I would rather be the weirdo in the eyes of other humans, than a monster in the eyes of the animals

Roz Marianne has a passion for making a positive impact on the world.

Hailing from Scotland, Roz pursued her undergraduate and master’s degrees in Marine and Freshwater Biology, as well as Marine and Fisheries Ecology, at universities in Glasgow and Aberdeen. Currently residing in Northern Ireland, she’s pursuing a PhD while actively serving as RNLI lifeboat crew—an embodiment of her commitment to community and safety.

Roz’s compassion extends beyond her academic and professional pursuits. With 11 rescue animals under her care, she exemplifies a profound dedication to animal welfare.

Her vegan journey began in 2015, initially driven by health reasons following the removal of her gallbladder. Starting with the exclusion of milk and eggs, she gradually transitioned to a fully vegan lifestyle. Roz’s vegan awakening was catalyzed by her exploration of vegan recipes, leading her to encounter activists, documentaries, and eye-opening animal agriculture footage. This newfound knowledge inspired her to participate in Veganuary in 2017, solidifying her commitment to veganism.

In a time when vegan options were less abundant, Roz’s determination to adhere to her ethical values and health-conscious choices prevailed. While she occasionally indulges in delicious processed foods, she primarily focuses on a Whole Food, Plant-Based (WFPB) diet to align with her health and fitness goals.

Roz Marianne is not just a vegan; she’s a force of nature, using her scientific expertise, passion for nutrition, and commitment to animal and environmental well-being to inspire positive change.

Please tell us more about yourself

Anyone who has ever spent time with any animal knows they feel enjoyment, they feel pain, they feel love, they feel connection
Roz Marianne

Hello, I am Rosslyn, I was born and raised in Scotland, attending University in Glasgow and Aberdeen to do Marine and Freshwater Biology and Marine and Fisheries Ecology for my undergraduate and masters degrees. I currently live in Northern Ireland where I do my PhD and am RNLI lifeboat crew. I currently have 11 rescue animals and am also studying another degree in clinical nutrition.

I started becoming vegan in 2015, although I didn’t really know what I was doing. I was the first vegan I ever met! At first it was for health reasons having had my gallbladder removed I started cutting out fatty food.

Milk and eggs were the first to be fully omitted and I would have cheese etc occasionally. Through finding vegan recipes, I came across activists, documentaries and animal agriculture footage, leading me to redo Veganuary in 2017, when I had more knowledge to sustain veganism in a time that you couldn’t buy soya milk in tescos, and the vegan cheese was genuinely horrid, those times are gone, but these days although delicious processed foods are readily available and I do indulge, I try to eat WFBP for my health and
fitness goals.

There is no better time to ignite change, than today
when our world needs us the most
Roz Marianne

When I first became vegan and moved to do my masters I didn’t tell anyone, it was as if I was ashamed, and didn’t want to be the odd one out. A friend on my masters would make me cake and I would eat it, even though it upset my stomach, because I didn’t want to be the ‘weirdo’.

I eventually started announcing my veganism more, especially when I redone Veganuary in 2017 but even then I still hid behind the reason it was for health, even though by this stage it was for the animals and environment.

We are all just a small dot in the universe, but just as one candle can ignite a million, we all have the ability to ignite, passion, learning and change in others, making a huge difference to our planet.

The worst part of being vegan is knowing the pain and suffering happening all around you, and knowing almost everyone you meet, friends and family included contribute to that suffering
Roz Marianne

Back in 2015 eating out was a challenge, but even then, never impossible, in Glasgow there were already many vegan options including the flying duck, you just needed to look, and Weatherspoons a British chain pub already had a vegan curry on the menu. For the first few years all I ever had when out with family was soup and chips, I like soup and chips!!! .

Now in 2023, it is not a problem to eat out, there is nowhere I cannot go and get a vegan option. I have been in the Arctic and had vegan options. What’s more is I can HappyCow the best vegan places and find vegan food and cakes anywhere.

A bigger problem may be what people eat around me, for the past few years I have not eaten around meat, therefore whom ever is eating with me is eating vegetarian (or vegan) as well. I have even missed Christmas however, I don’t see missing out on dinners etc as a problem, its my mental health and sitting with a corpse of an animal upsets me and its not worth the anguish.

Being around like minded people with compassion and love for animals and the planet, my place #vegancampout 💕
Roz Marianne

The smell of meat also makes me sick, so I will never attend a BBQ for example. This is my decision and I prefer it that way, people were angry at first but when they realised, I was actually fine not partaking in meals with them they ate vegetarian. I do miss out on BBQs with work and lifeboat, but I have no regrets, I enjoy the peace that comes from knowing I am not contributing to death. The only exception I would consider is a wedding, and even then I would probably miss the meal and return for speeches and dessert.

