Dame Joanna Lumley gives reason she's 'never been ill' for 40 years

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

Dame Joanna Lumley has says her vegetarianism has helped her reap many health benefits. The actress, famed for her roles in Absolutely Fabulous and the Netflix series Fool Me Once, said cutting out meat from her diet back in the 1970s was 'awful to begin with.' However, 40 years, she credits it with avoiding illness and still being able to run up and down the stairs aged 78.

Dame Joanna talked about her dietary journey on the Waitrose Dish podcast alongside Radio DJ Nick Grimshaw and chef Angela Hartnett.

Reflecting on a decades-old decision to become vegetarian - which dramatically altered her eating habits - she revealed her initial difficulties. "It was awful to begin with, going out to restaurants and dinner parties, because people didn't know what to do" she said. "They'd panic and try to make you eight eggs and sort of lasagnes which just turned into huge slabs of concrete with something horrifying in between.

There was no way of saying, can I just eat the vegetables?" Joanna, who has been vegetarian since the late 1970s, often champions sustainable living and animal rights.