Why on earth would you give up all the amazing delicacies? How can you keep away from Tea (Chai)/Coffee? Don’t you feel the urge to eat non-vegan food sometimes?

I am sure the word ‘Vegan’ is no more alien to you. You might know that friend or that cousin who adopted vegan diet. And those are the questions you’d have on your mind. So here I make an attempt to break down the entire thing in three reasons. I’d like to address the reasons to ‘you’ to jot this piece in a conversational style.

Reason 1: For your own health

All the protein that your body needs is available from plants. Yes, you read that right, all the protein your body needs can be had from plant based diet. Here’s a fact – animals consume about six times the protein from plants compared to what we get by eating meat. The primary source of protein for animals is plants. It is no different for humans.

The quality of protein we derive from plants is natural, cleaner and healthier.

Also, if you might be thinking – what about carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and minerals? Well, it’s the same as protein. The only deficiency one might (not will) suffer is Vitamin B12 which is washed off vegetables and grains before cooking. Vitamin B12 is required in very very low quantity by our bodies. This can be obtained by consuming fortified food like soy milk or supplements. Supplements are extracted from plants and they’re not bad or harmful as the word goes. In fact, they’re good for health, it’s just another form of medication.

Reason 2: You care for Animals

Think of this – what’s the population in our country? And how many cows (cattle) do we have to meet the milk demand? Also, have you ever tried to scan through a restaurant menu? How many dairy-free dishes you find on the menu? So, how do you think they keep up with such demand of milk?

My apologies for bombarding you with so many questions (pun intended :D). But on a more serious note, animal torture is altogether on a different level now.

And oh, the milk we are consuming is not natural anymore. Just like humans, a cow can produce milk only after giving birth to a calf.

Yes, that’s true! A cow can produce milk only after a baby cow (calf) is born. This is true for all mammals.

Yes, you’re probably thinking in the right direction now. They name the process as artificial insemination. That’s to keep the cow pregnant her entire life. Adverse effects – Milk is the biggest reason for increase in number of Cancer patients today. There comes a time when the cow’s body gives up and it is useless. Well, they sell it to slaughter house for beef then. India is the largest exporter of beef. Also, I am discounting on writing about leather products here.

Reason 3: You care for Environment Sustainability

The single biggest thing you could do for environment sustenance is – stop/avoid/reduce eating meat.

One beef hamburger costs the planet 2,400 Litres of drinking water. You might be able to connect this to the first reason. Well, I’ve just given a number to that. The farm that produces meat has to feed the animals. And that’s the cost (not price) we pay for eating meat.

My story

I’ve been avoiding milk, curd, buttermilk, cheese etc. since last two years. I continued to consume Ghee, Butter & Paneer (Cottage Cheese). My thought process was – I am doing my bit towards reasons two and three. But…

Recently, three of my friends suggested me to watch a movie – The Game Changers. Give it a try, it is simply a gem of a piece.

The movie features Virat Kohli, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Lionel Messi, Novak Djokovic and more. Yes, they adopt vegan diet.

The movie opened an entirely new horizon for me. I realised what one egg, or a cup of milk, or any form of dairy or meat does to my body. Citing health reasons, I’ve decided to stop consuming non-veg and dairy products completely. These are early days for me yet. But I intend to stick to this lifestyle of eating plant based food for long.

And oh, all those delicacies that we referred to at the start, I can still have them. Everything that you want to eat, they can prepare in vegan style. Do check out the options!

Try a vegan pizza sometime, you won’t feel any difference in the taste. But your body will appreciate the healthier option, significantly!

Please feel free to connect with me if you’d like to share, discuss, question etc. on any of the above.

Help Seekers #LiveFulfillingLife

Kind regards,

Milind Kohmaria

Seeker, Trainer, Entrepreneur