I’ve gone vegan!

I recently made a huge lifestyle change, yep, I’ve gone vegan! For those of you that don’t know, I’ve actually been vegetarian for almost 16 years now. I turned veggie around the age of 8, around the time I got my first pet bunnies. It occurred to me from a young age that eating meat was, I suppose, strange. I  loved my pets, I loved animals, so why would I want to eat them? I still maintain that point of view, I’m a huge animal lover and there I was, thinking my vegetarianism was saving the animals and that I was living a cruelty free lifestyle.

Not so much!

Ever researched the dairy industry? Well, I did. And the result of that was my new vegan lifestyle. The cruelty within the dairy industry is astronomical. And it certainly is not how the dairy industry like to make it out to be. There are no cows frolicking around fields with their young. No siree.

As we all know, cows have to be pregnant to produce milk. Cows are repeatedly impregnated and forced into pregnancies in order for them to produce as much milk as possible. They are pumped with antibiotics and all sorts in order for the dairy farmers to get as much milk as they can. And once the cow gives birth to their beautiful baby calf? The calf is ripped away from its mother and sold for meat, and made into handbags. It’s as simple as that. The mother cows scream and cry for days, for their young. And once the milk farmer has got as much use out of them as they can? They ship them off to become burgers. What a nice way to repay them!

And did you know that legally the government allow a certain amount of PUS in the milk you drink? Yes, pus. Thank god for almond milk ay. Now this is in NO means slating veggies at ALL, I was one for most of my life! I’m just thankful for my eyes being opened to the dairy industry. 

So how did I not know this!? I’d been blinkered to the cruelty, perhaps I’d even avoided it, as to make my lifestyle easier and I guess, more convenient. But after becoming exposed to various footage and imagery it was too much for me. You can’t unlearn or unsee it. It sparked a radical lifestyle change and I’m now living on a strict (yet much healthier) vegan diet, and I’ve also stopped using my leather bags and shoes. Goodbye Mulberry bags!

Not only am I now vegan for the animals, but also the planet and for my own health. I could go on, but perhaps I’ll save that for another post.

I personally feel healthier, happier and I’ve discovered a new love for cooking! Ironically, I’m eating a much more varied selection of foods, and experimenting with dishes I would never have previously considered. I’ll definitely begin to incorporate more of my vegan lifestyle into this blog, from fashion to food. I don’t want to come across as ‘preachy’ or argumentative, as I know that’s how a lot of people view vegans. I would much rather simply share my views, the facts, and top tips in a polite and friendly manner! And I hope you all won’t mind that.

In the meantime, if you’re pondering veganism, or simply want to learn more – I recommend giving this video from Gary Yourofsky a watch…