Liam Hemsworth had to 'completely re-think' vegan diet after surgery
Liam Hemsworth revealed how he had to re-think his vegan diet after his high-vegetable intake caused him to have surgery to remove a painful kidney stone.
The 30-year-old had a difficult 2019, which also included a divorce from Miley Cyrus, and was compounded by his unexpected surgery.
Hemsworth shared the reasons behind his diet change in an interview with Men’s Health.
“I was vegan for almost four years, and then February of last year I was feeling lethargic. Then I got a kidney stone. It was one of the most painful weeks of my life. I was doing press for Isn’t It Romantic. But I had to go to the hospital and get surgery.” He explained.
The actor had to lower his vegetable intake in order to lower his risk of getting a kidney stone.
Read more: Drew Barrymore gets real about her body struggles on Instagram
After having one kidney stone your chances of getting another goes up by 50% if you continue eating the way you were eating, so Hemsworth was taking no chances with his diet.
“My particular kidney stone was a calciumoxalate kidney stone. It forms from having too much oxalate in your diet. Oxalates are really high in a lot of vegetables, specifically spinach, almonds, beetroot, potatoes.
“Every morning, I was having five handfuls of spinach and then almond milk, almond butter, and also some vegan protein in a smoothie. And that was what I considered super healthy. So I had to completely rethink what I was putting in my body.”
He described his diet regime as the type that goes from one extreme to another, which is how Hemsworth found himself taking the plunge into veganism.
Read more: Lizzo speaks out about body positivity
After learning that this particular diet wouldn’t work for his body he said: “If something works well for a period, great, keep doing it. If something changes and you’re not feeling great, you’ve got to reassess it and then figure it out.”
Despite his diet changes, one constant in his turbulent year was his exercise routine which he admits kept him going through the difficulties.
“Honestly, the past six months…I’d say exercise and fitness is a big thing for me to just feel balanced and level headed.” He admitted.
The workouts played an integral role in his year due to his “extremely physical” part in the film, Most Dangerous Game.
Part of the role involved a lot of running, which Hemsworth described as “jarring” on his body.
“Running is so jarring. Your knees, your ankles, your lower back. After that I teamed up with Jason Walsh, who owns Rise Nation in West Hollywood. We do high-intensity stuff, a mix of calisthenics, sled pulls, sled pushes, and lots and lots of free weights.”
Read more: Galaxy debut vegan chocolate
As many people will attest, a healthy diet and fitness routine is nothing without a healthy mind. Hemsworth added how important he found this aspect of himself.
Talking about false stories about himself, he said: “These days I don’t want to invest any more time in worrying about that sort of stuff. I remind myself of what to appreciate now and to enjoy every moment as much as possible, whether that be working or with my family or whatever I’m doing.
“Just trying to find a positive in it all and enjoy life as much as possible.”
