Me- I’m vegan.

Other person- I could never do that.  I couldn’t give up cheese.

I’ve heard this cheese defense often enough that it’s made an impression on me.  I don’t know why cheese is so special, I’ve been pretty happy with Daiya Shreds and nutritional yeast. I also don’t understand the logic: I don’t want to give up cheese, so I’m not going to give up anything.  I didn’t start out vegan.  As I began eating more healthfully and more mindfully, I eliminated things one at a time (like processed meats, non-organic meat and chicken and farm-raised fish, then all red meat).

I don’t push veganism or vegetarianism on anybody.  I think my clients, friends, and family can vouch for me on this.  I guess people are used to the pressure to convert that comes from many of my cohorts so they launch into a preemptive strike with the cheese defense.  What I do preach is healthy, mindful eating.  This means fully considering your purchases and the affects your choices have on your health, your body, your emotional wellbeing, on your family, and on the planet. It also means taking time to prepare your food and sitting down to mindfully enjoy every bite of it.

Maybe they’re confessing their cheese dependency because they’ve considered making changes to their diet and they think this prevents them from being vegan or vegetarian.  Let’s clarify the difference: vegans do not eat milk, cheese, yogurt, butter, ghee, eggs, and honey while vegetarians do.  Vegetarians welcome cheese-aholics!

Nutrition, like a lot of things in life, is not an all-or-nothing deal.  Your diet doesn’t have be a hashtag.  You can follow a diet that’s pescetarian, flexitarian, plant based (mostly vegetables but includes some meat), go meatless Monday, or eat like a vegetarian for 3 days each week to experience many of the same health benefits vegetarians do.

Need help incorporating more vegetables, beans, grains, nuts, and seeds into your diet? Email me to see if Nutrition Coaching is right for you!

Alicia Cross is a Certified Personal Trainer, Wellness Coach, and Yoga Instructor with more than 15 years’ experience working with clients in classes and one-on-one.  She is a yogi, meditator, vegan, and lifter of heavy things. If you’re ready to discover the strength and peace that comes from within, email Alicia@AliciaCrossTraining.com.

Related Post:

Fix Your Nutrition in 10 Steps