Stars Who Are Vegans

Herbivores Welcome

You’ve heard of Burger King, so how about veggie Prince? He costarred with his portly pop, Cecil, in commercials for the now-defunct McDonald’s Triple Cheeseburger. He once ate an oversized Porterhouse steak as a teenager. Brewers first baseman Prince Fielder shocked many when he revealed he had become a vegetarian, making his extravagant meat eating days a thing of the past. How did this happen?

Some time this past offseason, Chanel Fielder, Prince’s wife, handed her husband a book entitled Skinny B**ch. The book, which was written by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin exposed Prince to the horrors of a slaughterhouse. Appalled by what he read, he swore off meat and fish entirely. He actually went a step further than Chanel who is a pescatarian (like a vegetarian but does consume fish). In early February of 2008, he consumed his last fleshy entree, which was a salmon fillet. He even considered becoming a vegan, which means he would have also forsaken eggs, dairy products, and if he wanted to go all out, honey and leather. Prince has said that Boca brand veggie burgers are one of his favorite foods and declared that there are “a lot of good foods out there” in regards to vegetarian options.

Many worried the new diet would zap all of Prince’s power, especially during a spring training/early season slump in which he hit two home runs total. However, the dingers returned as he hit 34 in 2008, his second highest total in the majors. The change has even improved how he feels. During Spring Training, Prince said that he felt great and a lot more energized since dropping meat.

Fielder is not alone in his disdain of meat. Other vegetarians in the sports world include Tony Gonzalez of the Chiefs (mostly a vegan but does consume animal products occasionally–never red meat though), Twins relief pitcher Pat Neshek (this is his first year as a vegan), pitching coach Rick Peterson, runner Carl Lewis, mixed martial arts fighter Mac Danzig (became a vegan because of his love for animals and the environment), ultramarathoner Scott Jurek (strict vegan), tennis stars Chris Evert, Billie Jean King, and Martina Navritilova, pitcher Jim Kaat, basketball player Bill Walton, and Cardinals manager Tony La Russa (also founded Tony La Russa’s Animal Rescue Foundation, affectionately known as ARF). In addition, two of Neshek’s teammates, Scott Baker and Dennys Reyes showed interest in finding out more about a veggie lifestyle. Just to address the rumors that have been circling, Hank Aaron is not a vegetarian.

Whether they made the choice because they love animals, want to care for the environment, wanted or needed to get healthier, for religious or personal reasons, or because they just don’t like meat, I think these men and women deserve to be commended for showing it is possible to be a successful athlete without eating meat.

About the Author

Nomarfan18 feeds sports fans with the latest musings at RootZoo.com. He’s an expert when it comes to a href=”http://www.rootzoo.com/threads/view/116306/”>baseball player stats and nobody beats him in fantasy baseball. Now that baseball is over, keep an eye on his nfl player list analysis.

Vegan Stars!

Garden of Life Primal Defense Ultra Ultimate Probiotics Formula $60.00 …

Lewis Labs – Brewer’s Yeast $26.39 …

Now Foods NUTRITIONAL YEAST …

Nature Valley Crunchy Granola Bars, Oats ‘n Dark Chocolate, 12-Count Boxes (Pack of 6) $10.95 Nature Valley Oats ‘n Dark Chocolate Crunchy Granola Bars mix together dark chocolate pieces, oats, and crisp rice nuggets. The bars are full of classic crunch and whole grain goodness, making them a perfect natural snack that’s high in fiber and protein but low in saturated fat….

Raw Revolution Organic Live Food Bars, Spirulina and Cashew, 2.2-Ounce Bars (Pack of 12) $18.00 Raw Revolution Spirulina & Cashew 2.2oz Organic Live Food Bar Organic, 100% Raw, Kosher (parve), Vegan, Free of preservatives, refined sweeteners, gluten, soy, wheat, peanuts and all animal products. Made in a gluten, peanut and animal product free facility. Caution: may contain naturally occurring shell & pit fragments….