Was Cicely Tyson a vegan? The definitive answer
In her long and legendary career, Cicely Tyson was celebrated not only for her groundbreaking acting roles but also for her remarkable longevity and grace. She remained active and vital well into her nineties, naturally sparking public curiosity about her health and lifestyle choices. While many assumed her strict, plant-focused diet meant she was a vegan, the truth, as revealed in her own words and memoir, points to a different conclusion. Cicely Tyson was not a vegan, but a lifelong vegetarian.
The pivotal decision to go vegetarian
Cicely Tyson's journey to vegetarianism was not driven by a trendy diet fad but by a profound emotional and spiritual event. During an interview with Live with Kelly and Ryan just before her death in 2021, Tyson explained that the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968 so stunned her that she decided to give up meat. It was a deeply personal choice to remove what she viewed as violence from her own life. She made it clear that her decision was directly linked to this national tragedy and she continued her vegetarian lifestyle for most of the rest of her life.
A focus on clean and mindful eating
Beyond abstaining from meat, Tyson was a proponent of a clean-living, mindful approach to health. Her 2021 memoir, Just as I Am, sheds further light on her dietary habits and health philosophy. In 1976, she attended a health spa and followed a cleansing diet of organic fruits, vegetables, and grains. This experience solidified her commitment to a health-conscious diet, and she continued eating that way at home for decades. She described how this cleanse made the world look and feel different to her, heightening her senses and improving her mental clarity.
Her diet typically began each day with four glasses of water and eight ounces of fresh celery juice to cleanse her system before any solid food. Throughout the day, her meals were centered around vegetables and limited fruits, maintaining a disciplined and consistent routine. In addition to her diet, Tyson famously abstained from smoking, drinking alcohol, and drugs her entire life.
The vegetarian distinction: A closer look
While Cicely Tyson's diet was heavily plant-based, reports suggest she was not a strict vegan throughout her entire adult life. She self-identified as a vegetarian and sometimes included fish in her diet, which would technically make her a pescetarian during those periods. This key distinction highlights that her diet included animal products other than meat, differentiating it from a true vegan diet. Understanding the specific differences between vegetarianism and veganism is essential to accurately describing her choices.
| Aspect | Vegetarianism | Veganism |
|---|---|---|
| Meat, Poultry, Fish | Excludes all meat, poultry, and fish. | Excludes all meat, poultry, and fish. |
| Dairy | Often includes dairy products (e.g., cheese, milk, butter). | Excludes all dairy products. |
| Eggs | Often includes eggs. | Excludes all eggs. |
| Honey | Often includes honey. | Excludes honey. |
| Other Animal Products | Focuses on diet, may use products like leather or wool. | Avoids all animal-derived products (e.g., leather, wool, silk, cosmetics tested on animals). |
Cicely Tyson's wider health and wellness practices
Diet was just one component of Tyson's holistic approach to wellness. She also maintained a rigorous physical and mental regimen that contributed to her vitality. As detailed in her memoir, she was dedicated to exercise, reportedly doing three sets of 20 pull-ups every morning. She viewed her continued acting career as a "sustaining force," keeping her motivated and engaged with life. Her philosophy was that continuing to work and stay curious was the key to living a full life, stating, “You can’t just stop or that’ll be the end of you”.
Cicely Tyson’s approach to nutrition
To summarize Tyson’s health practices, one can look at several key components.
- Dietary Consistency: For over four decades, she adhered to a primarily vegetarian, plant-based diet, centered on whole foods.
- Daily Juicing: Starting her day with celery juice was a ritual for cleansing and boosting energy.
- Consistent Hydration: She emphasized drinking water regularly throughout the day.
- Lifelong Abstinence: Her choice to avoid alcohol, smoking, and recreational drugs was a cornerstone of her healthy lifestyle.
- Holistic Mindset: Tyson saw diet and exercise as parts of a larger picture of staying mentally and physically engaged.
Conclusion
In conclusion, while Cicely Tyson maintained a famously healthy, plant-centered diet, the answer to the question, "Was Cicely Tyson a vegan?" is no. She was a dedicated vegetarian for most of her life, and even identified as a pescetarian at times. Her diet, combined with her abstinence from smoking and drinking, and a disciplined exercise routine, formed the basis of her health and longevity. Her life serves as a powerful testament to the impact of mindful and consistent wellness practices, rooted in personal conviction rather than trend. The legacy of her artistry is matched by the wisdom of her life's philosophy, proving that a holistic commitment to health can sustain one's vitality for nearly a century. Learn more about her final interview here where she discussed her diet.
