Two years ago I would have laughed if you told me I’d give up dairy one day. Stop eating cheese, mocha lattes and ice cream – no way! But here I am not only dairy-free, but writing a vegan blog – go figure.
The problem with writing a vegan blog, however; is that most of my readers are vegan. This is not to say that ALL of my readers are vegan since my mom, brother, soon to be sis-in-law and a handful of other non-vegans read what a write (thanks you guys!), but they are the minority. This is also not to say that I don’t love my vegan readers, I do! Still, I’d like to connect with more non-vegans.
That’s why I was excited to get a comment from Amy from The Fresh Fresher in response to my post, Milk…It Does a Body Bad.
Amy Wrote…
“I hear what you’re saying about the condition that dairy cows are kept in – it is not nice and few people are aware of it. However, so many things have been proven to cause cancer it is probably not going to make life any better trying to eliminate them all – you could also avoid all sunlight, for instance. I’m all for healthy food and eating less dairy but I have never been sure why sustainable and ethical dairy products should be eliminated.”
I Responded…
“Hi Amy! Thanks so much for your thoughtful comment. And you’re right, a lot of things have been proven to cause cancer and it’s impossible to eliminate them all (not to mention that it would make life no fun!!). My attitude, however; is to reduce or eliminate “the biggies” that lead to disease. So, for one, I don’t smoke. I know that smoking is clearly linked to disease so why do it? And from the research that I’m aware of, dairy is another “biggie” that increases one’s chances of getting cancer as well as other diseases. So, I don’t eat it.
To be honest with you, however; if health were my only reason for not eating dairy, I’d probably cheat on occasion. I know sugar is bad for me, but I still eat it sometimes. I don’t think this is a big deal as long as I don’t go overboard. I don’t do this with dairy, however; because in addition to my belief that it contributes to disease it also subjects cows to mistreatment. I don’t want to hurt cows, so I don’t eat dairy at all. I did miss dairy when I first gave it up, but I don’t anymore. There are lots of fab dairy replacements out there, like coconut milk ice cream – soooo yummy!
I doubt that my comment is going to change your mind about dairy, and I respect your choice. Still, I hope that you’ll look at the research. The movie, Forks Over Knives, covers the dangers of dairy. And the movie, Vegucated, shows how farm animals are mistreated. The post Why is Dairy Bad for My Conscience is great for understanding how dairy cows are mistreated.
Anyway, thanks for reading and please feel free to ask any questions. You’re thoughts, no matter how different they are from mine, are always welcome here!! Celeste :)”
We continued the conversation, but I didn’t convince Amy to give up dairy. That’s okay, I’m just happy that she’s reading my blog and I hope she continues to do so. And who knows, maybe I’ve planted a seed.
Image courtesy of Naito8 / http://www.freedigitalphotos.net
Honk If You're Vegan 
Don’t ya just love non-vegan logic?
I used to be proficient at it – haha! Celeste 🙂
It’s great to give people an other view of things, sometimes it hits home sometimes it doesn’t, when people ask me why I don’t eat dairy and I’ve explained I’m actually quite shocked at the number of people who don’t realise dairy milk is actually for feeding the young, I usually ask would they eat ice cream made from breast milk or gorilla milk? They are usually horrified at the thought of it, but it does plant a seed and make them think.
I love how you ask people if they would eat ice cream made from breast milk or gorilla milk! That’s classic – I think I’m going to steal those lines from you girlfriend!! Celeste 🙂
Thanks Celeste for writing this. I think the best we can all hope for is what you said.. planting the seed. I too, would have laughed if someone had told me a few years ago that I would not be eating cheese and alfredo sauce. I had to get to the place of being ready.. hopefully others will get there in time too. I’d love for more non-vegans to read my blog too.. this is a great way to start the conversation!
When I first went vegan and talked to people about my choice, I couldn’t understand why most people weren’t interested in changing. Didn’t they hear what I just said? Don’t they get that meat and dairy cause disease and that farm animals are horribly treated? But then I remembered how resistant I was before I went vegan. If someone started talking to me about veganism I would have just tuned them out. So now, I accept that planting a seed is all I can usually hope for. I also don’t want to alienate anyone, so I try hard not to be pushy or annoying. In fact, I often don’t even bring up veganism unless the person I’m talking to brings it up or has a sincere interest in it. Thanks for reading and your support – I appreciate it!! Celeste 🙂
Yep! It all comes down to the igf-1 in the animal products. Way to stand your ground Celeste! 🙂
Thanks Ryan – I appreciate that!! Celeste 🙂
Mark and I love reading your blog! We are now eating vegan
Food two days out of the week 🙂 So far is great!
Maria
Really? Wow – that’s wonderful!! I’m really excited for you guys. How are the boys dealing with it? Please let me know if you have questions or need recipe ideas. And as always, I really appreciate your support!! Celeste 🙂
Excellent response, Celeste.
Thanks Annie! Not enough to convince her to go vegan, however. Oh well – like I said, maybe I planted a seed. Celeste 🙂
You are so thoughtful and articulate.
Aw shucks – you make me blush!! Celeste 🙂
Whenever I say NO to ice cream, and someone asks me why, I tell them that my mom weaned me when I was 2 and that she would probably get pissed at me if I asked her now to squeeze me some milk so that I can freeze it and lick it off a cone. Oh…you meant milk…from a bovine COW? Well…I’m not so sure she’s so willing to do it either. After all, her milk is for HER baby. As is a horse’s, or a zebra’s, or a mouse’s, or a cat’s…
They are usually walking away at that point, but the seed has been planted! Another person HIT by veganism. 🙂
You kill me Shannon – you’re so funny girlfriend! You should be on a publicity tour spreading your charming logic all over the world. I know, I know – you’ve got a life that you love and would never leave it to go on tour. Still…. Anyway, I love this comment and I bet you hit lots and lots of people with veganism. Way to go chica!! Celeste 🙂
Lol excellent answer definetly going to remember that one.
Oh, yeah. I’m a hoot…or an annoyance, depending upon your angle of assault. No matter! Everything I do I’ve learned to do it with a smile — and with love in my heart. Keeps people guessing.
We would make a charming pair of friends catching up in a small cafe, I’m afraid. Such a shame there are too many miles between us.
You can get away with a lot when you do it with a charming smile, and I have the feeling that you can get away with just about anything Shannon!! And yes – it would be fab to meet up. Maybe someday – who knows!! Celeste 🙂