Quick questions with ASIF SHAH
Q. Three words to describe your personality
A. Happy Go Lucky
Q. The most charismatic person in your opinion?
A. There are many who ooze charisma but David Beckham beats them all
Q. Most attractive quality in a person?
A. Their mannerisms and the way they interact with people
Q. A common misconception about you
A. I am Muslim but the people who do not know this usually ask me, Hajur Thakuri Hoibaksinchha? (“Are you Thakuri?”), to which I reply, Ma Thakuri Hoibaksinna (“I am not a Thakuri”).
Q. Three qualities you seek in your friends?
A. Honesty, ability to adapt and being up for anything
Q. If you could have three of your wishes granted what would they be?
A. I haven’t really thought much about this but if I do get three wishes it will be about my daughter. I want her to have a bright future, be a good human being and I want her to be strong and able to speak against things that are wrong.
Quick questions with SUZEENA SHRESTHA
Q. Three adjectives that best describe you
A. Compassionate, sympathetic and hypersensitive
Q. Dream musical collaboration
A. Between me and Breaking Benjamin
Q. Your biggest musical influence
A. Too many to choose from
Q. Nepali artist that you would love to work with
A. Albatross
Q. Most admirable quality in a person
A. Sense of humor
Q. Best compliment that you have ever received
A. Haven’t received it yet
Q. A stereotype in our society you wish would be broken
A. ‘Real men don’t cry’
Quick questions with CHIRAG BANGDEL
Q. Three words to describe yourself
A. I am a very simple person but I live for the arts. So I could probably describe myself as simple, creative and perhaps romantic.
Q. Your biggest source of inspiration
A. I was educated in Mirik, a beautiful small town in Darjeeling. There were forests all around and a beautiful lake. I grew up running around forests and eating wild berries. Nature was in abundance and that’s when I started painting and writing poetry. So nature has to be my biggest inspiration.
Q. Three of your favorite possessions
A. I am very close to my mother and my brother. So my family has to be my most favorite possession. People say I sound good on the radio, so perhaps my voice could be another possession I should be proud of. Also, I play the guitar and have a small collection. I love my guitars.
Q. A common misconception about you
A. I am a visual artist. And there is a misconception about the arts in general. I would rather talk about this now, than just about myself. A lot of people think art is difficult to understand and it’s for a select audience. This is not the case. If you make a little effort, art can make you think and make you feel things that nothing else would.
Q. Three qualities you seek in your friends
A. I am a very simple person, so I like spending time with people who are simple and down to earth. I am a big foodie, so it would be nice to be with friends who enjoy food. I also love music and it’s always wonderful to spend time with musicians or people who appreciate good music.
Q. Most attractive quality in a person
A. I admire and respect honest people and people who have a sense of gratitude.
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.
