{"id":70875,"date":"2017-03-21T15:46:26","date_gmt":"2017-03-21T15:46:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/veganuary.com\/blog\/my-veganuary-2017-story-mary\/"},"modified":"2025-08-14T10:49:57","modified_gmt":"2025-08-14T09:49:57","slug":"my-veganuary-2017-story-mary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/veganuary.com\/en-us\/my-veganuary-2017-story-mary\/","title":{"rendered":"My Veganuary 2017 Story: Mary"},"content":{"rendered":"

I\u2019m Mary, I\u2019m 33 years old, and I work in PR in London. I\u2019ve been a pescatarian since the age of nine. At the startthis year, I cut out dairy from my diet, and by the end of the year I fully intend to have cut out fish and eggs too, making me a fully-fledged vegan!<\/p>\n

\"VeganSo I\u2019m in the midst of my vegan journey, and it\u2019s been really interesting so far…<\/p>\n

How did it start?<\/em> After my nine-year-old self watched a documentary about cruelty to chickens, I turned to my Mum and declared that I wasn\u2019t going to eat meat ever again. 24 years later and I\u2019ve stuck to my word.<\/p>\n

I come from a meat-loving family of foodies who lived in Paris for a long time. Mealtimes were the most important part of the day for us. Even though the rest of my family loved meat, I never remember them pressurising me to eat it. Thankfully my diet choice was accepted, and even somewhat embraced by my parents.<\/p>\n

So what changed?<\/em> Like many others, Cowspiracy<\/a> was the catalyst that set me on course to becoming vegan. I\u2019ve always felt strongly about environmental issues, and the statistics in the documentary were eye-opening and alarming. Now clearly \u2013 and especially against the backdrop of today\u2019s fake news agenda – there are always two sides to every story. Take everything with a pinch of salt. Don\u2019t believe everything you read or are told. Be a filter, not a sponge.<\/p>\n

But the arguments for becoming vegan were undeniable – the impact of animal agriculture on global greenhouse gas emissions and water resources; the terrifying rate of wildlife and habitat loss; and the cruelty inflicted on farmed animals.<\/p>\n

This was enough for me to take the brave step of totally cutting dairy out of my diet at the start of this year, coinciding quite nicely with Veganuary! Unlike a lot of people, I have never been addicted to cheese. The hardest thing for me has been cutting out my beloved chocolate, crisps, cakes and sweets \u2013 many of which contain milk or milk powder \u2013 and finding affordable vegan alternatives.<\/p>\n

Although I\u2019m still not a \u201cproper\u201d vegan, I have found the advice, tips and social media presence of Veganuary immensely helpful.<\/p>\n

For anyone reading this and considering taking steps towards becoming vegan, here are my five top tips!<\/strong><\/p>\n