Say hello to soya milk, we’re Going Vegan

Imagine living life without the flavour of a juicy hamburger, a quick sushi snack, cheese grated on top of a big bowl of spaghetti bolognese or even milk in your coffee. Throughout our lives, we’ve boasted of loving the uninhibited taste of all foods. We love to challenge ourselves when it comes to our grub, eating basically anything that’s put in front of us. But we think we’re about to undertake the hardest challenge yet when it comes to food. We’re taking the plunge and giving up all the foodstuffs we love so dearly for the Multiple Sclerosis Trust: we’re going vegan.

Already as we write this we are regretting undertaking this challenge. It’s now ten days until we will have to ditch the frozen prawns and pizza in the freezer and all we can think about is how we can fit in our last steak from Gauchos on Sloane Avenue. Tea, for Hannah, will be the biggest challenge; she’s been banging on for weeks about how she can’t stand the taste of soya milk in her tea and is actually considering abandoning her daily English Breakfasts all together.

All we can think about is how we can fit in our last steak

For Clare, news of the challenge has been met with incredulity, many disbelieving that she would make even a week. Reactions on Facebook have been mixed, with one friend threatening to “wave a juicy steak” in her face (good to know you can count on the support of friends in times of hardship!). But for the two of us we know we can do it because it’s not just for us; it’s for the people out there who suffer from multiple sclerosis.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common neurological condition affecting people of our age. The neurons of the central nervous system are attacked by their own immune system, damaging the myelin and eventually the axons themselves. The effects are extensive and depend upon the degree of neuron damage, and include emotional effects, such as depression and anxiety; cognitive effects, such as forgetting recent events; and physical effects, which affect the entire body. Individuals with MS can have problems with their vision, balance, bladder control and movement, and in some cases they can become severely and rapidly disabled.

The cause is still unknown and there is no cure. The Multiple Sclerosis Trust is a charity that provides information and education for the worried, training for professionals, and funding for research into new treatments. As we all know, funding is the key to any successful research – without the funding the research doesn’t happen.

This month of veganism won’t have to be hell

For Hannah, this is also a very personal challenge, having several family and personal friends who suffer with MS. We’ve raised £215 already and we haven’t even started yet – proving that there are people out there who think we can do it!

But this month of veganism won’t have to be hell. We’re going to explore all the possibilities and make the meagre diet of a vegan into a delectable variety of satisfying meals – well we’re going to have a good go at it anyway. As a good luck present Clare has been bought a vegan cookbook and we’re really excited to open it up and get started.

So over the next month starting from the 20th of February to the 20th of March we’re going to be writing weekly updates on our progress in Felix’s Food Section. We’ll be including our favourite recipes that we’ve tried and tested, where to get your best vegan groceries from, vegan restaurants that do some good nosh, and the latest activities we’ve been up to to raise awareness for our campaign. Please support the MS Trust and sponsor us on Virgin Money Giving at http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/team/goingvegan.