Is Lewis Hamilton vegan?

Lewis Hamilton is an athlete at the top of his game. Unlike most others, however, the 36-year-old does not obtain his energy through meat and dairy.

The Briton is a big advocate for veganism. He actively encourages his millions of followers worldwide to switch to a cleaner plant-based diet, benefitting themselves and the planet at large. The driver often posts about his plant-based lifestyle and has called climate change a "real threat" multiple times in the past.

Despite being committed to the vegan lifestyle nowadays, Lewis Hamilton fueled his early career in the sport by consuming meat, similar to other drivers. He switched to a plant-based lifestyle after realizing the ill effects the meat industry has on the planet. The seven-time world champion spoke about the effects he noticed on his body, telling Men's Health UK:

“I have more energy; I'm so much more productive. I wake up feeling way better, clearer in thought, and fresher in my body. I recover quicker; I sleep better. My skin cleared up. I have fewer allergies. There are just so many impacts.”

The move has not come without its share of criticism. Many believe Lewis Hamilton is hypocritical in advocating for a cleaner world while living a lifestyle inversely proportional to his preaching.

Further, Lewis Hamilton's dog Roscoe is also fed a plant-based diet. The Briton posted about his dog's diet whilst flying solo in a private jet, inviting criticism from people. One user sarcastically commented on the post saying, "Doesn't eat meat. Flies on a private jet".

Sebastian Vettel joined Hamilton in his quest for a cleaner planet, maintaining a vegan diet streak for six weeks. The German said about the switch:

“It lasted about six weeks and I learned a lot from it. I have studied the subject intensively and there is no real diet. Everyone is different, everybody reacts differently. But I now eat less meat and pay more attention to the quality of the products, which is relatively easy in Switzerland. There are now also more vegetables on my plate.”

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Lewis Hamilton has been criticized for 'woke' lifestyle

Lewis Hamilton has consistently used his position to deliver change in the world. Despite that, he has been criticized for believing that the rest of the world must switch to a plant-based diet. Popular columnist Brendan O' Neill lashed out at the Mercedes world champion, claiming he is in no position to be urging the rest of us to be eating a certain diet. He said:

“This is a man who zooms around a track in gas-guzzling speed-machines for a living and he wants the rest of us to eke out an existence on kale and nuts in order to shrink humanity’s carbon footprint?”

It is no secret that the sport of F1 is based around burning copious amounts of fuel to power cars that directly contradict climate change science. Powerful voices like that of Lewis Hamilton, however, have the potential of reaching millions of people and impacting the world for the better.