Remember how our mothers would encourage us as kids, saying, “Mera bahadur baccha jaldi se dawa kha lega! (My brave child will take medicine quickly!)” whenever we refused to take medicine? Their gentle encouragement and warm reassurance made all the difference. Recently, in Triveniganj, I have seen this happen often—but with women, not children. Many women avoid Iron Folic Acid (IFA) tablets, even though they are crucial during pregnancy and lactation.

While India has reached Mars and aspires to be a global technology leader, millions of women in rural Bihar still struggle to access basic knowledge about their own bodies. In the absence of education, myths, fears, and whispered half-truths shape their understanding of reproductive health. Today, I share the story of Neha, a 25-year-old woman from a village in the Supaul district. She never went to school and got married so young that she cannot recall her age at the time.

What came first—the chicken or the egg? It feels like one of those never-ending debates. The same can be applied to malnutrition. Malnutrition is the cause or outcome of poor health. It's challenging to pin down because malnutrition forms a vicious cycle, constantly feeding into itself. Let us understand this with Radha's story (name changed). Radha is a 16-year-old mother of a three-month-old baby. She had lost her first child during delivery barely a year ago when she was n

“Shehnaaz Gill sheds 12 kgs by reducing her meal portions and eating only twice a day!” This eye-catching thumbnail on YouTube captivated my friend and led her to drastically cut her diet portions, hoping to achieve similar results. This single real-life example illustrates mass media's profound effect on our food choices, shaping our decisions based on fleeting trends rather than sound advice. While I write this blog, I am reminded that this wasn't an isolated incident.

When we hear the word "breastfeeding," we often picture a mother feeding her baby with a smile on her face. But doesn’t this picture seem incomplete? How about a mother nursing her baby while the father prepares food for her, both sharing a smile? How beautiful would that be! A family picture of mutual support.

“God could not be everywhere, so he made mothers” deeply resonates with our story today. Every heartbeat carries stories of love, strength, and resilience. A mother sacrifices everything for her child, experiencing every step of pregnancy over nine months. However, for rural mothers from the Dalit communities in Bihar, these sacrifices are compounded by significant challenges. Recently, I met Sita Devi (name changed), 30, pregnant with her fourth child.

Weight loss wasn’t a random decision but a choice that I made after enduring all those years of hurtful judgements and bullying. The people’s unkind statements and indifferent looks pushed me to focus on my inner strength and become a new person. I reflect and realise that life is an intricate web of moments, hardships, and victories, where each thread carries an individual story. One such story is my weight-loss journey.

Do you ever miss the comfort of home-cooked meals when you’re travelling, but then find yourself craving street food like spicy chaat when you’re back home? If you are the kind of person who enjoys a delicious meal so much that you overindulge and ignore the feeling of being too full, then this is for you! This story dives into the joys and struggles of our ever-changing food desires, and yes, I will be sharing some consequences of my cravings as well at the end!

In the busy world of hostel life, quick and easy snacks often win over healthy, wholesome meals. Whenever I felt hungry, I would grab a packet of Maggi, a bag of chips or cream biscuits, accompanied by milk tea, without thinking much about it. They tasted good and satisfied my hunger, so why not, correct? But soon enough, reality hit me hard. After a few months, my stomach started hurting, and pain became a constant companion, messing with my daily routine and even my studies

This weekend, I watched Laapataa Ladies, a Bollywood comedy-drama. The film delves into the struggles of two women trapped by life circumstances dictated by the veil. It is a heart-warming story of women who didn't give up on life. One of them, Phool, decided that if she finds her way back home, she doesn't want to just remain dependent on someone else – she wants to be the one earning her livelihood. 

In India, a poignant reality unfolds for adolescent girls, revealing a significant lack of understanding and support for their reproductive and sexual health. My recent visit to a government high school brought this starkly to light, exposing the silent battles of teenage girls, struggles that linger unnoticed and unattended. Questions like: “How often should I change sanitary napkins?”How can I handle debilitating period pain that keeps me out of school for days?”

I was born in a small village in Rajasthan, India, where drought, food shortages, and hunger were all too familiar. For seven long years, our village faced drought, teaching me how vital food and nutrition are for everyone's growth and well-being. These experiences shaped my education and career choices.