After doing my research, I realised that there
is no difference between milk, paneer or
cheese, and meat. I understood that I could not
reconcile my compassionate thoughts with my
cruel lifestyle and decided to go vegan.” Kuntal
donated his leather and woollen belongings to a
homeless person and replaced these with vegan
versions. Even the gear he has used so far on his
mountaineering expeditions is vegan.
Though adapting to a vegan lifestyle was a
bit of a struggle, Kuntal believes it was nothing
compared to the struggle that billions of animals,
who are exploited and killed, go through.
This was the first time in life that Kuntal had
taken a strong stand on a major issue, which
opened floodgates of change in him. “Going
vegan sensitised me, and I was able to get rid
of some prejudices like homophobia, racism,
and sexism. Those years of introspection were
some of the most fruitful years of my life and
made me the person I am today.” Kuntal realised
that his conversion to veganism had put him at
complete ease with himself and made him highly
optimistic.
Kuntal has been a vegan for close to 15 years
now and says that it’s been an awesome journey.
“My nutrition plan, when I’m training, includes
whole plant-based, low-fat and high-carb
foods. I love eating fruits, vegetables, legumes,
grains, nuts and seeds, and this diet has done
wonders for me; I recover much quickly from
excruciating workouts. On the other hand, when
I eat unhealthy food like deep-fried stuff, white
refined flour, or white sugar, my recovery is
much slower.”
Elaborating on his diet, Kuntal says that a
lot depends on where he’s climbing. “If I’m
climbing in the Himalayas, then most of the
local food tends to be vegetarian, which is akin
to my vegan diet: Vegetable stews and curries,
fruits, lentils, soups, wheat bread and roti, rice,
potatoes, pasta, noodles, etc.” Kuntal also carriesEnvironment 71