Is Bill Clinton's healthy diet rubbing off on his wife? Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was in a vegan state of mind on her birthday, celebrating with her family and a vegan cake.

The Clintons might be a power couple for decades to come: Bob Barker names his vegetarian diet as the reason for his longevity and vivacity, telling Vegetarian Times, "I became a vegetarian out of concern for animals, and I was a vegetarian for a very long time before I realized that many people become vegetarians out of concern for their health. I think they are absolutely right. I think it is the healthiest way to live. I worked until I was 83 years old."

Ever wondered what made country cutie Carrie Underwood first ditch meat? Now we know. On VH1's Behind the Music, she described seeing her parents castrate calves. "And lightbulb," she said. "I was horrified and sad and I just couldn't believe this was happening, you know, in our pasture."

Another vegan singer, Renee Olstead, might have made a certain magazine editor cringe recently when she prominently rep'd PETA in an interview. We've had our famous run-ins with furry Vogue editor Anna Wintour, but in Renee's Teen Vogue interview, the singer and actor proudly declared, "I love animals. I'm getting ready to do a campaign with PETA. I went vegetarian when I was twelve, and I went vegan about a year and a half ago."

Staunchly fur-free Mayte Garcia just made the list of the hottest reality stars. Would her naked ad for PETA have had anything to do with that?

One of the hottest former reality stars, Lauren Conrad, has a reason to celebrate as well: She just adopted a new puppy, Fitz, from a shelter. Fitz scored some "welcome home" toys and treats from PETA to share with his new canine sister, rescued dog Chloe.

The Los Angeles City Council's vote to ban stores from selling animals who came from breeders  and puppy mills was a hot topic on Twitter this week, as were the bill that could end the Canadian seal slaughter and protecting animals during Hurricane Sandy.

To keep up with what all your favorite celebs are doing for animals, follow @PETA on Twitter.

Sure, during an election year, the candidates themselves take up residence under a microscope. But here's something that you might not have known about Democratic National Convention speakers Bill Clinton and Michelle Obama. 

You probably knew that Broccoli Bill went vegan, since he's fond of telling people how much better he looks and feels. And maybe you heard Wolf Blitzer report that Bill hadn't lost his pizzazz—he'd just lost his pizza! But did you know that he was PETA's Person of the Year in 2010?

© StarmaxInc.com

Yep, the vegan in chief won for saving animals' lives and proving that even former hamburger fanatics can thrive on a vegan diet. As Bill himself wrote to PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk, "I've been feeling great since I adopted my plant-based diet!"

Speaking of saving animals' lives, did you know that we have a FLOTUS who doesn't wear fur? 

iStockPhoto.com/EdStock

Michelle Obama's celebrated style always earns accolades from the fashion community and from people who care about animals.

Whether you're a donkey or an elephant, everyone can elect to help animals by not eating them or wearing them. 

P.S. Did you also know that Matthew Scully, vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan's speechwriter and the author of Dominion, is a vegetarian?

PETA promotes and educates the public on the benefits of a vegan diet. PETA does not directly or indirectly participate in any political campaign on behalf of or in opposition to any candidate for public office.

What do Bill Clinton, former President George W. Bush speechwriter Matthew Scully, and the Rev. Al Sharpton have in common? They're all political animals who don't eat meat. Sharpton first got an idea of what happens to animals on factory farms when he appeared in PETA's video exposing cruelty in slaughterhouses that supply KFC and called on the black community to join PETA's boycott of the fast-food chain. His message to KFC? "That's foul!"  

We caught up with Sharpton, who now hosts MSNBC's show PoliticsNation, to ask him what inspired him to change his eating habits, how his new diet makes him feel, and what his favorite foods are.  

"I overhauled my diet after a 40-day hunger strike when I was in jail for the Vieques [military bombing practice] protest," Sharpton told us. "I dabbled with weight loss ideas, wanting to keep off the pounds I lost. First, I gave up red meat, then chicken. I ran into Bill Clinton, who told me how he has more energy, needs less sleep, and can think more clearly since going vegan, and I can tell you the same thing happened to me. I also kept in mind the words of another vegetarian friend—Coretta Scott King—who always spoke of the ethical reasons to give up meat."

