If you are trying to lose weight, you might be aware of the fact that not every weight-loss plan works for everyone. You have to experiment to figure out what works for you. You have a whole range of options when it comes to weight-loss plans, so many exercise regimens, diet plans, and superfoods.
One such superfood that has been claimed to help you shed weight is horse gram.
What is Horsegram?
Horse gram is a lentil that is mostly grown in Africa, Asia, and Australia. Horse gram or Macrotyloma Uniflorum has been used for hundreds of years as alternative medicine in rural communities to treat a lot of conditions like kidney stones, asthma, cold, etc. Not only is it good for weight loss it has a lot of nutritional value that can help change your diet for the better.
Let’s take a look at the nutritional value of horse gram
For every 100 grams of horse gram we eat, we have
Energy – 321 Kilocalories
Carbohydrates – 57 grams
Protein – 22 grams
Fiber – 5 grams
Minerals – 3 grams
Phosphorous – 311 milligrams
Calcium – 287 milligrams
Iron – 7 milligrams
This breakdown of horse grams nutrients gives us an idea of its potential health benefits. Some of these nutrients are also specifically effective for weight loss. Horse Gram’s connection with weight loss can be easily understood.
Does Horse Gram Help With Weight Loss?
How horse gram helps us with weight loss
Protein
As can be seen, horse gram has a significant percentage of protein in it. Protein has always been chosen by fitness enthusiasts as their primary nutrient and an essential ingredient in any food because of its numerous benefits. Protein can help build muscle, which means it can quicken your process for weight loss.
Fiber
Horse gram is also high in fiber, which is another essential nutrient for your wellbeing. Fiber plays an important role in your digestion. There are two types of fibers; soluble fiber and insoluble fiber. Insoluble fiber helps pass food material by adding bulk, so a lot of what you eat is passed without absorbing a portion of the food. This can be useful if you are trying to lose weight. Soluble fiber, on the other hand, dissolves and mixes with the food material to form a gel-like substance. This slows down the digestive process. Soluble fiber can give you a feeling of fullness without eating a lot, which can help you reduce your appetite and help you eat less food. Slow digestion also means higher metabolism, since it takes more energy for the digestive system to process the food.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are regarded as the biggest hurdles to weight loss and fitness. This need not be entirely true though. Yes, a lot of negative effects (including weight gain) is experienced from an excess intake of carbohydrates, but your body needs a certain amount of energy for metabolism, and then more energy to keep exercising properly. Without the energy from carbohydrates, we won’t be able to work out at all. So Carbohydrates along with all the benefits of protein and fiber in the wholesome superfood that is horse gram can help you lose weight by giving you the energy for the process, and the essential nutrients as well.
Increased Metabolism
Eating horse gram every day can increase your metabolism as well, and this is evident from the nutrients present in horse gram. Protein has always been a huge contributor to increasing metabolism, because of the amino acids which take a lot of energy to be processed. The fiber in horse gram also serves to increase metabolism in the same way. This energy for the digestion process comes from existing calories in the body’s fat deposits, so an increase in metabolism is a decrease in body fat.
Different ways of having horse gram
Horse gram can be had in savory dishes. It is used in many Indian dishes like curries. A few healthy ways to have horse gram are by steaming, boiling, or just sprouts in a salad. Horse gram can also be had as a soup with different ingredients in it. Some people powder the horse gram (with different spices) and add the powder to their food.
Horse Gram can be an effective tool to aid you in your weight loss, with all of its benefits. So if you are on the journey towards better fitness, Horse Gram can be an essential addition to balance your diet. Even if you are not trying to lose weight, horse gram will help you eat healthier and improve your overall well-being.
