It’s easy to see Schinner as a leading light in the vegan movement, since she has been a vegan for 35 years, is an outspoken advocate for animal rights, and has created a runaway hit product (her vegan butter and cheeses), but even she admits she got tripped up on the road to becoming fully committed to veganism. In her early days, Miyoko admits she would “cheat” by eating cheese from time to time. “That was the hardest thing. I didn’t eat cheese very often, but occasionally I would cheat. And I just kept cheating,” she explained, “but when I finally made the connection about the babies being taken away (from their mothers), it was like, okay, I can’t cheat anymore.”

Her decision to go full-on vegan eventually led to the launching of Miyoko’s Creamery. Giving up cheese was a tough decision, so making her own vegan cheese was on her bucket list of must-dos. Miyoko credits her husband for launching her into action, as a line of self-defense.

“One day (my husband) said, ‘I’m tired of not having cheese in the house.’ And he started buying cheese. And next thing you knew, I had cheese in my refrigerator. And that was it. I was like, ‘Okay, this cannot happen!’ And that’s when I started playing around with vegan cheese.”

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Fast forward several years and Miyoko’s newest products, melty-gooey Cheddar and Pepper Jack Cheeses (cashew-free and indistinguishable from dairy cheese to most tastebuds) are rolling out across Whole Foods this month. Cheese lovers who are vegan or plant-based will be delighted to know they can get busy on the classic grilled cheese, a staple of the American diet! Below, Miyoko shares her tips for rocking a grilled cheese sandwich like a pro!

1.) Be sure to use the right cooking method. You should use either a panini/grilled cheese press or use a griddle/skillet with a lid to ensure the best melting.

2.) Start with good ingredients. Traditional grilled cheese is simple, so it’s important to use quality ingredients. Personally, I love a high-quality sourdough bread, perhaps from your local bakery. I also suggest using our new cheddar cheese or pepper jack cheese, if you prefer a little spice! Not all vegan cheeses melt equally, but our new cheddar and pepper jack melt and function exactly like dairy cheese, which makes them perfect for making a gooey grilled cheese sandwich. Finally use your favorite vegan butter – my go-to is always Miyoko’s cultured vegan butter. Slather both sides of the bread with this before putting into the pan.

3.) Have fun with it! There are so many ways to liven up the traditional grilled cheese and it’s hard to mess up if you’re adding flavors that you like. Maybe you want to add caramelized onions for some sweetness, or mushrooms and truffle for something a little more elegant. Don’t be afraid to get creative! (The Beet has a grilled cheese and spinach recipe that is perfect; just use Miyoko’s cheese in the recipe.)

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Vegan Cheese and Dairy are Leading the Plant-Based Market Growth

More and more consumers are discovering plant-based cheeses, milks, and yogurts. According to the Good Food Institute, plant-based cheeses racked up $189 million in sales in 2019, up 51% since 2017. Plant-based yogurts accounted for $283 million in sales in 2019, up 95% in two years. Plant-based milk topped $2 billion in sales in 2019 and now represents 14% of all milk sales.

Even in these uncertain times, Miyoko is optimistic for the future. “I’m just full of hope. I really do believe that this is the pivotal point when things are going to change. I think COVID-19 is a really horrible time for people, but if we can see this as our opportunity to make change, it’s going to happen faster and faster. I’m very hopeful for the future of a vegan world.”

To watch and listen to the full interview, go here. To watch and listen to other vegan celeb interviews with Elysabeth on her podcast, Awesome Vegans, go here. 

Elysabeth Alfani is a plant-based expert for mainstream media, breaking down the plant-based health, food, business and environmental news for the general public on radio and TV.

The post Miyoko’s Top Three Tips for Making a Killer Vegan Grilled Cheese Sandwich appeared first on The Beet.

Paul has said he has more ability to workout day after day, recover faster, “not feeling achy” and keep playing. In a red carpet interview with Elysabeth Alfano when the movie came out, Paul reveals that he wanted to keep his new eating a secret, but that at a dinner with Le Bron James and Russ Westbrook at the steak restaurant Carbone, his friends gave him grief about ordering cauliflower…”Once you realize how different it makes your body feels, you want to keep going with it.”

It’s not for everybody because it’s hard at first, Paul admits, but the benefit is that he learned he can workout day after day, not feel achy and stay uninjured. 

