March of the Hot Vegan Army - Day #25 - Kathy Freston

http://vegetarianstar.com/2011/03/16/kris-carr-or-kathy-freston-who-would-you-vegan-best-sellers-edition/

Kathy Freston

Know her from: Her bestselling books, The Veganist, Quantum Wellness, Quantum Wellness Cleanse, The One, and Expect a Miracle, or, possibly, from, you know, OPRAH! Freston famously convinced Oprah to take part in a 21-day vegan challenge, along with a good portion of Oprah's staff - a few of them fast-food-aholics. In fact, basically an entire Oprah show was dedicated to veganism and the challenge. Despite some bumps along the way, a number of the staff liked how they felt so much that they decided to stay vegan long after the 21 days were up. Freston has also appeared on Charlie Rose, Good Morning America, Extra, Martha Stewart, the View, Ellen, Dr. Oz, and in many other shows and magazines. Freston's newest book The Lean: A Revolutionary (and Simple!) 30-Day Plan for Healthy, and Lasting Weight Loss will be available on Tuesday 3/27.

Website: http://www.kathyfreston.com/index.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kathy-freston

Why she's vegan: Kathy is a vegan for numerous reasons, among them nutrition and wellness, the current cruel methods of factory farming, ecological issues, animal rights, human rights violations in the slaughter industry, and spiritual reasons.

Why she's awesome: In addition to being gorgeous and fit, Kathy Freston is also a logical, realistic, and understanding person. She continuously urges people not to try to change every bad habit they've ever had in one fell swoop. Phew! She advocates what she calls "leaning" into change. She believes that people are much more likely to develop positive, lasting patterns of good health - mentally, physically, and spiritually - if they do not hold themselves to impossible standards.

I can't help but agree. I would never have been able to go vegan overnight and stick with it. I was a vegetarian for many years before I decided to make the switch to veganism, and I took months to make the transition. I hear many people, even a number of celebrities, talking about what an "easy" time they had becoming a vegan, but that was not 100% true for me, and I know it isn't true for everyone. It's still one of my best-ever life decisions, but it wasn't a cakewalk. Even if becoming vegan is easy for some, I think it's best that people not assume an inconvenience-free transition. You know %$*! happens...

Ms. Freston, I admire you for being able to bend the ear of some of the most influential personalities in the media today, and for bringing vegan issues to a wider audience than ever before. The power of positive thinking is no joke when it gets you on Oprah to promote your books. Respect.

So Kathy, welcome to the Hot Vegan Army. I know you'll have a sympathetic ear for the rest of us when stuff gets us down, so I appoint you Spiritual Counselor to the Hot Vegan Army. Also, if you could casually introduce me and my mom to Oprah I would get daughter points FOR LIFE. Just putting it out there...

March of the Hot Vegan Army - Day #24 - John Salley

http://listentoleon.net/index.php/2009/05/14/who-is-john-salleys-agent/

John Salley

Know him from: John Salley is a former NBA championship athlete. He played for the Detroit Pistons, Miami Heat, Chicago Bulls, and the L.A. Lakers. After his retirement from professional basketball, he tried his hand at acting, and appeared in the Bad Boys movies (1 and 2) alongside Martin Lawrence and Will Smith. He also appeared in the Whoopi Goldberg movie Eddie and, more recently, he played a shopaholic attending group therapy with Isla Fisher in Confessions of a Shopaholic. Salley has also hosted a number of tv shows, including The Best Damn Sports Show Period, which he hosted for 7 years. He was also host of BET's Ballers, and VH1's Basketball Wives.

Website: http://johnsalley.com/

http://twitter.com/#!/thejohnsalley

Why he's vegan: A bad breakup back in 1991 spurred John to start taking control of his health and well-being. He tried a few different diets before adhering to vegetarianism. He said that he didn't want to age quickly or become out of shape, and the vegetarian diet helped him meet his goals - even while playing championship basketball. Salley went a step further and became a vegan in 2008, to help control his genetically-high cholesterol. He then became a raw vegan in 2010 when he heard that that diet could help to reverse or prevent diabetes, a disease from which John's father suffered. John even produced a documentary film called Simply Raw: Reversing Diabetes in 30 Days. I can't say I know a ton about the science behind the raw food movement, but I will say that John Salley appears to be in very good shape at 47 years of age. I will also note that he has tweeted a few times recently (twitter handle above) that "Healthy is the new SEXY."

