For six years popular vegan vlogger Rawvana has been touting the health benefits of veganism but the YouTube star recently came under fire for lying about her diet after she was caught on video eating fish at a restaurant.
The 29-year-old, whose real name is Yovana Mendoza Ayres, then came clean about her eating habits to nearly 500,000 subscribers in a video posted to her channel earlier this week.
Over the years Rawvana has managed to cultivate a strong following after she began to promote a raw vegan diet, which she insisted could cure many ailments including alcoholism and poor sleep, according to Fox News. She has since endorsed numerous products, from food to apps, and become an unofficial face for veganism.
In a previous interview, Ayres revealed that she had even obtained certification in the Science of Raw Food Nutrition and attended the Institute for Integrative Nutrition's program.
However, in her recent video after being busted not following the diet she promotes, the influencer admitted that she had been incorporating eggs and fish into her diet, citing health problems as the reason why she had taken a break from her plant-based diet.
Ayres said she was suffering from hormonal and digestion issues and was diagnosed with SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth). Her doctor recommended re-introducing eggs and fish into her diet and since doing so, Ayres said her digestion problems have subsided.
"This is my personal experience. This is my body," she said, noting that everybody was different.
By Tuesday her video had racked up over 183,000 views on YouTube and had 7.400 dislikes compared to the 2.800 likes it received. Her followers were not impressed.
One subscriber pointed out how Ayres had "monetized" her channel by selling vegan meal plans and products for months while "eating animals."
Another follower noted that Ayres had been having health issues for years while promoting a diet that was making her sick, then continued to push the diet despite not following it herself.
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