Jay Z, Beyonce start vegan challenge for rapper's 44th birthday

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Singer Beyonce and husband Jay-Z perform on stage at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA. Sunday, January 26, 2014.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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Jay-Z and Beyoncé sang her single “Crazy in Love,” which featured Jay-Z at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards at Radio City Music Hall on August 28, 2003, in New York City.

When she broke off from Destiny’s Child, she was first featured on Jay-Z’s single “03 Bonnie & Clyde” about a runaway love affair. Later the two collaborated on her “Crazy in Love,” which gave rise to her alter-ego, Sasha Fierce.

“You know we were friends first for a year and a half before we went on any date on the phone for a year and a half,” she told Oprah Winfrey. “And that foundation is so important in a relationship. And just to have someone that you just like is so important and someone that is honest.” (Frank Micelotta / Getty Images / Courtesy)

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Singer Beyoncé Knowles and rapper Jay-Z pose for a photo at the 2004 MTV Video Music Awards at the American Airlines Arena Aug. 29, 2004, in Miami. (Frank Micelotta / Getty Images / Courtesy)

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The rapper and singer talk with R&B singer Usher at his private Grammy Awards party held at the Geisha House on Feb. 13, 2005, in Hollywood. Jay-Z’s 2004 album “99 Problems” won the Grammy for solo performance that year. (Frank Micelotta / Getty Images / Courtesy)

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Beyonce and Jay-Z arrive for the 77th Academy Awards on Feb. 27, 2005, at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood. (Gerard Burkhart / AFP/Getty Images/Courtesy)

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Beyoncé Knowles and Jay-Z attend her 25th birthday and “B’Day” album release party at the 40/40 Club on Aug. 31, 2006, in New York City. (Frank Micelotta / Getty Images / Courtesy)

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Singer Beyoncé Knowles and rapper Jay Z pose for a photo at the NBA All-Star basketball game in Las Vegas on Sunday, Feb. 18, 2007. (Kim Johnson Flodin / Associated Press / Courtesy)

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The hip-hop artist/entrepreneur and the singer-actress attend the premiere of “Cadillac Records” in New York. The rap mogul put a ring on it in 2008 after six years of unconfirmed dating. They got married in his Manhattan apartment and tried to keep the fancy party under wraps. (Evan Agostini / AP / Courtesy)

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Singer Beyonce Knowles and husband Jay-Z arrive on the inaugural stage ahead of the inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th president of the United States on Jan. 20, 2009, in Washington, D.C. (Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images / Courtesy)

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Beyonce and Jay-Z attend the 58th NBA All-Star Game at US Airways Center on Feb. 15, 2009, in Phoenix. (Jason Merritt / Getty Images / Courtesy)

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Jay-Z and Beyonce watch Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic play in the men’s final of the U.S. Open in 2010 in New York City. (Al Bello / Getty Images / Courtesy)

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Beyoncé and Jay-Z during the 52nd Grammy Awards held at Staples Center on Jan. 31, 2010, in Los Angeles. Beyoncé took six awards that night, a record for a female artist, and Jay-Z took three. (Larry Busacca / Getty Images / Courtesy)

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Beyonce arrives at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards on Aug. 28, 2011, with a big surprise to share. The singer and actress caused a frenzy as she walked the black carpet revealing a definite baby bump. (Jason Merritt / Getty Images / Courtesy)

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The couple have a secretive moment during the 2011 NBA All-Star game at Staples Center on Feb. 20, 2011, in Los Angeles. (Jason Merritt / Getty Images / Courtesy)

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Both singers have their own fashion lines Rocawear and House of Dereon, respectively. Here, they attend the “Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty” Costume Institute Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 2, 2011, in New York City. (Larry Busacca / Getty Images / Courtesy)

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Beyonce and Jay-Z at the 2012 BET Awards at the Shrine on July 1, 2012. (Christopher Polk / Getty Images / Courtesy)

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On January 7, 2012, she gave birth to their daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York.

The music moguls haven’t offered a direct explanation of the name choice but Bey did share a limerick on her website that potentially clarified the choice. They added on “Ivy” because of the significance of the number 4 -- or IV. Both of them were born on the 4th of their respective birth months and the couple was married on April 4, 2008.