In addition to promoting the health benefits of veganism, Salley encourages people to "vote with your fork, 3 times a day," and stop supporting factory farms. When Salley saw behind-the-scenes videos of slaughterhouses for the first time, it just solidified the vegetarianism he adopted back in 1991. When you see something like that, he says, "you're either hot or cold, you can't be lukewarm." Salley says that vegan food also makes him feel good, healthy, and strong, and he wonders if he might not still be playing basketball today if he had dropped animal products from his diet sooner.

Why he's awesome: John is certainly not a one-hit wonder. He is a multi-talented athlete, actor, multimedia personality, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. He is affiliated with Operation Smile,which helps children around the world, Farm Sanctuary, an animal rescue and rehabilitation center, PETA, an organization dedicated to exposing and preventing animal cruelty, and the Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM). An avid foodie, John contributes to magazines and makes appearances promoting his healthy vegan lifestyle. He also runs his own production company these days, where he works to spot new talent for tv and film. In addition, he writes for his blog and posts videos on his website Johnsalley.com (please see above). In fact, his most recent post says he's hosting a cooking class at the Northridge, California Whole Foods on 3/27! Line up now Californians!!!!

In a way, John Salley is kind of like a tall vegan Madonna...now hear me out on this one....This guy continues to reinvent himself, and he always looks for new opportunities to get involved with something great, challenging, and fun. He comes by it honestly too, because he even managed to get his mother to go vegetarian at the age of 84. So in case you're thinking vegetarianism is only a younger person's game, just look to Mama Salley.

So Mr. Salley, you are formally invited to join the Hot Vegan Army. And not just to reach the stuff on the high shelf either...I think you'll have to be the host of our new reality show: Hot Vegan Naked Chef. Are you in, or are you in?

March of the Hot Vegan Army - Day #23 - Betty White

http://www.nypost.com/p/blogs/popwrap/betty_white_or_hugh_jackman_who_jKs62lzD6MVz2RJKqHqahI

Betty White

Know her from: Oh where to begin...Hot in Cleveland, Golden Girls, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Mama's Family, The Carol Burnett Show, The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, Empty Nest, Who's the Boss, The Love Boat, The Bold and the Beautiful, That 70s Show, an unforgettable job hosting SNL, You Again (with fellow vegan Kristen Bell), and scores and scores of memorable appearances in movies, tv, radio, print, etc etc etc. At 90 years old, she shows no signs of slowing down, and she even lent her voice to Dr. Suess's "The Lorax" movie, recently in theaters. Betty White is kind of my hero. She has never stopped having fun or enjoying what she does for a living. She's pretty much who I aspire to be if I'm ever that lucky...

Website: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0924508/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betty_White

Why she's vegan: Betty White has been a lifelong animal lover. She says that animals never lie, and love you unconditionally. Betty remembers her love for animals beginning during her childhood, as her parents used to take in and care for stray animals all the time. Ms. White has been affiliated with the Morris Animal Foundation in particular since the 1970s, and has also worked with the ASPCA. She is also on the board of the L.A. Zoo, working behind the scenes to improve the lives of the animals there. In fact, Jane Goodall helped to design the gorilla habitat at that zoo. Betty doesn't like to be called an activist though because she wants people to focus on making positive strides for the health and wellbeing of animals. Sometimes, she says, people associate activists with the negative issues they bring to light, not with the more constructive solutions they present. She considers herself more of a "do-er" than a "talker" anyway. And boy do I believe her with all she's accomplished in an uncertain industry...

Why she's awesome: I don't think it's strong enough to call Betty a "spitfire," or say that there are "no flies on her," but those things are nonetheless true. She is always looking for a new way to love her life and help others to enjoy themselves too, whether they are humans or animals, and whether her jokes are family-friendly or risqué. But honestly, she's kind of been associated with sex for a long time. Her character on the Mary Tyler Moore Show was a vain and promiscuous woman, her character on Golden Girls was pretty shy, but still managed to have herself a good time (even if she wouldn't talk about it in public), and her character on Hot in Cleveland has been well-known for spouting some raunchy and suggestive one-liners. And it doesn't just stop there...Whether Betty is kissing Chuck's Zachary Levi full on the mouth after his "proposal" to her on her televised 90th Birthday celebration, playing beer pong with Jimmy Fallon, or hopping in the shower with Hugh Jackman, Betty solidifies her reputation as a lifelong partier and a woman who loves her good times. And does she look or act 90? I don't think so...I just can't stop smiling when I see her, and she's an absolute role model.