“I chose a plant-based life [as of last summer]. So far, so good. Not easy. But for me, it’s working. I started plant-based in June,” he told Men’s Health in January. “I went cold turkey. I tell you: I was itching. I thought I needed a chicken wing or something. But somehow I made it through.”

Chris Paul is a Leader and Influencer on and Off the Court.

If you need more basketball in your life and have been watching The Last Dance now you can switch over to Quibi to tune into Blackballed which Chris Paul tells us via Twitter will drop May 18. Paul, who is both plant-based and a leader in the league (as the president of the NBA Player’s Association since 2013) is front and center in Blackballed, a documentary recounting the drama during the LA Clipper’s 2014 Playoff Season, when owner Donald Sterling was ultimately banned from the NBA for life and fined $2.5 million by the league after private recordings of him making racist comments were made public.

Ten-time NBA All-Star Player and Most Valuable Player, with two Olympic gold medals, Paul is outspoken and no wallflower. He asserted his power during the five days that culminated with team-lead protests during the playoffs and Sterling’s ultimate demise. Again from his Twitter feed, he recaps a line from the series, “Social Injustice is bigger than basketball.” 

Switching to a Plant-Based Diet was a Game Changer for Paul

This month Paul turned 35 and by all accounts, at that age, a player should be thinking about the end of his career. However, the switch to a plant-based diet last June gave Paul a new lease on his professional life and his recent season (now cut short due to the COVID-19) with the Oklahoma City Thunder had him looking better and spryer than ever.  Injuries of the past have faded into a distant memory.

Dedicated to his plant-based diet, Paul became one of the Executive Producers of the ultimate plant-based athlete documentary, The Game Changers. On the Hollywood red carpet for the premiere, last fall, Elysabeth Alfano, host of the Awesome Vegans Influencer Series, caught up with Paul on the red carpet. 

Here is a portion of their conversation, in which Paul begins by explaining how he came to discover and convert to a plant-based diet and the benefits he’s felt.

CP: “I tried it, here and there, throughout the season… I’m always trying to look for ways to be better, you know what I mean, to be stronger, or whatnot. I’m in my fifteenth season and (on a plant-based diet) I’m chasing around 20 and 21-year-olds.  So that next day I just went completely plant-based.”

Q: “And you felt a competitive advantage right away?”  

CP: “So the first couple of days I was kind of irritable. (Laughs) You know, what I mean, Seriously I was a little irritable and then … ”

Q: “Were there withdrawals?”

CP: “Yeah, and think about it: I’ve eaten something with meat and animal product every day for the past 34 years.  So, I was training… and usually, I get up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night or in the morning and I walk and I’m like a little achy, you know, and a couple days [of training hard] went by: Nothing, [no aches]. 

“Another day went by, I didn’t think I was training hard enough. Then it just, I mean, trust me when the season starts, I’m gonna start like cold tubbin’ and icin’ [for soreness] but I haven’t put ice on my knees in the past two and a half weeks.”

Q: “What do your teammates say?”

CP: “You know, I went to dinner with Lebron [James] and Russell Westbrook. We went to Carbone. Have you ever heard of Carbone? It’s in New York. We went to the one in Vegas and obviously that’s a huge steak restaurant, and they didn’t know at the time that I was (plant-based). You know, I’m out with my friends and I got like a cauliflower thing (laughs) and it’s just once you realize how different it makes your body feel, then it makes you want to continue.

CP: My wife and I are fully on board, she’s getting there. The biggest thing is we don’t force it on anybody. I don’t think people have to go cold turkey. My little cousins are trying it a few days a week.

“I almost didn’t want to tell nobody. You know, I almost wanted to keep it a secret, you know, but it’s been that powerful for me but you know, I want to spread the knowledge… And the biggest thing is we want to try to continue to get this knowledge to kids, you know what I mean, in the inner cities and all that, like especially like my family.”

Q: “How did LeBron and Russ react to this diet when you were at dinner with them?”

CP: “Ohhhhh they gave me hell!” 

Q: “Yeah but now they’re going to watch you play!”

CP: It is what it is and I’m not forcing it on anybody. I almost wanted to keep it a secret. But knowledge is important. Kids back home and in the inner city suffer from diabetes and everything. You have to watch the movie because protein comes from things other than meat.

CP: “I’ll tell you one little thing about the movie [The Game Changers] because they say this in the movie, and just marinate on this: What’s one of the strongest animals in the wild? A gorilla. Have you ever seen a gorilla eating meat?” 

