It's the time for New Year's resolutions, and one charity hopes people will resolve to go vegan in January.
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Veganuary is the vegan version of Ocsober, where people are encouraged to make a lifestyle change for one month, in the hope that some of the changes will stick.
President of the University of Wollongong Vegan Society Ben Jackson encouraged people who are passionate about stopping animal cruelty, helping the environment or improving their health to give Veganuary a go.
"I was a classic meat lover, but I've been vegan for four years now," he said.
"There's been a huge surge in vegan products and restaurants becoming more aware of veganism, so you can still eat the food you love, it just means you reach for a different packet on the supermarket shelf.
"We live in a time where we don't need to harm animals to get the nutrients we need, and the greenhouse gas emissions from animal agriculture are really shocking.
"Diseases that are transmitted from animals to humans like Ebola, SARS, MERS and swine flu all partially exist because of the way our food systems crowd animals together."
Many Illawarra restaurants and cafes now cater for vegan customers, including Longboard Cafe at City Beach, the Shy Postie and Karma Tea House.
For more information, including free coaching, recipes and shopping guides head to the Veganuary website at www.veganuary.com
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