Tabitha Brown suffered from chronic pain before going vegan (Photo: Instagram/Tabitha Brown)
Tabitha Brown has discussed why she went vegan - revealing it was after watching the movie What the Health.
The Tik Tok sensation made the comments in an interview with Goodful earlier this year.
Describing veganism as a 'healthier, happier, cruelty-free life', Brown said before she made the switch, she thought 'only white people did it', saying she'd never met a black vegan before.
When growing up, Brown would eat whatever food she was given, including large amounts of meat. She said some of her non-vegan favorite meals included seafood like crab and lobster.
Brown initially switched to a plant-based diet for health reasons: she had been suffering with pain in the back of her neck, which spread into her head, giving her a debilitating headache with lasted over a year and a half.
The pain spread throughout her body, and she had chronic fatigue, as well as suffering from blurred vision, panic attacks, and anxiety attacks. She would muster up the strength to take her children to school, then return to bed.
Brown says she 'felt like [she] was dying' because of the relentless pain and fatigue, but she tried to act as normally as possible, and carry on with her life.
It wasn't until she discovered plant-based health documentary What the Health that she found a solution to her problems.
"My daughter came home from school one day and she said, 'Mom, we saw this documentary at school and I think you should watch it. It was What The Health. My husband and I, we all sat down together, we watched it, and I was like, 'Oh, wow, this is very interesting'," Brown told Goodful.
She added: "What got me, is that when they were talking about diseases and our heritage, they would eat the same thing causing the same disease. For me, my mom died at 51. She had ALS. My dad is 68, he's the oldest male to live in the family. A lot of my aunts, uncles, and family members died very young of heart attacks, strokes, and rare sicknesses.
"To me, meat was the common denominator. And I thought to myself, 'well, I haven't tried that, right? They were talking about plant-based eating on What The Health, so I told my husband, I'm done with the dummy drugs, all the guinea pig drugs that the doctors have given me over this last year and a half. Nothing has worked. If I've tried all that stuff, I can at least try to do this vegan thing for 30 days and see if it makes me feel better."
They decided to do a 30-day vegan challenge as a family - with astonishing results.
"On day 10 my headaches went away," Brown revealed. "I remember I was walking through my kitchen and I was like, my head ain't hurting. I started feeling better from that day. I started getting my energy back. I just started feeling like myself again. On day 29, I told my husband, 'I think this is my path, I'm going vegan.'"
She said that in the two-and-a-half-years since going vegan, she's never felt better, and if you know your 'why', you will stick with your path, and never turn back.
"It's got to be a personal decision, you make it for yourself," she said. "And don't force it on anyone else. Just let it be personal."
More:
Tik Tok Star Tabitha Brown Went Vegan After Watching 'What The Health' - Plant Based News
- About Veganism - Vegan Action [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2024] [Originally Added On: September 11th, 2019]
- veganism.com [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2024] [Originally Added On: September 11th, 2019]
- Definition of veganism | The Vegan Society [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2024] [Originally Added On: September 11th, 2019]
- What Is a Vegan? What Do Vegans Eat? - thespruceeats.com [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2024] [Originally Added On: September 11th, 2019]
- Veganism - Wikipedia [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2024] [Originally Added On: September 11th, 2019]
- Veganism | What is Veganism & How to Do More for Animals ... [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2024] [Originally Added On: October 1st, 2019]
- BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO VEGANISM how to go vegan [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2024] [Originally Added On: October 1st, 2019]
- Veganism: 20 Powerful Reasons People Become Vegans [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2024] [Originally Added On: October 1st, 2019]
- The unstoppable rise of veganism: how a fringe movement went ... [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2024] [Originally Added On: October 1st, 2019]
- Vegan Cafe Ready to Open in Wilkes-Barre - WNEP Scranton/Wilkes-Barre [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2024] [Originally Added On: October 14th, 2019]
- Movers & Thinkers: The Butcher, The Vegan Baker, The Potions Maker - WPLN [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2024] [Originally Added On: October 14th, 2019]
- Love Earth Cafe: A new vegan eatery dedicated to healthy choices - SILive.com [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2024] [Originally Added On: October 14th, 2019]
- Vevolution Is the Must-Attend Vegan Festival of 2019 - LIVEKINDLY [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2024] [Originally Added On: October 14th, 2019]
- What Is the Definition of a Vegan Diet? - LIVEKINDLY [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2024] [Originally Added On: October 14th, 2019]
- How to have a meat-free Thanksgiving: advice from vegans - Montreal Gazette [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2024] [Originally Added On: October 14th, 2019]
- Did You Know These 17 Musicians Are All Vegan? - LIVEKINDLY [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2024] [Originally Added On: October 14th, 2019]
