I wish I had read Chapter 12 of "The 30-Day Vegan Challenge" first -- as I've said, cheese is a major weakness for me, and probably my biggest obstacle to committing to veganism (well, more like dairy in general). I think I read somewhere once that you really CAN become addicted to the casein in cheese, but the book doesn't mention it. It talks more about how we connect food to memories/feelings and sometimes, when we crave something, we are really just missing that feeling or memory. I guess that makes sense...

One quote I took away from the book is: "If we think we 'can't give up cheese,' it may be because we're unwilling to." The author suggests educating yourself about what dairy cows (and goat and sheep) experience. This is not a pleasant idea for me. I have read a little bit about how such animals are treated, and have seen a few clips in documentaries (though to be honest, most of the time I turned my head so I wouldn't have to watch). I guess maybe I just have to connect cheese to the suffering of animals and that will stop my desire to eat it. Not to mention how sick I felt after I ate some a few days ago (see my last blog entry).

I don't mean to tell others how to eat -- obviously, I am just trying to figure it out for myself!