Yesterday I received an invitation to attend a vegan cookery-cum-lunch session being held for a charitable cause.  Is it fashionable or healthy to be a vegan?  It’s certainly a healthy trend but if it has to be fashionable to be healthy, so be it.

A vegan is one who avoids all animal products – clothes, foods, accessories, furnishings, etc.  I’m not sure how many people in this world or in India are completely vegan, but I know a lot of people are followers of vegan food habits.

A vegan diet eliminates all animal foods – meat, poultry, fish, egg, dairy, animal fats and sometimes even yeast.  So many non-vegetarians and vegetarians who take dairy products in their diet wonder if a vegan can be well nourished.  Fortunately, vegans do get all the nutrients from a variety of plant foods like cereals, pulses, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, herbs and spices.  The only nutrient lacking in a vegan diet is vitamin B12.  This can be obtained thru supplements.  A vegan’s diet can be very healthy, if all the foods are taken in the right proportion. Studies have shown that vegans who eat right have lesser chance of getting lifestyle-related diseases like adult diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, cancer, etc.  It’s also easier to shed weight with this diet.

Try it sometime for a few days and you might feel the difference.

In a wonderfully conceptualized and put-together event by Kripal Amanna, Editor, Publisher and MD of Food Lovers, last Saturday’s “Chefs for Charity” brought many foodies, celebrity chefs and generous people of Bangalore to the beautiful lawns of Taj West End hotel.  Around 30 well known hotels and restaurants of Bangalore opened their hearts and dished out yummy items to more than 300 guests and participants.  The best part of this activity was that the entire amount collected for this event was donated to Sneha Nilaya orphanage, which will use the money for the welfare of its children.

On a recent trip to Chennai, we had the opportunity to visit the newly opened ITC Grand Chola, a luxury hotel in Guindy.  It stands true to its name in a grand manner and the main entry to the building comes after doing a ‘pradakshin’ (a devotional clockwise circle) around the building.  The foyer is huge and so is the staircase leading to the first floor.  The beautiful carved marble pillars in the corridors give it a temple appearance.  We were delighted to meet the ‘Bangalore people’ in the hotel – Atul Bhalla, the hospitable and friendly General Manager, the energetic Prakash from Marketing and the ever-smiling and helpful Renu from Guest Relations.  Renu very kindly walked us around and showed us the rooms, suites, spa, pool, gym and restaurants.

The lunch at Cafe Mercara was fabulous.  I enjoyed the Moroccan stew and khobz.  Also picked up some multigrain bread from Nutmeg, the hotel’s bakery outlet.

The icing on the cake was meeting the world renowned author, Jeffrey Archer, in the lobby who was on his way out.

I loved the recent statement made by the President of Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics (formerly known as American Dietetic Association), Ethan Bergman.  He said “All Registered Dietitians are Nutritionists but not all Nutritionists are Registered Dietitians”.

Although registration is not yet mandatory for all practicing dietitians in India, it’s only a matter of time for this to happen.  Basically the registration process separates the qualified dietitians and nutritionists from the quacks, semi-qualified and unqualified ‘nutritionists’.  This difference can matter a lot to the health and well being of the public.

If you need professional help with your food / diet / nutrition, approach a qualified person.

During an interactive nutrition session with badminton trainees, their parents and coaches, I was asked if a growing child can eat egg yolk.  I wondered why this question came up.  A parent informed me that her son doesn’t eat the yolk because he wants his heart to be healthy!  Good intention, indeed.  But is it necessary to avoid egg yolk totally?  No.

Egg yolk (the yellow part of the egg) is filled with nutrients like protein, choline, vitamin D, vitamin A, phosphorus, zinc, folate, etc.  Each of these nutrients is essential for good health.  Egg yolk is also high in cholesterol.  But there’s no reason for a child or a grown-up to avoid egg yolk, unless indicated due to health reasons.  Our body is designed in such a way that the cholesterol which comes thru foods can be processed and regulated by the digestive system.  Moreover, a single cholesterol-rich food will not damage the heart.

So, keep the yolk and enjoy a boiled egg or an omlet or scrambled egg.