by How does legendary music artist Lenny Kravitz stay in top shape? A combination of exercises and a diet based mainly on raw foods and vegetables. Earlier this month, Kravitz, 58, was seen at an Equinox gym in New York City, working out in boots, sunglasses and a tracksuit.
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“I was really working out and… strength training,” a source said. page six. “He was very friendly and talked to everyone who greeted him. He refused the photos, but he was very nice and nice.
Kravitz is rumored to have switched to sneakers after working out in his boots. And while it’s important to wear what makes you feel comfortable when you work out, is the key to Kravitz’s sculpted physique rooted in his plant-based diet?
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Even as he approaches 60, Kravtiz hits the gym regularly and stays in top shape. How does the diet help the four-time Grammy Award winner keep fit?
Stephanie McBurnett, RDN, nutrition educator for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, a medical group with 17,000 member physicians, explains that the nutrients in a plant-based diet may be the key to a fit physique.
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“Muscles run primarily on glucose from carbohydrates, a whole foods diet is full of carbohydrates from nuts and seeds, vegetables, beans, and fruit,” McBurnett tells VegNews. “These foods are also rich in protein, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, which support recovery and performance.”
Since plant-based diets are cholesterol-free and lower in saturated fat, McBurnett says this dietary pattern improves blood viscosity, allowing more oxygen to get to the muscles.
“Plant foods are very anti-inflammatory and eating large amounts will help athletes recover faster and train longer and harder,” says McBurnett. “Studies have shown that plant-based athletes have better heart health, performance, and recovery than those on a diet high in animal products.”
Several recent studies have linked a plant-based diet to longevity. Last month, a study published in the JAMA Network Open Journal found that a healthy plant-based diet reduces the risks of mortality, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. Is abstaining from animal products key to healthy aging?
“Animal products lack fiber and have high amounts of saturated fat and cholesterol which, as we age, can contribute to chronic diseases like obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers,” says McBurnett. “Studies show that those who ate fewer animal products and more plants, such as whole grains, beans, fruits, and vegetables, had the lowest rates of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and total cholesterol.”
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And research continues to disprove that the consumption of animal products is necessary to build muscle. In fact, a study published in March in the Nutrition Magazine found that young adults consuming a high-protein diet, regardless of whether the protein source is vegan or animal-based, results in similar muscle-building responses during training.
This research builds on another study published last year that found that men who consume adequate amounts of plant-based protein with soy supplements can build just as much muscle mass as those who eat animal products and whey protein powder.
Another benefit? “Plant foods are also rich in phytochemicals and antioxidants, which are associated with longer life expectancy,” says McBurnett.
Lenny Kravitz’s Vegan Journey
Kravitz first revealed during an interview with men’s health in 2020 that he has been eating mostly raw since 2016. “My best form is not behind me. It’s in front of me right now. We keep moving that bar as we get older,” said Kravitz, then 56, adding that he is “very careful about what I put in my body and how I take care of it.”
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During the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kravitz moved into an Airstream trailer in the Bahamas, where he grew most of his own food in an adjacent garden and spent time exercising in nature.
Kravitz gave a sneak peek at what was in her fridge, in which she stocked mostly green vegetables like kale, broccoli and cucumbers, and kept fresh fruit from the garden, including local soursop, on her counter.
“A great blessing of living here in the Bahamas is that I get to grow my own food,” Kravitz said. “So I have a garden where most of this food comes from. As you can see, I am vegan and mostly raw vegan.”
Kravitz also showed off his gym, which was a horizontal tree trunk that he uses as a weight-lifting bench, along with hand weights. “This training is incredible,” Kravitz said. “I’d rather be outside in nature than cooped up in a gym.” Kravitz also revealed that he keeps his mind sharp by “keeping it open.”
Given his recent sighting at Equinox, it appears that Kravitz moved at least some of his training indoors.
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Anna Starostinetskaya is a Senior News Editor at VegNews and is always on the lookout for all things vegan in her hometown of San Francisco, CA and beyond.
