June 10, 2015
Beyoncé Knowles-Carter announced Monday on "Good Morning America" that she is a vegan ... or, at least, sometimes follows a vegan diet. This is not the first time we've heard this. In 2013, “Queen Bey,” via social media, gave us insight into her diet, a regimen cultivated by personal trainer and plant-based diet advocate Marco Borges. Everyone has been curious about her newly svelte body and youthful-looking skin. Did she get a nip-tuck? No. She is reaping the benefits of going vegan.
Fast forward to February 2015, when it was announced that Beyoncé (as well as husband Jay-Z) and Borges were partners in the 22 Days Nutrition delivery service that would enable customers to achieve their desired weight goals by way of prepared vegan meals featuring non-GMO plant proteins and carbohydrates.
Reviews of the 22 Days Nutrition meal system have been mixed. Some stated that the service is simple to use, convenient and not too costly. Others stated that some dishes were inedible and left them hungry. I have yet to try the service myself.
It's easy to see through Beyoncé’s vegan announcement because she's invested financially in 22 Days Nutrition. However, her endorsement of a plant-based lifestyle has led me to ponder the intriguing possibility of Beyoncé's status as an influencer of health and lifestyle.
Women of African-American descent like Beyoncé and myself die at a disproportionate rate from obesity, heart disease, cancer, stroke and diabetes compared to other women in the United States. The best way to prevent, reverse or cure those illnesses is to adhere to a whole-food, plant-based diet.
See the opportunity here?
Beyoncé’s stardom is like no other on the planet. However, I can’t help but feel that it falls short. The days of the activist-entertainers from the Civil Rights Movement have long gone. Yet still, after garnering hundreds of millions of dollars in profit from loyal fans, I just wonder, when is she going to give something back that really counts?
Beyoncé has an amazing voice and is physically attractive by many standards. However, the world is long overdue for her to step up to the plate and speak passionately about a movement for the purpose of changing someone’s life other than her own.
Through 22 Days Nutrition, Beyoncé has an opportunity to change the culture of a people who for hundreds of years have been riddled with body image insecurities manifesting in poor eating habits, depression and physical illness. There is a real opportunity here for Beyoncé, as well as her fans.
I am ready to hear a new tune from Bey promoting benefits to health, how about you?
