To finish off Veganuary, we have an extra special employee spotlight on one of our wonderful employees, Liv Sheppard! We asked Liv a few questions about her journey to veganism and how being vegan and celebrating Veganuary has impacted her health and wellbeing.
Q: Why do you eat a vegan diet?
A: For many different reasons, but the main two revolve around my own health and wellbeing and also equality and morality. Since going vegan, I have noticed huge changes to my health including a huge boost in energy, better sleep, elimination of migraines, becoming ill/getting colds or flu less often, better mental health and more. I’ve also been able to perform better at the gym, which is a big part of my life, and reach some fitness goals that I’d previously been stuck on.
The second reason is more centred around equal rights and morality. We want to live in a world where everyone is seen as and treated equal, irrespective of gender, race, sexual orientation etc. I’ve long been interested in equality and, through my reading, I one day realised that the morally relevant traits we use to condemn inequality in humans can also be applied to animals. Of course, other animals are very different to humans, but we all have the ability to feel emotions.
Science has proven that animals can feel emotions, and some even have more complex emotions and social structures than we humans do. Therefore, the values I hold dear regarding treating every human as equal and that no living being should have to experience any suffering should also extend to other animals, and so I had to adopt a vegan lifestyle.
Later I went on to learn about some of the animal agriculture practices involved in meat/dairy production, and I knew I just couldn’t continue to support those practices. Now that there are so many fantastic vegan products on the market it has made it easier than ever to eliminate meat and animal products from our diets.
Scientific research has demonstrated that other animals do indeed feel; very similarly to the way we do and sometimes even more so. I realised that many of the values I already have regarding humans apply to all animals, hence, I had to adopt a vegan lifestyle.
Q: How long have you been a vegan?
A: 3 years!
Q: What are some of your favourite vegan dishes?
A: It is so hard to choose! I really love Asian and Indian food, so I have found lots of curries that are plant-based, where they use cauliflower or tofu as the meat replacement. You can also make these relatively healthy by using cashews instead of coconut milk to make it creamy!
Q: What is the significance of Veganuary and how has it impacted you?
A: Veganuary is how I actually started being vegan in 2019. I met my now partner in January of 2019, and he’d been vegan for a while so I was interested to learn more, and what better time than during Veganuary! During this time of year, there are so many supermarkets and restaurants releasing new products, recipes and tips on how to become more plant-based and this made the transition much easier by allowing me to try products I would have never previously had access to.
Q: What advice would you give to someone curious about being vegan or becoming more plant-based?
A: Give it a go! The key is to start out as small as necessary and focus on replacing meals rather than individual ingredients. There are countless vegan recipes online and in books. Try incorporating a few into your weekly meal plan, then gradually increase the frequency from there.
There are also so many books and websites that support people who are wanting to learn more about a plant-based diet. Some of my personal favourites include Bangin’ Vegan Food, Nora Cooks, and Bosh! Cookbooks.
More people are switching to plant-based diets everyday as it is no longer a struggle with easy-access to vegan products and recipes. Check out our vegan vendors and vegan recipes that you can use to go vegan.
Whether you’re a newbie vegan, 10-year veteran or just looking to try something new and learn more about how your office can join the veganuary campaign with Feedr, book a demo with our team to explore your options.
