From Ashley Judd, Ellen DeGeneres and Bill Clinton to Ozzie Ozbourne, Mike Tyson and Russell Simmons, vegans have a newfound popularity and the diet is taking to the masses with a mainstream resurgence.
The former POTUS adopted the plant-based diet in 2010 after a physician and friend sent Clinton a detailed email warning him on the health hazards of a meat diet after his heart problems in 2004.
But what does it mean to be a vegan? According to The Happy Cow, a vegan is a person living on a 100 percent vegetarian diet consisting of vegetables, fruits, nuts, beans, herbs, spices and grains. A vegan, unlike a carnist, does not consume any animal or animal-derived products whatsoever.
Bill Clinton says he lives on a meat, egg and dairy-free diet, has lost over 20 pounds, and feels better than ever. Even though his decision to go vegan was health based, the animal activism group PEETA named Clinton their Person of the Year in 2010.
The majority of vegans say veganism is an ethical lifestyle that consciously avoids animal exploitation. The core philosophy behind veganism is that while some animals must consume others to survive, humans do not require meats or animals for survival.
