Baywatch star and all-around beautiful-looking man, Zac Efron, has given some insight into the lifestyle and diet changes he says changed his life.
The 30-year-old has tried a few diets throughout his career, like quitting carbs for two months ahead of filming Baywatch, but now he is sticking to a vegan diet and that the results have been incredible. “I’ve been experimenting with eating purely vegan,” the star told Teen Vogue in a recent interview. He went on to explain some of the benefits he’s noticed since switching out meat for more plants: “That’s completely changed the way that my body works, and the way that I metabolize food, the way it turns into energy, the way that I sleep. It’s been brilliant. It’s been great for my exercise, and great for my routine.
Of course, the benefits of a plant-based diet for overall health have been understood by the wellness community for many years and now the proof is starting to stack up in its favour. Harvard researchers found that there’s a 10% lower risk of death for every 3% increase in calories from plant protein—even for those who consumed alcohol and smoked. The opposite is also true: For every 2% increase in calories from animal protein, participants in the study showed an 8% increased risk of death from a cardiovascular disease.
Efron says his new approach to health is all about “looking inside” for a cure. “Recently what I’ve started doing is searching for the cure inside that’s causing the symptoms of what I’m getting on the outside,” he told Teen Vogue. He also attributes good sleep hygiene for getting rid of the bags under his eyes (yep, even Zac Efron has undereye bags): “Just like everyone else, I wake up, look in the mirror, and I see the imperfections and the bags under my eyes, and think, “Oh, man, is this really the best I’ve ever looked? I’m getting older? What the heck?” he complained, before adding: “Getting more sleep has really taken away the bags under my eyes, so I don’t need to worry about it as much.”
So, just to recap, Efron’s secret to looking and feeling great is to eat more plants, get more sleep, and take a most holistic approach to health. Sounds pretty spot-on to us.
Further reading: Olympic Gold Medallist Stephanie Rice: How Becoming A Vegan Has Transformed Her Body And Mind
