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Happy Tummy Expert

1 month ago

Dear Divya, 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.

In any weight management programme, it is very essential to consume a healthy diversified balanced diet with few dietary modifications and regular physical activity.

Reference ideal body weight and height for 19-year-old female can be considered as 48.1-59.5kg and 155.3-166.9cm height.

A ketogenic diet primarily consists of high fats, moderate proteins, and very low carbohydrates. The dietary macronutrients are divided into approximately 55% to 60% fat, 30% to 35% protein, and 5% to 10% carbohydrates. Specifically, in a 2000 kcal per day diet, carbohydrates amount up to 20 to 50 g per day.

Carbohydrates are the primary source of energy production in body tissues. When the body is deprived of carbohydrates due to reducing intake to less than 50g per day, insulin secretion is significantly reduced and the body enters a catabolic state. Glycogen stores deplete, forcing the body to go through certain metabolic changes. Two metabolic processes come into action when there is low carbohydrate availability in body tissues: gluconeogenesis and ketogenesis

Ketogenic diet is recommended for specific health conditions and should be followed under the supervision of health care professionals. It is specified for different individuals’ basis different metabolic rate, need and fitness goal.

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

Excess fasting or consuming very low-calorie diet can lead to malnutrition, chronic fatigue, affect metabolism etc.

Meal timings play an important role in maintaining a healthy balanced lifestyle and reduce the potential risks of digestive issues. It is recommended to consume 3 major meals at regular intervals with healthy snacks in between and avoid skipping of any meals or fasting. A Minimum 2–3-hour gap between the last meal and bedtime is recommended.

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.

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 60 minutes of physical activity of moderate intensity such as walking Throughout the 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.

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