I agree that she does look better now than she did when she was younger. I'd love to go vegan but it would suck to always be cooking my husband a meal and then having to cook myself a second meal.

There's no way I'd go vegan. I think you can be perfectly healthy eating all food groups.

I do think you can be perfectly healthy and glowing without being vegan. However, I'm thinking about going vegan eventually, because of the ecological impact of meat and dairy production. It's going to be a long process though, I'm not even a vegetarian yet. And I don't know if I can give up eggs and cheese...

My husband and I are "vegan 'till dinner". We eat a raw foods based, vegan diet for all meals and snacks of the day except dinner. Our dinner is still what most people would consider "very healthy", but we occasionally eat meat (about twice a month) and we eat dairy, cooked foods (lots of beans and legumes). Lemme tell ya' - we started eating this way about a year ago, and it has made SUCH a huge difference in our health, I really wouldn't know where to begin describing it. Having unlimited options for dinner makes it feel like we aren't making any sacrifices, we are both actually CRAVING LESS MEAT - that's why we eat it so infrequently - we barely even want it anymore. He's lost 20 pounds, I've lost 25, and we hear comments all the time from friends and family about how great we look. We FEEL even better.

I just can't give up meat. I'm such an omnivore. I do swim nude on hot days. It's very liberating. (Thank God for privacy fences.)

I really like her, and I'll definitely be getting the book. I'm excited about the recipes.

Walking the dog and doing yoga my ass!

Anyway, she is actually one of the people that turns me off to vegan living. I love her as Cher, but as a Vegan I find her a bit annoying an condescending in interviews when she talks about her diet.

after reading that skinny b*tch book, I went vegan for maybe 2 months and I must say, not only made it my life harder and more expensive bc I had to go to whole foods to get sth else than vegetables or fruits but I also started feeling worse...lack of energy, vitamins, etc.
I would not recommend it my family, people I love. I agree you can e healthy eating everything..eggs, milk, meat, fish...our bodies need it.

I agree that being vegan is not a requirement to look, feel, and be healthy. I like the plan you've described, Vsugar. It's probably too rigidly structured for my life, but it sounds like a great way to practice moderation.

Gardening in the nude just sounds icky!

being vegan is NOT more expensive & easy to balance. you just have to avoid buying all kinds of prepackaged stuff just because it's vegan. that's when it gets $$$!
like ANY diet you have to pay attention to balance. you can easily be deficient even if you eat animal products. & if you go overboard, too much protein will damage your liver. you do need to be careful.
i've been vegan since about 98. my weight has not fluctuated. my blood levels are great. i do look better now than then. my nails are great. my hair grows like 2 inches a month & i've even been paid to hair model. if i had a protein deficiency, my hair, skin, & nails would suffer.
our bodies don't NEED animal products. you can get all of it from plants. you just have to actually bother to eat the right plants. if you're gonna go vegan by eating chips & pasta all day, yeah, you're going to gain weight & feel like crap. but i'm really sick of people saying vegan lifestyles drain you.

With due respect gaelgirl, I'm tired of vegans who think that lifestyle SHOULD be for everyone. Yes it did drain me, mostly because I don't float around in a garden all day with butterflies and rainbows swimming naked in a pool or whatever. I have a job which requires physcial activity all day. A balanced diet with A LOT of protein is essential.

Vsugar sounds like you have a good approach.

I could never go vegan. There are just too many foods I enjoy that I could never give up. Life is too short.

@Gaelgirl: The fact that you refer to it as a "diet" is a major turn-off, not to mention that it seems that Vegans are more passionate about trying to sway people to their lifestyle.

That, honestly, is my major issue with the vegan way of living. Because Vegans often come off as quite sanctimonious, my mind automatically associates that word, that lifestyle, etc which negative things, such as PETA. I guess you could say I have a Pavlovian response to the whole issue

diet is also the sum of everything you eat - we all have a diet, it's being ON a diet that's not so good for you

My husband and I had been vegan for the last 13 months when I read the Nourishing Traditions book by Sally Fallon last week. Since then, we've purchased local, organic, pasture raised beef, lamb, chicken and eggs as well as local, raw milk. We've made an effort to balance our diet according to the ideas in the book and WOW. I've not had this kind of energy in 13 months, I can honestly say that. I was really starting to get pretty depressed (despite having been taking a B complex supplement all 13 months) but that seems to have lifted for the most part, and I expect to see more improvement over the next few weeks.
I had been vegetarian for animal rights reasons as a teenager prior to being vegan, and then vegan for health reasons (high cholesterol despite having been vegetarian) - but buying local dairy and meat products (where I've actually BEEN to the farm to pick them up) really makes me feel a lot less guilty. I know the animals lead a great life on the farm and were treated humanely.
I'd recommend everyone read the Nourishing Traditions book - it is for meat eaters, vegetarians and vegans alike. It has something to offer everyone. I also learned why my cholesterol was high despite being vegetarian/vegan. I checked it out at the library, but Amazon sells it pretty cheap, too.
Just my 2 cents.

