The Forgotten Millets - Bangs In to Urban Kitchen Like Never Before and Millets Getting Re-Introduced To Us.
What are Millets?
Millets are a group of gluten-free cereal grains that are highly nutritious and commonly contain higher protein, minerals, vitamins and fiber levels, compared to corn, rice and wheat. Millets can be grown with little water compared to most other grains and are very well suited to drought-like conditions. The production of Millets is not dependent on the use of synthetic fertilizers and a majority of them are not affected by storage pests. Millets are naturally bio-diversified, hence making them amenable to cultivation in various agro-climatic conditions.
Millets have double amount of minerals and fiber and are low in sugar content as compared to rice and wheat. It’s a store house of nutrients. It’s not a bird’s food. White rice breaks down to glucose very fast which in turn increases blood sugar level, the millets slowly breaks down because of low glycemic. Millet is a woefully overlooked grain, mildly sweet and nutty and so versatile it can be used in everything from pilafs to cookies. It has in itself a soothing and comforting quality that makes it ideal for fall and winter meals. Millets are food for future, astonishingly low water consuming crops.
If you’re into healthy eating, chances are that your menu includes quinoa. You are probably willing to spend more than Rs 1,000 at the supermarket to buy a kilogram of the nutritious grain. But do you know that the same store stocks millets, which cost less than Rs100 a kilogram and are almost as nutritious or more nutritious? Millets are coarse grains and a store box of protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals. The major kinds of millets include jowar (sorghum), ragi (finger millet), korra (foxtail millet), arke (kodo millet), samai (little millet), bajra (pearl millet), chena/barr (proso millet) and sanwa (barnyard millet).
History of Millets
Millet grains have been discovered in pots used for storing grains and seeds discovered at archaeological sites in present day China, India, Europe and different parts of Africa. Millets have been a part of the staple diet among many communities across the world. We are acknowledged to millets popping up in literature, sculptures, paintings, folk songs and religious compositions from different times and geographies. You can find many millet preparations in traditional cuisines surviving to this day in different parts of India, China, Japan, Korea, Russia, Turkey, Russia, and Ethiopia etc.
Health benefits of Millets
Top 3 Nutritional Benefits: 1) High in magnesium (shown to help lower blood pressure and lower the risk of heart disease); 2) high in fiber to slow down the digestion process; and 3) highly alkaline and easy to digest.
Consumption of residue free organic millet meal in regular diet will provide nutritious balance to overcome the diseases like cancer, diabetes, heart attacks, cardiac diseases, renal disorders, gastro intestinal problems, thyroid issues liver failures, brain disorders etc. Millet food has to be promoted globally on a massive scale to build a healthy human society by preventing them from chronic diseases. Being rich in minerals like calcium, zinc, magnesium and iron, Millets help in improving health in many ways. Zinc and Magnesium are useful for diabetics and calcium for bone health etc. Contents of protein in pearl and foxtail millets are comparable with those in wheat, barley and maize.
Millets for women
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Mental stress, dizziness, hair fall, joints pain, lack of concentration is the basic symptoms of Thyroid. It can be controlled by eating millets regularly.
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Increases the production of breast milk in pregnant and lactating women.
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Helps in easing the menstrual cycle.
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Meets the requirements of iron, calcium and vitamin B.
Millets for children
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Helpful for muscle growth and development.
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With low glycemic index it helps in preventing the risk of obesity in children.
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They are rich in fibre and hydrate the colon, which prevents constipation in children.
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Being rich in magnesium, it also helps in the formation of bones and teeth.
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Millets are alkaline in nature and easily digestible for infants and toddlers.
Millets for everyone
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Its high-fibre content helps in bowel movement and manages diabetes and obesity.
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Its high magnesium level is good for lowering blood pressure, while the potassium content keeps hypertension at bay
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Brings down blood glucose in diabetics
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Prevents cardiovascular disease
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Promotes weight loss
In this age of modern life style, the millets and millet foods are gaining good response due to various health advantages. Demand is growing for highly nutritional and balanced diet due to health awareness in today’s ever changing world. It is time to develop a holistic approach to strengthen the resilience of agricultural livelihoods through the new initiative of promoting nutritious and hardy traditional climate smart millet crops to strengthen the resilience of food systems. These magic minor millets have the significant value in the context of India, as a large section of its population still depends on the production and productivity of millets and other so-called minor crops.
We at Kamaleya promote a healthy culture of living so as to have an excellent life with better health. We lay emphasis on good food and hence we produce best millets with our farmers practising Vedic consciousness. Eat good, feel better.