According to a Statista survey, eating healthier is the third most popular resolution people have for the new year. While this may not come as a surprise, so does the fact that not many actually go on to do it. 

But for content creator and cookbook author Jeeca Uy, eating cleanly has been part of life for close to a decade. She shares her techniques and tips regularly with her nearly a million social media followers, not to encourage them to blindly follow in her footsteps, but to help them find a lifestyle that works for them.

Here, she shares in her own words why she chose to become vegan and why it may not be for everyone.

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I first heard about veganism in early 2015 when I stumbled upon the documentary, Earthlings. I consider myself a big animal lover, so after I watched that documentary, I knew I wanted to make changes. I went vegan overnight in April 2015 and started researching everything I needed to know about being vegan. The trickiest part for me was being in the Philippines since Filipino food isn’t vegan-friendly. I had to learn how to cook my meals.

Being vegan in the Philippines isn’t easy, but it’s doable with proper planning and knowledge. I’ve been put in many situations where I had to work around restaurant menus and get creative with what I can eat. It’s also easier to plan and pack your food. But people are generally accommodating to your requests, so don’t hesitate to ask.