Sharpton dedicated his PETA Humanitarian Award to King when he accepted it at PETA's awards gala in New York City in 2006.

To date, the reverend has lost more than 120 pounds. To read more about Sharpton's triumphs and tribulations, check out his essay in PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk's book One Can Make a Difference.

If you want to be a champion for animals, take the pledge to go vegan. Not only will you enjoy reduced stress and more energy, you'll also be less likely to suffer from obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.

Written by Monica Alexander

Nothing says "Thanksgiving" like People's Sexiest Man Alive announcement. This year, the magazine named Bradley Cooper, whose good looks are matched by his good heart. He counts as his greatest loves his rescued mixed-breed dogs.

Speaking of actors and their rescued pups, Booboo Stewart showed up at the Breaking Dawn tent city event wearing PETA's "My Dog Is a Rescue" T-shirt. Booboo is one of several PETA pals in the film, so feel free to use that as an excuse to go watch sexy vampires canoodle on the big screen.

Thanksgiving and football go together like Tofurky and gravy, which is probably what Dallas Cowboys starting fullback Tony Fiammetta will be eating during the holiday. Fiammetta recently switched to a healthy vegan diet, which he says makes him feel better both on and off the field.

Would you invite Bill Clinton to be your Thanksgiving menu consultant? Now that he's vegan and reportedly makes his own cream of asparagus soup, Ellen DeGeneres sought out the former president to sample her new vegan restaurant's menu.

Celebs were a-buzz on Twitter this week, including Megan Park and Carrie Ann Inaba, tweeting about their delicious vegan meals:

Other animal-friendly updates came from Emmanuelle Vaugier and Lexie Tomchek, both of whom shared anti-fur messages. Lovely ladies Angela Simmons and Simone Reyes posted several updates about a PETA event they attended at Uncle Rush's house.

And what better way to wrap up a Thanksgiving-themed celeb update than with a few words from longtime vegetarian Sarah Silverman?

Written by Heather Faraid Drennan

Whoa! Joey Lawrence rescued a dog from a local animal shelter while filming in Australia. He called his new family member "the most amazing little thing ever." Another shelter dog—a pit bull who was rescued from a trash chute—has inspired Newark Mayor Cory Booker to build a new state-of-the-art animal shelter. And to further fight cruelty to animals, the mayor's also a vegetarian.

The Rev. Al Sharpton has made the heavenly decision to cut meat almost completely out of his diet too. And Lady Gaga will have to cut meat out of her wardrobe when she performs for Bill Clinton at the Hollywood Bowl tomorrow. The former pres told David Letterman, "In deference to my diet, she'll be meatless that night."

Speaking of cruelty-free garb, The Veronicas sent flowers to Australian designer Rachel Gilbert to thank her for ditching fur.  

And just check out what these compassionate celebs had to say to their Twitter followers:

Written by Michelle Sherrow

It's here! "Hug a Vegetarian" Day has arrived, and it's the perfect time to show some love to the people who are showing love to animals. The average vegetarian saves about 100 animals every year from cruelty and abuse on factory farms. That's definitely worth a few X's and O's.

PETA's youth division, peta2, held hugging events across the country. If you didn't make it to one of the hug fests, you can still spread appreciation for people who are fighting cruelty to animals, climate change, and the obesity epidemic by posting and tweeting virtual hugs. That's what Victorious star and vegan Daniella Monet will be doing—she's ready to hug it out with one enthusiastic peta2 supporter.

© iStockphoto.com | Piotr Gatlik

Don't forget to tweet-hug your favorite vegetarian celebrities too. Will it be animal champion Lea Michele; Sexiest Vegetarian Celebrity winners Russell Brand and Kristen Wiig; everyone's favorite vegan president, Bill Clinton; or funniest vegan Steve-O? What the heck, just hug 'em all.

Written by Michelle Sherrow

© Starmax Inc

Since discovering how much being vegan improved his health, former president Bill Clinton has been belting out praise for plants like he belts out jazz on the saxophone. A new CNN article traces his progression from hamburger-and-fry guy to commander-in-leaf.

