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Happy Tummy Expert

2 weeks ago

Dear Raika khan, Thank you for the question

Adolescence or teen age is a critical period of our lives in which our body undergoes rapid changes, growth and development. It is very essential to consume a healthy balanced diet with adequate amount of protein and other nutrients such as calcium, iron, vitamin D etc., which will help support growth, development, pubertal changes and strong bones.

An adolescent girl should take enough calcium rich foods in her diet to support the increase of bone density and maintain healthy strong bones. Some of the calcium sources include milk, cheese, paneer, Ragi, curd, yogurt.

Reference weight and height for a 19-year-old female is 48.1-59.5kg and 155.3-166.9cm respectively

In any weight management programme, it is very essential to consume a healthy diversified balanced diet with few dietary modifications and regular physical activity. For weight gain it is essential to focus on your daily balanced diet with high calorie, high protein, and regular meals. With any weight gain diet, changes take time to reflect as your body requires sufficient time to adapt to the changes in order to show results.

A high calorie and high protein diet is recommended for weight gain. High protein foods give a feeling of satiety, delay gastric emptying and help in maintain lean body or muscle mass. Daily protein requirement should ideally be followed as 0.8-1g per kg body weight. You can include non-vegetarian sources of protein such as chicken, eggs, fish, prawns etc and vegetarian sources Milk & milk products like paneer, Legumes, lentils, beans (chickpeas, kidney, mung, pinto etc.), peas (green, split, etc.), soybeans (and products made from soy: tofu, tempeh, etc.), peanuts, almonds, pistachios, cashews, walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans, hemp seeds, squash and pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, sesame seeds, chia seeds as a part of your daily balanced diet

Gastrointestinal digestive issues such as, burning sensation in the stomach, throat, Nausea, can be a symptom of GERD (Gastro oesophageal reflux disease), indigestion, constipation, IBS, intolerances, food allergies etc., and/or due to an underlying health condition which may require medical attention. For further diagnosis and assistance kindly contact your specialized health care professional.

Gastro esophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a chronic symptom of mucosal damage. It is caused due to the entry of stomach acid into the esophagus. The most-common symptoms of GERD include Heartburn, Difficulty in swallowing and a sour taste in the mouth or back of the throat due to fluids and undigested foods rising back in to the mouth. 

Here are a few tips to manage GERD

• It is important to modify your dietary patterns to manage the symptoms of GERD.

• Weight management is necessary in people for whom the underlying cause of GERD may have been obesity.
• Eat small frequent meals and avoid eating meals within 2-3 hours of bedtime.
• Prevent laying down immediately after eating
• Avoid drinking fluids in between the meals.
• Food should be eaten slowly and chewed well as fast eating provokes gastric feeding reflex.
• Some of the foods should be restricted or avoided, these include caffeine, raw onion, citric juices and spicy foods etc.
• Consume low fat dairy in substitute of full fat options to prevent or manage GERD symptoms.

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.

Hope we have answered your query.

Wishing you a great day ahead

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