Lifestyle

I am proudly a non-vegetarian

by Trans World Features (TWF) 20 Apr 2014, 11:02 am

Farhan Akhtar loves being a non-vegetarian. However, he loves binging on the vegetarian platter as well. TWF correspondent Sreya Basu chats up with the actor on his love for food in Mumbai

What kind of food do you like?

I am a non-vegetarian, and proudly so. But I am ‘also’ a vegetarian, though not a pure vegetarian.

Being a vegetarian is a trend in Bollywood. Do you plan to join the gang?

I think one should naturally feel like you want to be on a veg diet. I don’t like being forced on such matters. I have always enjoyed eating vegetarian food. But I also love meat very much. So I don’t see my chances of turning pure vegetarian anytime soon. Also, I would say being non-vegetarian is not about only eating meat, but not just only eating vegetables. That’s the beauty of being a non-vegetarian.

Do you have a favourite vegetable?

I love bhindi (okra) very much. There are many vegetables that I like to have, but bhindi tops my list.

Have you ever cooked for your wife (Adhuna Akhtar) and children (Shakya Akhtar and Akira Akhtar)?   

Generally I do it when we travel together on a holiday. Very rarely I get the chance to do some cooking for the entire family when in Mumbai. I rarely stay at home when in town and don’t get time to prepare any dish for them.

Have you tried cooking vegetarian dishes as well?

Yes, I have tried my hand at cooking vegetarian dishes.

How was it?

I thought it was great and all the people who ate it are still alive.

Do you believe vegetables play an important role in body building?

Absolutely. Let me tell you one thing. During Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, I was put on a special diet. Almost the entire intake of carbohydrate I had was only through eating vegetables. Because I had completely cut out wheat  and rice for 18 months. So, apart from protein, whatever nutrients I needed to get, I got it by eating vegetables. Here, however, I must say, the lesser cooked, the better it is. So try to eat mostly mild flavoured vegetables. Lesser the spice, the better.

Give us a health advice.

To stay fit you must keep monitoring what is happening to your body. Most people avoid going for routine medical check-ups, unless they start believing that it is something really very serious. So I would say, just keep a check on things like blood pressure and blood glucose levels so that you can get time to reverse the adverse effects.

What tips will you give to all youngsters who want to get a toned body like you?

It’s a combination of many things. As far as exercising is concerned, it’s better to get an expert advice at first. Every body is different and when you meet a trainer who understands how your body functions, what your metabolic rate is, how you react to particular exercises, then your routine changes accordingly. Eating is very, very crucial. There was a time when I exercised a lot and wondered why the results are not showing till I was pointed out that my nutrition was not supporting my work-outs. Then, rest is also important for your body.         

Being an expert at multi-tasking, is there any plan to pen a book?

At the moment I don’t have plans to write a book. But that I never will, is something I cannot say.