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Dear Jay, Thank you for the question.

Exam preparation can be stressful; therefore, it is important to maintain a good balanced diet and healthy lifestyle with regular physical activity, good quality sleep and stress management to maintain good overall health.

Regular physical activity or exercise is necessary and beneficial for overall health as it helps in improving muscular and cardiorespiratory fitness, maintain ideal body weight, prevent, and manage lifestyle disorders as well as improve digestive health. Walking, cycling, jogging, skipping are some of the physical activities that can be considered. However, for specific exercise regimen to cater to specific fitness needs please contact a fitness expert.

Poor sleep can be caused due to sedentary lifestyle, dietary factors, environmental factors, stress, and/or any underlying health condition which may require further medical assistance. We suggest you to please contact a specialized health care professional for further diagnosis and management.

 Here are few tips for Sleep management

• Balanced diet is largely made up of a variety of vegetables and fruits is able to provide the recommended daily intake of vitamins and nutrients, contributing to better sleep while promoting a healthy weight.
• Have your last meal at least 2-3 hours before sleep time.
• Prior to going to bed avoid/limit the intake of caffeinated beverages and foods such as tea, coffee, or Chocolate as they are a neurologic stimulant, which may lower the need to sleep and produces sleep disruption
• Foods containing tryptophan which is an amino acid is linked to a number of sleep-promoting processes in the brain. Foods with tryptophan include milk, bananas, oats, etc. While tryptophan alone may not always cause sleepiness, its effects are enhanced when eaten with carbohydrates.
• Commit to a sleep schedule and avoid screen time, bright light, noises and distractions during bed time.
• Physical activity is known to help induce better sleep. Engage in at least 30-45 minutes brisk walk/physical activity of moderate intensity at least 5 days a week

It is necessary to improve your overall digestive system which involves a healthy lifestyle management including a good balanced diet, adequate hydration, regular physical activity and hygiene & stress management is key to maintain a good digestive health. It is also important to ensure adequate fiber intake which is essential for a healthy gut and overall digestive health.

Gut microbiota includes a diverse community of bacteria in human gut, they carry out various functions that influences our overall health. The functions include, nutrient metabolism, natural defense against infections and regulation of immune system.

For managing a healthy gut it is important to consume a diversified balanced diet at regular intervals, maintain hydration and include dietary fibre in your daily diet. It is also important to engage in regular physical activity and include prebiotic and probiotics in your daily diet. Prebiotics are food components that confer benefits to the host by selectively stimulating the growth of beneficial gut microbiota whereas Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that incur positive effects on human health. They are present in the human gut and are also taken through food products such as yogurt, fermented foods, dietary supplements etc.

Prebiotics naturally exist in different foods including, asparagus, garlic, chicory, onion, honey, banana, barley, tomato, rye, soybean, human’s and cow’s milk, peas, beans, etc.

The common sources of probiotics are yogurt, cultured buttermilk and cheese. The other foods that are produced by bacterial fermentation are, tempeh, sauerkraut, sour dough, bread etc.  Look for food products labelled ‘Probiotic’, ‘Probiotic food’, ‘Contains Probiotics’, ‘with Probiotics’ etc.

The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of fiber for male is 30g per day

Here are few guidelines that can be considered for weight gain & general digestive health.