I have inadvertently become vegetarian over the past couple years. I don't quite know how it happened - a combination of being an animal lover, and seeing way too many family members eat unhealthy(too much cheese and pesticide ridden meats) and get cancer. I have no problem eating organic/free range meat everyone once in awhile - although I haven't really since it's so expensive! I have also switched to almond milk and rarely eat cheese. I definitely feel better about myself and am losing weight but I wouldn't preach this diet to anyone unless they asked. It takes a lot of work to research the nutritional information and carefully balance your diet so you have all your nutrients.

It sucks that vegans and vegetarians get stereotyped - the reason why I often don't mention it to anyone.

FYI - I spend WAY less on food now that I have stopped eating meat and dairy. Hello Trader Joes and Farmers Market!
Sorry long rant - just wanted people to know that we're not all self righteous hippies!

Oh and the word diet doesn't necessarily mean someone is trying to lose weight. Being an omnivore is considered a diet also.

Hey, vegans? If you want to live on twigs and berries, that's fine. But you have the right to make that decision for one person and one person only: YOURSELF. Worry about what's on your own damn plate and never mind what's on anyone else's.

And it'd be nice if you'd all just stop pretending you give a damn about your health or the environment or the cute widdle animals, and admit you only went vegan because you need something to feel morally superior about. If I had a nickel for every gas-guzzling leather-interior SUV I've seen plastered with PETA bumper stickers, I could retire right now.

I went vegan for a year zero to vegan (and I used to eat rare steaks a lot) now I started eating cheese because lets be honest - vegan cheese sucks and its an indulgence. I also started eating a little fish but I might stop because it's unfair to the fish. Omitting red meat is much healthier as is eating whole foods (not the store) you will feel better. I am looking foward to her book and I will def grab it on Amazon when it comes out.

and I didnt lose an ounce going vegan.
I also went vegan because I love animals and know that my way of eating does benefit human and animals alike.

hey, what car out there doesnt guzzle gas? Electric cars have been around for 20 years but big automotive and the oil industry made them disappear.

Call me ridiculous, but I hate the word diet. I realize it that it denotes the sum of all that we eat, but I prefer saying 'eating habits' or anything other than diet. It's a word that makes me cringe--like panties, or moist .

i can't stand the word panties either

Its important to remember that not everyone has a Trader Joes or Whole Foods or farmers market locally.

Wow, who knew that not eating meet was such as hot button topic? I haven't eaten meat in 7 years, but I still eat dairy and occasionally eggs. This works for me, do whatever works for you. I don't see Alicia as being condescending, she's just discussing her lifestyle. If you don't like it write a book about the joys of meat (LOL).

this is a difficult topic for me. until 5 years ago, i was a HUGE meat eater (double quarter pounders were my absolute favorite food ever). i would always be super annoyed with vegetarians/vegans preaching and if anything they made me want to eat more meat. then one day i was eating a steak and out of nowhere i looked at it in a different way, and in my mind i was seeing cows being tortured and mutilated and i haven't eaten a bite of meat since. i've also given up dairy and eggs which i always thought would be impossible, but it's easy to do when you feel like you have a purpose.

so anyways, point of the story is i know how non-veggies feel when veggies preach and brag about their food choices and how great they feel (ive never felt better, btw). BUT now that i'm on the other side, i really don't know how so many people can turn a blind eye to where their meat comes from and how the poor animals are treated. i guess i just have a soft spot for little creatures :-\

Wow! what's with all the insecure anonymous meat eaters bashing people who care about someone other than themselves?

Asche - I agree about the word "diet" (and "moist" ew, and "tube" also).

I've been a vegetarian for a bit over 2 months now, and there's no way I'd ever give up on cheese. I love it way too much!

And I agree I'm actually saving money since I stopped buying meat..

