It made me

Happier, Less Guilty

How I did it: Once I decided to go vegan I was able to change my diet in a day with no problem. The key was to be so motivated ethically that there was no other alternative. I was already a commited vegetarian, since at the age of 10 I returned from feeding lambs at a petting zoo to be cooked a roast lamb dinner. I made the connection and never ate animals again. But when I hit my twenties something changed. I read Jeffrey Masson's womderful book The Pig Who Sang to The Moon around the same time that I went to the first Viva Incredible Veggie Roadshow at Wembley where I attended a talk by Viva founder Juliet Gellatley on the dairy industry. The footage and hard facts shocked me to my core and I decided to make some changes.

 I began to do more research and soon found out the truth about the egg industry. Even free range hens get slaughtered at around 2 years old (they can live until about 11 years) when egg production slows. The chicks bred to be layers are sorted at about a day old and all the male chicks (who are useless to the industry) are killed by gas, or more commonly maceration (grinding up alive).

I was still not really vegan. When I went out I would have cheese on my pasta and generally be careful not to make a fuss. I was sure it was something I wanted and needed to do however and carried on my research.

I subscribed to an Aussie mag called Vegan Voice and really enjoyed reading it. One issue contained an article called 'Through the Barn Door' by a man who used to work in a dairy. His words were so powerful and I think it really hit home that whether the animals are used in the meat, dairy or egg industry they will all end up at the terrifying slaughter house. After reading that article I was a proper vegan and have never looked back.

I have no problem with the food and most people are surprised because I am such a healthy weight. They expect me to be gaunt, but I am thriving. I really enjoy eating and probably eat too many cakes and sweets, but never go hungry!

I think going vegan is the most powerful form of animal activism. I only wish I had realised sooner.

Now my lifestyle gels so much better with my goal of starting a farm sanctuary. I desperately wish others would understand how much suffering is going on at this moment, because once you know, you can never go back and if everyone would take a stand against animal abuse the world could be such a peaceful place. Read how I did it… 2 years ago