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Happy Tummy Expert

8 months ago

Dear Kashish siddiqui, Thank you for the question     

The ideal or general menstrual cycle is of 28 to 35 days, but it's common to have a slightly shorter or longer cycle than this (from 21 to 40 days).

Some of the common reasons for a irregular period include stress, sudden weight loss, being overweight, doing excess or intensive exercise, taking contraceptive pill, menopause, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) or due to an underlying health condition which may requires medical attention. We recommend you to kindly contact your specialized health care professional such as gynaecologist, for further diagnosis and assistance.

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

According to your mentioned weight you seem to be underweight  as per your reference ideal body weight

The causes of underweight or unintended weight loss can be due to genetics, inadequate food intake, stress, hormonal imbalance, malabsorption or other underlying health condition.

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

Here are a few general Dietary guidelines to be considered for weight gain

• Adolescence represents a period of active life, hence no meal of the day should be missed to sustain energy and growth spurts
• Having a Healthy Diversified Balanced Diet that includes all the 5 food groups (cereals, pulses, fruits, vegetables, milk & milk products) in the right quantity which thereby provides you with all the essential macro and micro nutrients that your body requires daily for proper functioning.
• 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, dairy products, nuts, colocasia leaves, banana, raisins, pulses/lentils etc.
• Do not skip meals. Eat small frequent meals.
• Three major meals a day with healthy nutritious snacks in between is preferred.
• Include good amount of fiber in your daily balanced, some of the good sources of fiber include whole grain, multigrain, millets, fruits and vegetables, nuts etc.
• Try to increase the serving size and portion size gradually and systematically
• Include healthy fats from nuts and seeds.
• 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.

Rhinosinusitis (RS) is characterized by inflammation of the mucosa involving the paranasal sinuses and the nasal cavity.

Here are few tips to manage sinusitis

• Keep yourself hydrated as fluids can help dilute secretions and promote drainage in the nasal cavity.
• Vitamin C and E have anti-inflammatory properties. Try to consume Citrus fruits such as grapes, oranges, kiwi etc and include whole grains, nuts & seeds in your daily diet.
• Try to include zinc rich foods in the diet as zinc helps support Immunity. Some of the zinc rich foods are meat, nuts and seeds, whole grains seafood etc.
• Incorporate foods such as ginger, spices, cinnamon, onion, garlic, clove thyme, cumin.
• Smoking may cause nasal and sinus inflammation it is preferable to avoid smoking.
• Consume hot beverages such as hot tea, Green tea, ginger tea etc as they contain certain beneficial compounds which may  help relax the smooth muscle in the airway.
• Steam inhalation also promotes drainage of the blocked nasal cavity.

We request you to kindly contact a healthcare professional or otolaryngologist for further assistance & management

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

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