Millets Vs Diabetes, Obesity and Malnutrition

A land that gave Yoga to the world is now competing for the title "Diabetes Capital of the world". With 63+ million Indians suffering from Diabetes in 2012, and projected to be around 80+ million in 2030 we are just behind China which has about ~92 million patients today.

This part would try to understand the relation between Diabetes and absence of Millets from our kitchen shelves. Now lets look at some basics:

• Our body performs best when our blood sugar is kept relatively constant. If our blood sugar drops too low, we become lethargic and/or experience increased hunger. And if it goes too high, our brain signals our pancreas to secrete more insulin. Insulin brings our blood sugar back down, but primarily by converting the excess sugar to stored fat. Also, the greater the rate of increase in our blood sugar, the more chance that our body will release an excess amount of insulin, and drive our blood sugar back down too low.

• Therefore, when we eat foods that cause a large and rapid glycemic response, we may feel an initial elevation in energy and mood as our blood sugar rises, but this is followed by a cycle of increased fat storage, lethargy, and more hunger!

• Although increased fat storage may sound bad enough, individuals with diabetes (diabetes mellitus, types 1 and 2) have an even worse problem. Their bodies inability to secrete or process insulin causes their blood sugar to rise too high, leading to a host of additional medical problems.

So in short it is better to consume foods that does not vary the sugar content in blood rapidly which means foods that are with low Glycemic Index (GI) are good for our health.

The other problem we have is the sense of satiation after eating food which is often missing with certain types of junk food. Hence we tend to eat more. Invariably most of the foods are with high GI and hence we are constantly in this loop of abusing our body to produce more and more insulin and as we age, our body throws up its hand in air to produce insulin and we end up with Type 1/2 type diabetes.

So one of the secrets of healthy living is to ensure that we eat foods that offer low GI, better satiation / feeling of fullness with high nutrition. Nothing fills this requirement than Millets at a cost which much lower than any other food item in the market. Because it is pretty filling we don't feel like eating very often. Because it is very nutritious it can address the issue of malnutrition effectively. (you can refer to the 5 part article here.) Hence, Millets addressed problems of obesity, malnutrition and diabetes in one stroke.

The more i think about this, i am convinced that the secret to our ancestors healthy life  is hidden deeply with Millets in their kitchen shelves which have disappeared now. You can google about GI and the ratings of commonly available food items to convince yourself about this.

My sincere request would be to ensure that your food contains at least 50% Millets in the daily dosage and please do not consume a wholly wheat or rice based menu.

I conclude that "We are what we eat"!!

Article by Rags Gopalan...

PS; Shall recommend you this site for further reading http://nutritiondata.self.com/

Miracle Grains: Part 5 - Millets Vs Rice Vs Wheat

Please start this article preferably by starting from Part 1 or at least the previous article for better continuity.

Kodo Millet 

(Hindi: Kodra; Tamil: Varagu; Telugu: Arikelu; Kannada: Harka)

•     Contains nearly 1.22 times proteins, 4.33 times minerals and nearly 45 times fiber than Rice. 
•    Contains nearly 1.73 times minerals and nearly 8.1 times fiber than Wheat.
•   Contains lesser amount of carbohydrates than Wheat and rice and has abundant quantities of Thiamin (Vitamin B1) which is not present in Rice and Wheat.

Little Millet 

(Hindi: Kutki; Tamil: Samai; Telugu: Sama; Kannada: Same; Malayalam: Chama)

•     Contains nearly 2.5 times minerals and nearly 38 times fiber and nearly 13 times Iron than Rice. 
•    Contains nearly 6.3 times fiber and nearly 1.8 times Iron than Wheat. 
•     Contains lesser amount of carbohydrates than Wheat and rice and has abundant quantities of Thiamin (Vitamin B1) which is not present in Rice and Wheat.

Proso Millet 

(Hindi: Barri; Tamil: Panivaragu; Telugu: Varigulu; Kannada:Baragu)

•    Contains nearly 1.85 times proteins, nearly 3.1 times minerals and nearly 36 times fiber than Rice. 
•     Contains nearly 6 times fiber than Wheat. 
•   Contains lesser amount of carbohydrates than Wheat and rice and has abundant quantities of Thiamin (second highest among millets) (Vitamin B1) which is not present in Rice and Wheat. Please note that there is no consistency in the data available on net on the fibre content for Proso millet. So, would stand corrected if the right figures are stated. 

