Indian Millet diet plan for weight loss and Diabetes

Millets are small-seeded grasses that are used like cereal grains for human consumption. India is one of the leading producers of millets. Earlier it was used as fodder for animal cultivation but slowly it was recognized as a popular food grain across the globe. Millets have now proven to be super beneficial for ailments like diabetes and help in weight loss. Consumption of millets is seemingly popular in the southern part of India. The Telugu, Tamil, and Kannada cuisine has a variety of millet recipes. Here is a simple Indian millet diet plan for weight loss and diabetes.

India saw a gradual decline in the consumption of millets in the last few years. This is because people are not aware of the health benefits of millets. These days the supermarket shelves are full of processed flours and cereals that have overpowered millets. But thankfully millets are again gaining back its popularity. Read- Types of Millets and the Benefits of millets.

Table of Contents

Nutrition in Millets:

Types of millets found in India and common name:

Benefits of Millets:

Nutritional Composition of Millets:

Millets and Weight Loss

Why are millets good for weight loss?

Benefits of millets:

How to Consume Millets?

Indian Millet diet plan for weight loss and Diabetes:

Nutrition in Millets:

Before we move on to the Millet diet plan, let us first touch base with some basic information on nutrition and millets.

Types of millets found in India and common name:

Sorghum – Jowar

Finger Millet – Ragi

Pearl Millet – Bajra

Foxtail millet – Kora / kangni

Barnyard millet – Sanwa / jhangora

Kodo millet – Kodra / arika

Little millet – Samae / kutki

Proso millet – Barre

Benefits of Millets:

It is gluten-free

Low in calories

Rich in fiber

Sufficient vitamins and minerals

Contains bioactive compounds

Read more on the benefits of millets.

Nutritional Composition of Millets:

Macros : Millets contain about 65-70 % carbohydrates, 7-12% protein, 2-5% fat, and 15-20% dietary fiber.

Vitamins: They contain important vitamins like thiamin, riboflavin, folic acid, and niacin.

Mineral: The minerals found in millets are calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc, copper, etc.

The lignan and phytonutrients in millets act as strong antioxidants within the body.

Each millet has a unique property that helps improve health. Bajra (pearl millet) contains comparatively higher levels of protein compared to ragi (finger millet).

Ragi (finger millet) is a great source of calcium. It is one of the first foods used as a weaning food for infants.

Kodra (Kodo millet) resembles rice the most. It can be used interchangeably with rice and its preparations. It is also famous as “diabetic rice” amongst some people.

Millets and Weight Loss

Obesity is associated with chronic disorders like diabetes, cardiac issues, PCOS, cancer, hypothyroidism, etc. There are researches showing millets when included in the diet help reduce these comorbidities associated with obesity.

Millets contain a lot of fiber. Fiber is great for your stomach; it will ensure that you have proper digestion and absorption of nutrients in the body. This fiber keeps you full for a longer period of time. This helps in avoiding binge eating in the next meals and also reduces the in-between meals hunger pangs. Higher the fiber higher is the satiety level of the millet. Such property makes an individual eat less quantity in a meal automatically reducing the calorie intake.

The sufficient amount of proteins and low lipids in the millets makes them a perfect selection for weight loss. When you have a well-balanced diet, automatically you feel energized and amped up for burning fat.

Benefits of millets:

Helps keep diabetes in check:

Millets have high fiber content that makes it a low glycaemic index (GI) food (R1). It takes a longer time to get digested in the body. Low GI causes the gradual release of glucose into the bloodstream. Thus, when a diabetic consumes millets there is no sugar spike in the blood. Read- Indian diet plan for diabetes type 2.

Heart Friendly:

The lignans and the fiber reduce the triglyceride and LDL levels in the blood (R2). This stabilizes the cholesterol levels in the body. Millets have high magnesium levels that help relax the muscles of the artery. This keeps the blood pressure in control. Controlled blood pressure further reduces episodes of cardiac arrest and stroke. Read – DASH diets for high blood pressure.