- 15 Vegan Lifestyle Benefits That Will Make You Never Look Back - LIVEKINDLY [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2024] [Originally Added On: October 14th, 2019]
- Alicia Silverstone: Going Vegan Is the Most Effective Way to Combat the Climate Crisis - LIVEKINDLY [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2024] [Originally Added On: October 16th, 2019]
- As Vegans, We Need to Show More Compassion Towards Those Who Aren't Like Us - VegNews [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2024] [Originally Added On: November 1st, 2019]
- BBC Blasted Over 'Wild And Unsubstantiated' Negative Claims About Veganism - Plant Based News [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2024] [Originally Added On: November 1st, 2019]
- Vegan meatball Subway finally launches in the UK here's what you need to know - The Independent [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2024] [Originally Added On: November 1st, 2019]
- A vegan diet can boost erections, according to a new Netflix documentary. Here's the reality. - INSIDER [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2024] [Originally Added On: November 1st, 2019]
- Vegans, vegetarians and the meat of the matter - The Guardian [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2024] [Originally Added On: November 1st, 2019]
- This Is How to Go Vegan When You Have a Tight Budget - LIVEKINDLY [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2024] [Originally Added On: November 1st, 2019]
- 13 Celebrities Before and After Going Vegan - LIVEKINDLY [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2024] [Originally Added On: November 1st, 2019]
- Marvel Just Turned This 12-Year-Old Vegan Activist Into a Superhero - LIVEKINDLY [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2024] [Originally Added On: November 10th, 2019]
- Pittsburgh Vegan Expo and Convention offers tasty sample of the lifestyle - TribLIVE [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2024] [Originally Added On: November 10th, 2019]
- The Real Reason Chef and Author Eddie Huang Went Vegan, Plus Other Plant-Based Celebrities - Showbiz Cheat Sheet [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2024] [Originally Added On: November 10th, 2019]
- Why 'vegan' is a dirty word: is it time to come up with a better term for the animal-free life? - HeraldScotland [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2024] [Originally Added On: November 10th, 2019]
- Veganism: Common myths and misconceptions about the lifestyle - Republic World - Republic World [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2024] [Originally Added On: November 10th, 2019]
- With veganism on the rise, vegetarians are becoming an afterthought - The Irish Times [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2024] [Originally Added On: November 10th, 2019]
- The top 6 reasons people go vegan, explained - CNET [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2024] [Originally Added On: November 10th, 2019]
- These 19 Celebrities Ate Vegan Wings on Hot Ones - LIVEKINDLY [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2024] [Originally Added On: November 12th, 2019]
- Vegan in NJ: VegFest returns to feed thousands at the Meadowlands Expo Center - Asbury Park Press [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2024] [Originally Added On: November 12th, 2019]
- Justin Bieber Thinks Vegans Should Get Paid $100K a Year - LIVEKINDLY [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2024] [Originally Added On: November 12th, 2019]
- 6 Celebrities Whove Gone Vegan, From Miley Cyrus to Ariana Grande - Refinery29 [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2024] [Originally Added On: November 12th, 2019]
- HappyCow Reveals Top Ten Vegan Friendly Cities in the World - vegconomist - the vegan business magazine [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2024] [Originally Added On: December 3rd, 2019]
- Veganism, KFC and the secret to weight loss - National Post [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2024] [Originally Added On: December 3rd, 2019]
- This Guide to Vegan Beauty Products Will Help You Be Ethical and Gorgeous - WDET [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2024] [Originally Added On: December 3rd, 2019]
- London tops list of world's most vegan-friendly cities - The Guardian [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2024] [Originally Added On: December 3rd, 2019]
- Tired of turkey? Here's why you'll want to try a vegan Thanksgiving this year - USA TODAY [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2024] [Originally Added On: December 3rd, 2019]
- A 9-year-old vegan challenged Trump to give up animal products for 30 days and 'make America healthy again' - INSIDER [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2024] [Originally Added On: December 3rd, 2019]
- London named the most vegan-friendly city in the world - CNBC [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2024] [Originally Added On: December 3rd, 2019]
- Veganism won't save the world from environmental ruin, researchers warn - New York Post [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2024] [Originally Added On: December 3rd, 2019]
- For a vegan diet to be healthy and complete, you really need to understand your food - ABC News [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2024] [Originally Added On: December 4th, 2019]
- Deep and crisp and vegan: now meat-free festive fare goes exotic - The Guardian [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2024] [Originally Added On: December 9th, 2019]
- French women breaking down the final frontier in veganism - Euronews [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2024] [Originally Added On: December 9th, 2019]
- How Fans Are Handling Their Favorite Influencer Going From Vegan To An All-Carnivore Diet - BuzzFeed News [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2024] [Originally Added On: December 9th, 2019]
