Hannah was kind enough to take five minutes from her busy schedule to share a few things about herself.

Chic Vegan: How long have you been a vegan?

I’ve been a vegan for nearly three years and was vegetarian for about six months before that. But it already feels like forever!

Chic Vegan:  Who or what inspired you to make the change to a vegan lifestyle?

I started getting interested in healthy eating a few years back.  I watched the documentary “Food Inc.” and did not expect it to change my life. After watching footage of animals being slaughtered, I knew on a fundamental level that what I was seeing was wrong. I had never considered being a vegetarian or thought about animal suffering, but watching an animal slaughtered in such an unnatural, inhumane way – I couldn’t forget it. I gave up meat overnight, easily, and continued to research this new lifestyle. Through my research I read “Skinny Bitch” (now my bible) which educated me about the cruelty of the dairy industry.  It wasn’t long before I was a full vegan.

If you could give someone who’s thinking of going vegan advice, what would you say?

I would say, very simply: know exactly why you’re doing it. Be clear and confident in your decision. That will be the key to success. In my experience, those who are vegan 100% for health reasons are more likely to eat dairy occasionally, so I would suggest you also research the ethical side of being vegan.

Be excited about starting this amazing new lifestyle! Google your favourite dish and find the vegan version. Realise how many possibilities are now open to you and never feel deprived of anything!

Let’s talk beauty. What’s your favorite cruelty-free product?

I’m super boring and a bit of a hippie! I have to say – coconut oil! When I started using a tiny bit of coconut oil around my eyes before bed and forgot all other beauty products (apart from the odd bit of make-up) it changed my life! And my bank balance.

Where are the best vegan bargains?

The greatest vegan bargains are simple, whole foods. Too many people have the misconception that being vegan or eating healthy is going to be expensive. This couldn’t be further from the truth. If the majority of your diet consists of whole fruits and vegetables, without fancy add-ons, you will be amazed at how cheap it really is.

My favourite money saver is finding RIPE bananas in stores that have been marked down because they look brown and spotty. Buy a huge bag for a dollar, peel them, whack them in the freezer and you have smoothies for a week!

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