So Betty, I think you get the lifetime achievement award when it comes to hotness. You've got years of experience on the rest of the Hot Vegan Army, and all of our soldiers could learn a lot from you. I know that you're one of the busiest women in Hollywood these days though, so we will understand if you can only fly in for periodic consulting. However, I know you're tough as nails and real Army material, so I trust you're in this thing for the long haul.

So welcome to the Army, Betty. Try not to show the rest of us up too much, ok?

March of the Hot Vegan Army - Day #22 - Carl Lewis

http://portfolio.joemcnally.com/index.php#mi=2&pt=1&pi=10000&s=2&p=1&a=2&at=0

Carl Lewis

Know him from: Lewis is a former world-class athlete and 10-time Olympic Medal Winner (9 of these medals were gold). He also won 10 World Championship medals, and 8 of these were gold. His best year of track and field was in 1991, the first year he became vegan.

Website: http://fitforever.com/help/about_us

Why he's vegan: Carl had very bad eating habits when he attended the University of Houston. He was a competitive athlete, and he ate meat, but tried to control his weight in an unhealthy way, by skipping meals. He was so hungry by dinnertime that he ate to excess during this final meal of the day. Carl started to realize that he was not treating his body well, and wanted to make a change. Just at the right time it seems, he met Jay Kordich (a.k.a. the "Juiceman"), and Dr. John McDougall, who urges better living through improved nutrition. The former encouraged Carl to optimize his health with the power of fresh plant foods and their juices, and the latter urged Carl to try a vegetarian diet. Carl chose to go vegan in 1990, with support from McDougall, who told Carl that it was necessary to eat enough calories to sustain his energy levels through strenuous workouts and training. Plant foods are nutritionally rich, but not as calorie dense as meat, so more food volume is required to reach proper daily calorie levels. Many people, including Carl, appreciate this benefit, because it is possible to eat a much larger amount of plant foods without gaining weight, keeping one fuller and more satisfied.

Why he's awesome: It's pretty much fantastic if someone wins 1 Olympic medal (no matter what it's made out of) nevermind 10. And when you compete against the best athletes in the world and come out on top, it's pretty darn notable. As mentioned above, Carl credits his best year as an athlete, 1991, to his vegan diet. He won the 100 m competition at the 1991 World Championships in Tokyo, beating the #1 athletes in that event from the past 2 years, and setting a world record. He called it the best race of his life, and he was 30 years old, an age when many Olympic athletes are considered past their prime. That same year, Lewis also set a record in the long jump competition, that has still - as of the writing of this article - not been surpassed. It has even been suggested that Lewis is the greatest track and field athlete in history.

Since Lewis's retirement from world-class competitive sports in 1997, he has worked as an actor, and even tried to run for the Senate in New Jersey in 2011, but was disqualified due to state residency requirements. He has also created FitForever.com (see "website" above) and the Carl Lewis Foundation, in order to encourage people of all ages (but especially children) to live healthy and fit lifestyles. I think you have to be a pretty confident person, driven by your own goals, and completely self-motivated, to succeed in any one of the areas that Lewis has ventured into. I admire people who go after what they want, even if it doesn't make perfect sense to others. Carl Lewis is another vegan who proves that one can be healthy and meet many impressive health and fitness goals on a completely plant-based diet.

So Carl, I am thinking you are going to have to run the Boot Camp for the Hot Vegan Army. You have dominated in the health and fitness arena, and I think you could whip all the hot vegans into even more impressive shape. Welcome to the army man.

March of the Hot Vegan Army - Day #21 - Ani Phyo

http://www.1ecs.com/ani-phyos.php

Ani Phyo

Know her from: Ani is a raw vegan chef, an "eco-lifestylist," and 5-times published author. Ani's name and image have become almost synonymous with raw vegan food, and she is constantly enriching and expanding the world of raw cuisine. For her, raw food isn't just wheatgrass smoothies that taste like lawn clippings, it's pad thai, cobblers, cakes, lasagna, etc.

Website: http://aniphyo.com/

Why she's vegan: Ani gave up red meat back in 1986, and gradually cut other meat and animal products from her diet over the next few years. The moment that solidified her decision to go completely vegan was a bite of horribly-cooked fast-food hamburger on a late night food run. The meat was not only distasteful to Ani, but she knew it wasn't healthy either, so she decided that only healthy, tasty food would be on her menu from that point on.

