Plant-Based Diets of the Rich and Famous

I’ve written recently about the meteoric growth of plant-based eating in the UK in the last 5 years.

The growth in popularity is well represented in Hollywood, MTV and across a wide spectrum of athletes which again is an influencing factor contributing to this wider uptake of plant based diets.

Today I’m going to shamelessly namedrop some of those celebrities along with some relevant quotes and reasoning behind their lifestyle choices.

Genuinely, I don’t think this is a celebrity bandwagon thing.

There are common themes in why these A Listers favour plant-based diets as part of their lifestyle and these include ethical standpoints, efforts to support mental well being, and also for those wanting to support health goals and drive peak performance.

Reported health benefits include:

  • Faster recovery

  • Improved energy levels

  • Better sleep quality

  • Reduced inflammation

  • Enhanced endurance

  • Clearer skin

  • Better digestion

  • Mental clarity

  • Weight management

  • Environmental consciousness

Many advocates emphasize that plant-based diets form the heartbeat of a larger wellness routine that includes:

  • Regular exercise

  • Meditation/mindfulness practices

  • Environmental consciousness

  • Ethical considerations

  • Sustainable living practices

  • Regular sleep schedules

  • Hydration

  • Whole food focus

Clearly, not everyone has an A list budget or access to a nutritionist, but there is a wealth of information online to help you manage a plant-based diet effectively. Affordable plant-based food is stocked at all the major UK supermarkets and with Mell’s Kitchen, for example, there are great value prepped meals available, with all macros detailed to help those that are managing their nutritional intake.

So, why are many A-Listers going plant-based?

We’ll start with some famous athletes:

Venus Williams switched to a raw vegan diet after being diagnosed with Sjögren's syndrome in 2011.

She said, "I literally couldn't play tennis anymore, so it really changed my life. Because it was starting to take away what I loved, I had to make some changes, I had to change my life. Thankfully, I was able to find something that helped me get back to doing what I loved."

Lewis Hamilton became vegan in 2017

"I have more energy;” said Lewis. “I'm so much more productive. I wake up feeling way better, clearer in thought and fresher in my body. I recover quicker; I sleep better. My skin cleared up. I have fewer allergies. There are just so many impacts."

Another tennis legend, Novak Djokovic has followed a plant-based diet since 2010 and his book "Serve to Win" discusses how changing his diet transformed his health and career.

"It's more than a performance reason for me, it's a lifestyle. It's something I'm really proud of."

Patrik Baboumian, one of the world's strongest men and star of The Game Changers documentary on Netflix (awesome and inspiring watch, by the way if you haven’t seen it), was quoted as saying, "Someone asked me how I could get as strong as an ox without eating meat. My answer was: Have you ever seen an ox eating meat?"

Arguably the most celebrated women’s football player ever, Alex Morgan of team USA is also a firm advocate of a plant-based diet. "I feel better all around, I feel like I have great energy, and I feel like I'm sleeping really well," she said.

I’ll move on to the world of entertainment.

Billie Eilish likes the way you kiss her but she’s also been a vegan since childhood. "I am vegan,” she said. “I've been vegan for many years and I feel stronger than ever. If I can do it, while travelling and working, you guys can do it too."

Staying on musicians, one of Britain’s finest, Paul McCartney is a very famous vegan and his late wife Linda was something of a revolutionary in championing vegetarianism in the UK. Even today the Linda McCartney brand is one of the strongest and most famous plant-based brands.

Paul started the "Meat Free Monday" campaign and was quoted as saying, "My diet, which has been primarily plant-based for many years, has been a major factor in a long, healthy life."

Apparently, all you need is love, and a healthy supply of lentils!

I’ll move on from musicians to the world of acting.

Joaquin Phoenix and Peter Dinklage are lifelong vegans and both have been part of pro animal welfare documentaries, with Joaquin famously using his 2020 Oscar’s speech to advocate for animal rights. And Peter? Well, “he drinks and he knows things”, so we can trust his word on the benefits of a plant-based diet.

Natalie Portman, Vegan since 2011, attributes her veganism to motherhood stating that she “had a responsibility to my child to be as healthy as possible." As a mother, this sentiment really resonates with me.

Woody Harrelson has taken his plant-based lifestyle to a whole other level, living as a raw vegan for over 30 years which is truly inspiring.

Woody tries to eat as much clean, raw, plant-based food as he can. "I eat vegan, but I mostly eat raw. If I have a cooked meal, I feel my energy drop. So when I first started shifting my diet, I felt that kick of energy, that clarity," he said.

Alicia Silverstone, vegan since 1998, and author of "The Kind Diet", a book about plant-based living said. "Once I went vegan, I lost the weight I'd been struggling with my whole life, my nails were stronger, my skin was glowing, I had more energy than I had ever had."

I’m going to finish with Jessica Chastain. If ever there was an A Lister’s back story relevant to Mell’s Kitchen then hers has to be it. Jessica, vegan for over 15 years said, "I found myself going to veganism because a friend of mine had a two-week vegan food delivery program she wasn't going to use so I tried it, and immediately I just had more energy than I've ever had in my life."

Just to be clear, if you take on a subscription to Mell’s Kitchen then I can’t guarantee you an Oscar Winning role in The Eyes of Tammy Faye, but I can make sure you have some meals straight off an A List menu that have all the benefits of a whole food, plant-based diet.

You don’t have to be a superstar to eat well and look after yourself. You just need to make that choice.

If you're ready to start your plant based wellness journey or you're a well established vegan looking to get some wholefoods into your diet then check out our meal plans here:

https://mellskitchen.co.uk/collections/all

 

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