6 famous vegans you never knew about

Thought you had to eat a ton of chicken breasts to get super strong or lean? Here are 6 famous vegans you never knew about to prove you wrong!

A vegan diet means no meat, fish, animal fats, dairy products, eggs or honey. Nutritionist Laura Tilt says, ‘A vegan diet can certainly meet an athlete’s nutritional needs, it just requires a bit more planning and thought. The main thing to watch is protein. A vegan diet can also be higher in fruit and vegetables, which translates to a higher intake of antioxidants – compounds from plant foods that help protect our cells from damage. However, just like gluten-free doesn’t mean healthy, neither does vegan – if you rely largely on processed foods from packets, you’re not going to achieve a healthy balance’.

Here’s who follows a plant-based diet while staying at the top of their game…

David Haye

Yep, that’s right. Heavyweight boxer David Haye is vegan, and has been for three years. In an interview about his boxing comeback, he explains how his research on healing muscles and watching a programme on animal cruelty led him to commit to a vegan diet. Haye has a full-time chef and nutritionist who makes sure he consumes enough nutrients to fuel his body. The heavyweight champ relies on protein sources such as quinoa, split peas and brown rice, and insists he feels better than ever after cutting out animal products.

Heather Mills

After losing her left leg in a tragic accident, Heather Mills turned to veganism to help her on the road to recovery. The Hippocrates Health Institute in Florida introduced her to a vegan diet, successfully speeding up her recovery. Now the owner of V Bites restaurant and author of Love Bites cookbook, Mills has never looked back.

Novak Djokovic

Novak Djokovic famously suffered from mid-match collapses and sickness, until a diet overhaul saved his tennis career and led him to victory. After a consultation with Dr Igor Cetojevic in 2010, it was discovered that he was allergic to wheat and dairy. One year after starting his new diet, he became the world’s number-one tennis player. Djokovic also opened his own vegan restaurant, Eqvita, in Monte Carlo.

Venus and Serena Williams

The Williams sisters both became vegan when Venus was diagnosed with Sjögren’s syndrome in 2011. The autoimmune disease caused Venus to have severe fatigue and joint pain, drastically affecting her tennis career. Now she believes it’s the best way to fuel her body on and off court, helping her to get back to doing what she loves.

Morgan Mitchell

The 22-year-old Aussie sprinter has become a young vegan role model after quitting meat two years ago. Her huge success on the track in 2016 proved that a vegan diet can support you as an athlete and help achieve optimum results. She lists peanut butter as one of her favourite foods.