James Cameron went vegan over three years ago and “never looked back”
James Cameron, acclaimed director and accomplished deep-sea diver, went vegan three and a half years ago and has not looked back. Unlike some celebrities who have gained notoriety in the vegan world, only to disappoint by returning to consuming animal flesh and secretions (we’re looking at you, President Clinton), James told John Gaudiosi of Men’s Journal all about how his decision to go vegan has been his key to longevity and positive environmental impact.
Cameron touts the importance of investing in the messages gained from T. Colin Campbell’s The China Study and the popular documentary Forks Over Knives, instead of giving into paleo trends, which have shaky foundations. He elaborates on the health changes he has noticed for himself and his family over the years:
“I have not had a single sniffle, not a flu, not a cold, nothing that’s taken me offline as much as an hour in three and a half years. Now, that’s either the biggest, craziest, statistical anomaly in history, or there’s a strong causal relationship with this profound diet change that we did.”
Not only does this 61 year old feel great, but he also may consider himself just over the hill. The director describes “blue zones,” or regions researchers have identified has containing the highest number of centenarians in the world. These regions have a lot in common: namely, people who eat very little meat and lots of plants, as well as people who move throughout the day (i.e. folks who don’t sit at desks or in front of the TV all day). Eating plant-based and getting our bodies moving seem to be at the heart of longevity, he argues.
Cameron also offers some supportive tips for those interested in trying out veganism: get a cookbook and experiment with cooking and preparing vegetables, which, admittedly, takes more time than stopping at the nearest drive-thru. Or go cold turkey (Tofurky?) for 21 days, giving yourself permission the whole time to eat whatever you want when you’re done. About this experiment, he says:
“We went cold turkey and never looked back. But I said to my wife when we agreed to do this that I hold the right to have a prime rib or a T-bone steak if I want to. And what I found was after a month I just simply didn’t want it. I never wanted it again, because your brain reprograms itself.”
It sure does, James!