• Having a Healthy Diversified Balanced Diet that includes all the food groups in the right quantity which thereby provides you with all the essential macro and micro nutrients that your body requires daily for proper functioning. Include energy dense foods, keeping in mind the daily needs.
• Do not skip your meals, have small frequent meals at regular intervals.
• Eat a well-balanced diet including all groups.
• Include a minimum of 5 serving of vegetables and 1 serving of fruit in a day as they are good sources of fiber and essential nutrients such as vitamin A, Vitamin B, iron, zinc etc.
• Maintain a positive energy balance where the calorie intake should be more than the energy expenditure.
• Include energy dense foods, keeping in mind the daily needs. Some of the energy dense   foods include Whole wheat, multigrain, millets, nuts, colocasia leaves, banana, raisins, pulses/lentils etc.
• Three major meals a day with healthy nutritious snacks in between is preferred.
• Try to increase the serving size and portion size gradually and systematically
• Include healthy fats from nuts and seeds.
• Include prebiotics such as banana, soyabean etc., good sources of probiotics like yogurt, buttermilk etc., to maintain a healthy gut.
• Deep fried foods to be restricted. Method of cooking like baking, grilling, boiling, steaming is preferable over deep frying with excess fat/ oil.
• Try to limit the foods like caffeine, spices, raw onions etc.
• Food should be eaten slowly and chewed well as fast eating provokes gastric feeding reflex.
• Avoid lying down immediately after your meal consumption
• Drink at least 8 glasses of water per day to maintain hydration
• Indulging in physical activity can help in increasing the appetite and give a feeling of hunger.
• Try to follow a good sleep regimen in terms of both quantity and quality.

For a customised and personalised meal plan for specific conditions, please contact your Health care professional.

 Hope we have answered your query.

Wishing you a great day ahead

Dear Kashish, Thank you for the question   

A nutritious, time-efficient, and budget-friendly diet plan involves focusing on wholesome foods, simple recipes, and holistic approach.

WHO has given different BMI (Body mass index) classifications to categorise adults into different weight categories. BMI is a simple index of weight-for-height. It can be considered as a 2^nd level indicator of overall health.

It can be calculated using a simple formula of BMI = Weight (kg) / Height (m²)

Following is the WHO BMI Classification for Asians

18.5 to 23 - Normal

Less than 18.5 - Underweight

23 to 27.5 - Overweight

Above 27.5 - Obese

As per WHO BMI (Body Mass Index) classification, a person weighing less than 18.5 kg/m2 is considered underweight.

You can begin by consuming a balanced diet which provides all the nutrients in required amounts and proper proportions. It can easily be achieved through a blend of the four basic food groups. The quantities of foods needed to meet the nutrient requirements vary with age, gender, physiological status and physical activity. A balanced diet should provide around 50-60% of total calories from carbohydrates, preferably from complex carbohydrates, about 10-15% from proteins and 20-30% from both visible and invisible fat.

As a general dietary guideline, for an apparently healthy individual/ with no specific health or nutrition needs and/or metabolic condition it is recommended to consume 2000kcal/d and the RDA for protein requirement is 46g/d for women.

Here are few guidelines for healthy balanced diet that can be considered:

• Have a Diversified Balanced Diet that includes all the food groups in the right quantity which thereby provides you with all the essential macro and micro nutrients that your body requires daily for proper functioning.
• Try to incorporate the My plate Concept by dividing your plate into 4 quadrants, fill half of your plate with fruits and vegetables, the other two quadrants with cereals and protein. A small quantity of dairy intake is recommended.
• Some of the good sources of protein include pulses, lentils, milk, paneer, soybean, eggs, lean meat, nuts & seeds, etc.  
• Begin your day with a well-balanced breakfast as it is an important meal of the day.
• Avoid skipping meals. Also, try to avoid fasting and feasting too often.
• Consume small frequent meals, with healthy snacking options.
• Consume minimum 5 servings of vegetables and 1 serving of fruit as they are rich in Fiber, essential minerals & Vitamins as well as they give you a feeling of satiety.
• Try to consume more of Whole grains, Millets and Multigrain foods as they are a good source of fiber.
• Limit intake of deep-fried foods. Method of cooking like baking, grilling, boiling, steaming is preferable over deep frying with excess fat/ oil.
• Have your last meal at least 2-3 hours before sleep time.
• Drink adequate amount of water (minimum 8 glasses) of water daily to keep yourself well hydrated
• Engage in at least 30-45 minutes brisk walk/physical activity of moderate intensity at least 5 days a week.
• Try and follow a good sleep regimen in terms of both quantity and Quality.

