I want to know my root cause of my wight gain and hair health and I need to recover

Bhemeshwari

5 months ago

I want to know my root cause of my wight gain and hair health and I need to recover

Others

Happy Tummy Expert

2 weeks ago

Dear Bhemeshwari, Thank you for the question.

Identifying the root cause of weight gain involves looking at various factors related to diet, health, and lifestyle. The causes of unintended weight gain can be due to genetics, sedentary lifestyle, poor sleep, stress, hormonal imbalance, lack of consumption of a well-balanced diet or other underlying health condition which may require medical assistance.

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

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.

There can be various factors that contribute to hair health like genetics, hormonal balance, stress and/or underlying health condition etc, some other factors that may affect the hair health include infections, nutrient deficiencies etc. Healthy Hair requires, dietary modifications, regular physical activity, stress management and adequate sleep along with proper hydration.

Here are a few tips for healthy hair

Inadequate intake of protein can result in hair changes that include hair thinning and hair loss. Some of the sources of high protein include pulses, lentils, milk, paneer, soybean, eggs, lean meat, nuts & seeds etc.
Low intake of iron may also cause hair loss. 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.
Zinc is a mineral that plays important roles in immune function, protein synthesis, cellular division. It’s necessary for hair follicle function and helps protect against hair follicle shrinkage. It also helps promote hair follicle recovery Plant products such as – whole grains, legumes such as chickpeas, groundnuts, lentils, Nuts & seeds like cashews, pumpkin seeds, almonds etc. Animal products such as-milk and milk products.
Omega -3 & omega-6 fatty acid may help promote hair growth by working towards follicle proliferation. Some of the most common sources of omega 3 & 6 are Fish, nuts and seeds such as walnuts, almonds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, etc.