Alicia Silverstone - The Christ Hospital

By Bonnie SieglerAlicia Silverstone opens upabout the healthy habitsthat changed her lifevitavibranAlifelong animal lover, Alicia Silverstone saystrading in steak for tofu was an empoweringlife choice. It all started when the 32-yearoldactress learned about the cruelty againstpigs raised for food. “I went home and cried,” says theSan Francisco native. Further convincing Silverstoneto take up the vegan lifestyle was finding Sampsonon the set of “Clueless,” her hit 1995 film. Sampson,a 65-pound mixed-breed dog, had been hit by a car.Silverstone took Sampson home with her after hisrelease from the animal hospital. “I began to understandthe relationship between a human being and ananimal and how beautiful it is,” she says.Taking a stand against animal cruelty andgoing vegan at age 21 was a turning point forSilverstone. “What was really powerful for meon a deep level was that I’m a woman and canmake a choice that I believe in, and I really believein choosing a vegan way of eating,” she says. “Thatwas a huge decision in my life. Then I began to berewarded karmically.”A very vegan lifestyleFor Silverstone—who caused a stir last year whenshe appeared nude in vegetarian ads for the Peoplefor the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)—thehealth benefits of giving up meat and animal productshave been numerous and significant. Since becominga vegan, the actress says she’s slimmed down and feels“free to breathe and live, rather than being focused ondealing with miscellaneous stuff.” Before finding herfocus, Silverstone admits to eating a typical Americandiet of processed fast foods, meat, dairy, refined sugarand white flour—and suffering the consequences.continued on page 1210Women’s Health Today