Kevin Smith Goes Vegetarian After Health Scare

The 'Too Fat for 40' documentarian is going meatless.

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Photo by: Daniel Boczarski

Daniel Boczarski

Kevin Smith is back on social media following a heart attack last week but with a big change: he’s announced he’s now a vegetarian.

"Home again, home again, jiggety-jig!" Smith posted on Instagram. "Home is where the heart is and the heart is feeling good! It's actually getting more blood flow and oxygen than it has in a long time. So I am ALERT, to say the least! Thank you for all the kind words, folks." 

Smith suffered a massive heart attack that was caused by a blockage of his left anterior descending artery (widely known as “the widow maker”) during a show in Glendale, California on his "Kevin Smith Live!" tour.

The actor has struggled with weight for years, and in fact made a 2010 documentary, Too Fat For 40, after he had to leave a flight when he couldn’t fit in a seat. He did lose weight more recently though, reports Business Insider. He lost 85 pounds when he gave up sugary drinks and started to add moderate exercise to his daily routine.

He appears to finally be on the right track. A recent study published in the journal Circulation found that a vegetarian diet that includes eggs and milk might be as good as the Mediterranean diet in protecting against heart disease. "Moving plant-based to a starring role on the plate and making animal-based foods move to the side is a way to keep saturated fat and cholesterol levels in check as well as add heart-healthy fiber, a nutrient most of us don’t get enough of,” says Bonnie Taub-Dix, RDN, creator of Better Than Dieting and author of Read it Before You Eat It - Taking You from Label to Table. Some plant foods like oats, almonds and avocado, for example, have been shown to reduce cholesterol levels while keeping you feeling full and satisfied.

While the dietary change is of course a reaction to a near-fatal health crisis, it’s not the only change Smith is making. "This is all a part of my mythology now and I'm sure I'll be facing some lifestyle changes (maybe it's time to go Vegan),” the director wrote on his Facebook page. While these healthy eating and lifestyle changes are great for Smith’s future health, it may also do the same for his fans. Many voiced their support on his social media posts and shared that this event served as a wakeup call for their own lifestyles as well. Smith’s personal health crisis may in the long run help save the lives of millions of people — and that includes him.

Aly Walansky is a freelance travel and food journalist based in NYC. Her favorite hobbies involve batch cooking random concoctions from her pantry for Instagram. She also loves a great classic negroni.

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