FROM RAGING CARNIVORE TO FULLY FLEDGED VEGAN

It is a well-known fact that South African children cut their teeth on Biltong. What on earth is that, you may well ask. Biltong is a delicacy, one of those things that makes a true, blue South African's mouth salivate. It is basically dried, cured meat that used to be served up with pride as a starter, a snack or just simply a treat at every and any occasion when I was growing up as a youngster.

It was Dad's privilege to cut the strips of dried meat into manageable slices and then share these precious cuts around the room as we all sat around enjoying an evening's banter.

Of course, once I had moved to the UK there was definitely no way of getting my hands on any biltong, unless it was smuggled in, in someone's hand luggage to avoid confiscation. The first thing I would do when I arrived back in South Africa on any trip home, was to buy R10.00 worth of Biltong and spend the next few hours consuming it.

When, about 10 years ago, a wonderful couple called Kevin and Barbara Finlay came over to minister at the Bible Institute where I was teaching it was difficult to accept that they did not WANT any meat because they had adopted the "Hallelujah Diet". This was incomprehensible to all of us and we did not want them to miss out on the lovely meals that we cooked up for them, and they graciously obliged and ate whatever we served up.

It was while lecturing at this Bible School that my heart failed. I did not know that I had a valve that was 95% closed up. I had no idea that the irritating cough I had developed was actually fluid that had accumulated around my heart to try and protect it. I certainly was not aware that my heart had totally enlarged due to the build-up of blood-flow behind the valve as it failed to push the blood through to the rest of my body. And I had no idea that the overwhelming tiredness I felt all the time was my body's desperate cry for a rest!

From that first introduction to the "Hallelujah Diet" to my own total surrender took a bit longer than it should have. Over the years I tried to "Go Veggie", but every time I had the opportunity to eat meat I would gladly and willingly partake.

The important thing was that it started to register in my consciousness somewhere that certain foods were not good for my. According to Dr Malkmus who has helped thousands of people with the Hallelujah Diet, we must

• Eat nothing with a face
• Stop consuming all milk and milk products
• Avoid all refined, white flour
• Banish all refined, white sugar from our diets
• As far as possible, eat everything in it's raw, organic, uncooked state
  

This seemed to be a virtual impossibility! I loved my meat, I am a cheese junkie and white flour and sugar is everywhere!

The good news is: I did it! Slowly, incrementally, over the years I have made the changes that made the difference. Join me as I walk through my journey in the next few weeks.

With many blessings to you all,
Salome