Ali Ryland is the Web and Digital Communications Officer at The Vegan Society. We caught up with her to discuss her vegan journey and how she extends her passion for veganism into her personal life.
Ali Ryland
Please tell us about your personal journey into veganism.
Having been pescatarian since birth and then vegetarian later, I always thought I was doing my part for non-human animals. I'd met one or two vegans in college but it wasn't until I started university that I heard all the ethical arguments behind veganism thanks to the people behind Glasgow University Vegan Society, including my colleague Alex Douglas. Spurred on by them, I've now been vegan for over five years.
You are the Web and Digital Communications Officer at The Vegan Society so what does that entail?
A lot! I run the website, social media, the e-newsletter and I help out on campaigns. At The Vegan Society you can end up floating between lots of different jobs, so helping to run and public face at events is part of it too. My favourite part is the blog section- which I started. I contribute to it and accept articles from others too, as long as they are from a vegan perspective on an issue relating to veganism. Email [email protected] if you have a pitch in mind.
How long did it take you to fully transition, including products and clothes?
I don't think we ever stop transitioning. There'll always be something you own that is not vegan (cars, bikes, medicine, etc.) but it's about what is possible and practical for your situation at the time. Regarding food- it did take me nearly a year to settle down properly (I was a bit of a freegan for a time) and toiletries not too long after that. The main problem I encountered was the fact that my family would buy me non-vegan toiletries and clothes. While they have stopped doing this these last few years, I still have a stockpile of non-vegan products at home!
What vegan product can't you live without- edible and beauty?
Hmm that's a hard one. I've always been a big cheese lover but when I went vegan I found it hard to find vegan cheese that I liked for the first year. But once I did, I immediately reverted back to being a cheese addict. Right now I'm buying tons of Violife Original (in block form) because it's readily available in supermarkets, and very versatile.
As for beauty, I don't have a favourite product. Probably because I only ever hurriedly apply make-up before going out on the town as everyday use is a bore for a feminist and a night owl like me. I give myself 15 minutes to wake up and get out the door in a morning. If I had to choose- it would probably be one of the vegan items from Marks and Spencer's Autograph range. I really don't mind what shampoo or other toiletries I use as long as it's vegan, though Original Source is probably the best smelling shower gel out there.
How do you extend your veganism to others in your personal life?
I've actually turned quite a few of my friends vegan since starting out, it's a wonderful feeling. I can be persuasive when I want to be! Just laying out all the arguments (see www.vegansociety.com/whyvegan for more information) in a concise manner seems to do it, if they're actually likely to change. These days all my close friends are vegan (or at least vegetarian) and all my colleagues are vegan, so it's not something I think about as much anymore. I'm glad that my mum is getting more into veganism as a side-effect of her supporting my work. I hope that she'll go from veggie to vegan soon.
What is your favourite vegan dish to cook at home?
Fajitas with chili and refried beans. And lots of vegan cheese, lettuce and salsa. Ideally vegan sour cream and guacamole too, but that's usually too much effort for me.
As well as people looking to stay vegan- or convert to veganism do you also receive negative comments at The Vegan Society from those who perhaps don't understand what you do it all for?
We receive many pictures of meat, sometimes of dead animals too. The other day some joker tweeted a beef burger at us (do these knuckleheads realise that this is nothing new and doesn't faze us?) so I tweeted back at them a picture of V Revolution's bacon double cheeseburger sandwiched between two vegan doughnuts.
Do you have any advice for people who struggle to stay on track and have perhaps gone through phases of eating meat and phases of veganism?
Just remember what you're doing it for. Don't disassociate what you're eating from the animals you're hurting - this can be harder with items like eggs and cheese but you have to think about the suffering involved. Watch these videos www.vegansociety.com/10videos to remind yourself of how amazing animals are, and why they deserve our respect and compassion.
What do you see as the hardest and easiest aspects of living this lifestyle?
The first few months were somewhat hard when I was trying to give up cheese, but since then I've not found anything hard about being vegan, not in the UK at least. Going to France one Christmas was a bit of a challenge - I had cheese-less pizza for Christmas dinner - but that was the first time I have ever lost weight and gained muscle over the festivities, rather than the other way round. Nowadays I always pack tons of vegan goodies when I go abroad, and I generally choose vegan-friendly places to visit anyway. Being vegan five years, everything comes easy to me now.
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