I don’t usually follow celebrities. The “who dumped whom, who’s in rehab, and who’s having a baby” doesn’t usually interest me. But something about celebrity veganism just makes me smile. Famous people are perfectly situated to address a large audience and influence the masses. Too often that influence gets used to sell skin care products or designer accessories, but sometime actors, athletes and politicians make the most of their fame to help spread the word that a vegan diet is healthy, delicious and helps animals. Check out more vegan celebrities here.
Former President Bill Clinton Turns 66: ‘A vegan diet saved my life’
by Samantha Chang, Examiner.com
Former U.S. president Bill Clinton celebrated his 66th birthday on Aug. 19, 2012, and is leaner and healthier than ever, thanks to a vegan diet.
Clinton switched to a plant-based diet in 2011 and lost 24 pounds several months later. The previous year, he had two stents placed in his coronary artery after having undergone a quadruple heart-bypass surgery in 2004.
Bill, who has a family history of heart disease and struggled with weight for years, credited his new diet for saving his life.
“I was lucky I did not die of a heart attack [in 2004],” Clinton told CNN. After his first surgery, the former president cut back on calories and reduced his dietary cholesterol intake but continued to eat the hamburgers, steaks, chicken enchiladas, barbecue and french fries he so loved.
“When I had my second heart incident [in 2010] and I had the stents put in, I had passed all my physicals, I was doing great, but I was still building up plaque in my arteries,” he recounted. “So I decided that I wanted to see if I could live to be a grandfather, so I just went all the way.
…
The former president says he really enjoys what he eats now, and doesn’t miss the fast food at all. “I like the vegetables, the fruits, the beans, the stuff I eat now,” said Clinton, whose weight hovers at around 185 pounds — his weight at age 13!
“All my blood tests are good, and my vital signs are good, and I feel good. I also have more energy.”
Clinton’s veganism has inspired other celebrities to embrace a vegan diet, including actress Michelle Pfeiffer and MSNBC host Rev. Al Sharpton, who has lost almost 50 pounds since 2010.
Read the complete article here.
We want to know: How has becoming vegan (or transitioning toward a more vegan lifestyle) changed your life?