Regular physical activity or exercise is necessary and beneficial for overall health as it not only helps in burning calories but also helps in improving muscular and cardiorespiratory fitness, maintain ideal body weight, prevent, and manage lifestyle disorders as well as improve digestive health. For specific exercise regimen to cater to specific fitness needs please contact a fitness expert.

For a customised and personalised meal plan for specific conditions, please contact your Health care professional.

Hope we have answered your query.

Wishing you a great day ahead

Dear Tapaswini, Thank you for the question

Weight gain during and after pregnancy is a natural phenomenon. During lactation & breastfeeding the lactating mother’s nutritional requirements should meet her own daily needs, provide enough nutrient in milk for growing infant and furnish the energy for milk production.

It is recommended to consume 2000+kcal with 63g (for 0-6 months lactation) and 59g (for 6-12 months lactation) of protein per day and 1200mg of calcium per day

Here are few guidelines for healthy balanced diet that can be considered:

-Have a Diversified Balanced Diet that includes all the food groups in the right quantity which thereby provides you with all the essential macro and micro nutrients that your body requires daily for proper functioning.

- Try to incorporate the My plate Concept by dividing your plate into 4 quadrants, fill half of your plate with fruits and vegetables, the other two quadrants with cereals and protein. A small quantity of dairy intake is recommended.

-Begin your day with a well-balanced breakfast as it is an important meal of the day.

-Avoid skipping meals. Also, try to avoid fasting and feasting too often.

- Consume small frequent meals, with healthy snacking options.

-Consume minimum 5 servings of vegetables and 1 serving of fruit as they are rich in Fiber, essential minerals & Vitamins as well as they give you a feeling of satiety.

-Try to consume more of Whole grains, Millets and Multigrain foods as they are a good source of fiber.

-Limit intake of deep-fried foods. Method of cooking like baking, grilling, boiling, steaming is preferable over deep frying with excess fat/ oil.

-Have your last meal at least 2-3 hours before sleep time.

-Drink adequate amount of water (minimum 8 glasses) of water daily to keep yourself well hydrated

-Try and follow a good sleep regimen in terms of both quantity and Quality.

Galactogogues or lactogogue increase the prolactin secretion which in turn increase milk production foods like garlic, milk, almonds, Green leafy vegetables as they stimulate the production and Secretion of Breast milk. 

It is also important to bring to your attention that the body requires sufficient time after childbirth to recover and sustain the increased calorie needs with adequate nutrition and care. When you believe enough time has passed by after your delivery and you’ve healed and recovered to gradually start on weight loss, here a few guidelines to help you in your journey:

Ideally a sustainable and healthy weight loss regimen, should target on overall weight loss and fat reduction and requires a holistic approach that involves lifestyle modification which includes Dietary modification, Physical activity and stress management.

With any weight loss plan changes take time to reflect as your body requires sufficient time to adapt to the changes in order to show results.

An ideal weight loss meal plan should include calorie deficit diet with appropriate exercise regime followed under professional guidance.

However here are few objectives to be considered when planning to start with a weight loss program.

Count Your Daily Calories

• It is recommended to consume 500kcal less than your average, daily, current dietary intake of calories to target on 2-3kg weight loss per month (ideally 0.5kg per week).
• This target is a healthy& sustainable way of reducing and then maintaining the weight loss.
• The first step hence is “counting your daily calorie intakes”. Counting your daily calorie intake is proven to be effective when on a weight loss diet. You can use applications/apps freely available, that will help you count your calories to keep a track on your daily calorie intake and physical activity levels.
• These apps will also help you to track your hydration & sleep patterns which also impact your weight.
• Ideal body weight for an individual can be calculated using the Broca Index (BI) which is: Ideal Standard Weight (kg) = Ht (cm) – 100
• WHO has given different BMI (Body mass index) classifications to categorise adults into different weight categories. BMI is a simple index of weight-for-height. It can be considered as a 2nd level indicator of overall health.

