Roti or Rice for Weight Loss: Quarantine Choices
Everyone plans to lose weight during this isolation practicing phase; when the whole world is reeling with the suffering of Covid-19. We also try to get going; with the trend of staying fit and staying healthy during this ‘#stayhome’ and ‘#stayfit’ regime!
When we open up Instagram or Facebook or Snapchat and see our stories; filled with celebrities and influencers posting their “no fat” body full of abs and muscles; flexing Infront of our not so expensive smartphones trying to motivate us (or some of us!). With all this spare time in our houses (or wherever we are); we also think of doing something useful and come out different and better after this whole thing ends! That “something” might be a routine to weight loss for many individuals.
When it comes to Weight loss; everything is there on the internet; from how to wake up early to how to exercise; but the main thing that comes up in this routine is your diet; which makes around 40-50% of success that you may achieve in clenching your goals. But, when we are in our home; we don’t have much of a choice to get outside and buy sugar-free stuff or even Salads for our starters. What we are left with is normal food that is cooked in almost every household. Today we will discuss how to make better choices among the most cooked meal in Asia; Rice or Roti (Chapati/Tortilla- you may know them with different names!)
Rice Vs. Roti
Rice and Roti have often risked our weight loss plan. Since we have grown up eating both, it is difficult to let either go. Starting a weight loss rule is easy but sticking through is where the matter lies.
This is because leaving carbohydrates majorly leads to massive weight loss for many. And in our Indian diet, the major carb components are rice and chapati. As numerous Indian preparations are wheat or rice including completely, so ditching rice and chapati is not right as well.
Roti is made from whole wheat flour and rice is a refined form of raw rice; which is hulled and milled. There has been a lot of debate in the food circle; for a long time on the effects or rice and roti; on our health goals. Many times, we see rice for not imparting any health benefits also adding extra fat in the body. And then there are some health experts; who claim that rice is a lighter food than roti and is thus a better option.
However, the truth is that both
Rice and Roti have almost the same effect when it comes to the body’s fat content.
- Rice and roti have similar carbohydrates and calorific value.
- The glycaemic index is similar in rice and roti; which means they regulate the blood pressure of the body in the same manner.
- Both rice and roti contain the same amount of iron.
In spite of their many similarities, rice and roti have different nutrient profiles.
- Roti has higher level of dietary fibre than rice, so it keeps stomach full for a longer time.
- Rice has more starch in it, hence is easier to digest.
- Rice provides a higher degree of folate, a water-soluble B-vitamin, than a whole wheat roti.
- Roti is richer in most of the minerals like potassium, magnesium, sodium, proteins and calcium.
Conclusion
Considering all the pros and cons of both the items; roti appears out as a clear champion if a judgment has to be made. But, the numerous assistance of rice still cannot be rejected. The significance of a healthy diet is having a bit of everything. There’s no need to give up one thing for another. A limited portion of both rice and roti; along with maintaining a regular workout regime; a healthy lifestyle can do better than following a diet completely devoid of them
However, when it comes to weight loss, the clear champ is chapati. While the difference between rice and chapati is not drastic, nutrient-value wise; the only major distinction lies in the sodium value. Rice, on one hand, has negligible sodium content. Chapati, on the other, has a drastic 190 mg sodium in 120 grams of wheat. Therefore, now when you are stuck in your home; it’s time for you to make choices and start following your routine; sooner than later, you will also be posting your body on Instagram for sure!!!
References:
https://food.ndtv.com/food-drinks/roti-or-rice-which-one-is-a-healthier-option-2013261
https://www.quora.com/Does-rice-make-you-fat-compared-to-chapati
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