Working in a naturopathic clinic has given me huge insight on diet and health. While I'm a vegetarian and I can vouch for the definite benefits of this choice and going vegan (properly for both, so there are no deficiencies), I think the most important thing to keep in mind is that everyone is different. Plans for health should be completely individualized. No one diet is right or wrong for every person. I personally don't believe there is any such thing as being meant, or not, to eat meat and dairy. Diet depends on individual need and no matter what it is, whether carnivore or even if you're fruitarian, you can be healthy. It all depends on properly doing whatever you chose.

Often many of our patients really improve with a wheat-free, dairy-free diet, while some find, depending on their issues, that going meat-free as well is beneficial. Most patients who undergo a lab-conducted food allergy test react to dairy, grains, and eggs, and eliminating these foods clears up otherwise insurmountable issues from digestive to behavioural and hormonal. But if you choose to give up none of these, just eat in moderation and you can do things like detox now and then to help combat any adverse effects.

That said, I really think that each person needs to do what they feel is most beneficial, body and mind. Given a chance, the body will tell you what it needs to stay healthy. Trust your instincts, and your gut, and whatever you choose, make sure you're getting a balanced diet according to your own need, not too much of anything, as well as checking out the best sources of calcium, B vits, protein, etc.

On a totally vain level, my esthetician says that vegetarians tend to show fewer signs of aging on their faces. Don't know if that's true, and different veg*ans eat differently, but I know that the more fruit and veg I eat, the clearer my skin is. I've been a vegetarian for 14 years and I feel pretty healthy.

She gardens in the nude? I get bug bites nearly everytime I garden, lol, would not want some in certain areas!!

Oh, Good Lord, not the vegan vs. non-vegan thing again. Look, if it works for you, great. If not, that's great too. I personally don't eat a vegan diet because I don't feel like being that anal about choosing what I eat. If something I like contains something that came from an animal, that's fine with me. I don't eat a ton of meat or dairy because it's expensive, but I don't shop at Whole Paycheck, either. Everyone has the right to eat whatever the heck they want.

Oh, and gardening in the nude just sounds like it wouldn't be a good time. What if you got poked with thorns or something? And think of all the places the dirt would hide...I don't even want to think about it.

everyone has a way to live and thrive that may be different than the 'norm.' it is all about what works best for that person, not about how others think they should behave. why bash other's lifestyle just because you would never want to be in their shoes?!
i would be interested in reading her book since it would probably be along the same lines as the lifestye i live!!

LOL @ #20. I think you have a point.

Personally, I can't be vegetarian, much less vegan. I get abnormal medical lab results. My body needs animal protein (arguably a very efficient source of protein per ounce and calorie). I think this may be due to my exercise habits.

I have been vegetarian for over two half years and vegan for last year and a half. I have been cheating a little the past few months with some dairy and eggs being in ingrediants. I can honestly say that the cheating is completely stupid and unnecessary, I am so happy to eat just vegan food. Tonight I made a vegan pizza with the new Daiya cheese and it's to die for!!! You can only buy it from Pangea. I toy with going back to Vegetarian for easier lifestyle but then read things about staying vegan and want to stay so badly. Don't know any other vegans. It's pretty hard to have deficiencies unless you just don't eat balanced. It is hard sometimes to eat out, but when it comes down to it, I live to eat not other way around. Food is such a social endeavor. I totally agress about the skin, I am 44 and look at least ten years younger. Most people I know that eat lots of animal products do not have good skin. Surely, there are many other factors. It's all personal choice.

I've always questioned the vegan lifestyle, but I understand it more because my 86 year old boss, who is also the CEO of our asset management firm, leads a vegan lifestyle and has for the past 25 years. Mind you, he doesn't have the genetics of a God (one of his sons passed @ 30 from heart disease, his sister from a poor liver), but he preaches the lifestyle, and I listen. He said he feels young, and he believes it helped him complete the Marine Corps marathon 10 years ago (haha).

Anyway, it took a while for me to even grasp the idea of eating vegan, but I am actually considering it. It seems like the health benefits are quite astonishing.

I've been vegan for a year now and I feel so much better. If you eat a balanced diet you will not have any deficiency. Most Americans get too much protein these days anyways. If you become a vegetarian or vegan and aren't eating a balanced diet, you probably weren't eating one in the first place so you're still screwing yourself over. I honestly don't eat a balanced diet, but since becoming vegan i went from a size 14 to a size 10.. I love it.

