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Happy Tummy Expert

5 months ago

Dear Santanu Thank you for the question.

Irregular bowel movement may happen due to inadequate fiber and water intake, irregular meals, intolerance, digestive issues, food allergies or any underlying health condition which requires medical attention.

 For further assistance and guidance please contact a specialized health care professional.

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 a male is 30g per day. Limit the intake of dairy and fiber in case of loose stools/diarrhea

Gaining weight is a journey which requires appropriate nutritional management along with stress management, ideal sleeping hours and physical activity to maintain a healthy weight, prevent loss of lean body mass, Muscle mass and avoid malnutrition.

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

As per WHO BMI (Body Mass Index) classification, a person weighing less than 18.5 kg/m2 is considered underweight.

Please note it is recommended that the target body weight must be maintained within the normal BMI & ideal body weight range.

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 which may require medical assistance.

An ideal weight management program such as weight gain involves lifestyle management including dietary modification, regular physical activity, hydration and good sleep cycle.

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 few guidelines that can be considered for weight gain & 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.
• 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 prebiotics such as banana, soyabean, garlic 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.
• Include good amount of fiber in your daily balanced, some of the god 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 8-10 glasses of water per day to maintain hydration
• Avoid lying down immediately after your meal consumption
• Have a gap of minimum 2-3 hours between bedtime and your last meal
• 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.

As you have mentioned that you have been taking cholesterol medications, here are few guidelines that can be considered for Cholesterol Management:

• Consume minimum 5 servings of vegetables and 1 serving of fruit as they are rich in Fiber, essential minerals & Vitamins as well as they give you a feeling of satiety. Regular consumption of fruits has been linked to cardiometabolic health due to their high content of bioactive compounds that potentially reduces the risk of heart disease.
• Try to consume more of Whole grains, Millets and Multigrain foods as they are a good source of fiber.
• Prefer lean meat (chicken, Fish) over full fat red meat.
• Some oils such as rice bran oil, flaxseed oil, and sesame oil contain phytonutrients. These active compounds have the potential to lower blood TG concentrations. Mixed rice bran, flaxseed, and sesame oils with the purpose of improving blood lipid profile and cardiometabolic health
• Foods rich in antioxidant containing carotenoids and vitamin E may potentially provide against cardiovascular benefit. Whole grains, fruits and vegetables are a good source of antioxidants.
• Limit intake of deep-fried foods. Method of cooking like baking, grilling, boiling, steaming is preferable over deep frying with excess fat/ oil.
• 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.
• Carbonated and alcoholic beverages to be limited or preferably avoided.
• Engage in at least 30-45 minutes of physical activity of moderate intensity such as walking for at least five days a week

 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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