Heather Mills has been in the public eye for over two decades and at the forefront of the animal rights movement for most of that time too. With a wealth of experience under her belt in all things plant based, we’re delighted that Heather will be writing a monthly column for PlantBased and sharing her extensive knowledge with you all. For this first issue, however, we sat down to speak with Heather to discuss her hugely influential role in the vegan movement, the challenges ahead and the benefits of eating plant based.
So first of all, how did Heather come to start eating 100 per cent plant based at a time when far less was known about the benefits? Well, surprisingly, it was rubbing shoulders with death which prompted the radical change in diet. After her well-documented accident, where a collision with a police motorcycle resulted in the amputation of her left leg below the knee, a move to a hospital in Florida — where plants alone were on the menu — turned her fortunes around. Suddenly the infection improved and rapid advancements were made in her healing process. Heather describes the dietary change as the “springboard” to her recovery.
Having a platform from which to talk about the benefits of plant based eating allowed Heather to start getting the message out, but it certainly wasn’t so well-received in the early days. Heather speaks about an interview with Lorraine Kelly on GMTV in 1993 where the host wasn’t convinced by the health claims.