Yasmien’s romance with health and wellness being vegan

Yasmien’s romance with health and wellness being vegan

by Boy Villasanta

It’s not every day that one encounters stars who passionately adhere to advocacy outside show biz aside from role playing in the movies.

And young actress Yasmien Kurdi’s into animal welfare and eating only vegetables makes my day.

Yes, I was a witness to her endorsing anti-cruelty to animal campaign a couple of years ago, when she allowed herself to be caged and be photographed by a group of lens men who were lynching her like a bizarre creature in a carnival show.

But there she was, just posed her pretty self, clad in an earth colored overall, smiled back and later, answered questions from the eager press.

It was, she said, merely a symbol of suppression of the rights of living things to be free, roam around and look for happiness including the animal’s search for bliss.

She became an official endorser of the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) when she revealed her love of pets and distaste for the butcher of animals for whatever purpose. She wanted to volunteer but eventually, she was sought and given an important role in the dissemination of information about the preservation of animal life and the preference for veggies to subsist on.

All these beliefs in the care and protection of animals came about when she was living in Kuwait with her Kuwaiti dad and a Filipina mom. “When I was a little girl growing up in Kuwait, I saw my father slaughtering lambs to prepare for parties and celebrations. I remember seeing the horror in the animals’ eyes, and I would fight with my dad about it. I stopped eating meat when I realized that other animals, such as pigs, chickens, and cows, were killed for meat and were just as scared and helpless as those lambs,” she recalls.

She clarifies, though, that her avowed penchant for vegetarianism started just two years ago but was already a little bit in it when she was in Saudi.

But her more serious look at turning to veggies was when her mom was hospitalized due to a kidney problem and one of the solutions advised her was to go vegan.

For Yasmien, health and wellness are the most important concerns of her life now, more than ever, because she believes her healthy body is the instrument of her daily chores as an actress and singer. Her success in life, material and otherwise, therefore, is measured by her sound mind and strong body.

Singularly, the source of her health and wellness is vegetables. “I think that everyone should give a vegetarian diet a try. It is super-easy and very delicious,” she encourages.

Her being vegan is not only a matter of simple joy. It is also a philosophical one. “By going vegetarian, you are improving not only your life but also the lives of others,” the classy young star exclaims.

Doing away from carnivorous lifestyle is a contradiction in terms, nonetheless. “I feel pride in knowing that I’m not supporting a cruel industry and that I’m helping the environment too! It’s always a great feeling knowing that you’re helping animals every time you eat!”

Although Yasmien’s colleagues in the entertainment industry are supportive of her cause, most of them are carnivores but she still introduces them to vegetarian dishes, anyway, especially during film and television events where meats are served more than veggies. How does she survive? “Going vegetarian is so much easier than most people realize! Gone are the days when all you could eat were salads. Meatless has gone mainstream. Almost every restaurant in the Philippines offers at least one vegetarian meal, and grocery and health-food stores are full of specialty vegetarian products, such as veggie burgers and other yummy soy-based foods. Of course, it’s also very easy to cook a healthy meal using fresh veggies and tofu,” she explains.

When she’s taping or shooting and not sure of the food to be catered, she makes her own preparation. “I cook for myself most of the time. I actually find it fun and relaxing. If I make it myself, I know it’s healthy! Potatoes are my favorite. I also enjoy leafy green vegetables like malunggay and kangkong,” she happily announces.

Yasmiens reinforces the need to eat vegetables to less likely develop illnesses like heart disease, diabetes, cancer and to prevent from obesity.

To be sure, she hasn’t experienced yet any sickness cured by her veggie habit. “I have always been healthy, thank God, and I’ve never been seriously sick, in that I haven’t needed any long-term hospitalization or medication. However, I’m positive that my vegan diet keeps me healthy and more resistant to disease and that I am more immune to sicknesses that non-vegetarians are.”

Meat for Yasmien is a sorry tale. “I don’t even have to ‘resist’ meat, because I don’t look for it anymore. The smell of meat is gross to me, to be honest!”

She’s like against the world and it seems she is moving heaven and earth to influence a greater number of people, not just her fans and followers but also the adults from all sections of society. As a matter of fact, her undergrad thesis was about PETA and the copies of her research can be found in Angelicum College and the Ateneo de Manila University.

Kurdi in all her honesty firmly debunks common impression that before going vegan, one has to consult with a doctor. “People like to think that you need medical advice when going vegetarian—that is not true at all. To be honest, I think that’s what people like to tell themselves to make themselves feel better about all the horrible things associated with eating meat, such as cruelty to animals and contributing to the destruction of the environment. It’s just an excuse.”