Mindful Eating for Millennials
Mindful Eating for Millennials
The plant-based life is catching on by the day. Minoti Makim on veganism and nutrition
I have been a ‘pure’ vegetarian my whole life and always felt that all non-vegetarian food was not food, but in fact animals/living beings, and I had a clear conscience as a vegetarian who has never consumed any meat. Having said that, cheese has been one of my most favourite foods ever.
My daughter, a beef, pork and biryani- eating non-vegetarian turned vegetarian 4 years ago and vegan almost 2 years ago. This has led to a lot of thought and dialogue about veganism and the plant-based life. When she visited India from Vancouver and lived at home for five lovely months, I was exposed firsthand to vegan brands, products, and the passion and commitment that this path takes, as well as eating so many favourites in their cruelty-free avatar. Anika feels that “going vegan has made me feel more aligned with myself, as an animal lover knowing that I don’t play a part in their exploitation and harm. I feel more connected to where and how my food is produced as well and am more involved with the process.”
Transitioning to a vegan diet for most people was an awakening of being conscious that lives were being brutally destroyed for ‘food’. Aashti Sindhu, a young pilot from Bangalore who has been vegan for five years says, “I think my compassion towards animals is the main reason I’m vegan. Growing up, I had two dogs and they were like my best friends. I always knew that animals are sentient beings and that they feel pain, show love and have individual personalities. But I also never made the connection to the animals on my plate. For the longest time I was a hypocrite because I called myself an animal lover but paid to have these animals killed.”
Vedant Lamba, the main man of Mainstreet, says his reasons for turning vegan were many, but a third was his love for animals, a third his love for sustainable living and the environment, and a third his own health. Becoming vegan was easy for him, explaining this to people was tougher. He began eating more consciously and ended up consuming a lot more protein because he was a lot more conscious of it, his digestion and his dietary balance improved dramatically.
India has been a land that practised vegetarian/vegan diets as part of many religions and cultures, but over the years this has eroded and today a lot of previously vegetarian communities have a section of their millennial generation who are pescatarians, ‘foodies’ who eat everything or are selectively vegetarian, (for e.g., ‘I eat meat when I travel abroad, never in India’, etc.).
Darshana, a vegan from Poona who is writing her own online free resource for vegans called the Indian Vegan Cookbook, has been vegan for nine years, and in her opinion, “There are thousands of recipes that are actually traditionally Indian and yet vegan. There isn’t much you need to do in an Indian kitchen to veganise it, all you need to do is get rid of all the dairy and non-vegan items and you are all set. It's extremely easy to be vegan in India. If you crave for dahi/yogurt and ghee, which a lot of people do, there are so many recipes online that teach you to make vegan dahi at home and you can buy vegan ghee online.”
Veganism involves a truly clear conscience, and most vegans veer towards a principle of ahimsa or non-violence in a deeper way; no leather, no silk, less consumerism, kindness, compassion. All of this as a way of life, a sense of responsibility to the earth. Constant attuning to a ‘less is more’ philosophy and a sense of walking the talk to making the planet a better place. Most of the vegans I spoke with like Sakshi of Ekta’s Kind Kitchen said, “The most difficult part about being a vegan is why didn’t I do it sooner and the best parts, apart from the regular ones, which are good skin, digestion, stamina, clarity of mind, I have evolved emotionally and there is an increase in self-awareness and mindfulness.”
Mountaineer, body-builder and fitness and nutrition coach, Kuntal Joisher, has scaled Mount Everest twice, had his photographs published in National Geographic and BBC Earth. He turned vegan almost 20 years ago over debates with an American university roommate. He simply transitioned, removing everything which was animal-based in his life, and at that time did not look for substitutes, though now he does enjoy substitutes like soy milk, vegan ice-cream, vegan cheese, vegan leather, etc., also. His advice is, “Use alternatives as you make the transition.” He found it easier to become vegan because he had the right support system and feels that the Indian vegan community is very supportive and integrated and offers his own availability in helping people on their vegan journey.
This is a way of life, a respectful, mindful and peaceful one, with a growing sense of community and togetherness. There is a unity with the earth, with the larger good that goes hand in hand with this phenomenon called veganism. The connections in the Indian and global vegan community are deep and vast. Social media has connected people with each other with a simple message, the code word to get in is ‘being vegan’. This was evident in the way people all over India were willing to help collaborate, share resources and their own stories. It was completely heartwarming in our almost dystopic, virus-infected metaverse.
A person who enjoys this is Namu Kini from Bangalore, co-founder of KYNKYNY Art Gallery and Namu Recommends vegan market, “The best change has been the community that has come together, I just connected with the nicest and most fun people through the vegan community in Bangalore and India, and also social media which has brought so many amazing connections to me.”
She found her move to veganism very easy around five years ago, “My running coach had suggested I go vegan to improve my practice and it was an easy switch for me as I was always a vegan at heart. I am completely convinced of the vegan lifestyle, because when I look at animal-based products and food, I don’t consider them as food, I see a lot of cruelty in it.” Namu Recommends is Bangalore’s favourite vegan market with almost 50 participating brands from India. Her page on Instagram has a lot of amazing vegan foods, recommendations and products. “My market is an effort to promote and popularise a vegan lifestyle, more than half the people who come are not even vegan and I want people to realise that veganism is not about deprivation, you can eat really delicious food."
