Photo: Ennuipoet / Flickr

For the first time ever in 2010 the US Department of Agriculture included vegetarianism in its food pyramid, considered the national standard for healthy eating, and people are taking notice. In February Oprah had her TV show staff eating vegan for a week (some loved it, while others hated it), Bill Clinton claims to be ‘almost vegan’ for the sake of his heart and Martha Stewart is also getting in on the game – she recently cooked a take on boeuf bourguignon using gluten as a meat substitute.

Possibly the most surprising convert is boxer Mike Tyson, who says he feels more ‘powerful’ now that he avoids meat, eggs and milk.

Why vegan?

Many people opt for a vegan diet to lose weight. And it works. A vegan diet is very low in calories, and very low in saturated fat. The fatty foods vegans do eat, like raw nuts, seeds, avocado and olive oil, are loaded with goodness and usually eaten in moderation.

What Ellen and Alanis have in common

Ellen DeGeneres and wife Portia De Rossi went meat- and wheat-free last year, and De Rossi told the press that ‘The benefit of it is weight loss.’ Alanis Morissette also went vegan primarily for her weight, losing 20 pounds, but told OK that the weight loss ‘was incidental’ to following a healthy diet as outlined by Dr. Joel Fuhrman in the book Eat to Live.

‘I wasn’t interested in some fad diet that was unsustainable, like “lose 10 pounds in two weeks.” I don’t believe in diets; I think they’re short-term and a bit of an emotional roller-coaster,’ she said.

To dispel the myth that vegans are pale and sickly once and for all, take a look at these athletes who swear by a carefully balanced vegan diet.

Tags: eating healthily, Healthy diet, vegan, vegan diet, weight loss