Question for vegans only please...?

Question

I have been a lacto-ovo vegetarian for about eight years. I have tried to give up cheese on several occasions because I know it is very bad for me (not to mention the cow). I was wondering if it was easy for you or did you find it difficult as well?

Answer 1

to the other poster! eating cheese is bad for the cow because the cow is used for it's milk to make cheese , therefor the cow need to be continusly producing milk, therefor the cow is always pregnant, then once the calf is born if it's a male it goes to the veal farmers, if it's female, it's kept there then impregnated to start the process all over again, dairy cows live half as long as they should if they wern't farmed that way

http://www.factoryfarming.com/

it was difficult then we discoverd vegan cheese, and we use that with our pizza, and tofu scramble, as well as vegan graded topping which is like parmesaun good enough to trick me!
http://www.imearthkind.com/
http://www.galaxyfoods.com

not all of galaxy foods cheese are vegan though, so make sure you check first ovilsy!


it was easier that we thought! and as long as you have a natural food store near you or a shaws or hannafords with a natural sectino, there's so many substititues! i was amazed.

i've been vegan for 3 months, and it's so much easire than i though, it was lacto ovo vegeterian for 3 years. i miss a few things, but i just remind myself of what has to happen to get those thigns.

good luck!

Answer 2

Difficult in what way??

Difficult in that you are offered cheese and crave the taste so you give in?
Or difficult in that you crave it and seek it out?

Doesn't really matter what the answer is, it is up to you to give it up. As a vegan for three years now, I still have cravings for cheese. I first tell myself that I do not have to eat it, that my body may be telling me that I need calcium (so I eat broccoli - more calcium than a glass of milk) but more times it wants fats/oil (so I eat an advocado and more nuts).
I made a decision not to eat cheese/dairy, so I find alternatives. I am still trying to find a vegan cheese that I like, but when I compare it to my memory of what cheese was like, none compare (so I don't even try to add something more to my meals).
Something worth the while is never easy. This is worth all the peace I am bringing to the world in my own individual way. And it is not easy in the environment that I was born into.

May you take the comittment to live independent of animals, and may your body take you healthily through your long life.

Answer 3

There are lots of cheese substitutes. They take getting used to. Cheese is about 80% calories from fat, most of it saturated and smells like vomit. That's what keeps me eating less cheese nowadays...hope that helps. I do eat dairy sometimes when going out to dinner but I don't buy it and keep it in the fridge. This might be a good compromise, unless you go out to eat alot.

Answer 4

Actually all mammals, including humans, can experience pain if they are not milked. I breast-fed my child when he was a baby. If he slept through a feeding, it could be unbelievably painful. In those situations, I used a breast pump so I could save the milk for later. I had a friend who chose not to breast feed and she had to be given a shot after she gave birth so she would no longer produce milk.

If cows are not milked on a regular basis, their udders can get infected. It's called mastitis. Of course, that would not happen if they were not artificially impregnated and then had their calves kidnapped from them.

For advice and support on giving up dairy, go to http://www.veggieboards.com

They have a "weaning off dairy support" area in the vegan section of the site.

Good Luck

Answer 5

There are a lot of dairy substitutes, and I'm not vegan myself, but my best friend is. I think the hardest thing for her was substituting things like eggs as a binder in recipies (such as pancakes, etc.) I think going dairy-free would be tougher than meat-free, just because of all the hidden animal products in everyday foods.
Good luck!

Answer 6

It IS difficult, but you can do it. Just visit a dairy farm & watch the milking process. Think of that every time you crave cheese or dairy products. If you can visit a cheese making factory, by all means, do so! You will notice smells that will will make you feel sick. Then, when you smell cheese, that memory will come back to you & it will make you feel sick again & you won't want cheese anymore! You have to re-train your brain in ways that will work for you. Good luck!

Answer 7

I never liked cheese other than goats cheese. So the change was a easy one for me. My husband still has a hard time we have tried to find a fake cheese he enjoys but can't. So finally what I have done is started to make cheese with the help of our goats. It is a OK compromise because he knows how they are treated and I have to use the milk anyway for feral kittens and such. If you have a set up you can have a couple goats it may not be such a bad thing. :)

Answer 8

I found cheese SO easy to give up. I went cold turkey (particularly when I realised most cheese had rennet in it...).

I'm finding it hard to give up chocolate, the dark choccie just doesn't do it for me :-\

And to the silly poster about cow's having to be milked - do HUMANS need to be milked after having children?!?

Answer 9

It's hard. I tried some of the soy substitutes but they made me gag.

Cheese in moderation isn't bad for you (or the cow) unless you're allergic.

Answer 10

Yeah,it was easy.Anything that tastes good with cheese will still taste good even without cheese,like spaghetti,pizza,tacos,nachos(refried beans),burritos(refried bean).the only thing that would be hard is no mac n cheese.