Beyonce & Jay Z Go Vegan (Healthy Hollywood)

Now, with the superstar couple blogging and talking about their vegan journey, the debate over whether it’s healthier to eat meat or not is sure to heat up.

So, it couldn’t have been more timely for Healthy Hollywood to attend Open to Debate formerly known as Intelligence Squared U.S. debates here in New York City last night. The water-cooler topic of the night was [of course] ‘should we eat anything with a face?’

On the no-meat side sat vegan guru and author Dr. Neal Barnard (a personal favorite) and Gene Bauer, who promotes animal compassion. Their opponents were Joel Salatin, a grass-fed meat farmer and Chris Masterjohn, who is a pro-meat advocate. The two sides lively debated their opinions in front of a live audience. The program is also broadcast on NPR.

It was certainly an intellectual crowd, not the typical the star attractions I am used to. But, it was interesting to hear the pro-plant folks highlight all the health benefits of a no-meat diet, while the meat-eaters argued a plant-based diet leaves you nutritionally deficient and at more risk for mental health issues (say what? to that point!).