Not long after he left office, Clinton's penchant for hamburgers, steaks, and other high-fat foods, coupled with a family history of heart problems, left the ex-president in need of quadruple-bypass surgery, followed by two stents three years later. "I was lucky I did not die of a heart attack," he told CNN.

After Clinton's second surgery, PETA sent him a vegan care package. Then, in spring 2007, PETA Vice President Dan Mathews was seated next to the former President at a dinner party in Las Vegas, and the two spoke at length about the health benefits and ethics of a vegan diet, which Clinton told Mathews had always intrigued him since his daughter Chelsea had been such an articulate vegetarian since she was 10. Mathews followed up by sending Clinton Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn's book Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease. After consulting with Dr. Esselstyn as well as Dr. Dean Ornish and Chelsea, Clinton decided to make the switch to a plant-based diet: "I essentially concluded that I had played Russian roulette .… So that’s when I made a decision to really change."

So began the era of Bill Clinton, vegan advocate and heart disease survivor. "All my blood tests are good, and my vital signs are good, and I feel good, and I also have, believe it or not, more energy," he says. We wondered who you think should be the next big political figure to get a smaller figure by going vegan? Will it be Barack Obama, Dick Cheney, Al Gore, or Sarah Palin?

What do Russell Brand, Kristen Wiig, Bill Clinton, Anne Hathaway, and Steve-O all have in common? They're among the 10 oh-so-fine finalists in our Sexiest Vegetarian Celebrities contest! Also in the running are the luscious Leona Lewis, Mos Def (a true "rapper's delight"), Nat "she's all that" Portman, the wildly attractive Olivia Wilde, and the foxy Joaquin Phoenix.

As more and more famous folks realize that living la vida vegetarian is the best way to prevent cruelty to animals on factory farms, help the environment, and improve their health and physique, it gets harder each year to choose the winners. That's why we need you to help us pick a female and male winner from this latest crush-worthy crop of smokin' hot herbivores. Visit this page to vote for your faves via Facebook or Twitter. Voting ends June 24, 2011, at 5 p.m. EDT, so make your selections today!

Stay tuned for the results. In the meantime, here are a few sexy vegetarian celeb tweets to get your heart all a twitter.
 

 
Written by Amy Skylark Elizabeth

Could be because it’s almost the first day of summer. Nah, it’s definitely PETA’s Sexiest Vegetarian Celebrities of 2011 contest. Voting has begun to help us narrow down the 100 male and female nominees to our top five in each group who make our little veggie-loving hearts skip a beet beat.
 

 
So, which hunk of Bocacake gets your vote? Bill Clinton or a Beatle? Joaquin’s sexy smile or Jared Leto and those baby blues?  Could it be a bi-coastal competition of funny man Russell Brand against easy-on-the-eyes Casey Affleck?

And which veggie vixen will walk away with the top prize? Will it be the battle of the A-team, Aimee and Anne? Or could it all come down to the Kristens – Wiig and Bell? Maybe the inventor of sexy, Pamela Anderson, will stage a coup?
 

Let us know who you think we should name the finalists! This year, for the first time, voting will take place on Twitter using the hash tag #sexyvegceleb, but you can also use the voting page. Let us know who you think we should pick by June 17 and stay tuned for the swoon-worthy finalists. 
 

Written by Michelle Sherrow

I've caught some fascinating tidbits in media reports about Chelsea Clinton's recent wedding: The bride dropped the ring during the ceremony. She and Marc did a sexy tango during the reception. Chelsea's father, former President Bill Clinton, followed his daughter's lead by going vegan—and he moonwalked during the reception!

Wait—Bill Clinton went vegan?

That's right: People magazine's Sandra Sobieraj Westfall recently revealed to Today show viewers that, because Chelsea is so concerned about her father's health, Mr. Clinton "went on a vegetarian, no dairy diet, took lots of walks, and he dropped twenty pounds."

So, will he stick with heart-healthy, animal-friendly, green cuisine? Considering his heart problems vs. vegan vitality and incredible vegan edibles, I'm optimistic. What do you think?

Written by Karin Bennett