It was recently announced that Emma Laird is one of the finalists in PETA Hottest Vegan 2016 contest. We talked to her about how she found veganism and how it fits in with her job as a model.
Vegan on Female First
Please tell us about your journey into veganism.
When I was scouted by my model agent, I became really interested in health and what's good for my body. But it backfired and I developed a really bad relationship with food. It was only when a friend introduced me to a really popular You tuber (Freelee the Banana Girl) that I discovered the vegan lifestyle I lead today. I overcame my feelings of guilt associated with food and found that eating a plant-based diet made me feel good and I didn't have to restrict calories to be slim and healthy. There are so many fad diets out there that advise you to eat a low calorie intake. It's scary to think that young people read this and think they should follow this lifestyle to lose weight or stay slim instead of nourishing your body with a variety of plant-based foods.
You are a model by day, to what extent does veganism help you in your work?
The great thing about working in the fashion industry is that there are such diverse people who are so open and understanding. The majority of the time someone on set will ask if I have preferences or dietary requirements for lunch and that's when I tell them I'm vegan. This opens up so many conversions about the vegan lifestyle and most of the time I find that people are trying to cut back on meat and dairy products, whether it's for their health, the animals or the environment.
You spend your free time campaigning for animal rights, so what does this involve?
I've been blogging for nearly a year now. My blog was initially focused on shark conservation and raising awareness for endangered species of shark (often due to the shark finning industry). As I discovered more about the vegan lifestyle I realised just how important this movement is and that the easiest way to help sharks was to show people what a state our oceans are in because of overfishing and the consumption of marine animals.
Recently I realised that people would much rather watch a video than read a lengthy blog post, so I've moved my focus to YouTube to better connect with everyone! I'm loving documenting my life and letting people see a more personal side to me.
Why is vegan not just about health reasons for you?
Health is a great starting point to get people interested, because at the end of the day, a lot of people don't want to do something without it benefiting them. But once you learn that unless we change our eating habits, we're leaving future generations (that means our children, nieces, nephews, grandchildren) with a lack of land, water shortages, extinct species and polluted areas you realise health isn't the only priority and the only reason for going vegan. We face a much bigger problem than bad blood tests where our planet and future generations are concerned.
You are about to start a vegan You Tube channel, so what are your plans for this?
I just think it's the best way to connect with people and really engage viewers in what I'm saying. Not many people can be bothered to read a blog post that they're not really interested in - but I love getting to know people that I watch on YouTube.
I just want to show people veganism isn't exclusive, we're not crazy hippies and just spread a positive message. There's still a stigma around vegan living, so I want to help break down that barrier.
Why can you not resist dates and sweet potatoes?
Because I travel a lot, dates are a great calorie-dense, energising food. They're super easy to carry around and - duh! - they taste AMAZING. They literally taste like caramel and who doesn't want to eat dessert for breakfast?
I could live off of sweet potatoes. They're my favourite carbohydrate and packed with good stuff. I am constantly making oil-free chips with them (recipe coming on my YouTube channel soon)!
Find Emma at YouTube channel Fin For Fought
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