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Bottom Line: Chris Paul does more than spread his plant-based knowledge.  He also gives back. This month, every week, he is partnering with Beyond Meat and KFC to donate 200 Beyond Meat Fried Chicken meals to the Wake Forest Baptiste Medical Center in support of health-care workers who continue the fight against COVID-19. 

Thanks for spreading the plant-based word, Chris, and for being a champion, leader and role model on and off the court! We’ll be watching you take a stand for social justice when Blackballed airs later this month.

Click here for the full red carpet interview and here for The Game Changers interview. Click here for more Awesome Vegans Influencer Series Interviews. 

Elysabeth Alfano is a plant-based expert for mainstream media, breaking down the plant-based health, food, business and environmental news for the general public on radio and TV.

The post Chris Paul Says Eating Plant-Based Helps Him Keep Up With Players Half His Age appeared first on The Beet.

Dr. Greger, Founder of NutritionFacts.org, author of The New York Times Best Seller How Not to Die, and well-known figure for his advocacy of a whole-food, plant-based diet, sat down with me at Althea Restaurant in Chicago for my Awesome Vegans Influencer Series. Nestled together in a corner just before social distancing was established, we dished on fat blockers, his favorite snacks and his newest book, How Not to Diet. Plus, the great Dr. G. shared a few hacks from his book for weight loss, something we could all use just about now.

Secret 1. Trick your body Into burning fat while you sleep by raising your feet

In his book, Dr. Greger writes about the 21 tweaks you can make in your daily life for an even healthier diet and for losing weight. Luckily for us, in the interview snippet below, he shares his favorite tweak– which he calls “exercising while sleeping!” But don’t worry you don’t have to actually jog your way through slumber or hold a plank while under the blankets.

Put a couple of bricks or large coffee table books under the foot of your bed to sleep with your head down six degrees below your feet. This will make your body think that you’re exercising and mobilize fat as you sleep.

Dr. Greger calls it “the mild Trendelenburg.“ He explains that the idea of lowering your head and upper body during sleep is based on Russian Cosmonaut research showing that “increased pressure in your chest causes your heart to produce a hormone which, basically, mimics exercise.

So your body is tricked into thinking ‘Oh, there’s all this extra pressure–we must be exercising! Quick! We need to burn more fat to support our exercise!’ And indeed, you get this big boost for about four hours of burning fat, just when you lie down with your body sloped downhill 6 degrees for sleeping.” Dr. Greger only recommends trying this if you don’t have heart failure, head injuries, or any other problems with high blood pressure, such as pressure in your eyes. As always, consult your own doctor if you are considering making major changes to your diet and sleep patterns.

Secret 2. Eat high-fiber foods, especially toward the end of the day

Dr. Greger adds “If you eat high fiber foods [before bed or later in the day] your entire musculature of your intestines, which is a 24-foot muscular tube, is working all night long! As opposed to eating fiber-deficient foods, [like sugary snacks] there is just nothing to ‘pump iron’ down there.”

Dr. Greger reminds us, “There’s really only two major sources (of fiber) and that’s whole grains and legumes (beans, split peas, chickpeas, and lentils).” In fact, Dr. Greger recommends a serving of at least one and a half cups of beans or legumes a day to boost fiber intake.

Fiber only comes from plant-based foods, which lack the skeletal infrastructure that animals have to stay upright. So think of the asparagus or plants growing in your garden–what makes them shoot up toward the sky is fiber. Same with fruit. What gives the apple its shape is fiber. Meanwhile, there is no fiber in meat, eggs or dairy. “More than half of Americans think that steak is a significant source of fiber, whereas, of course, just to set the record straight, by definition, fiber is only found in plants. There is zero fiber in meat, eggs, dairy, and junk.”

Secret 3. Pre-Load Supper to Lose Weight Tonight

Another sneaky tweak from Dr. Greger to keep the pounds at bay is to “pre-load” your supper. Before you stack your dinner plate with heavy, calorie-dense foods, Dr. Greger recommends starting your meal out with a soup, salad, fruit or vegetables, a tall glass of water, or anything less than 100 calories per cup (whole food and healthy, of course).

He calls this “negative calorie pre-loading.” Greger shares an example: “For example, eating a large apple before a meal causes people to eat about 300 calories less during the meal. An apple is about 100 calories. So, if eaten before a meal, it has the effect of negative 200 calories!”

