SHARAN

Mountaineer Kuntal Joisher beats the myth that you need meat and milk
to be strong!

I have been part of more than 20 Himalayan expeditions, and I’ve never had any problems maintaining a Vegan diet. In October 2014, I became only the second Indian civilian to climb and summit Mt. Manaslu, the 8th highest mountain of the world.  I had no doubt that my Vegan diet would have fueled me to the top of the world in April 2015, had it not been for the tragic earthquake in Nepal and the avalanche at Everest base camp, which led me to abandon my attempt. I’m training hard to make one final attempt at climbing Mt. Everest in April 2016 and I’m very confident that if weather and terrain hold up then a Vegan flag would be fluttering on the Top of the World very soon!

I was a Vegetarian-by-religion, rather than a Vegetarian-by-choice. I would not eat eggs but at the same time, if I had to eat a chocolate which had eggs as an ingredient, I would happily have it. I think this was a combination of convenience, taste, and above all apathy towards the animal rights cause.

It was not until I moved to Los Angeles in 2001 to pursue my further studies that I got exposed to Veganism. One of my room-mates was a Jain and an ethical vegetarian, and he exposed me to the horrors of dairy and leather industry. This was for the first time I connected the dots that Milk is Meat, and to a certain extent far worse than Meat.

The entire dairy industry is just a vicious cycle of some serious animal-cruelty. I could not reconcile my philosophy of compassion with my actions in terms of food and clothing. And so I decided to follow a Vegan lifestyle. I donated all my leather, woollen items to a homeless guy living near my place and I replaced all my daily use products with vegan versions. For the next few months my life was a bit of a struggle, however compared to the cruelty and killing of billions of animals every year, my struggle felt very trivial – actually it was just an adjustment phase.

This was the first time in life when I took a strong stand on a major issue, and this opened flood-gates of changes in me. I was able to let go of a lot of negativity that had surrounded my life — I was able to get rid of homophobia, racism, sexism and several other difficult issues. Those introspection years were some of the most fruitful years of my life, and made me the person I am today, and it all started with taking a stand for Animals!

My nutrition plan is very simple – “Whole foods Vegan”. I love eating fruits, vegetables, legumes, grains, nuts, and seeds and this diet has done wonders for me. I’ve started recovering much quicker even when I do some of the most excruciating work-outs as I prepare to climb Mt. Everest.

Last but surely not the least – being a Vegan is easy – You can make it happen, no matter where you are or what you are doing. It just takes a commitment – for your health, and for the animals.

Food for Mind

Ahimsa is the attribute of the soul, and therefore to be practiced by everybody in all affairs of life. If it cannot be practiced in all departments, it has no practical value. – Mahatma Gandhi

Tofu Scramble

This simple yet delicious dish is ideal for breakfast, lunch, snack or dinner! If scrambled eggs featured in your list of favourites, then this is a wonderful replacement! Enjoy it as a snack, or have it along with breads or rotis.

Read more…

Protein Power

Protein is essential for our body, but most people tend to get too much rather than too little. Protein is the nutrient we need for growth and repair, at the same time, consuming too much protein can be detrimental to our health.

Excess protein cannot be stored as such. It is converted to fat and stored! Excess protein causes, gout, kidney stones, and excess animal protein puts stress on the kidneys leading to kidney problems and also promotes colon and other cancers.

A whole-plant based diet covers your protein requirement easily. Protein deficiency is rare, and mainly occurs in starvation.

Read about 8 protein rich foods…

Simply ensure that these 8 foods form a part of your regular diet and you needn’t worry about your protein!

1.  Greens such as beans, peas, broccoli, spinach asparagus and edamame

2. Black beans, kidney beans and chickpeas

3. Lentils

4. Nuts

5. Grains such as amaranth and quinoa 6. Oatmeal 7. Seeds such as pumpkin, sesame, hemp and chia 8. Soymilk and tofu