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Vegetarian Celebrities

Who are Vegetarian Celebrities?

Today, being a vegetarian is as common a lifestyle as drinking coffee in the morning. No group has made this fact more apparent than vegetarian celebrities. Because of the gossip culture of this celebrity obsession generation, there are some misconceptions about vegetarian celebrities. For instance, contrary to popular belief, former vegetarians like singer and pop icon Madonna who, after marrying former husband Guy Richie, took up hunting and fishing, find it prudent to switch from a vegetarian to omnivorous diet. Once vegetarian Gwyneth Paltrow, married to vegetarian Coldplay front man Chris Martin also made the transition back to animal protein, however still encouraging “Meatless Mondays.” It seems like there really isn’t a distinct profile of the typical vegetarian celebrity.

When they became Vegetarian

In some cases, when to commit to being vegetarian can be just as difficult a question as how to commit. For instance, noted Comedian and Actor Robin Williams assumed a raw foods diet shortly after having heart surgery at age 58, as a way to reduce the threat of a heart attack. Actor Toby Maguire was 17 when he became vegetarian, choosing tofu as his main source of protein during the filming of Spiderman. Some celebrities, like Heroes costar Milo Ventimiglia have been lifelong vegetarians, quotes in Men’s Fitness as saying, “You can be a vegetarian and still eat pizza every day.”

Why they changed

Some choose veganism for health reasons, like Actor and notable Comedian Kevin Nealon, who cites the health benefits of his 18+ years as a vegetarian celebrity. Some do it because of sociopolitical reasons, as in the case of Alec Baldwin who is an active PETA members and contributor to the Huffington Post as a proponent for animal rights. Lest we not forget the spiritual implications of a vegetarian diet, such is the case of Music Mogul Russell Simmons who is an active Buddhist and practitioner of “Ahimsa,” a tenet of most eastern religions advocating compassion and non-violence towards all living things.

It's not necessary to be a staunch supporter of animal rights or motivated by a higher sense of well-being. Your reasoning can be as simple as, “I have high cholesterol and I want it to go down.” Whatever the case may be, it’s important to have high profile celebrities out there giving light to the fact that there are alternatives out there that support a healthy and regular vegetarian lifestyle.