There came a time when being a vegetarian didn’t seem enough.

In the same way that I thought many meat eaters were in denial about the amount of suffering they directly caused, I started to think that for years I had been in denial about the amount of suffering that the dairy and egg industry caused too. I ate organic yogurts, but the calves were still taken from their mums in order to keep the milk going for me rather than for them; I ate organic eggs but the male chicks were still unwanted and sent to the meat factory because only the hens are useful to the egg farmer; I didn’t drink milk but I ate cheese, and we’re back to the cows and their lost babies…

Back in November 2016 I had food poisoning after eating tons of cheese and avalanches of cream. You know how good things sometimes come out of bad things? I was really ill, for quite a while, and when I resurfaced I was completely disgusted by cheese. Actually I was disgusted by most foods, but cheese in particular. I lived off polenta for 2 weeks, nothing else would do! Then I thought, “Hang on, if I can maintain that abhorrence of cheese, I can become a vegan!” Oooohhhhh… that’s interesting…

And so I did. Cheese was always a massive obstacle to my vegan prospects. I am French; the cheeseboard is part of every meal. I used the illness as a trampoline to give me enough height to jump over the brick wall I had been hitting so far and landed clear on the other side. A bit stunned but still standing.

And I feel great for it! First, in the interest of honesty, I have to say I am rather pleased with myself. I didn’t think I could do it and here I am, two months on, and no sign of flinching. Also in the interest of full disclosure and at the risk of minimising my achievement, it really isn’t as hard as I thought it would be. I think that eating habits are a lot easier to change than we think they are. I also feel full of beans (ha ha), I feel healthier and I no longer have so many cravings. And the cherry on the cake… I am losing weight without even feeling like I am on a diet. I didn’t need to lose much, but still I feel better when I am a few pounds lighter!

Becoming a vegan is a great adventure: we cook more, we are discovering a great online community, we feel good, and I had completely underestimated the weight of the guilt I was carrying towards the animal world, even while being a vegetarian. Only by lifting it have I realised how heavy it was…