A few years ago, Indian batting sensation Virat Kohli became a vegetarian. For many, it was perplexing to see the man who had once adored butter chicken change to vegan options, even for his protein needs. Kohli, however, gave his justifications, including an explanation of how giving up non-vegetarian cuisine enabled him to reach a new level of fitness. Unfortunately, many of Virat’s admirers were left perplexed when he shared a tale on Instagram claiming to have tasted “mock chicken tikka.” But there is another side to the tale that some fans could not grasp.
Virat had disclosed a few years earlier that he had given up being non-vegetarian due to a cervical spine problem. This was one of the largest dietary adjustments he had to make because his body was producing far too much uric acid.
In the Instagram story that Virat posted, he is consuming “mock chicken tikka,” which is made of plants rather than animals. Hence, it is still a vegetarian dish.
What is ‘Mock Chicken Tikka’?
In contrast to the traditional “Chicken Tikka,” the parody dish isn’t genuinely cooked with chicken. Rather, soy is utilized. Many soy-based vegetarian substitutes for chicken and beef dishes have been introduced over time.
People often have a hard time telling one food item from the other because of its flavours and textures. However, the “mock” chicken products are made entirely of soy.
Kohli revealed during the 2020 Instagram Live session that he stopped consuming meat right before the England Test match as suffered a cervical spine problem during a test match in South Africa in 2018. It directly crushed a nerve that led to his right hand’s little finger. He experienced tingling and found it “difficult to feel my little finger. He was having a lot of pain and couldn’t sleep at night. After some tests, he found that his body and stomach were both overly acidic, which resulted in an excessive amount of uric acid being produced. All save one tablet was insufficient for his body to get the calcium and magnesium it needed to function correctly. As a result, his stomach began removing calcium from the bones, which made them weaker. He fully stopped eating meat in the middle of my England tour to reduce the uric acid.
Virat even disclosed that he felt more energetic after making the choice, which significantly altered his life.
