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Happy Tummy Expert

2 years ago

Dear Urvansh Khajuria, Thank you for the question

Adolescence or teen age is acritical 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.

Reference ideal body weight for 17-year-old male can be considered as 56.5 kg with 170 cm height.

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. Daily protein requirement should ideally be followed as 55g per day and RDA for calories is 3320kcal/ day. Some of the sources of high protein include pulses, lentils, milk, paneer, soybean, eggs, lean meat, nuts & seeds etc.
Here are few guidelines that can be considered for weight gain:
- 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.
- 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.

Hard stools or Constipation can be due to inadequate fiber and water intake, it may also be a symptom of gastrointestinal digestive issues such as indigestion, IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome), intolerances etc., and/or due to an underlying health condition which requires medical attention.
Some other causes that can lead to constipation include neglecting urge to defecate, irregular meals, excess stress etc. For further diagnosis and assistance kindly contact your specialized health care professional.
The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of fiber for 17 year old male is 50g per day
Here are a few tips to help manage constipation
- Include adequate amount of fiber to your daily balanced diet. Some of the good sources of fiber include Whole grains, millets, Psyllium, fruits such as apples, banana, citrus fruits, vegetables like green beans, peas, potato, cauliflower, nuts and soybean etc.
- An intake of at least 2 litres of water per day.
- A glass of hot water , preferably taken with lemon juice taken early in the morning, stimulates gastro colic reflex and helps ease constipation.

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.
- 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 everyday
- 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.
Wishing you a great day ahead

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