Page 4 - Al-Rashed Newsletter July 2021

POTPOURRI
VEGETARIANISM- THE DISTINCT CREED

An Abattoir
Scenario 1: Serene herd of cattle lined up on the slaughter aisle, each waiting for its turn for the stunning gun.
Painless death, a few moments away. Later suspended by hind limbs to shed blood after a sharp knife slits open the
thoracic cavity to disrupt the blood flow to the neck and head. Except for some body parts deemed edible, a few find
their way to the sewer. Was the killing painless, or did the poor cattle had a slight inkling of the death looming large?
Was there a profuse flickering of emotions? Still mulling….
Scenario 2: Poultry held by the neck in one hand with a sharp lancet in the other, aimed for that swift slice, perfected
by the feathered torso rolling on the floor. It was not stunning this time as it was all painless since the head severed
from the feathered torso within a fraction of a second! Non-edible body parts find their usual way to the sewer.

The avid ‘carnivore’ that I was, starting with eggs and steak, the delectable aroma of steak and roasted eggs was so
mouthwatering to generate enough draft to float a vessel in the mouth! But the accidental visit to the abattoir was a
real game-changer, to be etched in memory. I could not help but imagine a cute chick gazing at me, clucking in my
palm, replacing the egg. A cute calf has replaced the steak with an innocent bleat and stare in my mind. The eggs
and steak found their way back to the table with as much pace as they found their way to my palm. The urge for a
plant-based diet was immensely surging in me.

Almost a week into a plant-based diet and I could feel the gush of energy. Slumber and lethargy replaced by vigor
and verve, calories aplenty were expended to dissolve the meat-based food. Wisdom dawning late, but better late
than never!

Leaping from the bed as an alternative to snoozing the alarm, wobbly walks have transformed into brisk and firm
ones, and I can take the steps now while ignoring the elevator. Sweaty, long and intense workouts have replaced
short, enervating ones. With sunny, lucid thought processes replacing cloudy ones, the effect of diet on the mind has
never been more conspicuous than ever before. I have stopped growing laterally and horizontally. The biological age
has already taken a U-turn.

Take away: - A plant-based diet, being one among many, proves to keep age at bay. Be a nonagenarian, if not a
centenarian, by being a ‘herbivore’.

Disclaimer: - The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong
solely to the author, and not necessarily to the author's employer, organization,
committee or other group or individual.
SUDHEER KURUP
SR. EXECUTIVE, VESSEL AGENCY