CHENNAI: In 2023, Indra Narayan is the author of the cookbook Millets Kitchen, runs an Instagram account dedicated to such recipes, and follows a lifestyle that not just accommodates but also cherishes a millet-based diet. All this and more came to be only in the last decade. In 2012, Indra was advised by a doctor to reduce weight for health reasons and this opened the door to a subject of passion. “I was obese then. I was a bit lazy about exercise so I thought I would try to work on my diet. An Ayurvedic doctor told me about millets. He said I should cut my carbs. I was eating rice three times a day, so he suggested instead going for low carbs (such as millets). At that time, I had no knowledge of them; I didn’t even know the names,” she says. But what makes millets more desirable than rice? “There are two types of carbs — simple and complex. Simple carbs are easy to digest and absorb nutrients; it is a quick process. Complex carbs (like fibre-rich millets), the way they are digested, the nutrients absorbed and the metabolic level will be entirely different (and is a longer process). As South Indians, we prefer to eat a lot of rice. For someone with such a diet, millets are a good choice,” explains Dr Sreedevi, consultant, Lifestyle Medicine, Prashanth Hospitals.
The first few months were under strict restrictions: giving up rice, cutting down maida and sugar, avoiding fried foods and even limiting caffeine, even when visiting a restaurant. “I had a tough time shifting from rice since I love it. Initially, my stomach didn’t feel satiated but you need to control your tongue for three-five months or you can’t expect health benefits. I reduced weight, my skin improved a lot and my knee got better. When people meet me years later, they think I look younger,” she adds.
Not just a healthy alternative
Much like Indra, food eVangelist Yogita Uchil too dove into millet portions headfirst. Five years ago, she sought out a low carb diet and while millets helped with health and weight, it was the taste that kept her coming back. “I started eating millets and also doing portion control. I loved idlis and dosas made out of millets. I find that with white rice, there isn’t as much flavour. The millet flavour is much more enhanced. Even when you make pongal with millets, you will feel light even with the same amount of ghee and dal. I replaced rice with millets all at once. For three-four days in a week, I would eat millet just like rice — with sambar, rasam, or chicken curry. For me, the curries are more exciting and the dish with which you are having it doesn’t matter too much,” she notes. Having made the change, Yogita notices a reduction in bloating and a more active lifestyle.
This change was made by many during the pandemic, informs Dr Jaishree SS, chief nutritionist and diabetes educator, Dr Mohan’s Diabetes Specialties Centre, when conversations about immunity boosters and different types of diets flowed through the grapevine. “Millets are a powerhouse of nutrients. They have a lot of fibre, vitamins, minerals, and many other health benefits so I think that is the reason people are switching to them. But it is not necessary that you transition completely. Any diet you decide to adopt, you need to be able to sustain it. Portion size is the key (along with the combination of food choice). It should be a balanced meal. That’s what we emphasise during consultation,” she says. Portion size, she adds, depends on various factors — weight, age, profession, daily consumption and more.
Embarking on IYM 2023
The pandemic may have sparked conversations, but with 2023 being the International Year of Millets (IYM), expectations seem to be on the rise with not only those following millet-based diets, but also entrepreneurs in the industry. The proposal for IYM was sponsored by the Government of India and spearheaded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Supported by 72 countries and accepted by the United Nations General Assembly, the proposal is hoped to be a people’s movement. And how the people have spoken.
Yogita shares that she is trying to have events and workshops around millets and indigenous rice and wishes for more such activities to spread awareness. “Forty per cent of millets come from India. If people start using millets worldwide, it will benefit our farmers,” she reminds, while Indra furthers the mission at the record event TamilNadu Millet Conclave held in Coimbatore (see box) today.
The founder of millet-exclusive restaurant Millet Maagic Meal, Adhi Eswari, also joins Indra, sharing her success story as a millet entrepreneur. It was for a Sai Baba puja that Adhi Eswari decided to give up rice and adopt millets as a substitute. Much like Yogita, she stayed on the journey for the taste rather than health. The next few days proved to be tricky as she navigated recipes and she realised many others may face this struggle too. “I started to take cooking lessons and eventually, my friends motivated me to start a restaurant. It began as a cloud kitchen and soon had two restaurant outlets in Anna Nagar and Alwarpet,” she notes, adding that they strive to serve everything from pizza to idli in millet form. While she mentions that those who come to her restaurant are repeated clients, to get their feet in the door is the challenge. But the upcoming year has her hopes up, as she thinks the International Year will benefit her business.
Another hopeful entrepreneur is Guru Abishek, the founder of Healthsure, offering millet health mix powders. “There is a lot of agenda and material around it (IYM); there will be media telecasting and publishing. What you see is what you do, so when people begin listening or seeing (more of millets), they will want to try it,” he says. Guru himself got into a millet diet, incorporating it in at least one meal a day about three-four years ago when he was diagnosed pre-diabetic.
While he saw good results with his blood sugar, he also noticed that millets are often not palatable and hence, established his company. “For those who haven’t yet incorporated millets in their diet, I recommend considering it at least once a day. Those who are in their 20s or 30s should have in mind to adapt to it as it should be addressed at a young age,” he adds. “Millets are available in all seasons and in any supermarket. They offer vitamins (A and B), phosphorus, potassium, are rich in antioxidants, calcium, iron and more. It is not necessary to transition completely because, like any diet, they need to be able to sustain it,” Dr Jaishree concludes.
The benefits of millets are all around us and will only be more visible with IYM 2023. If you have not included millets in your diet, there is no better time.