Once, while visiting my village home, I saw – the
house helper was feeding her two children and giving the boy more of all the
good food, and the girl less. When I asked her, she said – “Boys need a little
more food”.
Her words remained a question in my mind. So later,
when my own son and daughter were born in succession, – I put that question to
the doctor and found out the truth.
This body clock of ours is full of mysteries. If we do
not take care of it all the time, it causes problems!! We do not notice when
our little girl grows up before our eyes, suddenly one day it appears.
So it is important to know - what to do now to give
her a healthy life.
Nutritionists say - Puberty starts from the age of
8/9. Up to the age of 12-13, a teenager or teenage girl starts growing in
various ways in her body and mind, various hormonal changes occur in her body.
This time requires balanced or proper nutrition,
proper education and proper care. Due to the lack of proper understanding of
the elders of the family, some girl’s physical growth is hampered, some girl's
mental maturity and behavioral education are hampered.
Due to lack of proper knowledge about teenage
nutrition, some suddenly start getting fat, while others develop anemia,
vitamin deficiency, etc. And due to lack of proper education, some girls'
behavioral immaturity or incomprehensibility is seen.
Along with this, all the necessary education for the
growing age should be given. Social - family activities, behavioral etiquette,
and self-care issues are also included in this education -
For example, how to talk to whom and when about the
necessary matters during menstruation, that is, to hide in a place where it is
hidden and to reveal in a place where it is revealed without any hesitation.
Along with this, they should also be taught decency,
politeness, behavioral differences between women/men at home and outside and
their necessity, etc.
Nutrition experts say -
1. The most important event for girls during puberty
is menarche or menstruation. At this time, anemia occurs if they do not eat
enough iron-rich foods. During menstruation, a girl loses one milligram of iron
every day.
Therefore, the girl's need for iron-rich foods is
higher than that of the boy in the house. The daily iron requirement of boys is
11 milligrams, while that of girls is about 15 milligrams.
To get this extra iron, let your daughter eat green
vegetables regularly, especially green leafy vegetables, meat, liver, eggs,
various types of fruits, such as currants, pomegranates, dates, raisins, etc.
2. Teenagers need a lot of calcium and vitamin D for
physical growth and strong bones. As they age, women are at higher risk of
osteoporosis or bone loss than men. Because a woman has to bear children and
breastfeed - then she needs a lot of calcium. Apart from that, the maximum
density of bones is formed before the age of 18-21, after which it does not
increase any more. Therefore, for strong bones, one should make a habit of
eating milk, dairy products, such as yogurt, cheese, small fish with spines,
leafy green vegetables, etc.
3. For proper growth and muscle growth, a girl aged
9-13 should eat 34 grams of protein daily, and at the age of 14-18, 45 grams
daily. So give her fish or meat, eggs, milk, seeds and pulses, and various
types of nuts every day. Those who play a little sport have a higher need for
protein. Apart from this, teenage girls have a high need for minerals like
iodine, zinc and folate. Therefore, they should eat sea fish, green vegetables
and fruits.
4. If they suddenly gain weight at this age, various
hormonal problems may arise. Menstruation becomes irregular, facial hair grows.
Therefore, it is better to eat less high-calorie foods, such as fried foods,
sweets, cakes, pastries, fast food, soft drinks, etc.
On the other hand, these days, many teenagers go on
crash diets to become slim, which is very harmful. Not a crash diet - it should
be a balanced and healthy diet – to lead a healthy life.
