6 reasons to eat millets everyday

Millets are everyday food for everyday people of all ages. We don’t need any reasons to eat millets but if you do, here are some good ones (sources at the end of the article)

1. Millets help improve immunity

   

   Millets are a rich source of a wide variety of micro-nutrients like calcium, thiamin and magnesium. The presence of these micro-nutrients supports the immune system and prevents invisible deficiencies.

2. Eat millets to live longer

   

   Studies have shown that eating higher fibre-rich food increases longevity! Millets are high in both soluble and insoluble fibre. High soluble and insoluble fibre content helps the food move through the digestive system in a more controlled manner. Also, soluble fibre helps prevent acidity and reduce cholestrol while insoluble fibre can help improve bowel-related health problems, like constipation.

3. Millets help in losing weight

   

   Millets have a naturally high satiety index – especially when compared to rice and wheat. Eating less of millets is enough to make you feel full & satiated. When you consume less calories in each meal, you are all set to naturally lose weight

4. Say goodbye to hunger pangs with millets

   Millets are made of complex carbohydrates (as opposed to simple carbohydrates that are present in rice and wheat). Complex carbohydrates digest slower and steadier – so you will feel satiated for longer and will not feel hunger pangs in between meals. This means less snacking, more productivity at work and less cooking at home.

5. Eat Millets to Fight Diabetes

   

   Millet Rices have a low Glycemic Index (GI) when compared to rice and wheat. Glycemic Index is an experimental figure which reflects the overall spike in blood sugar after a meal, so if a food has a low glycemic index, it means it will not cause a big spike in blood sugar after eating & the sugars will be released slowly. Eating more low Glycemic Index food reduces the risk of diabetes over a long period of time.

6. Eat Millets to support our farmers and the environment

   

   Millets are hardy, rain-fed crops which don’t need irrigation to grow. They grow well in poor soil without any additives and are immune to local pests and diseases. Reduced dependence on irrigation puts less pressure on our fragile water systems and lessens water conflicts. Millets can provide economic and food security to the farmer and the rural economy. In fact, they are the last standing crop in case of a draught. Eating more millets makes it economically viable for more farmers to grow them.

Did we miss anything? For comments or corrections, please email us at shop@kaulige.com or reach us at facebook.com/kaulige

Drop by at Kaulige Millet Corner, Brigade Road for a complete millet experience (we serve millet food for lunch!). We offer corporate catering too. For a corporate millet workshop or trial lunch, please email Arun at arun@kaulige.com or call us at 9845490382.

Notes & Sources:

• In this article, if rice is mentioned, we mean the commercially available white paddy rice & not local brown rice varities
• Micro-nutrients & Immunity: http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/micronutrients-health/immunity
• Millet Nutrient Content: https://kaulige.com/pages/millets-and-their-nutritional-information
• Fibre and Longevity: https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748703584804576144641980847926
• Calorie content in rice & millets: http://www.calorie-charts.net/cereal-grains-pasta/3186,  http://www.calorie-charts.net/cereal-grains-pasta/2167
• Glycemic Index of Millets: http://www.recentscientific.com/sites/default/files/1782_1.pdf & https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3907638/
• Millets and Diabetes: https://kaulige.com/pages/millets-and-diabetes
• Rainfall requirement: http://www.fao.org/docrep/s2022e/s2022e02.htm