More often than not, it takes someone with power and reach to shift cultural behavior. It is very possible for one person to make a difference, however, it helps to be a regarded and prominent member of the worldwide community. It’s easy. Whether a top celebrity, a world leader or even a notorious criminal, your actions are recorded and broadcasted across the globe. All you have to do is ‘be’ and let modern day media take care of the rest. Arguably the world’s most influential and powerful couples of all time is now making a change to better their own lives with hopes to encourage others to follow the same path. For the average Joe, it’s a nearly impossible feat, but for Jay Z and Beyonce, it should be no problem at all.

On December 3, Jay Z announced that he and his wife Beyonce are challenging themselves to go completely vegan as part of a 22 Days Challenge, a program realized by exercise physiologist, and personal friend of Jay Z’s, Marco Borges. The couple began the challenge on Tuesday, one day before Jay Z’s 44th birthday. “Any professional vegans out there that have any great food spots please help out! Please ha,” Jay-Z wrote.

His official statement reads as follows.

“This all began a few months back when a good friend and vegan challenged me to embrace a “plant-based breakfast” everyday. It was surprisingly easier on me than I thought…

Why now? There’s something spiritual to me about it being my 44th birthday and the serendipity behind the number of days in this challenge; 22 (2+2=4) coupled with the fact that the challenge ends on Christmas day…It just feels right!

So you can call it a spiritual and physical cleanse. I will post my progress … I don’t know what happens after Christmas. A semi-vegan, a full plant-based diet? Or just a spiritual and physical challenge? We’ll see…

Best of luck and health!”

If anyone can convince the general public to embrace the vegan lifestyle, it's Jay-Z and Beyonce. Their faces are recognized worldwide. They're talented, successful and beautiful. These ingredients are key for sharing your message with a broad audience, and even more so to change their behavior. People will listen to them. They respect them. They will follow in their footsteps with hopes of becoming more like them. The closer we feel to celebrity status and the more we can relate the celebrities, the more glamorous and important we feel. It's a confusing yet obvious trait of modern culture. Our obsession with fame can prompt us to do funny things, but if it's for a noble and righteous cause, so be it.

Jay-Z and Beyonce are going vegan until through Christmas. Are you?