- Its Time to End the Vegan Tax - LIVEKINDLY [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2024] [Originally Added On: December 10th, 2019]
- Vegan, 48, says people think she's in her 20s 'all thanks to plant-based diet' - Mirror Online [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2024] [Originally Added On: December 12th, 2019]
- The real winner in the growth of veganism is capitalism - Scroll.in [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2024] [Originally Added On: December 12th, 2019]
- Influencers Ditching Veganism is an Overcooked Way of Getting More Clicks - VegNews [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2024] [Originally Added On: December 12th, 2019]
- Green new meal: the unpalatable truth about veganism and climate change - Prospect [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2024] [Originally Added On: December 12th, 2019]
- Top athletes go vegan but experts advise caution - Times of India [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2024] [Originally Added On: December 15th, 2019]
- 'I'm an endurance runner with one kneecap - vegans aren't weak' - Metro.co.uk [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2024] [Originally Added On: December 15th, 2019]
- You can't be a vegan and still eat at Mcdonald's - Metro.co.uk [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2024] [Originally Added On: December 22nd, 2019]
- Vegan diet: One thing to know before converting to veganism - NEWS.com.au [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2024] [Originally Added On: December 22nd, 2019]
- Its boomtime for Veganuary as retailers rush to join the trend - The Guardian [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2024] [Originally Added On: December 22nd, 2019]
- The biggest health and wellness trends of 2019, from veganism to keto diets - USA TODAY [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2024] [Originally Added On: December 22nd, 2019]
- Vegan athletes are increasing, but does a plant-based diet improve athleticism? - ABC News [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2024] [Originally Added On: December 28th, 2019]
- 23,000 People Rank Vegan Food In UK: Best Pizza, Cheese, Sausages And More Revealed - Plant Based News [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2024] [Originally Added On: December 28th, 2019]
- How to be a 'sustainable' vegan - Wicked Leeks [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2024] [Originally Added On: December 28th, 2019]
- Vegan myths: the most common misconceptions about the diet - Her.ie [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2024] [Originally Added On: December 28th, 2019]
- Starbucks to Add New Vegan Items to Its Menu, But Theres a Catch - SheKnows [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2024] [Originally Added On: December 28th, 2019]
- Jewish veganism is worthy of study | Opinion - Jewish News of Greater Phoenix [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2024] [Originally Added On: December 28th, 2019]
- Vegan influencer is now a hunter-gatherer teaching people to kill animals - New York Post [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2024] [Originally Added On: December 28th, 2019]
- Is pasta vegan? Everything you need to know for Veganuary - Heart [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2024] [Originally Added On: January 5th, 2020]
- Do you love a vegan? Study claims 62 per cent of people don't think veganism is attractive trait in a partner - Gloucestershire Live [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2024] [Originally Added On: January 5th, 2020]
- Court To Decide Whether Veganism Is Protected Like Religion Under The Law - The Daily Wire [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2024] [Originally Added On: January 5th, 2020]
- Top five fitness podcasts spanning vegan eating tips, running advice and training guides - inews [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2024] [Originally Added On: January 5th, 2020]
- Waitrose Doubles Vegan Range to 120 Products - vegconomist - the vegan business magazine [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2024] [Originally Added On: January 5th, 2020]
- After tribunal's ethical veganism ruling, what is a protected belief? - The Guardian [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2024] [Originally Added On: January 5th, 2020]
- Could the Economic Disaster Turn Meat-Loving Argentines Vegan? - OZY [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2024] [Originally Added On: January 5th, 2020]
- Ethical veganism is a 'philosophical belief' and should have protected status, employment tribunal rules - inews [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2024] [Originally Added On: January 5th, 2020]
- Your Most-Loved Vegan Stories of 2019 - LIVEKINDLY [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2024] [Originally Added On: January 5th, 2020]
- Is veganism as good for you as they say? - The Guardian [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2024] [Originally Added On: January 5th, 2020]
- Ethical Veganism Is a Philosophical Belief, British Court Rules - The New York Times [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2024] [Originally Added On: January 5th, 2020]
- 33 vegan fast food options - Medical News Today [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2024] [Originally Added On: January 5th, 2020]
- Veganuary: Will going vegan really save the planet? - The Independent [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2024] [Originally Added On: January 7th, 2020]
- Vegans 'reduce diabetes and heart risks' - The Ecologist [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2024] [Originally Added On: January 7th, 2020]