For breakfast, most people imagine bacon and eggs, but not this girl. Instead of bacon, the smell of oatmeal fills her sinuses. Instead of milk, she drinks smoothies. She walks out of the house feeling healthy and energized for school.

Ever since Elizabeth Rocha was a little girl, she’s wanted to be a vegan, but didn’t know how. She didn’t know what to buy from the store or the little tips and tricks about good and bad foods. ‘You won’t last,’ were the words Rocha heard from her mother when she decided to be a vegan.

“You cannot actually become a vegan unless you watch what really goes on in the slaughterhouses, dairy farms and the egg industry,” Rocha said. “Whenever you watch what happens, you don’t see what you’re eating the same way anymore.”

Rocha mentioned that being a vegan can be challenging. When going out to eat, she has to make sure she does her research about what types of food they serve and if any are suitable for her lifestyle.

“It was hard during the first month,” Rocha said. “If I went somewhere, it was hard because you have to do your research. You have to look at the ingredients, and bring your own food wherever you go most of the time.”

According to Rocha, being a vegan is not expensive. The lifestyle that Rocha follows is a high carb low-fat diet. Carbs can produce the body to have fat, but according to everydayhealth.com, carbs are actually fuel for the body.

“You stare at your little glass of milk and see cows getting kicked and punched,” Rocha said. “When you see an egg, you think of the male chickens in the egg industry. When they’re born, they are not needed anymore so they’re automatically killed.”

Rocha’s new lifestyle changes have had some impacts in her life at home.

“I influenced my mom by her seeing me making the changes in my life,” Rocha said. “I lost like 15 pounds and three inches off my waist which was a very big milestone for me. She decided to become a vegan. She needs a lot of energy for what she does, so by becoming a vegan, she naturally started feeling healthy and refreshed.”

Rocha offered some advice for those considering a vegan lifestyle.

Rocha’s family members have all had many reactions to her being a vegan. Her dad makes jokes, and sometimes if it’s a holiday or there is a family dinner, it is hard for her to be singled out because she doesn’t take part in eating the same foods.

“The only downside is when my family makes fun of me,” Rocha said. “But just being able to be a vegan and be myself makes me forget about all that stuff.”