THE MAGIC AND POWER OF GRIT AND COURAGE
The winners of the HT Trailblazer Award 2021, presented by Ambience, answer questions posed by our readers and share nuggets of wisdom in the face of trying circumstances. Here are our next set of winners interacting with the readers
You are an inspiration to many. What is the one piece of advice that you would like to give to other young para athletes?
- Naveen Kishore, 29, Self-employed
I believe in the principle that whatever you do, do it with all your heart. For young para athletes, it’s important to focus diligently on their sport and be cognizant of the fact that there is enormous scope for para athletes, not only in India but the world over. Upon examination, it becomes clear that para athletes have secured more medals for the nation than their ablebodied counterparts.
For para athletes, there may be limitations owing to their physical abilities; however, the capacity of the brain remains limitless.
You researched before transitioning and your family was there to support you, but how did you gather the strength? Do you feel society has become more accepting towards the LGBTQI+ community?
- Gunjan Khera, 19, Student
It took three years for my research on the transition process, and towards the mid part of my research, I started gaining confidence to move ahead. It felt more powerful being a woman than acting like a man. Earlier, I did not have the strength and felt obligated to my family and profession. I finally the gathered courage to do what my mind said, and that’s how I overcame the fear and the male ego I survived on during college days, and started building started my female ego. I was overwhelmed with myself but felt very liberated. And as far as society is concerned, though a lot of progress has been made, there are many who are still conservative and don’t want to accept the reality of us. They want to obey the social norms but certain things need to be changed. The attitude towards transgender people or the queer community needs to change the way. The way people look upon us, we don’t have to be mocked or shown as a ‘toy’. We have a long battle to go and win!
From picture-perfect focaccia to banana bread, baking reintroduced itself to all of us in the pandemic. While traditional flour is still the mainstay of baking, owing to its easy availability, people have now started choosing other more nutritious and often gluten-free alternatives.
Chef Rishabh Anand, executive pastry chef, The Leela Palace New Delhi, says, “The rising demand of gluten-free products has made way for alternate flours such as amaranth flour, coconut flour, almond flour, buckwheat flour and banana flour. Apart from offering health benefits, alternative flours are versatile enough to be experimented with.”
Rich in fibre, containing high amounts of amino acids and vitamins, these flours are slowly becoming the staple of many kitchens. Chef Rahul Chahar, bakery chef, Taj Mahal. “Each type of alternate flour offers a different set of health benefits you can decide which one best meets your needs. We follow health trends closely as well as seek guest feedback for their preferences helping us understand dietary preferences and offer alternates that are healthy and trendy.”
Made from fruits, nuts and seeds, chefs are turning to these myriad alternatives to explore new textures, flavours and aromas.
Ambika Seth, executive director, Caara, says, “Our orange and almond cake is a moist gluten free cake made with almond flour and orange zest. There is no artificial flavouring in any of our food and is topped with a light cream cheese frosting.” Her other creations include olive oil, zucchini and jaggery cake. She adds, “Made with whole wheat flour, a healthier alternative, it’s also sugar free as we substitute sugar with jaggery. Spirals of dehydrated zucchini that binds the cake together.”
HEALTH BENEFITS
High on fibre, alternative flours are packed with nutrients, ranging from magnesium, zinc, micro nutrients to calcium. Almond flour can improve insulin function. Wheat and coconut flours have more carbs with a lower fat content as compared to almond flour.
If you are looking to experiment owing to a gluten intolerance, or culinary curiosity, here’s a guide to the alternative flour landscape.