                                           and preparing foods safely. Wash                                                 vegetables, apples, in-season
                      eating smaller meals and snacks                                                    your hands often.                                                                berries
                      more often.                                                                                                                                                    ➤milk powder, plain milk or yogurt
                 SSuupppplleemmeenntt ccaarreeffuullllyy                                            ➤Talk to your health care provider 
                                                                                                         if depression affects your ability                                          ➤baked beans, eggs,
                                                                                                         to eat well.                                                                     dried beans, peas
                 ➤Use only herbal products that                                                                                                                                           and lentils,
                      your health care provider has told                                                                                                                                  canned fish,
                      you are safe.                                                                                                                                                       ground beef
                 Brought to you by:
                                                                                                                                                                                      FFoorr mmoorree ttiippss,, sseeee AAppppeennddiicceess GG aanndd HH
                                                                                                                                                                                      ooff tthhee ffuullll GGuuiiddeelliinneess aatt
                                                                                                                                                                                      wwwwww..ddiieettiittiiaannss..ccaa//rreessoouurrcceess//iinnddeexx..hhttmmll
                 SSoommee UUsseeffuull OOnn--lliinnee RReessoouurrcceess                                                                                                               HHooww ttoo FFiinndd aa
                 Canada’s Food Guide to Healthy Eating                                                                                                                                 RReeggiisstteerreedd DDiieettiittiiaann
                 Call your local public health unit                                                                                                                                    ➤Visit wwwwww..ddiieettiittiiaannss..ccaa and search
                 wwwwww..hhcc--sscc..ggcc..ccaa//hhppppbb//nnuuttrriittiioonn//ppuubbee//ffooooddgguuiidd//iinnddeexx..hhttmmll                                                             “Find a Nutrition Professional.”
                 Canada’s Physical Activity Guide to Healthy Active Living                                                                                                             ➤Call your local public health
                 Call your local public health unit or 1-888-334-9769                                                                                                                       department, hospital or
                 wwwwww..ppaagguuiiddee..ccoomm                                                                                                                                             community health centre.
                 Dietitians of Canada: Eat Well, Live Well section                                                                                                                     ➤Call the Consulting Dietitians
                 Includes Your Nutrition Profile, Meal Planner and Virtual Kitchen tour,                                                                                                    Network at 1-888-901-7776.
                 nutrition information and tools to compare food choices to
                 recommendations, and personalized advice for making improvements.                                                                                                     Registered Dietitians can help you
                 wwwwww..ddiieettiittiiaannss..ccaa//eeaattwweellll                                                                                                                    meet your nutrition needs by
                                                                                                                                                                                       designing a personal meal plan.
                 Food Safety information and materials                                                                                                                                 YYoouu ddeeffiinniitteellyy sshhoouulldd sseeee aa RReeggiisstteerreedd
                 wwwwww..ccaannffiigghhttbbaacc..oorrgg                                                                                                                                DDiieettiittiiaann iiff yyoouu hhaavvee::
                 Nutrition labelling education materials                                                                                                                               ➤complications related to
                 wwwwww..hheeaalltthhccaannaaddaa..ccaa//nnuuttrriittiioonnllaabbeelllliinngg                                                                                               advanced liver disease, such as
                 National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine                                                                                                                 cirrhosis or fluid retention
                 nnccccaamm..nniihh..ggoovv//hheeaalltthh//hheeppaattiittiisscc//iinnddeexx..hhttmm                                                                                    ➤another medical condition, such
                                                                                                                                                                                            as diabetes or HIV
                 Heppo Recipe Exchange                                                                                                                                                 ➤a problem with weight loss or
                 Recipes submitted by other people infected with the hepatitis C virus;                                                                                                     weight gain
                 not specifically “HepC healthy” unless noted.
                 wwwwww..hheeppccnneett..nneett//rreecciippeess//rreecciippeeiinnddeexx..hhttmmll                                                                                      ➤diarrhea for more than 3 days
                 Hepatitis C and Food                                                                                                                                                  ➤trouble eating well
                 Hepatitis C Council of New South Wales, February 2002                                                                                                                 ➤diagnosis of fluid retention
                 wwwwww..hheeppaattiittiisscc..oorrgg..aauu//ootthheerr__rreessoouurrcceess//ffoooodd__bbrroocchhuurree..hhttmm                                                             requiring a low salt diet
                 Health Canada hepatitis C information
                 wwwwww..hheeaalltthhccaannaaddaa..ccaa//hheeppcc                                                                                                           o
                 Other Resources
                 Consult the organizations listed across the bottom of this handout.
                 This handout is based on Hepatitis C: Nutrition Care – Canadian Guidelines for                                                                                           TThhiiss hhaannddoouutt ddiissttrriibbuutteedd ccoommpplliimmeennttss ooff::
                 Health Care Providers, 2003. 
                                  wwwwww..ddiieettiittiiaannss..ccaa//rreessoouurrcceess//iinnddeexx..hhttmmll wwwwww..hheeaalltthhccaannaaddaa..ccaa//hheeppcc
                 Another handout in this series is available, Dealing with Discomforts: Nutrition Tips
                 for People with Hepatitis C.
                 This information is not meant to replace the medical counsel of your doctor or
                 consultation with a Registered Dietitian. 
                 © Dietitians of Canada, 2003. May only be reproduced in its entirety and provided source is
                 acknowledged. Produced with funding from Health Canada. The opinions expressed in this
                 document do not necessarily reflect the official policies or views of Health Canada.                                                                                      Également disponible en français 
                 Canadian Association                              Canadian Association of                           Canadian Hemophilia                               Canadian Liver                                   Hepatitis C Society of
                 for the Study of the                              Hepatology Nurses                                 Society                                           Foundation                                       Canada
                 Liver                                             wwwwww..lliivveerrnnuurrsseess..oorrgg            wwwwww..hheemmoopphhiilliiaa..ccaa                wwwwww..lliivveerr..ccaa                         wwwwww..hheeppaattiittiissccssoocciieettyy..ccoomm
                 wwwwww..llhhsscc..oonn..ccaa//ccaassll                                                              1-800-668-2686                                    1-800-563-5483                                   1-800-652-HepC (4372)