No Rice, No Roti, No Sugar: Why Cutting Food Groups Fails (Video)

Transcript

Why bans fail

Ever tried cutting rice, roti, or sugar and ended up back at the table with biryani? Let’s see why that approach usually backfires.

The three bans

Three bans announced on a Monday, no rice, no roti, no sugar, are usually abandoned by Sunday with a plate of biryani. The idea isn’t stupid, but the method is. Understanding the glycaemic index in plain words shows why.

Why the ban feels logical

People think carbs raise blood sugar, insulin stores fat, so cutting carbs should solve the problem. It sounds clean, so they announce it to the family and refuse roti at a dawat. By Thursday hunger climbs, and dry namkeen becomes the go-to snack.

At a glance

The real lever is how much, how often, and what sits beside the grain. A medium chapati is about 100 to 120 calories, a level katori of cooked rice roughly 150 to 170 calories. Glycaemic index ranks speed of blood-sugar rise, not fattening potential.

Why cutting whole groups backfires

First, whole-grain atta supplies fibre, B vitamins, magnesium and iron. Remove it and you lose those nutrients, often leading to constipation within a fortnight. Second, a banned food becomes loud in your mind, taking up more space than a measured portion. Restriction reliably produces cravings.

A food you have banned will occupy more of your week than a food you have measured.

Glycaemic index, plain

Glycaemic index, or GI, ranks carbohydrate foods by how quickly they push blood sugar up after you eat them, with pure glucose set at 100. High-GI foods act fast; low-GI foods release more slowly. White bread, most white rice and refined flour sit high, while whole-grain atta, barley, oats, most dals, beans, vegetables and dahi sit lower.

Portion-first approach

The method takes one evening to learn. Weigh a dough ball; a medium chapati comes from 30 to 35 grams of dough. One level steel katori of about 150 ml holds roughly 120 to 130 grams of cooked rice. Decide the number before you sit, two rotis or one roti and a katori of rice. Build the rest of the plate first: half veg or salad, about 200-250 g cooked, and a quarter protein.

Better swaps than bans

If you want the benefit people chase when they ban things, try this instead. Eat the sabzi and protein first, grain last, this naturally shrinks the grain without a rule. Add a fibre-rich food each day: a big sabzi, a dal, a salad, or isabgol if constipation is an issue. Small additions are worth more than any ban.

How it was eaten

Neither Unani nor Ayurvedic tradition treats grains as the enemy. Both build meals around a grain and adjust by season, digestion and the person. Ghee, gur and rice have honoured places, in appropriate amounts and times of year. The modern excess comes from cold drinks with lunch and biscuits at four, not the roti itself.

Worth knowing first

If you take diabetes medicine, especially insulin or sulfonylureas, don’t suddenly slash carbs without talking to your doctor, doses may need adjusting and a hypo is a real risk. Anyone with kidney disease should get personal advice before increasing protein or dal. In pregnancy, breastfeeding, and for children and teenagers, focus on changing what the household cooks instead of restrictive diets.

What to expect

Slower, duller, and it works. After the first week or two, expect roughly half a kilo to one kilo a week. Over ten to twelve weeks that’s a genuine change, achieved while still eating your mother’s cooking from the same pot as everyone else. Nobody at the table has to know you’re doing anything, and the sweet cravings gradually stop shouting.

Takeaway

For the full story, read the post on thecareonline.com. Remember, this is lifestyle advice, not medical guidance.