A few days after she was born, Jay-Z dedicated the song “Glory” to his daughter and the track featured her cries, so he credited her as “B.I.C.” ( Ed Burke for Beyonce.com / Associated Press / Courtesy)

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Singer Beyonce, rappers Jay-Z and Kanye West and television personality Kim Kardashian attend the 2012 BET Awards at The Shrine Auditorium on July 1, 2012 in Los Angeles. Jay-Z and West collaborated on their critically acclaimed “Watch the Throne” album, which garnered the rappers seven Grammy Awards. (Christopher Polk / Getty Images / Courtesy)

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Jay-Z, Beyonce, 2012 Sportsman of the Year LeBron James and Savannah Brinson attend the 2012 Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year award presentation at Espace on Dec. 5, 2012, in New York City. (Stephen Lovekin / Getty Images / Courtesy)

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The New York rapper and Beyoncé look over at LeBron James of the Miami Heat and the Eastern Conference during the 2013 NBA All-Star game at the Toyota Center on Feb. 17, 2013, in Houston, Texas. (Scott Halleran / Getty Images / Courtesy)

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This Jan. 21, 2013, photo shows the recording artists at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., for President Obama’s ceremonial swearing-in ceremony during the 57th Presidential Inauguration. Beyoncé infamously used a pre-recorded track during her performance of the national anthem, which piqued the interest of many leading up to her halftime show performance at Super Bowl XLVII.

She later kicked off a Super Bowl press conference in New Orleans belting out the national anthem. She then confirmed her use of the pre-recorded track during the inauguration because she was a “perfectionist,” adding that she “absolutely” planned to sing live during the Super Bowl halftime show. And she did. (Win McNamee / Associated Press / Courtesy)

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Beyoncé and Jay-Z attend the after-party following the premiere of the HBO documentary film “Beyoncé: Life Is but a Dream” at Christie’s on Feb. 12, 2013, in New York City. The documentary debuted the couple’s baby girl, Blue Ivy, and offered viewers a peek into the moguls’ hectic world.

While promoting the doc, she said “I would not be the woman I am if I did not go home to that man.” (Larry Busacca / Getty Images / Courtesy)

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Singer Justin Timberlake, actress Jessica Biel, singer Beyonce and rapper Jay-Z attend the 55th Grammy Awards at Staples Center on February 10, 2013, in Los Angeles. Timberlake and Jay-Z performed Timberlake’s “Suit & Tie,” which features the rapper. (Christopher Polk / Getty Images / Courtesy)

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The couple visited Cuba to celebrate their fifth wedding anniversary. It is unclear why they traveled to the island nation, which has had a half-century trade embargo with the United States. (Ramon Espinosa / Associated Press / Courtesy)

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Beyoncé and her husband, rapper Jay-Z have a lunch at a restaurant in the old downtown of Havana, Cuba. During the trip, the couple was mobbed by fans and police were called to break up the crowds. (Alejandro Ernesto / EPA / Courtesy)

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Beyoncé is seen in a balcony of the Saratoga Hotel in Havana next to her husband Jay-Z on April 5, 2013. The pop diva Beyonce and her rapper husband created a stir as they toured the streets of Old Havana, with hundreds of Cubans turning out to catch a glimpse of the power couple. (AFP / Getty Images / Courtesy)

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Jay-Z, Beyoncé and Pharrell Williams attend the 10th anniversary party of Billionaire Boys Club presented by HTC at Tribeca Canvas on June 4, 2013, in New York City. (Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images / Courtesy)

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The musicians celebrate the 40/40 Club’s 10-year anniversary party at the venue on June 17, 2013 in New York City. (Kevin Mazur / Getty Images / Courtesy)

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Jay Z and Beyonce join several hundred people at New York Police Department headquarters in Manhattan to take part in a rally for justice in protest of the verdict acquitting George Zimmerman of charges in the shooting death of Florida teenager Trayvon Martin. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times / Courtesy)

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Jay Z and Beyonce backstage during the 2013 Budweiser Made in America Festival at Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia. (Theo Wargo / Getty Images / Courtesy)

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Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul greets Jay Z and Beyonce before the start of an NBA game against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Oklahoma City. (Sue Ogrocki / Associated Press / Courtesy)

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Jay-Z and Beyonce look up at the scoreboard during an NBA game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the L.A. Clippers in Oklahoma City.

(Sue Ogrocki / Associated Press / Courtesy)

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Just months after the surprise release of her self-titled album, Beyonce opens the 56th Grammy Awards on Jan. 26 with a steamy version of her single “Drunk in Love,” featuring her husband. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times / Courtesy)

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After winning the Grammy Award for rap-sung collaboration for “Holy Grail,” his track with Justin Timberlake from his “Magna Carta Holy Grail” album, Hova took the stage to praise his wife and daughter, Blue Ivy.