 Due to the typically high-water content of fruits and vegetables, pre-loading with healthy, low-calorie options can fill you up and prevent you from overeating at lunch or dinner. “So next time you sit down with soup, imagine calories being sucked out of your system with every spoonful!”

So, don’t forget the run, or the walk, or an online workout for healthiest results. But if you want to supplement your workouts with a chance to burn fat overnight, follow these three tips: Raise the foot of your bed approximately 6 inches, eat high-fiber foods, and pre-load dinners with low-calorie filling foods li veggies to take in overall less calories. For the full interview with Dr. Greger, follow this link.

Elysabeth Alfano is a plant-based expert for mainstream media, breaking down the plant-based health, food, business and environmental news for the general public on radio and TV.

The post Dr. Greger’s Secret for Burning Fat While You Sleep. Wake Up Slimmer appeared first on The Beet.

Tip 1: Pay It Forward

Pay a little extra for organic now rather than pay even more for doctor bills later. It’s your health and longevity after all, and no one wants to crawl into their older years. Daisy admits, “When I was younger, I would look at exercising, eating, and dieting from a vanity standpoint or just because I wanted to look good and fit into clothes – it was a good motivator.

“When I got older and looked at anti-aging and health, I do it – still for vanity – but more for longevity. Because as I get older and look at the pattern of aging, and the problems everyone has as they get older…we’re still having surgeries, going to hospitals, and still having the same illnesses we’ve always had and it comes from the foods that we’re eating. So, I’m thinking to myself, ‘Why would I not want to change that? Why would I wait to get sick to change that?”

So, spend a little extra care on the foods you eat and go for that huge salad or whole grains bowl rather than the chicken wings. You might rock your 40s and 50s with sexy in your step, just like these two.

Tip 2: Get Your Discovery On. Channel Your Creative Side.

Veganism isn’t so much about sacrificing what you know, but about uncovering and gaining what you never knew! “I don’t miss (animal products),” Daisy explains of her vegan diet, “because not only have I replaced all the flavors that I love, but I have discovered an array of foods that I didn’t even know existed before.” Richard chimes in, almost incredulous, “Why was nutritional yeast never in my life?”

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In addition to finishing each other sentences so seamlessly that it’s hard not to wonder if being vegan also makes one fall and stay in love, Richard couldn’t be more right. Nutritional yeast, also known as ‘Nooch’, is a nutty, ‘cheesy’, savory flavoring with heaps of benefits like protein, fiber, many of the B vitamins, and is a great cheese replacement.

Tip 3: Go At Your Own Pace.

It’s not a zero-sum game and you don’t have to go vegan overnight. “It’s important to remind people that it’s not an all or nothing thing because it can be very intimidating at the beginning…you don’t have to (cut out all meat and dairy) from the beginning,” Daisy says. Start out doing Meatless Monday and then graduate to Meatless Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and so on.

She adds, “The more that you do, the better it is for yourself. If you want to be vegan 98% of the time, that’s fantastic. If you want to be vegan and one time you want to have pizza with cheese on it, that’s okay. That doesn’t make you a horrible person. That’s part of your transition.”

Tip 4: Less Is More.

You don’t need to have personal chefs or personal trainers! This chill couple certainly doesn’t! Richard and Daisy cook at home for themselves and exercise by walking. “We’re both pretty fit because we go outside and hike. Anybody can do that…you don’t need to be wealthy or successful to do the things we are doing,” Richard clarifies rather understatedly.

Tip 5: Get Zen.

Perhaps the best reason to cook plant-based for yourself at home: de-stress! Cut out the daily pressures by chopping up your favorite veggies! Richard agrees, “It’s very therapeutic…we always have music on and Daisy gets lost in the process, it’s very meditative.” Here are a couple of easy, vegan recipes to start your on your journey:

1. Plant-based Gyros (Believe It!)
2. Hearty Stuffed Peppers (also featured on the Amazon Prime TV Show, New Day New Chef)
3. Chicago-Style, spicy Italian Beef

So, take the pressure off yourself and enjoy the transition of going plant-based for your health and longevity. Enjoy the discovery process of cooking at home. You may be amazed how quickly your taste buds will start craving new veggies and spices and how great you feel. Add in a little fresh air and exercise and you are on your way to feeling and looking your best, regardless of age. Falling madly in love not guaranteed.

