# What is millet?



## Guest (Jul 4, 2001)

I would like to try a recipe called "My body hates me soup" from: http://www.jps.net/gracem/recipes.htm but i have no clue what millet is. I've only heard it used as bird feed. Is this what I'm supposed to use?Thank you,iby


----------



## Imagica (Jan 14, 2001)

Hi Iby,Millet, common name for several species of the grass family and for their small-seeded grain, which is used to make porridge and flatbreads or as food for livestock. Now for a little history lesson....







It is an important food staple in most of the former Soviet republics, western Africa, and Asia, where it probably originated more than 5000 years ago. Because it ripens in 60 to 80 days, grows in less-fertile soils, and resists drought, it is widely cultivated in poorer agricultural areas. The millets usually contain less protein than wheat or rye and more protein than rice.Among the better-known millets is common millet, or proso, which is grown as food in China, India, central and western Asia, and eastern Europe, and as feed for poultry, wild birds, and livestock in the United States. Pearl millet is the tallest millet and has the largest grains, which appear on long spikes similar to those of cattails. It is a common food in Africa, India, and Asia and is grown as fodder and silage in the United States. I'm adding a story about how Millet came about since when you try a new ingredient it's fun to learn about the historical origins of the food....Millet is one of the main crops in mountain area. Many years ago, people used to sow millet in the field and leave it like that. Because of the weeds, the millet didn't grow very well. After they sowed the millet they used to go to harvest it. Then, they used to set fire to the straw. Later, people started to harrow the millet when it grew about two inches (five cm.) high. This practice is still done in the villages. Here is a story how the people started to harrow their millet fields.A man in Paudwar village had two wives. The two wives often used to quarrel with each other. Therefore, the husband divided the land between his wives equally. Both of the wives sowed millet in their fields. At that time, they had a big fight again. One of them sneaked at night into the other's field with a small spade and dug around hastily with the intention of destroying the millet crop. Later on, the millet crop which had been dug hastily grew very well and yielded more than the other. In this way, they knew that harrowing the millet field with a small spade would help the millet grow better. After some time, those people who sowed millet in larger fields began to harrow their fields with a log fitted with spike like teeth. Actually, oxen are used to draw the harrow.The harrows help to control the weeds in the millet field giving more yield. In this way, the practice of harrowing the millet field was started. [This message has been edited by Imagica (edited 07-05-2001).]


----------



## Guest (Jul 5, 2001)

Thank you so much Imagica. I really enjoyed your history lesson. It is interesting to learn more about these things. I'm a librarian technician so I appreciate any information that comes my way. So I would find millet with other grains? I haven't been able to find it in the local grocery but there are larger groceries in the nearest town. Is it flour? or course grain? I'm so new to this, I was only diagnosed last week and have found only one thing i can eat without pain in that time. I don't think i can live on plain french bread very well so I'm really trying to find other things. But it's frightening to know that whatever i try might cause the pain. Oh i was able to eat a small baked potatoe and didn't have the intense pain from that, just discomfort.I am really learning alot from this bulletin board. I keep thinking maybe some of my pain from eating comes from not having eaten for over a month. Maybe some things will be all right as time goes by but i don't even want to try anything. Does this ever go away as mysteriously as it came?thank you again!iby


----------



## Imagica (Jan 14, 2001)

Well, I'm glad you enjoyed all the information. Although I have never bought "millet" I'm thinking the history lesson is where to start. Do you have any ethnic grocery stores near where you live? If not there are plenty on the web that offer delivery. I would start with either the India & Asian stores first. Yes it should be sold as a flour since most people don't have grinders in their home







Yes! IBS does at times disappear for years for no apparent reasons. It happened for me for 20yrs or so. Although every once in a while it'll make a peep but you can actually forget that is IBS and that your just a normal person with bouts of C or D. Now, what's this about you not eating for a month? Don't you know not eating is just as bad as overeating? Well,it is. Anyway let's see. Potatoes can be a fine food to eat but baked is a bit hard on the tummy's. Try boiled or roasted but rinse them very well and use the low starch varieties. Those would be the ones with thin skin like red, new & white. Use fresh pasta to opposed to dry.Butter opposed to margarine although butter is more fattier it's more natural then margarine. Try organic foods if you can afford them and get them also much better for ya. Gardening your own foods are not only cheaper they taste great if your diligent about not adding any pesticides. Besides that its a great way to relax. I make a lot of my own food from scratch that way I can control the ingredients. And heck mine taste better anyway







