Anyone can be a vegan
Is a vegan diet healthy and nutritionally complete?
A vegan diet contains plants such as vegetables, grains, nuts and fruits and foods made from plants. As vegans don’t eat foods that come from animals, including dairy products and eggs, there is a risk of deficiency of Vitamin B12, Omega 3, Vitamin D, calcium, iron and protein. But you can have enough of these nutrients by consuming the right vegan food.
Where do vegans get their protein from?
Soy products such as tofu, tempeh, and edamame are among the richest sources of protein in a vegan diet. Other sources are lentils, chickpeas, peanuts, almonds, spirulina and quinoa. But if you have thyroid or hormonal imbalance, you will need to monitor your intake of soy products.
What about other nutrients like calcium, iron and Omega 3 that you earlier talked about?
Vegans can get iron from foods like soybeans, lentils, lima beans, kidney bean, chickpeas and green leafy vegetables. Likewise, calcium can be derived from fortified milk, tofu, and orange juice and green leafy vegetables.
Meeting Omega 3 requirement can be quite hard especially if you don’t use fish oil supplements or get EPA or DHA from your diet. However, you get plenty of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), a type of Omega 3, via plant sources such as soy, walnuts, canola oil, and chia, flax, and hemp seeds and their oils.
Can anyone be a vegan, for example pregnant women, children and athletes?
This is a subjective question. I would not recommend pregnant/ lactating women/children to become complete vegans, as it is a phase of growth and development for the child and compromising on nutrients would stunt growth. There is a potential for low intakes of certain nutrients on a vegan diet. But generally, if it’s a well-monitored and nutritionally calculated vegan diet, then anyone be a vegan.
What is the best milk substitute for vegans?
Ranking in the order, almond, soy, rice, and coconut milk. Almond milk is one of the most popular vegan choices. But make sure you read the labels and pick the one which is fortified with calcium and Vitamin B12.
Can you give a balanced diet meal plan for a vegan?
Plans are customized as per client body parameters like height, weight, fat percentage, muscle percentage, and medical conditions, if any.
Something that you’d like to suggest for those interested in turning into vegans.
Consult a nutritionist first. A nutritionist will help you plan a proper diet and take care of all the essential nutrients so as to avoid any deficiencies.
If you are afraid of losing then you are not passionate enough
How did you become a Nepal Idol judge? And how has the experience been so far?
To be able to do this show at this point of my career is a huge opportunity for me. It’s fun and tough at the same time. But if the thing you do is not challenging, you cannot grow as a person. When I was first offered this position, I was surprised and doubted myself. But with a little encouragement from the Nepal Idol team, I was able to pull it off.
I also like being in the show because I know the life of a reality show participant. I was myself a participant in ‘Nepali Tara’, which had a similar format. I try to encourage the participants because I have been in their shoes.
Talking about my fellow judges, the kind of compatibility we have contributes to our success. We meet almost every day and have become the best of friends.
Do you think you’ve changed as a person after constantly being in the public eye?
I am an introvert. This fraternity has groomed me as a singer and also as a person. I was the kind of person who was okay with being dominated by others. I used to walk with my head bowed. Now I can address thousands of people at a time. The larger the crowd, the higher my energy.
How is the Nepali music industry treating you?
Can’t complain! I have got more than I asked for. I am friendly and easy to work with. I have seen many people who are talented but are not compatible with other people. They have their own issues. I think I am an average singer but I still have many shows and singing opportunities lined up. Attitude matters a lot in this industry.
Do you like being referred to as the ‘Nepali Shakira’?
I used to do a lot of dancing, especially with undulated, accessorized hips, early in my career. The audience got excited and so did I. But then, people started calling me “Nepali Shakira” which made me question my identity as an original singer. I felt it was overshadowing my image for which I had worked so hard. I am now more aware of having my own signature moves when I’m performing.
What would you say to those who can sing well but are scared to audition for a show like Nepal Idol?
Maybe they are good singers but do not want to pursue singing as a career. Because I believe that if you are passionate enough, nothing is going to stop you. So if someone is skeptical about winning, losing or not confident enough for even trying, they may be lacking passion.
See, singing is for everybody. But if you want to pursue it as a career, you have to fight for it. You can release an album, but there is no certainty that it will be a hit. If you do not want to audition in competitions, you can examine yourself in other ways too. The platforms might be different but you have to find your comfort zone and work on your dreams.
It is a free country!
Did you fear failure when you were taking part in competitions?
I never did. I just wanted to give it a shot. When I was selected for Nepali Tara in 2005, I was elated. There were around 250 participants in the hall when I auditioned. When I looked around, some were playing guitar, some were warming up to sing. It was intimidating. But I was selected as the top female singer of that show. It was quite an achievement for me at that age.
