for the first time in my life i've managed to completely cut out dairy for weeks at a time.

i know this doesn't sound like much but it's a start, and it's only encouraging me to keep it going.

a couple of relapses with cheese at the beginning, but now i don't really even crave it.

i've bought a few vegan cheeses and stuff, which i like, but don't want to make a staple part of my diet.... but i suppose at least i am adding to the demand for dairy-free products and helping out the local healthfood shop. been trying to avoid the ones which contain soy, and been reading about gluten too.... next thing to cut out is wheat products....

been feeling a lot healthier and happy about my diet. i've been making my own homemade vegan coleslaw and soups, and my next project is to make some nice fruit and veg chutneys.

it's strange now that i am actually not eating or buying this stuff, when i get into discussions about veganism it can be difficult for them not to turn into arguments. people really are very closedminded or they just don't wish to educate themselves. even when i still ate some dairy i didn't really try to justify it..... and i always felt really guilty. some arguments that people make really are ridiculous. and when you try to make people see, they just label you as a "preachy vegan" and just don't like to be told that their comfort zone is accomodating to all sorts of cruelty and unnecessary waste of resources.

but at the same time i still wonder if just going vegan is really enough to stop the cruelty. i want to get more involved with activism somehow, but there really isn't that much going on in my city or country as far as i can tell.... perhaps i should start some sort of campaign myself. has anyone ever tried doing this?

Veganism more than anything is good for you. Just make sure you eat lots of raw food and supplement b12.

I find that nothing we do stops any suffering. it just saves us from the real subconscious guilt that everyone has deep down on the matter.

well i have to have some sort of hope that there is something that can be done to stop or prevent it eventually. otherwise it all seems almost pointless, apart from health reasons


and now i'm getting into arguments with the people who run the social centre in my city. they do a vegan cafe on wednesdays and saturdays but they just posted a facebook event page saying they will have real milk for tea and coffee. so all i did was post saying what's the point in it being vegan if there's going to be milk? and got a lot of comments about how i can come and cook the food myself if i want to, and that the place has a ban on meat due to issues of animal cruelty but there isn't one on dairy, it's just vegan food so that vegan people can eat there... and that i can't expect everyone to share my beliefs and opinions.... lots of my friends "liking" their comments apparently because they don't like mine

i don't think it's really about MY "beliefs and opinions".... surely if they are going to ban meat based on animal suffering they should do the same for dairy...... i have a feeling i'm going to annoy a lot of people now. lol.

because there is way more pussie vegetarians in the world

I have never tried to start campaigning on my own, but got in touch with a local group years back and started attending meetings to join in with their activities. I've since become what I call a slacktivist but try searching for animal rights groups or vegan networks in your area. Try searching on facebook, google, yahoo groups, http://www.happycow.net/groups/ etc. Good luck! It's fun and you get to make new friends with the same passions as you.

I was surprised to find that the major source of communication for the groups here in Dallas was through Yahoo groups email newsletters. I thought Yahoo groups were dead.