I prefer eating vegan. All these years on my perceptions have changed and I do not see animal products as food, in a café with lots of cake I do not desire it, because I do not associate it as food. I know its bad for my health, the environment and causes suffering so I do not miss it. When I am in my favourite cake shop Harrys in Belfast however I desire everything, its 100% plants, its food!! It’s a strange phenomenon to explain, but other vegans agree this happens.

I cannot save all animals but I refuse to be the reason any of them suffer
Roz Marianne

It’s the easiest thing I have ever done when I take my desires out the equation. It’s the best thing I have done for my emotional and physical wellbeing. It makes my life harder in the sense that I know the suffering all around me and am at battle with people everyday who think I am the strange one, and who want to pick arguments. But at the same time it makes life more wonderful and has opened my life up in so many ways I would never have imagined.

Being vegan has even promoted me to tasting new foods I never would have because I would have had the same old sweet and sour chicken, as a vegan I needed to go out and find the vegan option, often having to order the only one available. Another way veganism has enhanced my life is finding my vegan friends and fitness family, who are the most compassionate supportive people on this planet.

Also I 1000% believe I have changed my health for the better, but we could write an entire book on that.

How can I convince someone who isn’t vegan or vegetarian to give meatless food a try?

Being around the people that have the same values and compassion is exhilarating
Roz Marianne

Honestly, the nutritionist and animal activist in me say go 100% all in. Set a date, eat all your food and start from that date. That’s because I know the detriments of animal produce on human health, even one bit of cheese every week has inflammatory effects. You will reap the most benefits and feel the changes much more if you go all in.

There will be a period where your body needs to get used to the new foods so expect this- digestion slower, gas and possible weight loss, because you need to alter the gut bacteria to digest the food. However, once you have felt the changes you wont want to go back.

Eat as much whole food unprocessed as possible, for health. If you’re doing it for the animals eat all the Oreos, dairy free Ben and Jerrys and Biscoff you desire.

Get someone to support you. I done the whole have a bit of cheese here and honestly it made the process worse, it was like detoxing every two weeks, when I finally gave it up my tastes changed, now it actually makes me sick thinking about animal products and where they come from.

Check out my this or that’s in my insta stories to see all the variation we have as vegans, and play along in my live stories to tell me which you would have first. I also have some reels on which shops have which foods, including their own brand names so you can spot the vegan options.

What are some highly recommended vegan restaurants or dishes?

What can you not get as a vegan now?
Roz Marianne

Jumon, Harrys, 222, what the pita, no catch co, mamas ktchen, greens pizza. Follow my insta Squating_scientist for photos. Iv never been to a bad 100% vegan restaurant. Use Happy cow to find 100% vegan cafes.

What are common misconceptions about vegans and vegetarians, and how can we address or educate people about them?

What they don’t tell you when you go vegan is that, you’ll become vegan meet vegan friends all over the world, who will become your tribe, who will unwaveringly promote you to be the best version of yourself (the one that you choose to be), and be your biggest cheerleaders
Roz Marianne

My biggest pet peeve: ‘You need more protein’, in fact most people get to much protein and animal protein is averse to health. No one has ever died of protein deficiency, they have died of too little fibre. I get enough protein and I educate by flaunting my muscles in the gym.

If you are just beginning to go meatless, stick with it, remember the animals, it gets easier, food begins to taste better, your body needs an adaption period and after this period has passed you’ll always wonder why you ever ate animal products, it becomes so alien.

So many vegans I know say food is so much better now, and it is, I can’t explain it, but I eat more chocolate now than I ever did and its because I don’t get that sickly feeling from the dairy (I am also lactose intolerant as many people are, however most people ignore the symptoms labelling them as normal human condition, once those are away it’s like living in a different pain free body (I had ankle and joint pain for 20 years).

Vegans are starting to dominate every sport imaginable (think about it, vegans are a massive minority yet are still taking top place in many disciplines), and they dominate in running events all over the world. Vegan runner founder @oakes.fiona is testament to that
Roz Marianne

I am much healthier at 35 than I was at 15, I couldn’t run at 15 without being out of breath, whereas I can now. I could never build muscle as a carnist and I tried hard. Now I have more muscle than most women I know. I 100% know my fitness is due to being plant based- I tried to lose weight and be fit as a carnist, I failed every time.

When I went whole food plant based fat fell off and muscle pilled on.

I haven’t been doing it very long and have already been on a bodybuilding stage, I cant wait until I have done my first season actually building muscle to see what I can really grow.