Clare Brice from Cardiff has been a vegetarian since approximately the age of 13, then in 2015 after signing petitions concerned with the dairy industry, she decided to look into it more and it came as quite a shock.
Clare Brice
The crunch came for Clare when a friend shared a post on Facebook showing a cow crying for her baby that had just been taken from her. That was it. There and then she knew that she would never consume any dairy products again.
After her pledge, Clare is staying vegan. She confesses that it is so much easier than she thought it would be. She has actually been eating vegan products for years thinking they were vegetarian but not vegan.
People have commented on Clare's slim physique and she claims that she does have more energy than before. She also finds she sleeps better (unless of course she is thinking about some awful animal-related story).
The best part of being vegan for Clare is the sheer relief that comes with knowing that she is not contributing to the meat and dairy industries. She has noticed her friends are becoming interested and her mum is well on her way to becoming vegan. Clare realises that she can't save the planet and end animal suffering all by herself but by being vegan she knows she is doing her bit.
We spoke to Clare about her vegan journey and what she hopes the future might hold.
Why did you decide to go veggie so early in life (13)?
I decided to turn vegetarian so early on in my life because from a young age eating (a very small) amount of meat (mostly left on the plate ) with a Sunday roast did not sit well with me. It was a living being before it ended up as my dinner and that didn't seem fair. It made me feel very uncomfortable. I'd seen on the BBC news many years before an item on inhumane animal slaughter and I never got over that. Then, at my first year of high school, I ate a hotdog from the school canteen and I felt it was disgusting. There and then I never ate a piece of meat again.
You said that seeing a video of a cow crying for her baby made you switch to being vegan, so how important do you feel the PETA undercover videos are to exposing the dairy industry?
The video I saw of the cow crying for her calf sealed it for be becoming a full vegan. I tend not to watch any animal charity videos (unless they are happy endings) as they affect me SO much I literally cannot stop thinking about what I've seen. That particular video was on a friend's Facebook page and it just automatically started playing so I watched it. I've sent many petitions with videos to friends by email even if I hadn't watched them myself. One disgusting McDonald's undercover video prompted one of my good friends to tell me he would never buy from them again, so yes I think videos are vital, but sometimes they are so horrific that I know many won't watch. I think they are so important however, especially for the dairy and egg industries, as the amount of people that still think cows, goats, hens etc. are all grazing in a beautiful open field is unbelievable. They need to see the truth and that includes 'organic' and 'free range '.
What products have you been eating for years that you didn't know where vegan?
When I turned vegan it was so much easier than I thought, as I had been eating many products that were vegan and I didn't realise! Of course I'd always eaten fruits and veg, and had been drinking soya and almond milks for years, but some examples of foods I was pleased to find were vegan are Oatibix cereal, Crumpets (not every make but most), wraps, pasta (egg free), Soreen (banana variety) most plain salt and vinegar crisps, popcorn (especially Tyrells), Alpro custards and yoghurts, flap jacks, Oreos, Starbursts, and being able to make pancakes on Shrove Tuesday this year without a dairy item in sight was fabulous!
How quickly into eating a vegan diet did you begin to feel and sleep better?
I lead a busy life like most people. I often get comments that I have so much energy and how do I do it all! Being a dance teacher/actress/dog walker/Zumba instructor, I am doing lots of physical activity. I noticed that when I turned vegan within a few weeks I had that bit more in the tank (especially teaching Zumba). I was eating a lot more fruit and vegetables due to purchasing my Nutri Bullet which helps with speed and consuming extra!
I remember noticing on a run I was doing that I felt I could keep going, and my I pod stated I'd ran my fastest mile to date!
I think I do sleep better (except when feeling stressed and or upset over animal welfare!) and my nasal and throat passages feel clearer. I'm sure I used to feel more clogged with the dairy.
You say that your friends and mum are interested in becoming vegan, so how does it make you feel to have that support?
Many people have commented that I look slimmer since turning vegan. I definitely feel around the middle area I have lost weight, and my clothes feel looser which has prompted people to ask me about turning vegan and what I eat. My mum is very much on her way to becoming vegan. Like me, she has no time for animal cruelty and has now seen the wonderful delicious choices you can have being a vegan. Her struggle would be ditching the milk in her tea, and the odd ice cream, (although now she has tasted Swedish Glace I think that one is sorted!). Also, a girl I worked with for six weeks, (a few years ago) who has now become a friend contacted me to tell me she had become vegetarian due to seeing my passion and commitment to animals and my food choices. I was so happy as she had commented that I had changed her thinking without preaching. I recently have spoken to her and she tells me she is almost vegan now too, which makes me feel so proud that I am doing my bit and that she may now influence someone else to try it.
Why should people do their bit for the planet? How can just one person make a difference?
I feel that little by little the world is slowly changing its ways and eyes are finally being opened to the (what I personally feel are) vile meat and dairy industries. My ideal world would consist of every animal being free from the meat and dairy industries; but I know that is a HUGE dream. I do get overwhelmed some days and feel like the planet is a disaster and animals will always suffer for humans, but I also know my life choices are influencing others every day and the message is definitely spreading.
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