Pearl Millet 

(Hindi: Bajra, Tamil: Kambu, Telugu: Gantilu, Kannada: Sajje)

•       Contains nearly 3.8 times minerals and nearly 6.5 times fiber and nearly 24 times Iron than Rice. 
•    Contains nearly 5.2 times fiber and nearly 3 times Iron than Wheat.
•    Contains the maximum amount of IRON content among the millets.

Sorghum 

(Hindi: Jowar; Tamil: Cholam; Telugu: Jonna; Kannada: Jola; Malayalam: Cholum)

·    Contains nearly 31 times fiber than Rice and nearly 6.2 times Iron than Rice.

·     Contains nearly 5.25 times fiber than Wheat.

Nature has not endowed all the strengths in one grain but has distributed them across. The objective of this article is not say avoid Rice or wheat but to request you to think about the nutritious alternatives that are available at a cheaper cost, that supports small farmers and can withstand climate change risks.

The objective should be eat a more balanced diet with considerable portion of millets in our daily meal.

Article by Rags Gopalan...

PS; Picture courtesy by millets.wordpress.com

Miracle Grains Part 4: Millets Vs Rice Vs Wheat

Understandably, the staple for most of our ancestors was Millets and it was probably after the green revolution we ditched these Miracle grains in favor Rice, wheat, obesity, diabetes and malnutrition.

Yes... over next few articles i shall establish how the land which gave Yoga to the world for healthy living have managed to secure the title "Diabetes capital of the world". But in this article lets take few millets and compare that with Rice and Wheat. You can refer this article for the local name for these millets... I have primarily used Millet Network of India data and some of the other data available freely in internet to substantiate this. 

Barnyard Millet

(Hindi: Jhangora; Tamil: Kuthiravaali; Telugu: Odalu)

• Contains nearly 7 times minerals and nearly 50 times fiber and nearly 21 times Iron than Rice. 
• Contains nearly 3 times minerals and nearly 8 times fiber and nearly 3 times Iron than Wheat.
• Contains lesser carbohydrates than Wheat and Rice and has abundant Thiamin (Vitamin B1) which is not present in Rice and Wheat.

 Ragi / Finger Millet 

(Hindi: Mandua;  Tamil: Kelvargu;  Telugu: Ragulu;  Kannada:Ragi; Malayalam:  Koovarugu)

• Contains nearly 4.5 times minerals and nearly 18 times fiber and nearly 7.5 times calcium than Rice.
• Contains nearly 1.8 times minerals and nearly 3 times fiber and 8.4 times calcium than Wheat.
• Contains same amount of carbohydrates than Wheat and lesser than Rice and has abundant Thiamin (Vitamin B1) which is not present in Rice and Wheat.

Foxtail Millet 

(Hindi: Kangni; Tamil: Tenai; Telugu: Korra; Kannada:Navane; Malayalam: Thina)

• Contains nearly 1.8 times proteins, 5.5 times minerals and nearly 40 times fiber than Rice. 
• Contains nearly 2.2 times minerals and nearly 6.7 times fiber than Wheat.
• Contains lesser amount of carbohydrates than Wheat and rice and has maximum Thiamin (Vitamin B1) among all millets which is not present in Rice and Wheat.

As you can see Millets offer 40 times digestive fibre that of Rice, 7 to 8 times calcium that of Rice and wheat, 21 times Iron than Rice are available with low Glycemic Index which are organic. If man is a rational animal why would he not consume Millets as his staple diet?

Now i shall tell you a super secret which is out in the open, Finger Millet (Ragi) has almost 3 times the calcium (344mg against 120mg in milk) that is present in the milk. It would be astonishing if you know that our body can absorb only 30% of the calcium from milk which is about 36mg. So effectively Ragi offers close to 9 times more calcium for almost the same price. (A litre of milk costs about INR 30/- and a Kg of Ragi is about Rs. 35/-).

I shall continue this article in the next part about few more millets.

Article by Rags Gopalan...

PS; Image courtesy from millets.wordpress.com

Millets: Part 3 - Anatomy of a grain

Why are millets better than Rice and Wheat in its nutrient content?

Why is hand processed rice is better than machine processed rice?

The above 2 questions can be effectively answered if we know the Anatomy of a grain and how it is processed. Any grain consists of 3 layers: Bran, germ and Endosperm.

