What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the word weight loss?

Diet, fasting, eating bland or exotic food, right…

 What if we told you that making a mindful switch to foods that are healthier can ease your journey to weight loss and that too, with no crash diets? Today, we are going to look at sustainable diet plans and identify millets that are good for weight loss.

Today, people all over the world are on a constant mission to lose weight and get back in shape. However, weight loss journey is not easy and can take a lot of determination, self-control, and motivation.

The whole idea of losing weight and getting healthy is laudable, but it should be well-guided by experts and not be blinded by the latest diet trends online. With tons of free advice and tips all over the internet, weight loss can be confusing and overwhelming. Not to mention the dangers of unscientific fast fads and social media diets.

A simple mantra to remember that most qualified dietitians also recommend is:

• Keep it sustainable and easy to follow.
• Make mindful choices.
• Be active.

When it comes to weight loss, there are a lot of fancy, different and unique ways of doing it, we strongly believe that simple, doable, and easy to follow diets are sustainable in the long run. Here are a few points to keep in mind as you embark on your weight loss journey:

1. Eat a balanced meal.
2. Make healthy, mindful choices.
3. Stay hydrated.
4. Stay active.
5. Keep a check on your sleep.
6. Track your stress levels.
7. Work on overall wellness than just numbers on a scale.

Along with this, there are a few things that you should avoid when on a weight loss journey:

• Avoid processed food
• Avoid package food
• Avoid sugary food
• Never skip meals
• Stay away from soda, ice cream, cakes, and bakery food
• Avoid being a couch potato and get active

There is always an option for choosing the right food and making a healthy swap in your regular diet to aid the weight loss journey. A simple alteration in the food components that make up your daily meals helps you get more nutrition and aids weight loss, for example replacing wheat with millets.

Best Millets for weight loss

First, let’s understand what is millet? Millet is coarse grain traditionally grown in India for over 5000 years, and millet was a staple in the Indian kitchen for a long time. Readily available in the local Indian grocery store, far more pocket-friendly than the western grains, and recipes that are much more suited to the Indian taste palettes make millets a perfect option to switch to when on a weight loss journey. Millets are a better choice as compared to oats, avocados, and quinoa and much more nutritious and delicious too.

Below are some commonly used millets for weight loss. Let us see some millets that you can consume instead of rice and wheat:

1.Foxtail millet:

Foxtail millet (Kangni/Rala) is commonly used in Indian kitchens even today. It helps in controlling blood sugar and is rich in calcium and iron. It helps strengthen bones and is good for immunity. This is the best grain for people with cholesterol and on weight loss.

2.Ragi/finger millet:

Gluten-free millet, easy to digest, and a good source of calcium that is the best substitute for rice and wheat. Replace wheat roti with ragi riot and rice with ragi mudde in your daily diet. Best for weight loss and high in protein, this millet keeps you feeling full for a longer time.

3.Bajra / Pearl millet:

It is a nutrient-dense millet that is rich in calcium, magnesium, iron, and fiber. It is the best alternative for weight watchers and diabetic people.

4.Buckwheat:

It is another healthy choice for people with diabetes. Buckwheat helps lower blood pressure and improves cardiovascular health. It aids weight loss and helps curb cravings.

5.Littel Millet:

Rightly known as a dieter’s choice, this millet is an excellent replacement for rice and is high in fiber, potassium, zinc, iron, calcium, and vitamin B.

Millets are an excellent option when on weight loss for below-mentioned benefits:

• Millets take longer to digest and absorb in the body, keeping binging and unwanted snacking at bay.
• Its nutrients are dense.
• Millets are good for immunity.
• They are good for bone and brain development.
• It helps to maintain heart health.
• Good antioxidant.
• It is gluten-free so helps weight loss and relieves constipation.
• Rich source of calcium, iron, and fiber.
• Millets keep blood sugar levels low, hence it is good, not only for weight loss but also for PCOD, thyroid, and diabetes.

Now, that we know the goodness of millets and the way they help in weight loss, let us see some ideas through which we can incorporate them in our daily diet.

• Swap your wheat roti for gluten-free millet roti like jowar/ragi/ bajri roti.
• Swap rice with Kodo/little millet/ foxtail millet.
• Swap wheat/maida-based pizza for millet-based pizza.
• Swap rice batter uttapam with ragi dosa, jowar idli, bajra/jowar uttapam/ appi
• Swap maida-based noodles for millet noodles.
• Swap wheat khakra / snack for millet khakra or namkeens and chivdas.

A healthy swap is possible with millets. Make these small changes in your diet and see the weight loss happening, even after eating your favorite food.  You will be surprised to see your skin, hair, and overall health improvement after you switch to millets. Keep experimenting with flavors, texture, and spices like try millet dosa, upma, uttapam, roti, noodles, pizza, and snacks. It is a myth that weight loss food is boring. You can lose weight, increase your metabolism and reverse your aging with these super healthy power-packed millets if used in the right way