margot lee.

Hey babies! I get so many questions (online and IRL) about how I went vegan and how I can resist ooey-gooey, creamy dairy. My answer: it’s not that hard. Follow along and I’ll share with you some of my best tips of how I cut out what some people would consider the hardest thing to leave behind when going vegan.

Whether you’re trying to transition into veganism or just want to cut out dairy, its important to do it the right way: know why you’re doing it and then know how to do it. GIT READY TO GIT #EDURKATED!

First, let’s focus on the WHY.

1. Skincare

I’ve actually touched on this subject here but here’s the lowdown:

Dairy is not only mucous-forming but also hard to digest and full of hormones (derived directly from the hormones given to the mama cows). The hormones cause excess sebum production which leads to acne (yucky, i know). Poor digestive care can also lead to cystic acne- a painful and under the skin sore you probably don’t want to deal with.

If you don’t believe me, skincare experts often suggest clients should reduce their dairy intake to help clear up skin.. EXPERTS!

If you want to hear about someone’s [skincare] experience who indulged in dairy after being vegan, I found this a very interesting read 🙂

2. Digestion

65% (SIXTY FIVE PERCENT OMG!!!!) of the HUMAN POPULATION have a reduced ability to digest lactose after infancy. So many people are lactose intolerant because it isn’t natural. Healthy digestion means your body can break down food effectively and get the resources and nutrients it needs and dispose of the rest. You don’t wait dairy to interrupt this process because it could effect your health and mood!

We stop drinking our mother’s milk after infancy- why does it make sense that after we switch to another species milk naturally made for their own babies? And consume that when we are full grown adults?

Although some of the nutrients in dairy can be beneficial, there are much better ways to get them. (Like taking supplements or other natural food sources.) These include: calcium, potassium, proteins and fats. These can all be found in sources including veggies, fruits, legumes, seaweed, whole grains, and seeds.

Sources: Dr. Hyman, Frontier Market

3. Weight-loss/ control

This comes from a simple principle: the purpose of cow’s milk is to help a 65 pound calf grow into a 700 pound cow as fast as possible. It is growth fluid for a huge animal- the drink is not only caloric but full of fats, pus, and other nasties that humans shouldn’t need or want.

4. What you’ve heard about dairy’s health benefits is probably propaganda.

Wake up call: the dairy industry has a lot of money and they aren’t afraid to use it to ~sway~ what people think about them. An example? “Animal agriculture is responsible for up to 91% of Amazon destruction”. You might not know that because HUGE “environmental agencies” are silenced through funding by the dairy industry. They don’t report on this because a huge amount of money is coming from industries trying to shut them up- that doesn’t mean we can’t find out, though!

Watch Cowspiracy (its on Netflix!) if you haven’t yet- it is SO interesting and gives a very intimate look into what goes on behind the scenes with huge governmental agencies and their private funding from dairy and animal agricultural lobbyists.

Now, let’s focus on the HOW.

1. Find milk alternatives

It would be almost impossible to cut out milk “products” from your routine entirely. Lucky for us, we live in an age where there are a massive amount of alternatives at almost any coffee shop , restaurant, grocery store, or dining facility. My go-to is almond milk, but after hearing about the water requirements to mass produce almonds, I’m definitely interested in trying the new fad- Oat Milk.

For coffee, I like to use soy milk because it acts as a natural sweetener and I usually don’t need anything else added in. Whatever works, works. Say farewell to the stomach-ache inducing coffees.. *a whooollee new worrldd!!*

2. Find ice cream alternatives

Yeah, vegan ice cream is DEFINITELY a thing. Ben & Jerry’s is my personal favorite, but there are tons of other brands. Halo Top offers 14 vegan flavors and if you just look next to your ice cream section in your local market, you’re bound to find vegan alternatives. You can get your ice cream, and eat it too. Life is good.

EDIT: OMG DUH AND BANANA NICE CREAM.

3. VEGAN PIZZA!

2 words: mouth watering. I love making homemade pizza at home with fresh dough from my local pizza store (it’s usually vegan but call ahead to make sure), and topping it with tomato sauce, Daiya vegan mozzarella, and all my favorite veggies. Cook it at 400 degrees for about 12 minutes and VOILA, a masterpiece is born. Some restaurants will even offer vegan pizzas, my favorite is from Peppinos Neapolitan here in Syracuse, NY.

4. Everything else that you probably didn’t know they made a dairy-free alternative for.

There is probably a dairy-free alternative for about everything you could imagine. If you want something specific, your best bet is Whole Foods. Its a mecca for vegan alternatives. Here are some of my favorites:

• Kite Hill Yogurt 
• Kite Hill Cream Cheese Spread
• Earth Balance Butter Spread
• All of Whole Food’s vegan cheese spread alternatives are SO GOOD

 

And that’s that!

Hopefully you’ve learned a few things and now know that going dairy-free isn’t too hard to tackle. Better for you, better for the earth, and better for the animals. Oh, and no more “yuck” factor when it comes to milk.

Cheers to almonds,

Margot x