It can be calculated using a simple formula of BMI = Weight (kg) / Height (m²)

Following is the WHO BMI Classification for Asians

18.5 to 23 - Normal

Less than 18.5 - Underweight

23 to 27.5 – Overweight

Above 27.5 – Obese

As per WHO BMI (Body Mass Index) classification, a person weighing less than 18.5 kg/m2 is considered underweight.

Please note it is recommended that the target body weight must be maintained within the normal BMI & ideal body weight range.

General Dietary Guidelines for weight loss that can be considered:

• Eat a well-balanced diet that includes all the 5 food groups (cereals, pulses, fruits, vegetables, milk & milk products).
• Do not skip your meals. Have small quantity of meals at regular intervals.
• Choose healthy snacking options in between your meals.
• Monitor your portion size.
• Fiber in your meals can potentiate the satiating property, suppress excess hunger and control food intake. All fruits and vegetables, whole grains, multigrain, millets, nuts & seeds etc., are a good source of fiber.
• Try switching from saturated fats and trans fats to MUFA (mono-unsaturated fatty acids) & PUFA (polyunsaturated fatty acids) as they are essential fatty acids and are good for your health.
• Include protein in your diet. Some of the sources include pulses, lentils, milk, paneer, soybean, eggs, lean meat, nuts & seeds, etc. 
• Consume fresh, seasonal fruits as they contain many essential nutrients and are good sources of fiber.
• Carbonated and alcoholic beverages to be limited or preferably avoided.
• Deep Fried foods to be restricted. Method of cooking like baking, grilling, boiling, steaming is preferable over deep frying with excess fat/ oil.
• Minimum of 8 glasses of water should be consumed to keep yourself hydrated.
• Have your last meal at least 2-3 hours before Bed time.
• Try to follow a good sleep regimen in terms of both quantity and quality.

Some Physical Activity Tips:

Engage in at least 30-45 minutes of physical activity of moderate intensity such as walking for at least five days a week. Kindly get guidance from your gynaecologist for appropriate physical activity regimen that can be followed.

For a customised and personalised meal plan for specific conditions please contact your Health care professional or any registered dietician.

Hope we have answered your query.

Wishing you a great day ahead.

Dear Shab, Thank you for the question

Constipation is when you have hard stools or difficulty in passing stools, which can occur due to inadequate fiber and water intake, some other causes that can lead to constipation include neglecting urge to defecate, irregular meals, excess stress etc.  and/or due to an underlying health condition which requires medical attention. For further diagnosis and assistance kindly contact your specialized health care professional.

Certain food intolerances can cause bloating, flatulence and stomach pain after consuming specific foods. In lactose intolerance it is seen after consuming milk and milk products like cheese, paneer etc. And in gluten intolerance it is seen after consuming, wheat, rye, barley etc.

The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of fiber for Female is 25g per day

Here are a few tips to help manage constipation

• Include adequate amount of fiber to your daily balanced diet. Some of the good sources of fiber include Whole grains, multigrain, millets, Psyllium, fruits such as apples, banana, citrus fruits, vegetables like green beans, peas, potato, cauliflower, nuts and soybean etc.
• An intake of at least 2 litres of water per day.
• A glass of hot water, preferably taken with lemon juice taken early in the morning, stimulates gastro colic reflex and helps ease constipation.

Here are a few guidelines for general digestive health.

• Do not skip your meals, have small frequent meals at regular intervals.
• Eat a well-balanced diet including minimum 5 serving of vegetables and 1 serving of fruit in a day as they are good sources of fiber and essential nutrients such as vitamin A, Vitamin B, iron, zinc etc.
• Include prebiotics such as banana, soyabean, garlic etc., good sources of probiotics like yogurt, buttermilk etc., to maintain a healthy gut.
• Try to include whole grains like wheat, millets and multigrain in your diet as they are a good source of fiber and other nutrients.
• Limit the intake of dairy and fiber in case of loose stools/diarrhea
• Avoid large, heavy meals, and practice portion guidance.
• Deep fried foods to be restricted. Method of cooking like baking, grilling, boiling, steaming is preferable over deep frying with excess fat/ oil.
• Try to limit the foods like caffeine, spices, raw onions etc.
• Food should be eaten slowly and chewed well as fast eating provokes gastric feeding reflex.
• Avoid lying down immediately after your meal consumption
• Drink at least 8-10 glasses of water per day
• Have a gap of minimum 2-3 hours between bedtime and your last meal
• Engage in physical activity for a minimum of 30-45 minutes for at least 5 days a week.
• Try to follow a good sleep regimen in terms of both quantity and quality.

