My story

Claire Hilder

Vital Spark

‘Vital Spark’ is of course, the name of the Clyde puffer steamboat, captained by Para Handy in Neil Munro’s famous books. (Famous in Scotland, anyway).

But to me, the phrase is also a great way of thinking about energy and how we get it.

The sun is effectively our ‘vital spark’. Plants (as well as some bacteria and other single-celled organisms) are uniquely able to convert the sun’s energy directly into energy for their own use. (Remember photosynthesis?)

Mammals can’t do this – we must eat plants, and then our bodies must break the plants down to unlock the sun’s energy for our use, through a complex biochemical process called the Krebs cycle.

Of course some people choose to feed the plants to animals first, and then eat the animals but that practice is placing a very heavy burden on the earth’s resources.

It takes seven pounds of grain to make one pound of beef. So to me, it seems pretty obvious that we’re better off getting our energy directly from plants, along with all the other wonderful phyto (meaning ‘plant’) nutrients that can help support human health.

My story

I’m Claire Hider and I called my business Vital Spark because I know what it’s like to feel that your ‘spark’ has gone out – and how amazing it’s been to get it back.

Like many nutritional therapists I came to this work after struggling with my own (quite serious) health issues for many years. I cleaned up my act six years ago, became vegan (after being vegetarian for almost 20 years), changed careers and haven’t looked back.

I’d love to work with you, no matter what health issues you’re facing. I can help you understand what’s going on, and how we can work together to support you and try to restore balance.

Vegan nutrition

I went vegan for my health, but what keeps me vegan after almost six years are the compelling ethical reasons that tell me we can not only survive but thrive without having to eat other sentient creatures

Most of my clients aren’t vegan. Not all vegans are healthy: after all, sugar is usually vegan… (just watch out for the bone char, although in the UK it’s usually OK). But a wholefood, plant-based diet is the most health-giving for us, for other animals and for the future of the planet.

More and more people are choosing to reduce their intake of meat and dairy products, or become vegan (or at least vegetarian). It’s usually for one of these three reasons: ethics, health or environment.

Becoming a vegan

When people decide to go vegan, they can be worried about where they’ll get their protein, iron and calcium. I can:

  • offer you advice about the best sources of all the vitamins, minerals, fats, proteins and carbohydrates your body needs
  • tell you about fantastic substitutes for eggs, cheese and milk, and how to make sure you’re getting enough of the healthy fats, too
  • tell you what supplements vegans might need to take
  • explain to you why people eating a typical western diet have the highest rates of osteoporosis in the world, despite being among the greatest consumers of cows’ milk on the planet
  • give you the support you need to make changes to your diet and lifestyle, if that’s what you want to do
  • discuss the ethics and suggest further resources – if you’re interested

It really doesn’t have to be all veggie burgers either. Modern vegan cooking can be vibrant, exciting, satisfying and completely delicious.