• Hair growth in unwanted areas: you might notice hair on face or chin, breasts, stomach, or thumbs and toes.

• Hair loss/ Male pattern baldness: you might see thinning hair on head, which could worsen in middle age.

• * You should keep fit and undertake regular exercise and work out. Walking is an ideal exercise which you can opt for.
• * You should eat heart healthy food which includes vegetables, nuts, fruits, whole grains and beans. Avoid foods which contain saturated fats and these include fried food, meat and cheese.
• * Losing weight is beneficial for your health if you have PCOS/PCOD. Losing even a small amount of weight will help in balancing your hormones and regulating your menstrual cycle.
• * Quit smoking as smoking increases the levels of androgen in your body.

It is recommended for you to consult a dietitian on experiencing any symptom of PCOD. This will enable early diagnosis so that you can start with the treatment measures before the condition worsens.

Anemia signs and symptoms vary depending on the cause of your anemia. They may include:

• Fatigue
• Weakness
• Cold hands and feet
• Headache
• Pale or yellowish skin
• Shortness of breath
• Constipation
• Inflammation
• Irregular heartbeats
• Dizziness or lightheadedness
• Chest pain

What red blood cells do

Body makes three types of blood cells —

• white blood cells to fight infection
• platelets to help your blood clot
• Red blood cells to carry oxygen throughout your body.

Red blood cells contain hemoglobin — an iron-rich protein that gives blood its red color. Hemoglobin enables red blood cells to carry oxygen from your lungs to all parts of your body and to carry carbon dioxide from other parts of the body to your lungs so that it can be exhaled. Most blood cells, including red blood cells, are produced regularly in your bone marrow — a spongy material found within the cavities of many of your large bones.

To produce hemoglobin and red blood cells, your body needs iron, vitamin B-12, folate and other nutrients from the foods you eat.

Cause of anemia could be due to two possible reasons one due to decrease in RBC production and other due to increase in RBC destructions.

Any process that has a negative effect on this balance between RBC production and destruction can cause anemia.

• Iron deficiency anemia: Iron deficiency anemia is caused by a shortage of iron in your body.
• Vitamin B12 deficiency anemia: For enough healthy red blood cells to be produced body needs folate and vitamin B-12. A diet lacking in these can cause decreased red blood cell production.
• Hemolytic anemias: This group of anemias develops when red blood cells are destroyed faster than bone marrow can replace them. Certain blood diseases increase red blood cell destruction. You can inherit a hemolytic anemia, or you can develop it later in life.
• Anemia of chronic disease: Certain diseases — such as Crohn's disease, , kidney disorder, cancer, HIV/AIDS, rheumatoid arthritis and other chronic inflammatory diseases can interfere with the production of red blood cells.
• Aplastic anemia: This is a rare disorder, its a life-threatening anemia which occurs when your body doesn't produce enough red blood cells. Causes of aplastic anemia include certain medicines, autoimmune diseases, infections and exposure to toxic chemicals.
• Anemias associated with bone marrow disease: Anemia can be caused by leukemia and myelofibrosis, as it affects blood production in your bone marrow. The effects of these types of cancer and cancer-like disorders vary from mild to life-threatening.
• Sickle cell anemia: It's caused by a defective form of hemoglobin that forces red blood cells to assume an abnormal crescent (sickle) shape. These irregular blood cells die prematurely, resulting in a chronic shortage of red blood cells.
• Other anemias: There are several other forms of anemia, such as thalassemia and malarial anemia.

Left untreated, anemia can cause many health problems, such as:

• Heart problems (Arrhythmias)
• Heart problems
• Pregnancy Complication
• Death

Eat a vitamin-rich diet

Many types of anemia can't be prevented. But iron deficiency anemia and vitamin deficiency anemias can be avoided by having a diet that includes a variety of vitamins and nutrients, including:

When to see a Nutritionist

Make an appointment with your nutritionist if you're feeling fatigued for unexplained reasons. Some anemias, such as iron deficiency anemia or vitamin B-12 deficiency, are common and symptoms can be reduced by following proper diet.