Ani also believes in sustainable agriculture and making as minimal an impact on the natural environment as possible. Plant foods are generally easier on the environment than animal food, and animal food production generally includes cruel factory farming practices. Ani has also revealed that her father served many raw foods and (sometimes gross-tasting) healthy concoctions to Ani's family when Ani was growing up. But Ani is a foodie, and prefers her own tastier recipes now. Ani also doesn't mind the pleasant side-effects of her clean, healthy diet, in the form of clear, glowing skin, mental clarity, and a lot of energy for her many physical fitness endeavors. She enjoys dancing, kickboxing, hiking, weight training, running, biking, swimming, and working out in general.

Why she's awesome: In addition to being a physical powerhouse of a woman with all of the above activities, Ani has written several books (find them here on Amazon), contributes to a variety of blogs, magazines, television, and other media, and hosts her own Youtube cooking(/un-cooking?) show. In the late 1990s, she founded a catering company which went on to provide healthful menus and foods to clients like Whole Foods Market, Carnival Cruise Lines, STOMP, and Adidas. Ms. Phyo currently runs her own online store, in which you can find all sorts of accessories and food for the raw lifestyle. In her "off" time, Phyo teaches urban farming skills to underprivileged youth, works with several animal-friendly charities, and she loves to travel the world. She also is an attractive, fit 43 year old.

Even if you are familiar with Ani, you may not know that she is also a multimedia wiz, and formed her own multimedia company in the mid 1990s, which often hosted multimedia events for various big-name clients. Ani also taught multimedia classes at 3 California universities, helped to

produce numerous websites for clients, and

contributed CG animation work to a Denzel Washington/Russell Crowe movie called Virtuosity.

Ani is a trailblazer, an entrepreneur, and an intelligent and kind individual who encourages people to adopt healthy changes at their own pace. She feels so strongly about the benefits of her virtually unprocessed diet and active lifestyle that she of course suggests that others try it, but she knows that everyone moves at different speeds. She has said that what works for her might not necessarily work for everyone else. Making good choices for animals and the environment is important to her, but she urges people to be mindful of their own nutritional needs when making any kind of dietary transition.

So Ani, you're pretty much going to be our go-to in the Hot Vegan Army. Whether we're stranded on some tropical island where all of the hot vegans are forced to wear nothing but army fatigue swimsuits and leaf skirts (but I digress...) and we need someone to make us food with no electricity, or we're launching a global multimedia campaign for healthy veganism, we know you'll be in there pitching. And besides, you can teach us all to grow food and be even more attractive while covered in dirt....

So Ani, welcome to the Army.

March of the Hot Vegan Army - Day #20 - Jared Leto

http://forgotmypursee.blogspot.com/2012/01/jared-leto-to-world-im-sexy-and-i-know.html

Jared Leto

Know him from: An array of movies such as Requiem for a Dream, Fight Club, Panic Room, American Psycho, The Thin Red Line, Girl Interrupted, Urban Legend, Prefontaine, and many others. He rose to considerable prominence in the mid-nineties for his part on the cult hit tv show My So-Called Life, as the object of a teenage Claire Danes' affections. You may also know him from his band 30 Seconds to Mars.

Website: http://jaredleto.com/thisiswhoireallyam/

http://thirtysecondstomars.thisisthehive.net/blog/

Why he's veg(eteri)an: Leto seems to be a bit cryptic on this matter (in fact, I can't even quite confirm that he is completely vegan or simply full-time vegetarian), but his meat-free choices appear to be at least partially due to his concern for the environment. While on tour in 2006, Leto's band 30 Seconds to Mars traveled in a tour bus powered by vegetable oil, and worked to minimize their carbon footprint as often as possible. While filming a music video in Greenland, the band actively minimized energy use, and used renewable energy as often as possible. The band also launched abeautifullie.org to bring further awareness to environmental issues around the world, and to give people ideas about ways to help these causes. Leto also contributed the cover art for a compilation album called 97X Green Room, on which Leto's band appeared. Proceeds from this album benefitted the Nature Conservancy.

Why he's awesome: Whether you agree with the guy or not, he's got some ardent fans, steady credits in both the acting world and the music world, killer abs (more impressive when you don't kill anything to get them), he's received numerous accolades for his acting roles (many of which are NOT likable characters), and the guy still looks 20 at 40 years old. He may have been called "pretty" a time or two in various media outlets, and, yes, some people may have meant this in an insulting way, but you can insult me with the word "pretty" any time you want...

