BRIT Award-winning and GRAMMY® Award-nominated singer-songwriter Jessie J has opened up about her vegan lifestyle for the first time ever in this exclusive interview with Plant Based News.
Jessie, who is also a judge on hit TV show The Voice, sat down with PBN Co-founder Robbie Lockie at the Lincoln Plaza London, Curio Collection by Hilton, which had hosted her for a vegan cooking class with celebrity chef Cyrus Todiwala immediately prior.
She described veganism as a ‘lifestyle that has improved her life immensely and very quickly’ – adding that she feels lucky to have discovered it.
Going vegan
Jessie initially started changing her diet as a result of health problems four years ago, when doctors told her she would be unable to have children.
“I don’t believe that,” she said. “All women and men go through fertility issues and it’s something that’s very empowering for me to talk about.
“I had all these tests done, and basically the long and short of it was ‘you manage the pain that you get, or you have to have a hysterectomy’.
“I decided to manage the pain and do it naturally. So four years ago I cut out sugar from my diet to try and stop bacteria from building up in my body. Once I cut out sugar I realized how much I began to enjoy food when it was good for me – and it was balancing out everything – my health, my moods, my sleep.”
She then decided to cut out meat around two years ago, though she admits it was a steep learning curve. She’s been full vegan for around a year.
Jessie J talks to PBN about being vegan
Learning about veganism
“I don’t know anything, I go into everything I do saying ‘I do not know anything, I want to learn’…It’s about knowledge and power and gaining understanding from the person that focuses on the food element of veganism, or animal cruelty, or global warming.
“I’m at the beginning of this journey and I’m not speaking out on it because I’m doing everything I can, or doing everything right.
“It’s about me trying to inspire a younger generation to love themselves, love their bodies, and love the world.”
You can watch the full interview here