Flours For Weight Loss: Does Mixing Many Flours Help?

Blogs08 Aug 2024

Indian food is incomplete without soft, hot rotis or chapatis which are flatbreads eaten with curries, stir-fries and more. To make the classic roti, Indian households for generations now have stuck to using wheat flour or atta, but this does not have to always be the case. Generations ago, before the common availability of wheat and rice, Indians used to consume millets like bajra, ragi, and jowar among others. Today, these ingredients are becoming popular all over again for their excellent health benefits which include weight management. How much of this is true and is there merit in mixing flour? Keep reading to find out!

Is it difficult to Manage Body Weight As You Age?

Weight is always affected by more factors than one. Your weight could be such because of your genes, gender, eating habits, exercise, sleeping, stress and more. With age, our metabolism naturally changes, and we also have lower nutrient absorption and weight fluctuations. Then there are other factors like post-menopause to consider as women may gain some weight due to hormonal changes. Hence, adults need to eat a few calories and exercise regularly to maintain an ideal and healthy weight.

But why is maintaining a healthy weight important as you grow older? It’s to reduce the risk of developing lifestyle disorders such as cardiovascular conditions, diabetes etc. And when it comes to losing weight, our diet is of utmost importance. At home, we often only consume wheat flour. A great way to take control of your diet and get the best of nutrition is by mixing more flours to your wheat flour. Adding millets can help increase our intake of nutrition and may even help weight management.

Atta for Weight Loss: Types and Benefits

Weight loss is dependent on different factors and having only one ingredient might not help you achieve your goals. Nonetheless, choosing the right ingredient consistently makes it easier to reach your goal. Mixing different types of flour can help enhance the nutritional content of the finished dish.

So, if you are looking for healthy ingredients to add to your wheat flour, or simply use different flours for their excellent health benefits, try these:

1.Ragi Flour

Ragi, also known as finger millet, is another gluten-free weight loss atta that you can add to your regular meals. It’s rich in dietary fibre (one of the highest fibre contents among cereal grains) and calcium which may aid digestion, help maintain a healthy weight, reduce snacking and also strengthen your bones! Ragi flour for weight loss also has anti-diabetic, antioxidant and antimicrobial properties.

2.Jowar Flour

Jowar or Sorghum contains slowly digestible and resistant starches, fibre, lipids and phytochemicals. Numerous studies have found that jowar consumption may lower the risk of diabetes and heart conditions as it improves blood glucose regulation and helps with weight management. Sorghum also shows antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Plus, if you’re on the lookout for gluten-free atta, then Jowar is a great option.

3.Oats Flour

Oats contain protein, dietary fibres such as β-glucan, and phytochemicals. They are known to keep one feeling fuller for longer due to the high fibre content which can reduce snacking and help in weight management. Additionally, oats also contain antioxidants which can fight free radicals and prevent chronic health conditions.

4.Bajra Flour (Pearl Millet)

Bajra flour contains protein, fibre, folate, iron, magnesium, thiamine, niacin, zinc, phosphorus and more micronutrients. It’s a gluten-free flour so those with gluten intolerance or celiac disease can easily use this every day.

5.Foxtail Millet Flour

Foxtail millet flour contains a significant number of proteins, fibre, vitamins and minerals like calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium and manganese. It’s a source of crude fibre which can aid digestion and help in bowel movement, hence it may be effective in improving the overall digestive system. Some other advantages that this flour provides are reducing the risk of heart conditions, decreasing lipid levels and possibly helping in weight loss.

6.Buckwheat flour

Another flour you can try for weight loss is Buckwheat flour. Offering fibre, vitamins and minerals, buckwheat flour also contains flavonoids rutin and quercetin. Buckwheat flour may be helpful for diabetics as it helps manage blood sugar and improves insulin resistance. It may also support heart health by lowering cholesterol and triglycerides.

Conclusion

In short, if you are tired of using just wheat and need a touch of nutrition, try atta that may help in weight loss like oats, jowar, bajra, ragi, etc. These can not only give a new spin to your rotis and baked goods, but they can also help you in managing your weight. But remember, if weight loss is your goal, you must consider all factors such as a balanced diet under a calorie deficit, regular physical activity, sleep time and quality, stress management, adequate hydration and more. Making additions to your flour may help a little, but making positive changes in your overall lifestyle will help you much more in maintaining a healthy weight!

For more such content on nutrition, ageing and health, visit Right Shift. We are a community for middle-aged folks looking to prioritise their health and make their second innings stronger. Read up on our other blogs to expand your knowledge on these topics or try our free health tools to get started on your healthy ageing journey. We have a free health score calculator that you can check out to find out your current health status. And you can follow that by trying our free meal plan creator, to get a customised meal plan that’s fit for your health goals. Try these now and make the right shift today!