The world seems to be waking up to this more and more with vegan dishes finding a spot on menus, or chefs being open to veganising dishes. Stores and supermarkets have vegan options, even sections. Food and condiment manufacturers are going wholly plant-based. Mock meats and plant-based substitutes are constantly evolving and becoming more nutrient-focused also.
Chirag Kenia, founder and MD, Urban Platter, an almost vegan brand (except for four products), shares his transition, “I turned vegan in 2017 as a part of my journey of building Urban Platter, primarily due to my refined understanding of how the food supply chain and system works. I became more self-aware of my choices and systematically decided to embark on this journey after some research and reading. We at Urban Platter innovated heavily to make dairy alternatives which made my life easier. I would sincerely like to thank my team, who respected this conviction and worked to bring the product line we have today in this space.”
Millie’s Artisanal Vegan Cheese is a very popular nut cheese brand out of Bangalore by Millie Mitra. Millie’s vegan journey began 30 years ago when her daughter, Tashi, was born. Passionate and curious about sustaining the gift of life and health her baby was born with, her research led her to adopting a WFPB (Whole Foods Plant-Based) diet. That’s when she experimented with creating foods that were nourishing and tasty. Millie had been exploring cheese-making at home for her kids and about 10 years ago, Mala Dhawan who hosted an artisanal arts and crafts bazaar, encouraged her to bring some bottles to sell. Overnight, Millie created 40-50 nut cheese spreads and they sold out the next day in a blink of an eye! She then started making the spreads for other farmers' markets through the year, and Millie’s Kitchen was born!
These brands are homegrown but with a growing market and demand they are all evolving and becoming larger but still retain their authenticity and commitment to the vegan lifestyle.
The vegan diet is also about conscious eating versus eating unhealthy foods. WFPB is a thing! Most vegans are conscious of the nutritional value of the foods they eat. Micronutrients, adding foods of all colours and eating balanced meals seems to be a priority. All this works towards the increase in health and vitality that all of them see in their lives. Aashti Sindhu aka the 'vegan pilot' shares, “I think, healthwise, I’ve noticed a big change. Once I turned vegan, I signed myself up for a few nutrition courses because I wanted to make sure I was doing this right. Personally, I think I have a lot more energy, I workout about 5 times a week and my recovery is much faster. I also prioritise eating a whole foods plant-based diet and stay away from junk vegan food, so I think that’s what plays a big impact on health. Besides that, I am mentally so much happier, too.”
Aashti’s fave protein sources are tofu, tempeh, a vegan protein powder, edamame and legumes. She has also recently launched a vegan hospitality consultancy in Bangalore with the vision to make Bangalore one of the most vegan-friendly cities. She plans to train restaurants and hotels to seamlessly add plant-based menus without compromising on taste and quality, making sure this is an affordable and sustainable switch. She is heading to London to train in being a plant-based chef and hopes to use that expertise in her consultancy next year.
Heard of Veganuary? The annual challenge run by a UK non-profit organisation that promotes and educates on veganism by encouraging people to follow a vegan lifestyle for the month of January. Since the event began in 2014, participation has more than doubled each year. 400,000 people signed up to the 2020 campaign.A recent survey found that six months after completing their one-month Veganuary challenge, 82% of participants who were not vegan when they signed-up had maintained a dramatic reduction in their animal product consumption. 30% were still eating a fully vegan diet. Participants also reported significant health improvements. 60% reported increased energy, 59% improved mood and 52% better skin.
Prashanth Vishwanath, Country Manager for Veganuary in India says, "Our health and the climate emergency is at the forefront of everyone’s mind. One key solution to address both is eating vegan. India has shown great interest in plant-based nutrition in recent years. We are thrilled to officially launch Veganuary and help people explore this interest. Signing up makes transitioning to vegan much easier as our free pledge is full of helpful tips, advice and useful material. Our celebrity cookbook has recipes from many vegan Indian celebrities, and the range of free meal plans caters to a wide range of nutritional needs."
There is so much activism about veganism today and more and more, people are making it their life’s purpose to share their experiences and help others. Jayalaxmi Rai is an example, a vegan food and social media consultant as well as an animal rights activist who volunteers with the Animal Save Movement, and is working on the Pune Save chapter. Sharing a bit more about this global organisation now entering India, she says, “The entire team globally works towards the common goal to spread the idea that we all have a moral duty to bear witness, end animal agriculture and reforest the earth. Our vision is an equitable, eco-friendly vegan world for the animals, the planet and health. We have Animal Save, Climate Save and Health Save chapters, all working towards this mission.”
The conversations, resources and information on this growing lifestyle choice are vast; the debates about it are also equally disparate, with many naysayers. The proof, however, is in the pudding with so many people, celebrities and regular folks turning vegan and sharing their journey.
Ending with words from our youngest interviewee, Vedant, “I feel like everybody is going to be vegan eventually, it’s simply an industrial change that will take place. It will become cheaper to ‘produce animal meat’ as opposed to physically murdering animals and then, industries and advertising will convince everyone that they should be vegan.” His vision is that soon with little compromise on taste, texture and flavour, animal cruelty will end and so will world hunger!