COMPLEXITY 27

ADOLESCENCE – PART ‘C’

PART ‘C’

Good morning, friends.

Having covered the basics in my two previous episodes. (Part A and Part B on adolescence), wherein you must have seen that I have covered the physical, the physiological and the psychological changes that are observed by nears and dears as well as by the young teenager himself.

Now that we have clearly understood what teenage boys and girls go through. It’s time we should discuss some food habits that should be inculcated into the minds of the growing child as well as some mental changes which, when they occur, we should know how to handle.

NUTRITIONAL HEALTH NEEDS IN AN ADOLESCENT:

Due to the growth spurt and extra physical activity, the nutritional health needs of an “adolescent” will always be on the higher side as compared to the children and the adults.

So, we need to remember a few CARDINAL points:

• Eat well.
• Eat enough.
• Eat a good nutritious diet.
• Balance food intake with good physical activity.
• Develop a healthy lifestyle.
• Choose a diet with plenty of green leafy veggies and fruits.
• Choose foods that are low in cholesterol + fat, moderate in sugars + salts, and maximum in proteins (work out), which also provides enough calcium + iron to meet the body’s requirements!!!

Let’s take the daily requirements of a few food items essential for a growing child

Requirement of IRON: Depends upon age/gender: Due to rapid development, increasing muscle mass, and blood volume expansion, adolescents require a high intake of iron; it roughly ranges between 8 and 11 mg/day.

Requirement of energy CALORIES: 1800-3200 cal/day (depending on age, gender, and activity level).

Generally a man needs between 2200 and 3000 calories/day depending upon age and type of nature of work.

REQUIREMENT OF PROTEINS:  One gram / Kg body weight

SOME DETAILS ABOUT MICRONUTRIENTS:

IRON	EXTRA REQD FOR	LACK OF WHICH	SOURCE
	GROWTH SPURT	Anaemia	Green veggies
	AT onset of Menstrual Cycle	Lethargy	Poultry
		Reduced resistance	Jaggery
		Increasing  Weakness	Beetroot
		Reduced immunity
CALCIUM	Bones	Osteoporosis	Milk
	Blood	Osteopenia	Milk products
	Teeth
IODINE	To regulate metabolism	Thyroid problems	Iodized salt
	Support Brain dev. and intellectual ability	Mental retardation	–do–
	Maintain healthy growth esp -preg + prevent goiter	Physical Retardation	–do–

A HOW MUCH OF WHAT TO TAKE IN AN IDEAL SITUATION:

A Fats + oils + sweets 1-2 servings

B Milk/Dahi/Cheese 2-3 servings.

C Meat/Poultry/Nuts 2-3 servings

D Veggies 3-5 servings

Fruits 2-4 servings

Breads/cereal/rice/pastas 6-11 servings

(Refer to the diagram in the notes.)

PERSONAL HYGIENE:

We can take as many medicines as we like, but if we ignore our own personal hygiene, we can land in conditions that, if still ignored, can make our living a pure catastrophe!!

Now let’s consider some COMMONLY KNOWN YET OFTEN NEGLECTED POINTS THAT DESERVE FOLLOWING:

DO’S & DON’TS

• Wash hair once/twice a week.
• Clean nose once / twice a day.
• Bathe once or twice a day depending upon the season.
• Clean and brush teeth twice a day.
• Clean hands thoroughly before and after food.
• Clean hands thoroughly before and after using the toilet.
• Wash and dry feet before wearing socks.
• Wash and dry feet before wearing socks.
• Change bed linen and towels at least once a week.
• Use Lisel-Lice killer powder for lice, if any.
• Oil hair a minimum once a week.
• Oil massage the full body at least once a week.
• Use deodorant if you perspire a lot. Use a fresh hanky every day.

Don’ts:

• Do not use anyone else’s undergarments.
• Do not use anyone else’s towel.
• Do not use anyone else’s kajal stick/lipstick.

Suno-suno-suno——-

Naak me angulkaan mein tinka—mat kar—mat kar—mat kar!!

