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Of rice, roti and weight loss

Of rice, roti and weight loss
See your body the way it is and be less of a critic. ©Shutterstock

Should you have rice or roti when you are on a weight-loss mission? The verdict is out. Read on to know more.

Written by Saswati Sarkar |Published : April 11, 2019 9:55 PM IST

Being overweight or obese is at the root of many health disasters including heart ailments, cancer, diabetes, breathing disorders and what not. Hence, it is important to keep those extra kilos at bay. That way, you are not only saving yourself of many life-threatening ailments, but also alleviating body image issues that are associated with obesity.

When you are looking at shedding those extra kilos, exercise alone won't help. In fact, it is said that 70 per cent of weight loss is about what you eat. If you burn calories with workouts and end up piling them on (or even more!) again with what you eat, then that's a zerosome game. So, what you eat is of utmost importance in furthering your weight-loss goals.

What should be the ideal calorie intake when you are on a weight-loss mission? There is no blanket rule for this. "Before recommending the upper limit of calorie intake, a person's age, eating pattern, height, and overall health should be examined. How much weight one needs to lose is also a deciding factor. However, for an average urban woman who intends to lose weight, the ideal calorie intake should be around 1400 per day. The figure is 1700 for urban men. Out of these, 50-55 per cent should come from carbohydrates and 10-12 per cent should come from protein for both the genders," says Rekha Sharma, President of the Indian Dietetic Association. By and large, a weight-loss diet should have high fibre, good amount of protein and lot of green veggies.

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A large proportion of our carbohydrates is derived from rice and roti as they are an integral part of the Indian diet. But the big question is, are they good for us when we are planning to lose weight? Let's figure out.

Rice vs. chapati

"Chapati is a better option than rice for weight loss," says Sharma. This is because chapatis are made of wheat which is low in glycaemic index (GI) and high in fibre. that's why rotis make you stay full for a longer duration," she explains. A low GI food slows down the release of sugar in your blood, which plays an important role while it comes to losing weight.

"Cereals account for a major part of our diet. We eat them in our breakfast lunch and dinner. So, it is important that we change the quality of our cereals. You should always opt for mixed grains for maximum weight-loss benefits. Take wheat for example. If you add some pulses into it, like missi roti, fibres, vegetables or daal into the dough itself, it will reduce the quantity of wheat you use and give you more protein and satiety," says Sharma. Apart from wheat, you can make your chapati from any other millets like bajra and jawar. They are healthier options in terms of weight-loss.

Are you wondering how many chapatis you should add to your plate while you are on a weight loss mission? Well, the numbers vary for men and women. "A woman on a 1400 calorie/day diet can take 2 medium-sized chapatis for lunch and 2 for dinner. The chapatis should be made of 20-25 grams of wheat. Men, who are on a 1700 calorie/day diet, can take 3 chapatis per meal," says Sharma.

For the rice eating population, however, the solution is not switching to roti. They should reduce the quantity. "Reduce one third of what you are eating and put vegetables and pulse into it to make that much bulk. This reduces the starch quantity in your meals and makes it high in proteins and fibre. The quantity will depend on the amount of weight you need to lose, eating pattern, age and height. A woman who is on a 1400 calorie/day diet should eat rice only for lunch and dinner, not breakfast. Two small servings of rice for lunch and two for dinner should suffice. It should be a total of 100g of rice per day across two meals. For men on a 1700 calorie/day diet, the quantity can be 150g per day," elaborates Sharma.

Brown rice is a better option than white rice if you are on a weight-loss mission because it is much higher in fibre content. However, cooking it takes a lot of time.

"While cooking rice, do not drain the water out. This process robs rice off its vital nutrients. Rice should be steamed and the water should be retained," suggests Sharma.

Superfoods for weight loss

Your body type, metabolic rate and physical activity throughout the day can dictate how much calories you will burn in a day, or how much weight you are going to lose. But what you eat is of utmost importance while you plan to shed those extra kilos.

There are foods that can rev up your capacity to lose weight by increasing your metabolism and pacing up your calorie burn. Include apples, flaxseeds, almonds, and egg whites in your diet to see fast results. They will also offer you all the essential nutrients that are required by your body. Apart from these superfoods, you can also include grapefruits in your diet as they can keep you full for a long duration, thanks to their high-water content. Oats and green tea are the other slimming foods that should be part of your meals. While oats will keep you full for longer in lesser calories with its high fibre content, the antioxidant properties of green tea will rev up your calorie burning process.