Bran: The multi-layered outer skin of the kernel that helps to protect the other two parts of the kernel from sunlight, pests, water, and disease. It contains important antioxidants, iron, zinc, copper, magnesium, B vitamins, fiber, and phyto-nutrients.

Germ: The embryo, which, if fertilized by pollen, will sprout into a new plant. It contains B vitamins, vitamin E, antioxidants, phyto-nutrients, and unsaturated fats.

Endosperm: The germ’s food supply, which, if the grain were allowed to grow would provide essential energy to the young plant. As the largest portion of the kernel, the endosperm contains starchy carbohydrates, proteins, and small amounts of vitamins and minerals.

Refined grains / flours have no bran in them. In the case of wheat flour, even the germ is missing. 

When these foods are consumed, glucose / blood sugar levels immediately shoot up. The body produces excess insulin to lower the blood sugar levels. If this goes on for a long time, the body keeps pumping out large quantities of insulin and usually develops insulin resistance. The pancreas might also stop producing insulin. Either way, the glucose levels start to shoot up, resulting in diabetes.

Millets, being whole grains release lesser percentage of glucose and over a longer period of time, thus lowering the risk of diabetes.

May be its a good idea to also understand what are husked and naked grains?

Paddy belongs to the group of Husked grains – to which other small millets like Foxtail (Kakum), Little (Kutki), Kodo(Kodon /Varagu), Proso (Chena) and Barnyard Millets (sanwa) also belong. In the case of husked grains like Paddy we process them in the rice mills to remove the husk and bran to get the conventional white Polished (Paddy) rice. Similarly, the 5 different small millets which are husked can also be made into their respective rice forms. 

Wheat belongs to the Group of Naked Grains – to which other millets like Finger millet (Ragi), Pearl millet (Bajra) and Jowar (Sorghum) belong. Most people are more familiar with Ragi (Finger Millet), Jowar (Sorghum) and Bajra since these millets are consumed even today in different parts of our country and are a part of the local food culture.

So when paddy is husked in an automated machine environment much of the nutrition is lost and we get to eat the portion which is high in carbohydrates and starch. When doing so we end up consuming foods with high Glycemic Index and end up with Diabetes at a much younger age.

Millets even when husked tend to retain their nutritive portion of the grain and hence ends up superior to Rice and Wheat.

I shall compare the nutrient values of some of the millets and that of Rice and Wheat in the next few articles..

Article by Rags Gopalan....

PS; Courtesy from http://millets.wordpress.com/

Miracle Grains: Part 2 - Millet Varieties

Some of the millet varieties that are commonly found in India are given below with the popular regional names. I shall publish the nutritional values in these when compared to Rice and Wheat in the next article.

Pic courtesy: Millet Network of India.

Article by Rags Gopalan....

Millets are Miracle grains: Part 1

What are millets?

Millets are small-seeded grasses that are hardy and grow well in dry zones as rain-fed crops, under marginal conditions of soil fertility and moisture. Millets are one of the oldest foods known to humans and possibly the first cereal grain to be used for domestic purposes.

Millets are also unique due to their short growing season. They can develop from planted seeds to mature, ready to harvest plants in as little as 65 days. This is important in heavily populated areas.  If properly stored, whole millets can be kept for two or more years.

Millets should be called as Miracle grains. Let’s see why?

Nutrition Rich:

1. Millets are highly nutritious
2. Millets are non-glutinous
3. Millets are not acid formingfoods.
4. Millets are soothing and easy to digest.
5. Millets are the least allergenic
6. Millets are most digestible grains available.
7. Millets lowers the risk of diabetes.
8. Compared to rice, especially polished rice, millets release lesser percentage of  glucose and over a longer period of time.
9. Millets are particularly high in minerals like iron, magnesium, phosphorous and potassium.

• Finger millet (Ragi) is the richest in calcium content, about 10 times that of rice or wheat.
• Consuming millets is one of the easiest and most economical ways of addressing the problem of malnutrition.

Environmental & farmer friendly:

Today over 60% of India’s total farming area is rain fed. Nearly 50% of total rural workforce and and 60% of cattle population is dependent on this rain fed area for livelihood.