“I want to thank God, I mean, a little bit for this award, but also all the universe for conspiring and for putting that beautiful light of a young lady in my life,” the rapper said. Then he tipped his gilded gramophone on it side and added, “I want to tell Blue, ‘Look, Daddy got a gold sippy cup for you!’” (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times / Courtesy)

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Beyonce Knowles and rapper Jay Z attend the 56th Grammy Awards. (Christopher Polk / Getty Images / Courtesy)

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The pair, at an NBA playoff game between the Brooklyn Nets and Toronto Raptors at Barclays Center in Brooklyn on May 2, announced in late April that they would co-headline a stadium tour called “On the Run.” (Elsa / Getty Images / Courtesy)

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The couple attends the 2014 Met Ball in New York on May 5. The rapper mock-proposed to Beyonce, in Givenchy, on the red carpet when some bling came off her outfit. (Timothy A. Clary / AFP Getty Images / Courtesy)

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The couple is put under the microscope after footage leaks showing Beyonce’s sister Solange attacking Jay Z in an elevator after a Met Ball party. Days later, the couple issued a statement saying the “family has worked through it.” (Evan Agostini / Invision / AP / Courtesy)

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The pair join forces during their “On the Run” tour and share wedding videos and footage of daughter Blue Ivy during their opening night at Sun Life Stadium in Miami on June 25. (Jeff Daly / Invision for Parkwood Entertainment / AP / Courtesy)

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After months of speculation about alleged marital woes, the couple puts up a united front at the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards where Bey performed. Then Jay Z and their daughter, Blue Ivy, presented her with the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award onstage at The Forum in Inglewood. (Mark Davis / Getty Images / Courtesy)

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The couple attends Day 2 of the 2014 Budweiser Made in America Festival at Los Angeles Grand Park on Aug. 31. (Christopher Polk / Getty Images / Courtesy)

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Photos of the pair being lovey-dovey at the Made in America Music Festival seemingly put to rest speculation about the end of their marriage. Split rumors had swirled around them after footage of the elevator brawl hit the Web. (Michael Buckner / Getty Images / Courtesy)

By Nardine Saad

Dec. 4, 2013 11:32 AM PT

Jay Z and Beyonce are giving themselves the gift of health for the rapper’s birthday. The musical power couple are challenging themselves to a 22-day vegan diet.

The “Magna Carter Holy Grail” rapper, who turned 44 on Wednesday, made the announcement on his Life + Times blog Tuesday, letting fans know that he and his wife are undergoing a major lifestyle change in an effort to become more spiritual.

“Psychologists have said it takes 21 days to make or break a habit. On the 22nd day, you’ve found the way,” he wrote.

PHOTOS: Beyonce and Jay Z

“On December 3rd, one day before my 44th birthday I will embark on a 22 Days challenge to go completely vegan, or as I prefer to call it, plant-based!! This all began a few months back when a good friend and vegan challenged me to embrace a ‘plant-based breakfast’ every day. It was surprisingly easier on me than I thought ... “

Is that good friend Gwyneth Paltrow, perchance? We’re not sure. No matter, Forbes’ top-earning couple is wealthy enough to figure out a way to make the diet extra-delicious. Some of the diet’s health benefits include increased metabolism, cancer prevention, lower cholesterol, decreased blood pressure and reduced risk of diabetes, asthma attacks and heart disease, according to the 22 Days nutrition website.

The Grammy Award-winning rapper also seems to believe that the change is rooted in the mysticism of numbers. So 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!” he said.

You’ll recall, he and Beyonce also talked a big game about numbers when they got married on April 4, 2008. Both singers’ birthdays land on the fourth of their respective birth months and, oddly enough, 4 + 4 = 8.

PHOTOS: Beyonce and Jay Z

Jay Z said to call it “a spiritual and physical cleanse.” He added that he will post his progress on his blog and elicited advice from fans for recommendations on “great food spots” and to “please help out! Please ha.”

As for what happens after Dec. 25, he isn’t sure.

“I don’t know what happens after Christmas,” he wrote. “A semi-vegan, a full plant-based diet? Or just a spiritual and physical challenge? We’ll see ... “

But he did end the post on this note: “P.S. B is also joining me.”

Indeed, B, 32, who is currently touring the world with “The Mrs. Carter Show,” shared an Instagram photo collage of her meals on Wednesday, simply captioning the fare “#22dayveganchallenge.”

The menu for the diet’s first day included vanilla chia pudding with 1 cup fresh berries for breakfast; crunchy red cabbage and green apple sesame slaw with 1 cup steamed, cubed sweet potato (or 1 small sweet potato, baked) for lunch, 1/4 cup hemp hummus with fresh vegetables (carrots, celery, romaine leaves, bell pepper, etc.) for an afternoon snack; black bean and quinoa salad with quick cumin dressing for dinner and dark chocolate for dessert.

So now, we can’t wait to hear Hova’s lyrical take on hemp and seitan instead of Champagne and caviar.

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