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Is Dubai going vegetarian?

Did you know October 1 was World Vegetarian Day? So in the spirit of the season, Uptown went on a hunt for vegetarians residing in the city. To our surprise many had actually made the switch to vegetarianism only in the last five years! And ironically many of them made the change after they moved to the Middle East. Call it a coincidence, or maybe the non-vegetarian products in the region just doesn't match up to mama's pantry, but on a deeper level the emphasis on the destruction caused within many dimensions of meat production, in particular, have maybe hit their targets. Just to set the record straight (especially for restaurant owners out there) a vegetarian is someone who lives on a plant-based diet. A vegetarian does not eat food that consists of, or has been produced with the aid of products consisting of or created from, any part of the body of an animal. This includes meat, poultry, fish, shellfish, insects, by-products of slaughter or any food made with processing aids created from these. There are three main types of vegetarians: Lacto-ovo-vegetarian - Eats both dairy products and eggs. This is the most common type of vegetarian diet. Lacto-vegetarian - Eats dairy products but not eggs. Ovo-vegetarian - Eats eggs but not dairy products.
Here are the opinions of some vocal vegetarians from around Dubai.
Nelly Akhmetova
Manager at Gallery One, Dubai Mall, has been vegetarian for 17 years.
She believes "people nowadays do it for many reasons, some for fashion, some for health-related issues, some people have become more concerned about the environment. What's sad though is some practice for a while but then they cannot progress because of predominant meat consumption in their diet beforehand.
"I become vegetarian when I was 16 years old! Back then I didn't really understand why, just that I felt like my body doesn't need meat. Now after 17 years of being vegetarian I have a more logical explanation. First of all rationally speaking, it takes our body 72 hours to digest the meat. What is the average temperature in our stomach? If you leave the same meat outside with the same temperature what will happen to it? It starts to get rotten and that's the same process in our body. That's what I believe anyway!"
"Secondly I take into consideration the emotions of the animals, I find those people who love cats and dogs and still eat meat, just... well strange. Would you eat your pet?
"Thirdly - It's a  spiritual process. I have noticed since I became vegetarian I have become less aggressive and more accepting towards other people's emotions. If you want to do meditation and yoga, no meat should be in your diet anyway!
"Honestly, non-vegetarians are the same as smokers for me. I find being vegetarian is natural for a human being."
Eau J Corpuz
Freelance Dancer/Teacher/ Choreographer, has been a vegetarian for four months.
"Why? I did it primarily for health reasons. Secondly: Sustainability. I believe a plant-based diet is just better for the environment and people.
"Different people have different reasons (to turn vegetarian). Some I've talked to are animal lovers. Some are just health conscious folks. My observation is, however different their reasons, the most common thing is them being aware of how dirty the agriculture business has become. Whether it's sanitation concerns, animal abuse, or total disregard of our environment."
Jade Wood
Events manager at Aura Consultancy, has been a vegetarian for three years.
"We are exposed to imagery/videos and facts that have taken our blinders off now. We are growing more concerned about where our food comes from- gluten, sugar etc, so why not question meat especially when we are so attached to animals through having them in our homes as pets and even on our favourite TV shows. Along with this and the 'meat causes cancer' headlines, I definitely think that this is a growing movement."
Robbie Palmer
Life coach/ musician, has been eating predominantly vegetarian food now for over two years.
He attributes his lifestyle change to increasing awareness through documentaries about the meat industries and their policies. "A vegetarian diet can have a positive impact on the way we live in terms of increased energy and mental levels, strength and overall wellbeing. I don't believe a vegetarian diet is for everybody, many factors have to be taken into account. I believe in the coming years, you will see a predominantly vegetarian diet emerging, with meat consumption cut down to the once-a-week our parents used to consume."
Chandnee Kaurani
Yoga instructor
"I never really ate meat. But it's been three years since I turned Ovo-vegetarian. People are becoming more aware and conscious about animals. I know so many people who have turned vegetarian because they care about animals."