Sanne van Rooij of the blog Living the Green Life admits that the word 'vegan' sounds a bit silly. But the lifestyle is anything but. She tries to inspire as many people as possible to eat more plant-based foods. She already did that via Instagram, but now her Easy Vegan cookbook is out.
Your vegan lifestyle accounts together have about 140,000 followers on Instagram. Does it feel like being a role model?
'Scary! I also think 'example' is a big word. I am only an expert by experience and think vegan food has done a lot of good for me and still does. And I'd like to share that, but I'm certainly not a dietitian or nutrition scientist.'
So what does vegan food do for you?
'I always had bad skin, my face was full of acne. If you look closely, you can still see quite a few scars on my cheeks. In addition, I always had a runny nose. Since I eat plant-based, those complaints have disappeared.'
How did you discover that?
'I always ate little fish and meat, but I did eat dairy, eggs and cheese. During the last year of my studies, I traveled through Asia for a few months and plant-based food is very common there. For example, I took in less and less animal products without noticing and I noticed that I started to feel better and that my skin improved. After coming home I stuck with the vegan food and kept feeling so good. Proof to me that it benefits me. And – more importantly – plant-based food is a lot less harmful to the environment.'
Read the entire interview with Sanne this month in Santé.
You can find Sanne on Instagram via @Livingthegreenlife.nl and @Beautyblends.
Text:Rianne Seeper | Photography:Bart Honingh | Make-up:Linda Huiberts
