Most days between classes you’ll find me writing. Always on the lookout for calm, quiet and interesting places, nothing works better for me than a cafe where I can have some delicious tea, and some lunch. Last week a friend of mine and I decided to go to Carrots in Koramangala to get ahead on a bit of work. Note to writers: Change your location. I find it kills writer’s block instantly.
Eating at a vegan restaurant ensures that most of the stuff available is also ‘clean’. We ordered a Greek salad and a pizza, and as I write this I’m hungry again! The salad and pizza are to die for. The vegetables are fresh and smell of healthy goodness. Those who know a bit about veganism will know that vegans don’t eat cheese. I’ve met many a pizza lover who won’t believe that it’s possible to have extremely yummy pizza sans the cheese. Go to Carrots and taste just how delicious a vegan pizza can be.
Luckily Susmitha, one of the owners and a vegan for the last 15 years, dropped by our table for an informal (and informative!) chat.
We spoke about how Operation Flood (White Revolution) completely changed the way we consume dairy. We concurred that cases of childhood obesity, various gut diseases, skin problems etc can be directly linked to the consumption of milk and other dairy products. As an aside I have to mention that I love the fact that I can eat/drink anything at Carrots and not worry that it contains dairy.
Interestingly, there are several products manufactured by Amul which are vegan by accident. Such as their dark chocolate. Amul, the biggest participant in Operation Flood, ‘accidentally’ manufactures several vegan chocolates too! This called out another assumption I had – vegan and healthy aren’t necessarily the same thing. As a vegan I might eat the Amul Dark Chocolate, but as me (yogini trying to eat clean), I wont touch that stuff. (#nosugar)
Honey is also not vegan nor whole. Susmitha had the explanation. From a technical standpoint honey is basically bee vomit. Bees collect pollen and then regurgitate what we know as honey. She also told us that it takes forty thousand bee flying miles to make 1 tsp of honey! Which is why commercially available honey is so suspect (for those of you who use honey as replacement for sugar). Also, many farms clip the wings of the Queen Bee so that she doesn’t fly away. That way, the worker bees are tricked into staying (and therefore making honey) in the same place. The natural behavior of bees is to fly from place to place building their hives and doing their work. By clipping the Queen Bee’s wings you ensure that the worker bees stay in the farm and work only for you.
As it often happens, those of us who are seriously into wellness have compelling personal narratives. Susmitha and I share the same reason – both had gained unhealthy weight! I asked Susmitha if she had experienced any internal changes; such as on the emotional and mental front; after she started living the vegan life. And she said yes! Her fear of stray dogs has evaporated and her Reiki and meditation practices have improved. And all of us who practice wellness will agree that your physical and your mental health are connected. If compassion drives your actions, it’s not long before compassion infuses your entire being.
Carrots has actually become a hub for holistic health. All kinds of events related to health, lifestyle and wellness happen here and its actually become a meeting place for like minded individuals. We can certainly vouch for that. We met like minded individuals and had the most delicious and healthy food. Looking forward to returning for some more healthy food and nourishing conversation.
Do check them out on their Facebook page and drop in for some vegan latte :).
P.S. I’m honored to say that I will be holding a talk on Valentine’s Day at Carrots. On the day when we celebrate relationships I thought it would be great to talk about the relationship we have with ourselves. Promises to be an awesome session and it is absolutely free, so do drop in! You can book your spot here: http://bit.ly/2Fb5dy8