A Vegan wave among celebs in India

What do Bollywood celebs like Sonam Kapoor, Aliaa Bhat, Soundarya Sharma, all have in common?
They are all proud vegans. With the growing trend of veganism and plant-based diet across the globe, Indian celebrities can’t stop raving about it either. The modern bunch of well-travelled and conscious actors are leading the way in the glamorous vegan lifestyle.
So, why are Bollywood celebs going vegan?
The reasons for going vegan are a plenty- along with the many health benefits of following a meat and animal product free lifestyle, the inhumane treatment of animals in factory farms and the fight against climate change has led to a dramatic increase in veganism and vegetarianism worldwide.
While some actors went vegan for health, some did it for ethical reasons and to live a more sustainable life, and some still have recently dipped their toes in it and giving it a try. Celebs like Sonam Kapoor, Aliaa Bhat and Soundarya Sharma became vegan in favour of animals and their affection for them. Soundarya, who is a BigBoss contestant has been vocal about her choice of a vegan lifestyle to prevent animal suffering and has stuck to it in the house too. Plant-based diets have a host of health benefits including reducing your risk of heart disease, certain cancers, diabetes, anti-ageing, cognitive decline and more. There is an increased focus on health and wellbeing among actors, which translates into better energy, focus, and appearance on camera. Ask Telugu actor Arvind Krishna, and he says ‘I went vegan for the environment, the animals and above all for my health and wellbeing’. The actor, who is also a professional basketball player says he feels stronger with better endurance since turning vegan.
World over, people are waking up to the dangers of mass meat consumption, and many are turning to meat substitutes as a way to ameliorate the harmful impacts of the global meat industry. From plant milk to plant-based burgers, there is a vegan food to satiate every taste bud. Take for example, actor and cheese lover Amy Aela, who’s favourite is almond cheese which she says is to die for! Coffee, chocolates and ice creams are some of her guilty pleasures and being vegan does not stop her from enjoying vegan versions of these.
Other celebs are keen to lower their carbon footprint and choose to go vegan for the planet and to lead a sustainable lifestyle. With increasing global population and growing appetite for meat across the world, the environmental cost of the meat and dairy industry is high. According to a study, a vegan diet could be the single best way to reduce your environmental impact on the planet. Raising animals for food takes up massive amounts of land, water, food and energy. Needless to mention, the animal agriculture by-products pollute the air and water we drink. From the reduction in the production of greenhouse gases to conservation of water, a vegan diet is good for the planet. Monica Dogra agrees and she says ‘I went vegan because I wanted to reduce my impact for the planet, I wanted to be healthier, I wanted the most sustainable way to change my lifestyle’
Further, with vegan celebs using their platform to promote the lifestyle, veganism is quickly becoming the new normal. One analysis shows that veganism is by far the most popular nutrition topic on social media- and it’s here to stay. Thus, if the lifestyle choices of celebs were to be an indication, we are learning to eat wisely, which will hopefully lead us to a happier, healthier, kinder world living in balance with the environment around us.
Inputs by: Prashanth Vishwanath, Country Head of a vegan initiative