natjtan In honour of World Vegan Day and the start of World Vegan Month, I’d like to share some vegan superstars who debunk the myth that us vegans are pale faced, weak, vitamin and mineral deficient, calcium deficient, protein deficient, tree hugging, animal activists. Animal activists maybe. Many like myself start the vegan/vegetarian journey not eating meat or fish in protest to factory farming, slaughter houses and the general disregard and disrespect of life cows, pigs, goats, sheep, chickens, turkeys, ducks, horses (yes, horse meat too) are given. My view is that I don’t want something to have suffered for my entertainment. Others follow the raw, vegan, plant based whole food path, call it what you like for health reasons.
I’ve been a vegetarian for about 15 years with the last 2 -3 years more a raw vegan. I have more energy, recover faster from workouts, hardly ill (touch wood), no more tummy issues from eating cheese (the hardest dairy product to give up!) and I’m rarely bloated after crossing to the vegan side. Thanks to the internet, there’s a whole raw vegan recipe book out there. But this isn’t about me, it’s about the vegan superstars!
Sunny Griffin (my new role model!), Annette Larkins and Mimi Kirk and are all in their early 70’s, vibrant, have energy levels of ladies half their age, look 20 years younger and all follow a raw vegan diet. They glow like they swallowed a light bulb, which is how Sunny Griffin describes Iman Bowie, I believe a vegan also. All have been vegans for at least 15 years or more with none of them have any illnesses normally associated with their age: high blood pressure, diabetes, arthritis etc. Mimi Kirk holds Peta’s title for sexiest vegetarian over 50 and has a Youtube channel full of raw recipes advice and tips. Sunny Griffin a former supermodel from the 60’s even created her own skin care line, Astara after noticing nothing would clear up her dry skin from living in high altitude in Colorado based on raw principles. (The line is sold throughout spas in the US and UK.) Amazing ladies with amazing stories: Sunny Griffin interview here and here, Annette Larkins interview here and Mimi Kirk interview here.
More and more athletes are taking advantages of the clean fuel, better results, better recovery and more energy that a plant based diet has to offer. Rich Roll and Brendon Brazier are both endurance athetle superstars. You only have to check out free runner Tim Shieff (video here. Amazing! Seriously, you have to watch it!) and boxer Timothy Bradley to see their protein gives them as punch as a carnivores. Ruth Heidrich has been winning gold running 5km to Ironman Triathlons for years and Steph Davis is the only female free climber to climb El Captain Torre in Patagonia in a day. Both ladies are fuelled on plants. And last but not least, Venus Williams. Need I say more?
Regardless of a vegans superstar status, there’s one question we call get asked: ‘What actually do you eat?!’ That, I’ll leave that to Chokeules
Happy World Vegan Day!
For more information on the benefits of a vegan, raw lifestyle check out the documentaries, Forks Over Knives and Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead. Both available on Netflix and YouTube.
Image taken from Google Images.
That rap gives a lot of good vegan alternatives. The vegetarians/vegan I know look very healthy. Beautiful skin, shiny hair and nice bodies. I still have to check out those shows you recommend.
The junk food alternatives, half of which I can’t get over here! I think a juice is the secret to vegetarian/vegans you know beautiful skin. I always forget to make them (but now Paul’s at home, he makes them) and those that do normally have a glow!