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For the full interview, click here. To watch and listen to other vegan celebrity interviews with Elysabeth on her podcast, go here.

Elysabeth Alfano is a plant-based expert for mainstream media, breaking down the plant-based health, food, business and environmental news for the general public on radio and TV.

Sandra Oh and 20 Others It Might Surprise You to Learn Are Plant-Based

1. Paul McCartney

Sir James Paul McCartney is no stranger to a meat-free life as he’s been vegetarian for 45 years. He initially went vegetarian in 1975 with his first wife Linda McCartney and began his advocacy for animal rights.

2. Sia

If you find yourself constantly singing along to the song The Greatest, then you’re already a Sia fan. Sia tweeted that she is “fully vegan now” back in 2014 and stays true to her word

3. Sandra Oh

Way back at the start of Grey’s Anatomy, Sandra Oh took the cast out for a plant-based lunch at Truly Vegan in Hollywood. In her effort to inspire contemporaries to eat vegan, the TV star is known to invite her friends for vegan meals that are delicious. She adopted the vegan lifestyle years ago and continues to quietly live a cruelty-free life.

4. Gisele Bündchen

Giselle revealed that when she was at the peak of her modeling career, her diet consisted of “cigarettes, wine, and mocha Frappuccinos,” according to an interview in People Magazine. Now 39 and the mother of two children, Gisele eats a “mostly” plant-based diet to nourish her body and stay fueled.

5. Alec Baldwin

Alec Baldwin has made a bigger commitment to plant-based eating since he was first told by doctors that he was pre-diabetic and needed to change his diet. That was decades ago. But, over the last few years, he’s been vocal about the benefits not only to his health but also the impact plant-based eating has on the environment.

6. Miley Cyrus

Miley adopted a gluten-free diet back in 2012 for health reasons and two years later, committed to a vegan diet she still lives by today.

7. Pamela Anderson

We all remember Pamela Anderson as the curvaceous blonde in the hit series Baywatch as she played Casey Jean in the red one-piece swimsuit that brought her world-class fame. She is a life-long active animal rights advocate and teamed up with PETA to join the Animal Protection Organization.

8. Kristen Stewart

“We shouldn’t eat as much meat guys,” Kristen Stewart told GQ in an interview in January. The Twilight star has made a full 180 from vampire to vegan. When she appeared on the game show “Hot Ones” she chose to skip the wings and instead compete by eating increasing spicier sauce on vegan cauliflower wings.

9. Jared Leto

This award-winning actor eats a high-protein diet consisting of only plants. Leto, who has been plant-based for 20 years, says it keeps him “shredded” in an interview. Now, 48, Leto looks half his age.

10. Jaden Smith

Jaden Smith switched up his diet from vegan to vegetarian, meaning that he doesn’t eat meat but does eat dairy from time to time. In a recent article by Plant Based News, Smith admits he skipped meals and was not getting the proper nutrition when he was vegan, but this hasn’t stopped him from espousing the plant-based life.

11. Meghan Markle

Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex has never admitted to being fully vegan, but sources say, she eats a plant-based diet most days during the week. She is teaching Prince Harry vegan cooking and in a Plant-Based News article, Markle explained how she hopes to raise baby Archie on a mostly vegan diet.

12. Serena Williams

As a professional athlete, fueling the body is a key factor to Willaim’s successes. In a Bon Appetite article, she explained that she adopted a plant-based diet back in 2012, she was eating a lot “healthier” for her sister, Venus, who eats a strict vegan diet for health reasons.

13. John Mackey

The popular grocery store, Whole Foods Market sells vegan products and nonvegan products which arises black lash from ethical vegans as CEO John Mackey follows a strict vegan diet. The successful businessman grew up in Houston Texas and told Business Insider that he would traditionally eat processed foods for dinner while watching TV with his family. Now, Mackey steers clear from the processed isle and eats a clean vegan diet and feels amazing at the age of 65.

14. Jason Mraz

Jason Mraz, singer of the popular song, I’m Yours, committed to a vegan diet to support his friend diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. Mraz says he eats mostly raw food and told magazine sources his favorite vegan dish is “Chocomole, a mixture of avocados, dates, cacao, agave nectar, and coconut oil.”