For a customised and personalised meal plan for specific conditions, please contact your Health care professional.

Hope we have answered your query.

Wishing you a great day ahead

Dear Shreya Rastogi, Thank you for the question

Starting the journey towards achieving ideal body weight is a good initiative on leading a healthy lifestyle! Kudos to you on your initiative.

Sustainable weight management requires a holistic approach which involves lifestyle management which includes Dietary modification, Physical activity, hydration, and stress management. With any weight loss plan changes take time to reflect as your body requires sufficient time to adapt to the changes in order to show results.

An ideal weight loss meal plan should include calorie deficit diet with appropriate exercise regime followed under professional guidance.

However here are few objectives to be considered when planning to start with a weight loss program.

Count Your Daily Calories

• It is recommended to consume 500kcal less than your average, daily, current dietary intake of calories to target on 2-3kg weight loss per month (ideally 0.5kg per week).
• This target is a healthy& sustainable way of reducing and then maintaining the weight loss.
• The first step hence is “counting your daily calorie intakes”. Counting your daily calorie intake is proven to be effective when on a weight loss diet. You can use applications/apps freely available, that will help you count your calories to keep a track on your daily calorie intake and physical activity levels.
• These apps will also help you to track your hydration & sleep patterns which also impact your weight.
• Ideal body weight for an individual can be calculated using the Broca Index (BI) which is: Ideal Standard Weight (kg) = Ht (cm) – 100
• WHO has given different BMI (Body mass index) classifications to categorise adults into different weight categories. BMI is a simple index of weight-for-height. It can be considered as a 2nd level indicator of overall health.

It can be calculated using a simple formula of BMI = Weight (kg) / Height (m²)

Following is the WHO BMI Classification for Asians

18.5 to 23 - Normal

Less than 18.5 - Underweight

23 to 27.5 - Overweight

Above 27.5 - Obese

Please note that it is recommended for the target weight to be within normal BMI

General Dietary Guidelines for weight loss that can be considered:

• Eat a well-balanced diet that includes all the 5 food groups (cereals, pulses, fruits, vegetables, milk & milk products).
• Do not skip your meals. Have small quantity of meals at regular intervals.
• Choose healthy snacking options in between your meals.
• Monitor your portion size.
• Include protein in your diet. Some of the sources include pulses, lentils, milk, paneer, soybean, eggs, lean meat, nuts & seeds, etc. 
• Fiber in your meals can potentiate the satiating property, suppress excess hunger and control food intake. All fruits and vegetables, whole grains, multigrains, millets, nuts & seeds etc., are a good source of fiber.
• Try switching from saturated fats and trans fats to MUFA (mono-unsaturated fatty acids) & PUFA (polyunsaturated fatty acids) as they are essential fatty acids and are good for your health.
• Consume fresh, seasonal fruits as they contain many essential nutrients and are good sources of fiber.
• Carbonated
• and alcoholic beverages to be limited or preferably avoided.
• Deep Fried foods to be restricted. Method of cooking like baking, grilling, boiling, steaming is preferable over deep frying with excess fat/ oil.
• Minimum of 8 glasses of water should be consumed to keep yourself hydrated.
• Have your last meal at least 2-3 hours before Bed time.
• Try to follow a good sleep regimen in terms of both quantity and quality.

Some Physical Activity Tips:

Engage in at least 30-45 minutes of physical activity of moderate intensity such as walking for at least five days a week.

For a customised and personalised meal plan for specific conditions please contact your Health care professional or any registered dietician.

Hope we have answered your query.

Wishing you a great day ahead