Remember To Never Forget by Stephanie Jorian, VLCE

Have you ever had a conversation with someone – maybe you’re just getting to know one another – and in the context of conversation you explain that you are vegan and they respond by saying, “I think it’s so great that you can do that, but I could never live without cheese”? I have heard this many times. I actually said this many times before going vegan. Turns out I could live without cheese and have been doing so happily for more than four years now.

I actually love when things like this come up, because it’s an opportunity to forward the vegan conversation. And having said this myself, I know exactly where that person is coming from and I give myself a mental reminder to be patient and understanding. When I decided to go vegan, I did a slow transition: one thing at a time. Before I knew it, I was vegan…except for the cheese. I didn’t know then that cheese actually has addictive qualities. I learned later that cheese has a very high concentration of casein, which is a protein found in milk. When this protein is digested, it breaks down into casomorphin and has an opiate-like effect on our brain. It has a physiologic effect on us much like the drug morphine. Because of the good feelings that come with eating cheese, it can be challenging to cut back. Like so many, I was addicted to cheese.

One day, however, while grocery shopping, I found myself in the dairy aisle and made a profound connection that changed everything. I had recently watched a short video on the Internet about factory dairy farms and had the image of a baby calf being taken from his mother seared into my psyche. I could still hear their bellowing cries. Standing there, in front of the cheddar, I no longer saw cheese. I saw emotional turmoil wrapped in plastic. The block of cheese now represented a pain I knew all too well, a mother-child bond broken, never to be reunited. Though my circumstance was very different from the mama cow in that I was young, still in high school, and chose reluctantly to give my son for adoption while this bovine mama had absolutely no choice in the matter, I imagine that the anguish and agonizing heartbreak of separation is very similar, if not more so for the cows. I never ate cheese again.

Even though I will never forget that experience in the grocery store—it’s actually part of my identity now—I also choose never to forget the attachment I once had to cheese. After being cheese-free for a while, it’s easy to forget the spell that cheese can cast on us because we do live quite happily and deliciously without it. But I don’t want lose the ability to connect with someone who struggles to give up cheese.

Veganism is deeply rooted in making connections and extending compassion. For me, that’s what it’s all about. And that’s a big reason why I got involved with Get Waisted, which is a program that offers weekly meetings and online support to help people transition to a plant-based diet, whether they want to lose weight, regain their health, or just want help and support as they transition. I love spreading the message of kindness and compassion through teaching others about the many joys and benefits of going vegan, and being a gentle reminder that we must never forget to extend that compassion to ourselves. It’s a beautiful way to live.

If the desire for a little cheesiness ever strikes, below is a Get Waisted recipe for Rawcho Cheese Dip, created by Get Waisted co-founder, Tess Challis. This recipe appears in her book Radiance 4 Life and is also featured in Waist Away by Dr. Mary Clifton.

Rawcho Cheese Dip

• 1/2 cup raw cashews
• 4 oz. jar pimientos, drained
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast powder
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 3 medium-large cloves garlic, peeled
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 teaspoon granulated onion
• 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne

Blend all of the ingredients in a food processor (or good blender) until completely smooth. Served cold or at room temperature with raw vegetables, baked tortilla chips, or raw crackers. This will store, refrigerated in an airtight container, for at least a week.

YIELD: Makes about 1 cup of dip (4 servings)

Stephanie Jorian, VLCE is the Orlando Director for Get Waisted and a Main Street Vegan Academy certified lifestyle coach. She is also a DIY enthusiast and offers workshops on how to detoxify your home by ditching the chemicals and making your own housecleaning and self-care products using Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade essential oils. Her business website, plant-yourself.com, will launch soon. Until then, check out what she’s doing with Get Waisted at facebook.com/getwaistedorlando.