15. Leona Lewis

Long time vegan, Leona Lewis grew up in a vegan household and continues to eat a plant-based diet. Lewis first adopted the diet at 12 when she learned about the health risks of eating animal products but told Women’s Health Magazine she occasionally eats an omelet. She also mentioned her 2:30 lunch is normally a kale salad topped with dried cranberries and she loves a veggie stir-fry for dinner.

16. Hannah Teter

Hannah Teter changed her diet after watching the documentary, Earthlings when she discovered how “horrible” factory farming is. After a strict vegetarian diet, Teter liked the way she performed as an athlete and believes that her diet helped her win gold at the 2006 games.

17. Maggie Q,

You may recognize Maggie Q as the star of the Nikita series, but in the plant-based world, she’s well-known for her heroic activism. Maggie Q has followed a strict vegan diet for 19 years, making her a true veteran of the lifestyle. She made the plant-based diet transition because she felt sluggish and had low energy, she has said. The famous actress keeps in shape by eating veggies and plant-based protein and working out with a passion.

18. Madelaine Petsch,

Winner of the first Masterchef vegan cook-off with Gordon Ramsay, Madelaine Petsch was raised vegetarian and went completely vegan at age 14. She claims that she started this diet before it was “trendy” and shot a campaign for PETA last year wearing a dress made of bok choy. Petsch says her vegan diet allows her to feel “healthier” and not “lethargic.”

19. Millie Bobbi Brown

After doing a little sleuthing on her social media platforms we think Millie Bobbi Brown qualifies as plant-based. Whether or not she is actually skipping all meat and dairy, one thing is for sure: She eats mostly salads, vegetables and grains and lives a predominantly plant-based lifestyle full of healthy foods.

20. Chloe and Halle Bailey

The grammy-nominated sisters went vegan for a week with their mom but liked it so much they decided to stick with it. For one thing, it helps keep their “voices in shape” by eating a vegan diet and they emphasize the fact that dairy helps to limit extra mucus build-up, according to a PETA interview.

21. Hilary Duff

Best known for her role as Lizzie Mcguire in the long-running series, Hilary Duff is a recent vegan advocate and entrepreneur. She recently launched the vegan and cruelty-free eyeshadow palette, “Day Dreamer” and changed her diet to plant-based last fall.

The post Richard Marx and Daisy Fuentes Share Their Tips for Going Plant-Based appeared first on The Beet.

The first player to win three Championships with three different teams, Sally, 6’11,” played both power forward and center for the Detroit Pistons, the Miami Heat, the Toronto Raptors, the Chicago Bulls and the Los Angeles Lakers. He was a long-time host of the former Fox show The Best Damn Sports Show Period. Sally is a vegan activist, chef, and wellness entrepreneur.

Salley told an interviewer back in 2015 that he eats a plant-based diet, but was not always so pure about his approach. During the early 1990s, while still playing, he admitted that he was a “lying” vegetarian since he occasionally ate shrimp and fish. He took fish oil and was macrobiotic and played the large part of his NBA career as a vegetarian, albeit loosely.

As of five years ago he said: “My current diet is a plant-based diet. It is not only plant-based, it’s almost raw. I have eliminated a lot of oils out of my diet. I have eliminated as much olive oil as possible…. Mostly the vegan food I’m eating, the cooked food, is just cooked vegetables a little bit over 118 (degrees F). I’m at the point where I am making my own food as much as possible.”

When he sat down with Elysabeth Alfano during her interview series Awesome Vegans, Salley was more than enthusiastic about his plant-based lifestyle and wore a Nasty Vegan t-shirt.

In this interview, the nearly seven-foot-tall, three-time NBA champ shared his life approach and his personal tips for staying strong, healthy and “at peace” with yourself.

Here is the takeaway from that encounter:

1. Humor is a Good Way to Get Your Point Across.

EA: What do you tell the veg-curious when they ask about protein? 

JS: “I was talking to this 800-pound gorilla and … how could you be the strongest thing in the jungle and you only eat vegetables?’” Grazing on raw veggies is where gorillas get their protein from…and so can you!”

EA: It’s a bit of a mic drop, but it’s true: Protein doesn’t come from animals. Protein comes from the plants which were eaten by animals. And as we know, reducing meat and increasing plant-based proteins is a healthier way to go. But in case you doubt it, let Harvard Health Publishing of Harvard Medical School be your guide “A diet with any type of meat raises the risk of heart disease and cancer when compared with a vegetarian diet,” says cardiologist Dr. Deepak Bhatt, a Harvard Medical School professor and editor in chief of the Harvard Heart Letter.