Although you didn't state what kind of IBS you have. I'm just putting the basic information down here. Like avoiding fried foods. If you have a grill use it as much as possible and when you cook in the oven use a rack in the pan your using for meats so they don't sit in fat if your a gravy person and yes you should be able to still eat it. Use a gravy separator. Elimination diets are fine but extremely boring. But being smart and using resources to your advantage is the way to go. You said your a librarian technician use that to your advantage. Antispasmodic drugs too, one 20-30 minutes before a meal can be a lifesaver. Sitting for that amount of time after can also be helpful just wait to clean up is all. All IBS really stands for is a lifestyle change and we do that periodically through ours lives we just don't have to think so hard about it. It usually just comes naturally. So is my ability to ramble


----------



## Guest (Jul 6, 2001)

Thank you again Imagica. You'll never know how much you've helped me. Hearing from someone that understands makes a lot of difference I think. I ordered some dehulled millet. I hope this is right, lol. I was finally able to find a place to order it online and not buy a 5 gallon bucket, lol. That's all i could find for the longest time. Now I hope i can eat that soup. I had a strange day yesterday. One bad thing and a good thing. I called the gastroenterologist's office to ask a few questions and the nurse told me that ibs is not a problem just an inconvenience. I was pretty speechless. I wanted to tell her to get a knife and stick it in her stomach and twist it for 6 straight hours and tell me how inconvenient it is. But of course I didn't, I was surprised and mad at myself for even thinking it. I just got off the phone and cried for half an hour and then when i checked my e-mail you had written. Very good timing! At least some people understand. The good thing that happened is that i found two things i can eat. I read what you said about eating natural things so i went to the store and had natural peanut butter ground right there. I mixed it with honey and ate a sandwich on french bread. No pain!! I didn't think it would work because peanuts are oily but i remember practically living on peanut butter when i was small so thought it was worth a try.I also bought red potatoes as you suggested, sliced them wrapped them in foil with 3 tablesppons of water and a little soy sauce sauce and cooked them for 45 minutes. No pain!! (I even put a little vadalia onion in with them!) I couldn't believe it. I went to bed full and painfree for the first time in over 6 weeks.I know know that not eating makes things worse. I was trying to self diagnose myself I guess. I had always fasted for a day or two if I got a cold or any other illness and it always helped so I thought not eating would help anything. I got myself into terrible shape before i even went to the doctor but I'm working on things now.I guess that i have C-IBS although when the pain subsides it's not because I've gone to the bathroom. It just finally quits and then I sleep for hours from exhaustion. This whole thing is the strangest thing I've ever heard of. None of it really makes sense to me. I can eat things that would normally be a problem for people supposedly. Spicey things are all right for some people. It just doesn't make sense. And not eating the things I was raised to eat constantly like fresh raw fruits and vegetables, which i lived on before, has really thrown me for a loop. I don't understand how people stay healthy with this problem. I guess i will continue to learn. I've ordered an ibs cookbook, (another problem for me, Cooking!) I had gotten to the point where i seldom cooked at all, mostly eating fruits and vegetables and rice and bread, and now i have to cook again! My husband travels for months at a time for his work, I'm the only one in the house and i work, take classes, make web sites and one hundred other things. I think i resent the time this is taking more than anything else, lol. Thank you again Imagica, I appreciate your writing so very much!!iby


----------



## Imagica (Jan 14, 2001)

Hey Iby, Glad I helped some







And that you got to eat pain free. Hoping it's the beginning of a beautiful relationship for you and food that is







As for fruits you should still be able to eat them too, Just makes sure their very clean & skin removed. Organic is best of course. As for veggies raw, ones don't bother me too much if I don't overindulge. I can eat raw spinach mixed with butter lettuce which is very easy on my tummy. I can't handle much raw broccoli though even when it's cooked lots of gas.







I tend to roast or grill my veggies except for the spinach or leafy veggies where I'll saute them in either a small amount of virgin olive oil or a very small amount of butter or a combo of the two. I have an herbal garden I use it a lot to spice things up. I find fresh garlic is a bother so I use garlic powder instead. Well, if you are ibs-c the oil in the peanut butter and the oil for cooking is a good thing it helps things move along your GI track easier. Wow, what does your hubby do that he's gone for such periods of time? You sound like a very busy person I suppose one would have to be being along so much.I laughed till I had tears in my eyes when I read the thing about your doctors secretary!














I hope you imagined a very long piercing knife for her! LOL Next time you talk to your doctor you should mention what she said it was very unprofessional of her. Take it ezMary


----------

