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1 year ago

Dear Pooja Lalwani, Thank you for the question

Low haemoglobin levels indicate presence of anemia. Women face more risk of iron deficiency anemia, across lifecycle due to increased iron needs during menstrual blood loss & childbirth etc.  Some of the reasons iron deficiency inadequate intake, malabsorption, low intake of vitamin C, infections and/or underlying health conditions. Iron deficiency may potentially increase the risk of anemia. For further diagnosis and assistance please contact a health care professional.

Normal haemoglobin levels for 18 year old female is  12 to 15 g/dl (Reference: NIH, Clinical Methods: The History, Physical, and Laboratory Examinations. 3rd edition).

The richest sources of heme iron in the diet are lean meat and seafood and non-heme sources include nuts, beans, dark green leafy vegetables, and fortified grain, milk, whole grains, legumes and dry fruits etc.

Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of Iron for 18 year old female is 32mg per day.

Immune system, a network of intricate stages and pathways in the body, protects us against these harmful microbes as well as certain diseases. It recognizes foreign invaders like bacteria, viruses, and parasites and takes immediate action. factors that can depress the immune system are Environmental toxins (smoke and other particles contributing to air pollution, excessive alcohol), Obesity, Poor diet, Chronic mental stress, Lack of sleep and rest.

However, a balanced diet consisting of a range of vitamins and minerals, combined with healthy lifestyle factors like adequate sleep and exercise and low stress, most effectively primes the body to fight infection and disease.

Here are few tips to help boosting the immunity

• A high-fiber plant-rich diet with plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes appear to support the growth and maintenance of beneficial microbes. Certain helpful microbes break down fibers into short chain fatty acids, which have been shown to stimulate immune cell activity.
• Gut microbiota helps regulate metabolism and energy balance, consume banana, garlic, yogurt, buttermilk etc., which are good sources of probiotics and prebiotics to maintain healthy gut.
• Zinc, selenium, iron, copper, folic acid, and vitamins A, B6, C, D, and E play a vital role and help the immune system in several ways: working as an antioxidant to protect healthy cells, supporting growth and activity of immune cells, and producing antibodies.
• Include protein in your diet as it helps support the immune system. Some of the sources include pulses, lentils, milk, paneer, soybean, eggs, lean meat, nuts & seeds, etc.

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 16-18 year female is 38g per day

A few guidelines for general digestive health to be considered:

• 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, multigrain and millets in your daily diet as they are a good source of fiber and other nutrients.
• 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.
• 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 60 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.

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