Influencers are sprouting out of nowhere nowadays, even you and I can become one. It’s not hard to be one of them, sans for the fact that you have to stand out of the crowd or at least earn people’s attention on social media. They are called as such because they tend to have a colossal following, who they can influence with their posts. Amassing followers is not an easy task and would, in fact, take time and brilliance to get, but ironically, you can lose them with a blink of an eye – which was what happened to YouTuber Yovana Mendoza lately.

Yovana Mendoza’s Blunder

Six years ago, Yovana adopted veganism, which implies that one strictly adheres to a plant-based diet. She even started Rawvana, her health website where she sells diet plans, and where followers can copy exactly what she’s been doing to achieve her healthy lifestyle.

It’s not hard not to be solved, though, with glowing skin and a fit body, anyone could be a taker. However, the thing with having millions of followers is that you are under a microscope and anything you do can be used against you. So when eagle-eyed fans saw a video of her with a fish on her plate, they started attacking her.

YouTube | Yovana Mendoza came under fire after being seen with a plate of fish.

As a defense, Yovana explained in a 33-minute clip as to why she had done that, which others say was deceptive. The 28-year-old revealed that she had been incorporating eggs and fish on her diet for two months now as per her doctor’s advice following health problems. Furthermore, she said the reason she didn’t share it with her followers was that she was still experimenting, although adding protein from animals made her feel better.

SIBO and Veganism

All the while, she continued to share photos of her vegan diet, which earned a lot of likes from her avid followers, who had no idea that their idol was hiding something from them. Apparently, she suffered from small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, with symptoms such as bloating, flatulence, stomach pain, diarrhea, and sudden weight loss. It happens when gut bacteria that process food and synthesize vitamins and were supposed to grow in other parts of the stomach like the large intestine and colon start appearing in the small intestine.

Deposit Photos | There’s a reason why vegans suffer from SIBO.

Plant-based nutrition expert Simon Hammett said that there’s really no specific diet plan that’s singled out as the target of SIBO. However, a lot of vegans, who were diagnosed with the issue, have turned their backs on the program and opted to eat more animal products. This is because the bacteria that cause SIBO feed on fiber, unlike other diet plans that have relatively smaller portions of vegetables. As a result, a vegan has no choice but to resort to meat, eggs, and dairy.

Other Vegan Celebs

Meanwhile, there are many high-profile celebrities that are vegan as well. “Doctor Strange” star Benedict Cumberbatch revealed that he switched to veganism during the promotion for “Avengers” and was even announced as the most beautiful vegan by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. In an interview, he said that the lifestyle change was what kept him in shape for his superhero movie role.

Deposit Photos | Benedict Cumberbatch was hailed as 2018’s most beautiful vegan.

Singer Ariana Grande is also vegan, quipping in an interview that the choice stems from her love for animals. More importantly, the 25-year-old said she believes that a plant-based and whole-food dietary plan can make you a happier person and can give you a longer life.