Aankh me anjan, daant me manjan… Nit kar—nit kar—nit kar

But remember, friends.

Now let’s discuss some very important points that we generally do not discuss openly.

SOME SPECIFIC POINTS THAT SHOULD NOT BE IGNORED:

FEMALE	MALE
Keep groin area clean ( otherwise, it may lead to Fungal infection)	–do–
Change undergarment min once a day.	–do—do—-
Let the body dry completely before wearing UG’s.	–do–
Use clean sterile cloth/Sanitary Towels during periods.	Clean and remove ‘smegma’( thick secretion collected on the fore skin of the penis) during bathing and after urination.
Change pads frequently.	Keep private part clean
Itching around Genitalia is common during MC days ( no reason for concern).	Dampness may lead to itchiness
Colour less vaginal discharge ,( Small quantity) is normal. If smelly, it may soil clothes, then u may need to consult a doctor.
Improve diet.	Must improve diet.

If nutritionally we are not sound, health problems will definitely start, so we now also need to understand what can really happen.

Health Problems:

Let’s focus once again on the TRIAD OF CHANGES:

For your convenience, I have grouped the health problems commonly found in adolescents along with the triad of changes.

• BIO-HEALTH PROBLEMS
• PHYSIO HEALTH PROBLEMS…
•  PSYCHO HEALTH PROBLEMS

In addition to this, there is yet another very imp group.

We all eat food. Food is actually a necessity to survive. But improper eating habits, improper intake of food, be it in quantity / quality, may lead to yet another group of illnesses

HEALTH PROBLEMS DUE TO IMPROPER DIET:

Iron Deficiency	Anaemia
Calcium deficiency	Weak bones
Iodine def	Mental retardation
Def of various vitamins	Ulcers in the mouth
	Dry skin
	Gen weakness
	Increased tiredness
	Increasing  lethargy Listlessness
	Chronic fatigue
	Reduced Immunity
Protein deficiency	Muscle weakness
	Listlessness
	Loss of hair
	Generalized weakness
	And most systems depend upon protein, so if proteins are inadequate, most systems will work u pressure and   lead to many problems

Not taking food at proper intervals Nausea/Vomiting/Acidity>>>>Anorexia>>>>>Increased irritability>>>>

Excessive compulsive eating disorder>>>>Obesity>>>>Increased lethargy. >>Delayed responses>>>>Reduced self-esteem

Growth Spurt: Happens during puberty and adolescence. It is the period, as I have already mentioned, that shows biological/physiological and psychological changes.

Hormones play a very important role in our lives. The sex hormones, the growth hormones

Pubertal changes/maturation of reproductive organs and the endocrine as well as the exocrine glands all have a very important role.

HORMONAL IMBALANCE:

I shall now talk about hormonal imbalance that can lead to medical issues. >>>>

SKIN RELATED

• Acne skin rashes.
• Excessive hair growth/small breasts/very large bosoms, all because of the estrogen hormone.  

HEIGHT RELATED

Short stature/gigantism due to iodine imbalance.

IMP GYNAEC issues:

Very scanty periods of anemia…can be corrected by a GOOD DIET.

Irregular periods: Good diet / extra vitamin C.

Vaginal Discharges:– Fungal/ bacterial/ Viral >>>>>> Can lead to low back ache >>> pain in

Lower limbs>>>>

Chronic Fatigue>>>Reduced Immunity>>Increased Lethargy>>>>Increased Weakness

Off-and-on diarrhea & URI infections

All this may lead to lowered self-esteem>>reduced self-confidence.

Now if we consider a stunted & an undernourished girl, she may have a complicated pregnancy, a low birth weight, or an incidence of some complication during childbirth.

Dear friends,

This topic on adolescence is huge; there are so many facets that need elaboration.

So far I have just touched upon some basic nutritional deficiencies that can cause so many minor ailments which, if not taken heed of, as the old quote goes…a stitch in time saves NINE, can lead to so many complications that are actually really avoidable.

So we shall stop this chapter here itself with a loud message that diet and proper nutrition are very vital for the growing adolescent.

Look out for more on the psychological changes in my next episode.