Comedian and television host Jon Stewart recently hosted a screening of vegan documentary The Game Changers at Monmouth University in New Jersey. The groundbreaking film follows a diverse group of elite athletes who have thrived on a plant-based diet with the aim of dispelling the myth that consumption of animal products is key for athletic performance. After screening in 1,000 theaters during a one-day global premiere in September, The Game Changers was released on digital platform iTunes in select countries before expanding its availability to streaming service Netflix worldwide in October. The screening in New Jersey was introduced by Stewart’s vegan wife, Tracey, and followed by a panel discussion featuring Stewart, co-writers and producers James Wilkes and Joseph Pace, cardiologist Dr. Robert Ostfeld, and athlete and firefighter Rip Esselstyn, among others. “As you get older and become more aware of the world and your body, it just makes sense to be informed and smart, and what you put into your body should be no different,” Stewart told the 500 attendees at the screening. “You should be as informed and well versed in what is positive and what is negative, and that journey has led us to this.” Stewart—who, along with his wife, run two farm sanctuaries in New Jersey—also used the opportunity to promote the benefits of a plant-based diet. “I don’t know if you see the healthy glow of my skin, but it wasn’t always this way,” Stewart said. “I was ashen [and] bloated. I smoked a lot. I did not live properly. But I’ve been turned around by broccoli.” Last month, Stewart also backed a “Let’s Beat Breast Cancer” campaign by the Physicians Committee For Responsible Medicine that aims to inspire women to follow four steps to prevent their risk of developing breast cancer, including committing to a plant-based diet.

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