My name is Tamra and I’m a Higher Ed professional by day and a Vegan Enthusiast and Toxic Free warrior by night. I’ve been vegan for 6 months as of July 28th. My journey to veganism began in October 2019 when I found this very disturbing article on the chemicals in deodorant. It was like an enlightening moment for me, so I began my search for the perfect toxin-free deodorant.
From there, I began to throw away products in my bathroom that had ingredients that I couldn’t pronounce, I even threw away a $50 face serum. That was the start of me living toxic-free and I had no plans of ever going back.
In January of 2020, I had a conversation with my Bestie and she was like “Friend, maybe we should be vegan” (Shout out to my bestie Lala, she helped me save my life). At the time I was 305 pounds and I had elevated blood pressure but being vegan seemed extreme. Let’s just be honest, I live in New York, I love a chopped cheese and a bag of wise potato chips with a Snapple apple from the corner store. How was I supposed to be vegan? Then it hit me if I was toxic-free regarding my deodorant and other skincare, shouldn’t I be the same way when it came to the food I digested, right? So, I began my research on vegan living. Y’all, I can’t lie the things the government allows us to consume is past disturbing. The more I learn the more I want to save our planet, save the animals, but most importantly I want to save the health of the black community.
Improvements I've Noticed
When they say that veganism will change your life they meant it. I am currently down 37lbs and I’m past shocked. My blood pressure is down, which means that I no longer have cankles as a result of my blood pressure. The cankles were cramping my style so I’m glad that they are gone. I used to suffer from terrible scalp psoriasis and it made me super self-conscious and made it hard for me to keep my beautiful locs clean. In one month, it was completely gone, with no flakes or anything. I would also suffer from awful indigestion…G-O-N-E. Recently, I noticed that my Acanthosis nigricans aka “The black ring around the neck” disappeared. The dark ring is a sign of diabetes, thyroid issues, and obesity. I am reversing my health for the positive day by day. I was seeing all these amazing benefits as a result of veganism. I’m in this thang for life. PERIODT (BIG DOT)
Why I Recommend Becoming Vegan
The more I learn the more I want to save our planet, save the animals, but most importantly I want to save the health of the black community. Our planet is dying, they are killing animals for sport and the government has turned our bodies into graveyards. On the real, our drinking water is being poisoned daily, the meat that you eat is full of cancer and the dairy that you drink and eat is full of animal pus (I bet you didn’t know the government allows the dairy farmers to leave a certain percentage of pus in your milk and cheese). I’m not saying that you have to be vegan, it’s your life and your body. I just want you to be informed about the things that are in your food and it can impact your wellbeing.
How Becoming Vegan Changed My Ethical Perspective
I cry all the time seeing the treatment of animals. These animals know they are going to be slaughtered. Next time you are on Youtube lookup “animal slaughterhouses" and you will be amazed by what you see. Our oceans are polluted and the ice caps are melting at an alarming rate. I don’t know about you, but global warming scares me and it should scare you too. This is all a direct result of how we choose to live our daily lives. So, stop using all those plastic water bottles and get you a reusable water bottle. Get you a reusable shopping bag to take to the grocery store and reduce your use of plastic. For so long I would say “Worrying about the planet is for hippies”. No, Worrying about the planet needs to be everybody thing. I try to do my part every day by upcycling, recycling, decreasing my consumption of clothing and unnecessary household products. Please do your part for the future generations that will come after us.
My Fav Meals
My go-to meal is “Shrooms and Grits” (Mushrooms and Grits) and Taco bowls. I’m also obsessed with fruit and raw veggies. Being vegan doesn’t have to be boring. I have officially become a whole vegan chef in the last 6 months. All it takes is some veggies and some creativity!!
Places I shop
- Winc (Vegan wine) $22 off with this code - Runs on Veggies T-shirt - Tabitha Brown T-shirts
Apps I Use
- EWG (You can scan any product to see if it is toxic or healthy to use)
- Happy Cow (Good for discovering vegan and vegetarian restaurants
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