Competitive pole dancer Linda Vongdara underwent a life transformation in 2015, switching from an omnivorous diet to a vegan one.
Then a new mother aged 35, she “went off” meat and dairy products after reading about the cruelty involved in the dairy industry. Cooking meat also suddenly made her feel ill.
Until then Vongdara, who was born into a Chinese family and raised in Paris, France, had taught pole dancing and taken part in competitions in France and around Europe.
As a professional athlete she ate a lot of meat, believing that animal protein was necessary for strong muscles and stamina.
She gave up pole dancing when she had her daughter, and then changed her diet.
As a new vegan, Vongdara avoided processed vegan foods and replaced meat with tofu, soy milk and other simple but healthy plant-based ingredients. She began making Chinese-style dishes such as tofu with vegetables stir-fried with flavourful sauces.
