In the past four to five years, there has been a major shift in the health industry. People are adding movement into their daily routine, adopting healthier eating habits, and opting for locally grown produce. One such staple that has made its place in everyone’s home is Ragi also known as Finger Millet.
Ragi is a versatile crop that is majorly consumed in South Asian and African countries. In India, Karnataka has the highest production of Ragi due to its weather conditions. With a diverse nutritional value of ragi, Ragi has been proven to offer several benefits and aid in weight loss management.
In this blog, we are going to deep dive and understand if Ragi can truly aid in weight management and help us in shedding those extra pounds.
What is Ragi Flour & How is it Different From Regular Flour?
Unlike refined grains, Ragi flour retains its originality and preserves all the nutrients that can aid in weight management. The shelf life of this power-packed millet lasts for at least ten years. By blending Ragi flour into your daily cooking, you get nutrients like calcium, iron, fiber, and other essential amino acids.
Below mentioned are Ragi Flour Benefits for Weight Loss.
Dietary Fiber
Compared to carbohydrates, fiber takes time to digest. This keeps you full and prevents sudden hunger pangs. Additionally, you are able to track calorie intake and resist overeating. As per the National Library of Medicine, the dietary fiber present in finger millet reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease.
High Polyphenol
Polyphenols are a group of plant-based antioxidants present in Ragi. It has the strength to protect your cells from damage. Incorporating Ragi flour into your daily diet can also help in preventing obesity, and other gastrointestinal diseases. Because of the high polyphenol content, it also brings down inflammation and muscle pain.
Rich in Tryptophan
Tryptophan is an amino acid that primarily produces two hormones, melatonin and serotonin. The former is responsible for maintaining the sleep-wake cycle and boosting the metabolism. While the latter is a “feel good” hormone responsible for uplifting the mood and appetite suppressant. The presence of Tryptophan in Ragi gives you good sleep which is mandatory for weight management. The better you sleep, the better your cognitive health.
Gluten Intolerance
Many individuals find it difficult to absorb gluten-based food as it makes them feel nauseous and bloated. Moreover, it also creates inflammation in the inner intestine lining and irritable bowel syndrome. For them, Ragi flour benefits the most as it’s completely gluten-free and helps in shedding abdominal fat.
Maintains Cholesterol Level
Including Ragi in your daily diet drops the risk of high blood pressure, cholesterol, and coronary diseases. When consumed in its unprocessed and organic form the amino acid like methionine lowers the cholesterol and removes extra fat from the liver. Ragi also boosts energy levels and improves digestion.
Combating Deficiency
Because of our lifestyle changes and job demands, our ability to remain active is very difficult. It becomes accessible to binge-eat and not move around. This results in nutrient deficiency. To combat that, one has to step up their diet game by including Ragi flour in home-cooked food. It’s a good source of vitamin C that helps in absorbing iron into the blood and is anti-inflammatory.
How Does Ragi Roti Contribute Towards Weight Loss?
For someone who has eaten wheat roti all their life, it can be not easy to navigate through the shift. Ragi has a little nutty flavor, color, and nutrients to keep you full throughout the day. Adding Ragi roti into your everyday diet will also provide you with protein which is an excellent source for building mass in the body and fat loss.
Alternate Ways to Add Ragi To Diet
Eating Ragi roti every day can become monotonous. There are many ways you can add Ragi to your diet. For instance, you can make Ragi idli, Dosa, Upma, sprouted Ragi salad, Ragi Banana cake, Ragi pizza, pancakes, and so much more. All it requires is to remove the base flour with Ragi for a nourishing alternative.
Final Thoughts
The biggest lie that we have been told is that to lose weight, you should eat less. When you fall into that loop, you become nutrient deficient. The key is to eat moderately and select food that benefits you in the long run. Ragi is one such millet that will help you shed those extra pounds. If you are allergic to any millet, we suggest you check in with your doctor or a nutritionist.
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