Also, the guy's a chameleon. Just Google his picture. You'll be hard-pressed to find him sporting the same look for too long. And, honestly, why only praise the ladies for changing their style? I don't even know what color Rihanna's hair is right now. She gets bored, she changes it, then people follow her lead. Most people don't tend to watch the Oscar red carpet for the men, but if the men switched it up more often, wouldn't you be a bit more curious to see what they were doing? If Russell Brand [or insert other male celebrity of choice] decided to dress as a peacock to attend the Golden Globes, tell me you wouldn't at least try to see a picture online...

One of the things I appreciate consistently in a performer is shamelessness in their performance...and I'll tell you why. Don't you sometimes wish you could get up in front of a crowd having NO idea if they'd like what you were doing, perform your heart out, and get off the stage feeling like the same person no matter what the crowd thought of you? If they like you, great, if they don't like you, you've lost nothing of yourself. I admire that. Especially if you wrote whatever it was you performed. Coincidentally, Jared Leto writes most of 30 Seconds to Mars' songs. He also directs most of their music videos.

So, whether or not you are going to start (or add to) a poster collection of Jared Leto on your walls now, just know that this guy hikes, paints (he studied it in college), writes music, travels the world, performs with his band, turns down jobs when he doesn't want them, supports political figures and charitable organizations that he believes in (see "philanthropy"), and still jumps around like an active kid at 40. Plant-based diets can't be all bad...

So Jared, you and whatever you bring to the party are welcome anytime in the Hot Vegan Army. If you happen to somehow see this post, your thoughts on veganism might inspire someone here, and would be greatly appreciated. And, given what we've seen above, we won't even require you to wear a uniform. ;-)

March of the Hot Vegan Army - Day #19 - Leona Lewis

http://leonalewisfans.blogspot.com/

Leona Lewis

Know her from: Ms. Lewis won the British version of American Idol (called the X Factor) back in 2006, and she's had some pretty spectacular things happen since then. She performed with Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page at the closing ceremonies of the Beijing Olympic Games, contributed the theme song to the wildly popular movie Avatar, won 3 Grammy Awards, and saw her single Bleeding Love hit #1 in 30+ countries.

Lewis is also working to release a vegan and eco-frieldly clothing line. In fact, she's been walking a number of red carpets in her own designs lately, and seems poised to join the ranks of Katy Perry, Nicki Minaj, and Lady Gaga in presenting unique and eye-catching outfits to the world. Leona's 3rd studio album will also be released toward the end of summer this year.

Website: http://www.leonalewismusic.com/us/

Why she's vegetarian: The soulful singer has been a vegetarian since the age of twelve, and animal welfare has been a priority for her ever since. She was an ardent supporter of the World Society for the Protection of Animals before she ever became famous, but designed a campaign for them called "Animals Matter to Me" once she became a household name. The WSPA, much like PETA, is working to ensure that animal protection laws are not only improved, but also enforced. One of the more important issues to Ms. Lewis is the current global trend towards the slaughter of healthy horses (which is only getting worse with the economic downturn) for meat or industrial products. Leona follows an only partially-vegan diet at this time, but she does not wear any clothing made from animals. PETA voted her Sexiest Vegetarian Alive in 2008.

Why she's awesome: Besides her impressive vocal talent, which - at least temporarily - even left Simon Cowell speechless, Leona is a driven and principled woman. She learned to play the guitar and the piano when she was a child, and wrote her first song at the age of 12, already sure that she wanted a career in music. She also studied opera when she was younger, which she continues to practice today to maintain her voice.

More than the above, however, I am impressed by the strength of Leona's character. Her morals are worth more to her than money or prestige, and she's proven it. She turned down an estimated $1 million offer to have her vegan clothing line sold in a special sale at the world-famous Harrod's Department Store back in 2008. And the reason? Harrod's Department Store continues to sell clothing made of fur year after year. Maybe they haven't seen PETA's Skinned Alive videos. I am almost hesitant to link to this because I found it so sickening, but if anyone you know EVER buys fur products, or is considering doing so, please show them this video. I will warn you, the images in this video are incredibly disturbing, because the global fur trade is incredibly disturbing.

Well Ms. Lewis, I applaud your campaigns to bring animal welfare issues to a wider public audience. I am sure that you will continue to speak out about about global cruelty to animals, and I hope you will consider - at least gradually - upping your weekly dosage of vegan foods. Besides, all my voice teachers in the past always told me that dairy isn't good for your voice anyway ;-) But I think your consistent animal advocacy warrants you a spot in our Army ranks just the same.

Welcome Leona. I think with your powerful voice you'll have to sound the wake-up alarm in the morning. We'll even give you a viking helmet with plastic horns and you can practice your Der Ring des Nibelungen.