My building watchman recently returned from his hometown in UP. I asked him how’s everyone at home. He said his daughter was sick and had to get admitted to the ICU. ‘What?’ I said. ‘Kya Hua tha?’ ‘Khoon kam ho gaya,’ he responded. ‘Send me her reports,’ I told him. I opened them nonchalantly, expecting to see Hb between 8-9, half thinking of how medical malpractice is rampant and why a poor girl was in ICU.

I was stumped when I read her report, her Hb was 4.2. I wondered how this girl coped!! I wondered if it was a consequence of a sinister disease, my heart paced. It only settled when I read her prescription, it was simply due to heavy bleeding. My relief later turned to anguish.

Just too many young girls go around with severe malnourishment due to - negligence or lack of awareness of a girl’s growing body’s needs, penetration of ultra-processed food products in daily life (UPFs), the shyness that girls feel & failure of parents (due to various reasons and often unintentional) to see that their girl is suffering.

The video highlights all these issues and offers economical, culturally appropriate solutions to address the issue of malnutrition during menarche. Specifically, these 6 foods -

1. Ramdana or Ragi laddoo - Ca, Iron, amino acids. Avoid biscuits.
2. Handful of peanuts - B6, Mg, antioxidants. Avoid chips and other kurkura, chatpata stuff.
3. Amla or nimbu sherbet - Vit C, hydration. Avoid colas/ cold drinks, packaged juices.
4. Fresh fruit - local & seasonal. Need not be the expensive Apple, kiwi & berries.
5. Dahi or Chaas - Vit B, good bacteria, hydrating. Add it to lunch or dinner.
6. Dates, chuare, black raisins - Fe, fibre, folic acid. Avoid chocolates.

Takes very little to ease the pain. Periods are not meant to be suffered in silence. Act now. Add more value to your little girl’s life by empowering her with good food and good care. Invest in her sehat, not in her shaadi.

P.S. Tomorrow we post ideas about what we can do as a community to help the young girls & their families.

#period #periodpain #menarche #girls #health #iron