2. Obsessed With Protein? Get Over It!  Ask, Where do You Get Your Fiber?

JS: As Americans, we are obsessed with protein and, ‘Where do you get your protein?’ is the number one question that John receives about his vegan diet. We really don’t need as much protein as you think. We need fiber. So when you ask me where do you get your protein, I ask you where do you get your fiber? And if you don’t know where you get your fiber, then you should worry about that, because we are fiber deficient.” 

EA:  In fact, that’s the cause of a lot of disease.

JS: Dis-Ease. Phil Jackson teaches it that way. There is “ease” and dis-ease.”

EA: I like that. The recommended amount of fiber we should get is 30-40 grams daily, while most Americans only get 10-15 grams, according to the Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine.  To add insult to injury, contrary to popular belief, meat does not have any fiber! Fiber can help with weight loss and cancer prevention and is key to a healthy diet. 

John reminds us that when we take care of our bodies, we live with ease, rather than dis-ease, a lesson he learned from famed Chicago Bulls Coach and fellow Last Dance Star, Phil Jackson. 

3. Live in Alignment With Your Values. 

JS: “I found out a while time ago, a great way of looking at things is: Don’t fight the machine. Just build a new and better more efficient machine. So I just do what I do. So everything I do, all the companies I work with, all the plans, align with my eco-vegan live-and-let-live mentally. So if they don’t I don’t talk against them. I just stay focused on what I’m doing.”

ES: Being dedicated to his principals and embodying his vegan philosophy in all that he does is key to John’s peace of mind. In working on his many entrepreneurial ventures, he says, “they all stay in line with my eco, vegan, live-and-let-live mentality.”  By staying true to his values and beliefs, John is a bit of a zen-master, preferring to let actions speak louder than words.

Salley explains, “I was a preacher… (At first) I was like ‘You got to do this and save your soul,’ and then, I was a teacher and I was like ‘I told you this, now here’s a test…’ Now I’m just a sage. I’m just going to tell you what it is, show you what it is, and live by example – live and let live.” 

For the full interview with John Salley, click here. To watch and listen to other vegan celebrity interviews with Elysabeth Alfano on her Awesome Vegans Influencer Series, go here.

Elysabeth Alfano is a plant-based expert for mainstream media, covering the plant-based health, food, business, and environmental news for the general public.

Sandra Oh and 20 Others It Might Surprise You to Learn Are Plant-Based

1. Paul McCartney

Sir James Paul McCartney is no stranger to a meat-free life as he’s been vegetarian for 45 years. He initially went vegetarian in 1975 with his first wife Linda McCartney and began his advocacy for animal rights.

2. Sia

If you find yourself constantly singing along to the song The Greatest, then you’re already a Sia fan. Sia tweeted that she is “fully vegan now” back in 2014 and stays true to her word

3. Sandra Oh

Way back at the start of Grey’s Anatomy, Sandra Oh took the cast out for a plant-based lunch at Truly Vegan in Hollywood. In her effort to inspire contemporaries to eat vegan, the TV star is known to invite her friends for vegan meals that are delicious. She adopted the vegan lifestyle years ago and continues to quietly live a cruelty-free life.

4. Gisele Bündchen

Giselle revealed that when she was at the peak of her modeling career, her diet consisted of “cigarettes, wine, and mocha Frappuccinos,” according to an interview in People Magazine. Now 39 and the mother of two children, Gisele eats a “mostly” plant-based diet to nourish her body and stay fueled.

5. Alec Baldwin

Alec Baldwin has made a bigger commitment to plant-based eating since he was first told by doctors that he was pre-diabetic and needed to change his diet. That was decades ago. But, over the last few years, he’s been vocal about the benefits not only to his health but also the impact plant-based eating has on the environment.

6. Miley Cyrus

Miley adopted a gluten-free diet back in 2012 for health reasons and two years later, committed to a vegan diet she still lives by today.

7. Pamela Anderson

We all remember Pamela Anderson as the curvaceous blonde in the hit series Baywatch as she played Casey Jean in the red one-piece swimsuit that brought her world-class fame. She is a life-long active animal rights advocate and teamed up with PETA to join the Animal Protection Organization.