Millets are environment friendly, Climate change compliant crops and demands less resources.

o   Millets need very little water for production.

o   Utilize less water and cultivate high nutrition food grains.

o   Needs very less irrigation and demand on power.

o   Can be grown in dry lands and does not demand rich soil.

o   Millets are pest free crops and does not require synthetic fertilizers.

Consider this a 2 degree increase in global temperature may eliminate Wheat as a grain from the face of earth. Wheat is a season specific crop and Millets are grown throughout the year. 

• Increasing water scarcity puts greater stress in growing rice which requires standing water. 
• Improve productivity of dry lands and support small time and dry land farmers. 
• Support sustainable cropping practices where by introducing diversity in our diets. 
• India is the largest producer and consumer of millets. 42% of global production is consumed by India. 
• Millets are consumed by human beings and also by cattle. Hence it provides food security to the entire agricultural ecosystem. 

WHAT ELSE WILL YOU CALL SUCH GRAINS WHICH ARE GROWN IN: 

• Marginal Soil 
• Does not demand irrigation and power 
• Provides food security to the entire agricultural ecosystem. (Cattles and Humans) 
• Highly nutritious and fiber rich. 
• Offers protection against climatic changes and its impact. 
• That does not require synthetic fertilizers because they are pest free. 

They are GOD’s OWN CROPS… or can be called as MIRACLE GRAINS.

Article written by Rags Gopalan...

PS; Image and details courtesy Millet Network of India (MINI)

What are you eating?

Many a times we notice the quality of what we eat. It takes lot of effort to probably understand that "We are what we eat". Most such discussions on this topic quickly ends up in a debate over Vegetarianism Vs. non-Veg foods with every dimension of morality, spirituality, mercy and livelihood questions cropping up.

I don't want to tread into any of the topics and wanted to just highlight a simple classification of how we can be conscious of what we are eating and leave it to the individual to carry on with his eating habits.

In fact it is much easier for parents to use this classification and monitor what their kid's eating preferences are and should be.

The classification looks at just 2 parameters:

1. How nutritious your food is?

2. How satiating / filling your food is?

Since most of us are slaves to our taste buds in different degrees it is important that we derive a sense of fullness / fulfillment after we eat. In the absence of it we tend to eat more leading to multiple associated complications.

The discussion on nutrition is more complicated than the fullness discussion. I don't think there is any conclusion among nutritionists / health care experts as to what is nutritious and what is not. I am going to take some liberty to define this in this article and explain it over next few blogs. Should i add a disclaimer that this is not written from a position of authority but this article should help you explore the truth and nudge you towards that thinking mode.

While there is a minimum requirement of nutrition that is demanded by our body below which may lose it natural ability to maintain its functioning which could be termed as "malnutrition".

To my knowledge there are set of generic parameters decide whether the food is nutritious are not and the generic set are as follows:

1. Food does not contain allergens or carcinogenic substances - this includes inorganic foods which are grown with high level of pesticides, the ones which has preservatives, artificial colors. If you complain that we may have to eliminate most of the packaged foods under this category, I can understand but please read on.

2. Food that are easily digestible by an individual's constitution. For example if you have allergy to any items then it cannot be considered as nutritious. Hence an individual's constitution plays an important role.

3. Foods that are enzyme rich. This makes the food easily digestible and not dependent on body to produce enzymes.

4. Foods that maintain an anti-acidic / alkaline environment in our body. Please note that the nett effect of food should be alkaline and enzyme rich and this need not be considered for every item we eat. If i can define it with an example: Wheat has gluten which results in acidic environment post digestion in our body but if wheat is mixed with enough food grains that neutralizes the effect then that nett effect has to be considered.

5. Food that are well balanced. Balanced with nutrition and taste.

• Nutritional balance is primarily with proteins, vitamins, minerals, fibre, Carbs and Fat.
• Ayurveda says that every meal should have all the 6 tastes which influences our physical and mental health.

6. Foods that are rich with anti-oxidants, less Glycemic Index and less of saturated and trans-fats.

7. Finally "Excess of anything is bad" and the nature thrives in the delicate balance of constituents and hence avoid taking foods that increase a specific component like Omega 3 etc.

             

I shall stop this blog with my favorite quote from Sage Adhi Shankara "Food is the medicine for the disease called hunger" which highlights that we need to take food just like medicines which are need based, in moderate doses, timely and not consume for the sake of taste buds. 

Its very easy to understand this but it takes a life time to follow this. :)

Article written by Rags Gopalan...