Hey everyone! I am vegetarian, working towards becoming vegan. I just can't seem to completely take cheese and yogurt out of my life yet...Also, I have been having a hard time controlling my sweet tooth lately. It seems that I feel the need to eat something sweet (not just fruit, like chocolate/cookies/dessert) every day or else I get crabby. I know this is not healthy, can anyone give me some advice on how to minimize my sugar intake?!

Hi Kszczesniak,
nothing wrong with sugar, just get the good one... dry fruits are the best!

and... addictions are hard to die.....

Big vegan hugggg
Andrea

www.andrea-scarsi.com

Hi Kszczesniak,

I understand about it being difficult to give up cheese and other dairy. For me cheese was difficult as well. Cheese is addictive. There are many studies about this topic. Below is an interesting article.

[www.care2.com]

How I was able to kick the cheese habit was by researching cheese. Begin googling how cheese is made, what its made from especially research "rennet" and what happens to cows once they can no longer produce milk to make the cheese. Once you tap into the methods used to produce cheese and the pain and suffering cows go through it will be much easier to kick the habit. I stopped immediately and though I still had cravings, after about 3 weeks they were gone. Check out the below video from Colleen-Patrick Goudreau. She explains the inherent exploitation of the female reproductive system in the dairy and egg industries. Its really informative.

Female Exploitation




Sugar can be an issue for me as well. If I have a cookie, cake or piece of chocolate then the next day I want it again. If I allow myself to have something like that 2 days in a row then I want it every day thereafter and it can turn into a week long sugar fiesta. I try to space it out in order to control the urge. Reaching for fruit the day after eating chocolate usually helps with my sweet tooth. Or adding dates to my morning smoothie, if I have some sweetness in the morning then I'm good throughout the day.

Hang in there! You are doing great already. Research and learning has always helped me stay true to my values of compassion and wellness.

You know, I completely understand your dilemma.

I live in Wisconsin - Cheese Head Capital of the Planet.

It took me a while to not crave traditional cheese and other dairy items, but time and a compassionate commitment to animals have really helped me overcome it, and you will, too.
Never beat yourself up about what you eat, about how your journey in your personal Veganism is coming along. The best thing anyone may do for themself is to, in the beginning, be the BEST VEGAN you can be. Some folks begin by eliminating red meat, followed by the elimination of all the other animal products - one-by-one they will fall by the wayside pretty quickly.
What I've kept in mind is this - eating animals is eating flesh, and I do not care to ever eat flesh again, nor due I wish to ever eat animal secretions, i.e. - milk, eggs, cheese, etc. Also, and deeply important, I do not wish to cause pain and suffering to those without a voice.

A good investment, and it's not very costly at all, would be to have one of those lunch-sized insulated bags with you with fresh fruit and homemade bars made with grains, fruits, nuts, and seeds, or little bags of those nuts, fruits, favorite veggies, and healthy 1/2 sandwiches - I love avocado, roasted veggie, & tomato sandwiches on whole grain bread with a little Follow Your Heart Vegan Mayo. Or, a small air-tight container of Hummus packed with fresh veggies or Vegan pita slices/ chips - the combos are endless! I have to say, though, if you have store-bought Vegan treats in your pantry, it's okay to have a 1/2 or 1 cookie a day - don't torture yourself. It's okay to satisfy yourself in this way - you're not going overboard by having a healthy treat. If I make a batch of cookies or cupcakes, I share them so as not to have a lot of treats around and people truly appreciate the share!

Further, surf the Web for healthy Vegan bakery/ bar recipes, go to your local library for Vegan cookbooks, heck - even bring a pad of paper & a pen or pencil to a book store and look through Vegan cookbooks for a healthy treat recipe and just write it down.

Keep in mind, and realize/ keep looking forward to all the good, compassion, and peace your choices will be making in helping the animals, other folks, and especially our Planet.

Good Luck, Namaste, ...remember, we're all in this together!
Carol[/color]

Yes, naturally occurring opiates in milk, called casomorphins, are the reason that dairy products (especially cheese, as the levels are increased when the water is removed) are so addictive.

These opiates in casein are knowingly used by the food industry to addict consumers. See this article which also mentions other addictive ingredients like sugar.

That is very interesting. i am having a major issue with my sugars. i rejoined OA because i am going thru a crisis with my family and the first thing that suffers is my diet. i reach for my sugars. it used to be oil but not i am all sugar baby LOL. thank you for the reminder i had read something about that and the industry was going to answer to it, i can't recall the report. And dairy is a Monster for me too!