From early childhood until seven years ago I was fed dairy products like water. My family was convinced that if I didn’t eat dairy products I would shrivel up and die! Today, after being on a complete plant-based diet for seven years I’m happy to say that I’m much better for eliminating the poison. It’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made!
Since the day I was born just about every dairy product known to man was shoved down my throat, regardless of whether I wanted it or not. I’d always shown obvious signs that the stuff was no good for me, but my dear beloved family made me eat it anyway. Granted, they didn’t know better and they did what they thought was best for me. I don’t hold resentment toward them for not knowing better and for being unwilling to listen to me today. I’m just grateful for having the knowledge and wisdom that has made my life better. I’m grateful for all the knowledge and information that was presented to me seven years ago that made it a no-brainer for me to ditch the poisonous stuff.
I remember that when I was a young girl I had chronic congestion and stomachaches. My pediatrician recommended that my mother take me off the dairy products. At first she listened and I seemed to get better, but then the fear crept in and she no longer listened to reason. I couldn’t blame her. After all, this world is bombarded by advertisements and commercials warning parents to make sure their children get more than enough dairy calcium and to drink their milk. She was very confused and didn’t know whether or not to listen to my pediatrician. The sad part was that throughout my childhood there were never enough tissues, handkerchiefs, or medications to go around. I was a walking tissue and medicine cabinet and you never saw me without one or the other. Of course, deep inside within my soul I somehow knew that I really shouldn’t be consuming the stuff, but my mom knew better and I had to listen to her.
By the time I was 16 I was known for my chronic sinusitis and health problems. Whenever I’d have to excuse myself to take care of my stomach, I’d always here, “oh, there goes Dayna…looks like she’s eaten too much cheese, hahaha.” Well, I didn’t find it funny then and I still don’t find it humorous today. The pain that the horrible stuff created in my body took a lot out of me and made me miserable. My mother still insisted that I needed the protein, but I was starting to protest. I even opted for milk products that seemed less dangerous than other milk products. When I would spend time with my friends the most common practice was to have a pizza delivered. I actually protested a few times because I knew what the pizza would do to me, but I went along with everybody else. Needless to say, this took peer pressure to new heights and levels for me and I thought I was doomed.
The clincher was when I had been vegetarian for five years and had adapted a complete natural living environmental awareness lifestyle. I was now married and still eating dairy like it was going out of style. I remember one New Year’s Eve vividly like it was yesterday. My husband and I were home watching the Dick Clark show and had a bottle of Martinelli’s with a big batch of chocolate chip cookies we had just laboriously baked. The evening was going well and we were having a great time, but something went terribly wrong. It was getting late and we had finished a few glasses of the drink and more than half a dozen cookies. After a few minutes I was lying down in a ball, retching, screaming and crying in pain. I wanted to leave my body, pass out, or die. My husband panicked and didn’t know what to do. Then, it occurred to both of us together. At that moment we realized that we would no longer be able to consume anything with dairy in it. The cookies were so good, but I associated far too much pain with eating them. Of course, the refined sugar wasn’t good either, but that didn’t make my stomach churn. Fortunately, I was okay and fell asleep. The next morning I was feeling fine and had no pain.
Around the same time I continued to suffer from severe feminine problems, including PMS, and knew intuitively that it was directly correlated with the dairy I was consuming. So, that was it. I couldn’t take it anymore. I decided I would not buy or eat one more thing that contained any kind of dairy product, whether it was milk, cheese, butter, whey, ice cream, yogurt or any processed product that contained any of these things. Pain is a strong motivator and it was enough for me to make a dramatic decision. I decided that gooey, creamy stuff would be a thing of the past and wasn’t worth my pain. I could live without the fatty junk. My husband argued with me a little and put up a fight, insisting that as a woman I needed extra calcium.
Well, we met a young vegan couple not far from us and they helped me convince him. When I spoke with the boyfriend, he asked me if I was vegan. I told him I was practically there and he told me I would be sooner than that. After spending almost a weekend with them, my sweet hubby had no more desire to eat the horrible poison and we tossed out anything that had even trace amounts of dairy. It was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made and I’m so grateful and delighted that we did it! Unfortunately, I learned that animal protein stays inside the colon for many years so I’m not surprised that I still suffer from congestion and have to get rid of it everyday. Contrary to popular belief dairy products are some of the worst things you can put in your body. The damaging effects are countless and there is no benefit from eating them. Not that I ever had a weight problem, but I did lose a couple pounds and the puffiness disappeared. I feel great and lighter! I even look 10 years younger than my age. When it comes to dairy products there is way too much emphasis put on protein and calcium. Protein can be found in many sources. Beans, legumes, and fermented soy products, like tofu and miso contain a substantial amount. I was never worried about not getting adequate amounts because I knew that with proper guidance and education and information I would know what to do and would learn how to prepare good nourishing meals for myself and my husband.
Because everyone has an agenda it’s very difficult at times to get someone to listen to you when they are focused on something entirely different. One example of this is the groups of people who I know who inspiration me; animal rights activists and environmentalist tree huggers. Although they pretty much go hand in hand because compassion includes all life and all beings a person from either group doesn’t have any desire to deal with the other. This is very sad because if we were all to come together and recognize that we’re all working for the same cause and want perfect health, peace on earth, joy, harmony, and love and compassion, we’d be a serious force to be reckoned with. You might ask, what does this have to do with giving up dairy products? Well, giving up all animal products and making the decision to take more responsibility for your health doesn’t just affect you. In the circle of life everything is connected, as above, so below. The precious resources that are used to produce a burger or hot dog are the same used to produce a block of cheese or a glass of milk. No one ever thinks about this, but regardless of the part of the cow that is being used, the cow still has to be fed, given water, have plenty of grazing space, and has to be cared for.
It’s very simple. There’s nothing complicated or difficult about this. A whole natural food natural living 100% plant-based (vegan) diet and lifestyle is simply the best way to live. You don’t have to be a college graduate or have a Nobel peace prize to understand and realize that any animal food is going to be harmful to you, the health of the planet and the animals. Unfortunately, because the Western culture in which we live has a meat ‘n’ potatoes mentality and puts emphasis on a “beefy looking person” not enough people understand the beauty and blessing of being nice and slender and having minimal muscle mass. If you don’t have a weight problem, but lose a couple of pounds here and there and lose the “puffiness” don’t panic. Unless you look like a prison camp victim there’s nothing to worry about. The healthiest most attractive people in the world have nice slender curvy physiques, a little bit of muscle and are radiantly beautiful. There are plenty of vegan cookbooks to choose from and glean insight and information. May all be blessed, well, and feel good!
Tags: feminine problems, natural food, PMS, vegan