CONTRIBUTING EDITOR CLAIRE CHAMBERLAIN SHARES HER JOURNEY OF TRANSITIONING TO A VEGAN DIET – INCLUDING WHAT HAPPENED WHEN SHE PUT IT TO THE ULTIMATE TEST…

WORDS: CLAIRE CHAMBERLAIN

Icould never go vegan.” These were the words I said to my husband one evening – probably while tucking into something smothered in melted cheese – shortly after I’d turned vegetarian last year. The word ‘vegan’ simply wasn’t on my radar. I didn’t want a diet that I perceived as restrictive. And besides, I was doing enough for the animals and planet already by cutting out meat, wasn’t I? Then everything changed. I’ve been vegan for five months now and can honestly say I’m feeling happy, healthy, energised and at peace, knowing my lifestyle is now fully aligned with my values.

What’s more, after revealing my new lifestyle choice to WR’s editor over a cuppa one morning, we had a brainwave. What if we really put my new diet to the test in a mini WR experiment: could going vegan help me get stronger for running? It felt exciting. Although admittedly, a little scary, too. Here’s how it all unfolded – from making the initial decision last year, to the startline of my 10K test race last month…

JULY 2017

Two things open my eyes this month. The first is a newspaper article that catches my attention: an advert by campaign group Go Vegan World, which states “humane milk is a myth” and that dairy cows “still bloody from [giving] birth [search] and [call] frantically for their babies” is cleared by the Advertising Standards Authority, following complaints from dairy farmers. It’s cleared because it’s found to be factually correct. I’ve never really questioned the dairy industry before, but suddenly, it looks horrific. The second thing happens a few days later, when someone casually remarks that the fact I still breastfeed my toddler is a bit “weird”, and wouldn’t she prefer “normal milk” now? It occurs to me how upside down this comment is: my human child drinks human milk designed for humans. How is that not normal?