8. Kristen Stewart

“We shouldn’t eat as much meat guys,” Kristen Stewart told GQ in an interview in January. The Twilight star has made a full 180 from vampire to vegan. When she appeared on the game show “Hot Ones” she chose to skip the wings and instead compete by eating increasing spicier sauce on vegan cauliflower wings.

9. Jared Leto

This award-winning actor eats a high-protein diet consisting of only plants. Leto, who has been plant-based for 20 years, says it keeps him “shredded” in an interview. Now, 48, Leto looks half his age.

10. Jaden Smith

Jaden Smith switched up his diet from vegan to vegetarian, meaning that he doesn’t eat meat but does eat dairy from time to time. In a recent article by Plant Based News, Smith admits he skipped meals and was not getting the proper nutrition when he was vegan, but this hasn’t stopped him from espousing the plant-based life.

11. Meghan Markle

Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex has never admitted to being fully vegan, but sources say, she eats a plant-based diet most days during the week. She is teaching Prince Harry vegan cooking and in a Plant-Based News article, Markle explained how she hopes to raise baby Archie on a mostly vegan diet.

12. Serena Williams

As a professional athlete, fueling the body is a key factor to Willaim’s successes. In a Bon Appetite article, she explained that she adopted a plant-based diet back in 2012, she was eating a lot “healthier” for her sister, Venus, who eats a strict vegan diet for health reasons.

13. John Mackey

The popular grocery store, Whole Foods Market sells vegan products and nonvegan products which arises black lash from ethical vegans as CEO John Mackey follows a strict vegan diet. The successful businessman grew up in Houston Texas and told Business Insider that he would traditionally eat processed foods for dinner while watching TV with his family. Now, Mackey steers clear from the processed isle and eats a clean vegan diet and feels amazing at the age of 65.

14. Jason Mraz

Jason Mraz, singer of the popular song, I’m Yours, committed to a vegan diet to support his friend diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. Mraz says he eats mostly raw food and told magazine sources his favorite vegan dish is “Chocomole, a mixture of avocados, dates, cacao, agave nectar, and coconut oil.”

15. Leona Lewis

Long time vegan, Leona Lewis grew up in a vegan household and continues to eat a plant-based diet. Lewis first adopted the diet at 12 when she learned about the health risks of eating animal products but told Women’s Health Magazine she occasionally eats an omelet. She also mentioned her 2:30 lunch is normally a kale salad topped with dried cranberries and she loves a veggie stir-fry for dinner.

16. Hannah Teter

Hannah Teter changed her diet after watching the documentary, Earthlings when she discovered how “horrible” factory farming is. After a strict vegetarian diet, Teter liked the way she performed as an athlete and believes that her diet helped her win gold at the 2006 games.

17. Maggie Q,

You may recognize Maggie Q as the star of the Nikita series, but in the plant-based world, she’s well-known for her heroic activism. Maggie Q has followed a strict vegan diet for 19 years, making her a true veteran of the lifestyle. She made the plant-based diet transition because she felt sluggish and had low energy, she has said. The famous actress keeps in shape by eating veggies and plant-based protein and working out with a passion.

18. Madelaine Petsch,

Winner of the first Masterchef vegan cook-off with Gordon Ramsay, Madelaine Petsch was raised vegetarian and went completely vegan at age 14. She claims that she started this diet before it was “trendy” and shot a campaign for PETA last year wearing a dress made of bok choy. Petsch says her vegan diet allows her to feel “healthier” and not “lethargic.”

19. Millie Bobbi Brown

After doing a little sleuthing on her social media platforms we think Millie Bobbi Brown qualifies as plant-based. Whether or not she is actually skipping all meat and dairy, one thing is for sure: She eats mostly salads, vegetables and grains and lives a predominantly plant-based lifestyle full of healthy foods.

20. Chloe and Halle Bailey

The grammy-nominated sisters went vegan for a week with their mom but liked it so much they decided to stick with it. For one thing, it helps keep their “voices in shape” by eating a vegan diet and they emphasize the fact that dairy helps to limit extra mucus build-up, according to a PETA interview.

21. Hilary Duff

Best known for her role as Lizzie Mcguire in the long-running series, Hilary Duff is a recent vegan advocate and entrepreneur. She recently launched the vegan and cruelty-free eyeshadow palette, “Day Dreamer” and changed her diet to plant-based last fall.

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