Your plan for every trimester changes as the requirement of the body changes.

A pregnant woman needs more calcium, folic acid, iron and protein than a woman who is not expecting. In whichever trimester you are it is always good to have your own preferable diet plan which suits your condition with your concerned dietitian. However there are few guidelines highlighted for each trimester below.

First trimester

The first few months of pregnancy require a diet rich in folates. “Folic acid is an important addition to your diet as it helps sustain and develop the embryo. Folic acid, also known as folate when the nutrient is found in foods, is a B vitamin that is crucial in helping to prevent birth defects in the baby's brain and spinal cord, known as neural tube defects. Folic acid is found in foods such as oranges, sweet potatoes, legumes etc.

In the first three months, many women also experience morning sickness. You can include soups between meals. Or some more recommendations suggested by your dietitian.

You will also need calcium for your as well as babies health. Calcium is a mineral used to build a baby's bones and teeth. If a pregnant woman lacks enough calcium, to meet the extra demands of pregnancy, the mineral will be drawn from the mother's stores in her bones and given to the baby. The mineral can be found in dairy products and other good sources of calcium are dark and green leafy vegetables, broccoli, asparagus etc. Many dairy products are also fortified with vitamin D, that’s the another nutrient that works with calcium to develop a baby's bones and teeth.

Second trimester

When you step into the second trimester, your body needs an additional 300-500 calories per day to help your baby grow. But which kind of nutrient dense foods needs to be incorporated is really important. “Add in good fats such as avocado, salmon and fish liver oil in your diet. And also make sure to include enough iron, meats, whole grain, dried fruits and legumes.

During the fifth month, you will need Vitamin C as your baby is in growing period and this can be easily included with the addition of oranges, tomatoes, alma etc in your daily diet.

Sixth month, your diet plays a very important role in the growth of your baby. “This will also help in keeping you in good shape for child birth. Add a lot of protein rich food like lean meat, fish, eggs, tofu and necessary carbohydrate foods such as millets, whole wheat, whole wheat pasta, sweet potatoes, sweet corn, flaxseeds, legumes and nuts, oats etc.

Iron: According to Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA, 2010) Pregnant women need 35 milligrams of iron a day, which is approximately double the amount needed by women who are not expecting. This additional amounts of the mineral are needed to make more blood to supply the baby with oxygen. Getting too little iron during pregnancy can lead to anemia, a condition resulting in fatigue and an increased risk of infections. To increase the absorption of iron, include a good source of vitamin C at the same meal when eating iron-rich foods. For example, have a glass of orange/ lemon/ amla juice at breakfast with an iron-rich cereal.

Third trimester

Firstly plenty of fluids should be incorporated to stay hydrated. Nutrients like Vitamin C, calcium, magnesium, Omega 3 fatty acids and choline are very essential nutrients for your third trimester. Likewise, even incorporate protein in the diet as would be moms always face a severe hair fall problem, eat fresh green salad with radish, fresh fruits (berries, banana, melon etc), tomato, lettuce and beans etc because these are immunity enhancing foods that are required for baby as this is the rapid growth phase. Try and avoid salty foods and over fried foods because women’s generally complaint issues of swelling of legs, palms etc.

Protein: More protein is needed during pregnancy, as there are issues like severe hair fall, back pain, muscle weakness with pregnant women’s. Protein is also required for babies’ growth and development. According to Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA, 2010) Pregnant women need 78 grams of protein per day.

The two pink lines on the pregnancy test makes you feel so happy, that feeling that you are soon going to welcome a tiny little you and your world is about to change. But in this excitement, don’t ignore your diet and health. If you follow a healthy diet, your baby and your body will be fully prepared for a stress free child birth. Consult a nutritionist now.

• Osteoporosis
• Weight gain
• Heart disease.
• Urinary Tract Infection
• Loss of Elasticity
• Thinning of Hair and Skin
• Loss of firmness of breast

It is therefore necessary to consult a dietitian for reducing the risk of all the above complication to live a healthy life.