I don't believe that people should be criticized for eating meat, I ate meat for almost 19 years.. a lot of meat. I ate soooooo much dairy for almost 20. I'd be a hypocrite to say you're wrong. However, I don't appreciate when people jump down my throat saying that this is an unhealthy diet or God meant for us to eat meat. Because both are false.. look it up.

Also, as for associating all vegans with PETA, its unfair. I don't totally support PETA, but I kind of respect them. They do crazy things and make outlandish statements to get your attention. They just want to spread the message that these animals are treated terribly. It's truly horrific.

I personally believe that the Vegan lifestyle benefits, me, you, future generations, and animals.

so there.

I was a vegan for a little over a year. i don't really care for meat and am allergic to milk. the problem was that i became so obsessed with what i could and could not eat. i would get so worried when i would go out to dinner with my friends or on vacation. i don't feel any different now while eating a non-vegan diet than i did then. i also have problems with iron deficiency before becoming a vegan that are easier to control while eating meat. overall i think it depends on your body and your personality. only you know what's best for you.

oh yeah and i had acne for the first time in my life when i was vegan. i'm sure it was due to something that i was eating more of during that time period. maybe soy or corn?

I don't Alicia looks better at all - her eyes have huge dark circles under them. Everybody has different needs, just listen to your body.

@Spectra - by your own admission you shop at Aldi's where 99.5% of the store is highly processed products made with ultra cheap ingredients and the non-organic produce section is about equivalent to the size of my dashboard.
If you want to put that garbage in your mouth and call yourself healthy that's fine but dont begrudge the actual HEALTHY person who shops at Whole Foods (where the products are made with whole food ingredients and mostly organic) and cares about what goes into their body.

I can't eat dairy or eggs, so I thought that it would be easy to be vegan. Then I discovered that I have reactions to wheat as well, so I started to add some chicken and fish back into my diet. People have told me that I have the "sparkling" thing that Alicia Silverstone talks about too, but I think that's because I eat lots of fruits and veggies and drink a lot of water -- not because I don't eat meat.

I've been reading a lot on milk causing acne due to the hormones. Obviously this isn't true for all people, but I am curious about it. I swear when I eat a lot of ice cream my skin goes crazy. I couldn't go vegan, because frankly I don't want to. I like meat, but I would like to start eating less of it and way more veggies.

"I went vegan for maybe 2 months... but I also started feeling worse...lack of energy, vitamins, etc."

Getting healthy can make you feel sick. This is why it is so hard to get off cocaine or heroine - drug addicts get very very sick when they do not have access to their drug. Same with meat and the western diet. If you can ween yourself for at least 3 months, you will get over the 'hump' and then truly feel better for it.

I have a question. I am slightly underweight, so if I was to give up meat, don't I risk losing weight? I certainly don't want that.

I really want this book! I'm an octo-vegetarian, so I eat eggs but not dairy (mainly because I'm allergic lol) but I could still use all those recipes!

Hey BeccaU, eating a vegetarian diet doesn't necessarily mean you'll lose weight, you just need to make sure your replace the meat with plenty of vegetarian proteins.

Meat is decaying, rotting flesh. The animal died, now the flesh is dead, and slowly decomposing in your fridge, then inside you. YUCK! Would you eat a rotten apple?

well, the apple is dead and slowly decomposing too...

I very much dislike proponents of any diet who imply that it will make you younger, glowing and, for example, cancer free. My mother, who always ate mainly high quality farmer's market veggies and fruit and very little meat, went vegan for about two years to improve her cholesteral and weight. This she did, obtaining fantastic cholesteral readings. But, she was always bragging about how great she felt and how much weight she had lost, and endlessly trying to convert the whole family to her diet. When I saw her towards the end of this perioed (we live in different countries) I was shocked to see that this weight loss included most of her muscle mass. She had lost some fat too, but was incredibly frail, despite agressively balancing her diet and including lots of beans, whole grains and soy products. She was never terribly athletic, so I don't think she noticed this day to day, except to complain about how it was getting harder to go up stairs, etc.

Sadly, right around this time she was suddenly diagnosed with brain cancer and shortly passed away. So, if you want to be vegan that's your choice, but maybe it doesn't work for my body type, or maybe I think life is too short, or maybe I enjoy the healthy way I already eat. But don't tell me I'll automatically be healthier or reach some kind of eternity or salvation. Vegans get cancer too.