You must have many fans. Any fan-moment that you’d like to share with us?
There is a truck that runs in Biratnagar route and I am painted all over it. Every time I got to eastern Nepal for my shows, I see that truck parked around the venue. My heart brims with joy to get such love.
Nepali filmmaking lacks professionalism
Aditya Seth is a recognized name in Indian television, corporate movie and documentary domains. Based in Mumbai, India, Seth got the Best Documentary award at the prestigious Dada Saheb Phalke Film Festival for his documentary ‘Bahadur-The Accidental Brave (2011)’ based on the link between HIV and Nepali labor migration to India. He is also an academic and teaches filmmaking and related media. Seth was recently in Kathmandu to conduct a week-long filmmaking workshop for aspiring Nepali filmmakers at the Sarwanam Theatre, Kalikasthan. Sunny Mahat of APEX caught up with him to talk about ‘Bahadur’ as well as his larger film-making career.
How did ‘Bahadur’ happen?
I got hired to work for a radio program that was being made by an international development agency. The program, being produced from Kanchanpur, Kathmandu and Mumbai, was geared at Nepali migrants to India and safe sex practices. At that time, incidents of HIV among Nepali migrants was very high. Since it was a floating population, there was no way to focus on them and teach them safe sex practices.
The far-western region of Nepal was sitting on an HIV epidemic. So when I started interacting with the community in Mumbai, I felt this is something the world doesn’t know about and it is a story that needs to be told. I came to Achham in 2009 and started shooting.
How difficult was it working in remote Nepal?
Security-wise, it was not difficult because the insurgency was just about over. But we did face problems. Access to the place was limited. There were no proper roads to the villages we travelled to. Electricity was scarce too.
As far as the people are concerned, it was quite easy to work with the locals. There was a tacit acceptance of death as an inevitability. As men will go for work, they will stay away from their wives for long, they will go to the brothels, they will practice unsafe sex, they will contract HIV and they will die eventually. That was something they had accepted. Women had been affected too and at the time we were shooting, around 2,000 people had already died of HIV in far-western Nepal. It was strange that there was easy acceptance but again, there was lot of apprehension of people who go to India to work. At the same time, the Nepali ministers and government officials were not ready to talk about the issue.
After all those years in mainstream television, advertising, and corporate film making, have you quit all of them to focus solely on documentaries?
If I get an opportunity, I’ll still work on these industries because I have to make a living. But my interest ever since I became a filmmaker was non-fiction and documentaries.
It’s just that initially I wanted to explore different types of filmmaking so I went to Mumbai and started doing television. I did all kinds of shows from soap operas to dramas to comedies and thrillers. Eventually, I stopped enjoying television.
Then I took a departure from TV and took up other work. I went on to do corporate movies and advertising and whatever I earned, I put into documentaries. For the past 15 years I’ve been doing only non-fiction.
What is your analysis of the Nepali film industry?
Let me talk about lack of understanding or the lack of professionalism in Nepal. Although a few film schools exist here, from what I’ve seen, they’re not very professional and proficient.
Why do you think that is the case?
There are two things as far as Nepal is concerned. One is that the industry is still very small because the investments are not very high. Also, it doesn’t seem to be a very robust or commercially oriented industry. Although I’ve heard of a few successful films, how many films reach that level?
India has been successful because it has been able to constantly grow and improve its market. They also spend as much if not more in marketing and distribution in comparison to production. I think that part is lacking in Nepal. I think the emphasis is more on production rather than on how to reach new audiences as well as the diaspora. Focusing on diaspora is important because Nepal is a remittance-based economy and many Nepalis are settled abroad.
To add to the part about professionalism, one reason I came to Nepal is also to promote my upcoming film academy in Delhi which is starting in a month. The academy will conduct trainings on filmmaking and media disciplines in an extended workshop model. I want students from Nepal to come there and gain from whatever experiences I’ve had. They can bring back those experiences and develop their film industry in Nepal. It’s called the Indian Academy of Shots and it will be affordable to Nepali students.
Quick questions with RAJSHREE RANA (SWANKYRANA) (Blogger & Celebrity stylist)
Q. Describe your personality in three words
A. Since I am an extrovert: forthright, vibrant and outgoing
Q. One outfit that you cannot go wrong with
A. LBD (Little Black Dress)
Q. Biggest pet-peeve
A. People who appear too sweet on the face
Q. Three must-have things before leaving the house
A. My phone, mini perfume bottle, sunglasses
Q. Best piece of advice you’ve received
A. “Think before you speak.” I don’t know how to
Q. If you could have coffee with one celebrity who would it be?
A. Bina Ghale
