When Shweta Bachchan spoke about being a vegetarian, ‘thwarting mom Jaya Bachchan’s efforts to turn her non-vegetarian’ | Health
Many celebrities follow a plant-based diet for various reasons — like animal rights, better health, and more. Shweta Bachchan, who turned 51 on March 17, is one of them. Before we get into how Shweta reaps many health benefits by focusing on whole, nutrient-dense foods such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and seeds as part of her daily diet, here’s what she wrote in a piece for NDTV Food from July 13, 2017, titled ‘Of Being Vegetarian and Still Loving Caviar’. Also read | Shraddha Kapoor’s fitness secrets for toned body on her 38th birthday: Following a vegan diet to eating early dinner
Shweta Bachchan says she ‘was born vegetarian’
She recalled how she stayed vegetarian despite her mother, veteran actor and politician Jaya Bachchan’s ‘efforts’. Shweta is the daughter of Jaya and Amitabh Bachchan, and Abhishek Bachchan’s sister.
She wrote, “I am vegetarian, and no one who enjoys food, like a vegetarian. It is a stigma I have been plagued with my entire life. You see I was born vegetarian! My mother says when I first started eating solids as an infant, she mixed my mashed potatoes with chicken stock, and I spat it all up; I have been thwarting her efforts to turn me non-vegetarian ever since.”
Shweta added, “There was an episode in my youth where exasperated by my finicky eating habits, whilst on holiday in the States, and growing concern over my nutrition, she passed off a cheeseburger as vegetarian and I lapped it up and asked for seconds! It’s not like I haven’t flirted with the idea of non-vegetarianism but let’s just say it remained that, never culminating into a relationship. I am periodically seduced by a slice of Viande Sêche (a dry cured Swiss meat- it was introduced to me by a senior when I was in boarding school there. It changed my life).”
Benefits of vegetarian diet
Like Shweta, many celebs, such as Anushka Sharma, follow a vegetarian diet. The benefits of a plant-based diet have been extensively researched and confirmed by numerous studies. The advantages of adopting a vegetarian lifestyle extend far beyond personal health, from enhancing overall well-being to reducing the carbon footprint.
According to a September 2023 article by HT Lifestyle, here are the benefits of following a vegetarian diet:
⦿ A well-balanced vegetarian diet can help reduce the risk of obesity which can further prevent chronic diseases
⦿ A vegetarian diet can also help keep cholesterol levels in check which can reduce the risk of heart diseases
⦿ People who eat vegetarian food face less chances of developing metabolic disorders like diabetes and some types of cancer
⦿ Nuts, legumes, tofu, wholegrain foods, dairy products, dark leafy greens, soy are all essential components of a balanced diet for those following vegetarian diets.
Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.
