Actually, I've been wrestling with this issue for a couple months now. I too have been a vegetarian my whole life, and I cut way back on dairy earlier this year after reading David Life and Sharon Gannon's Jivamukti Yoga book and doing some research. The problem that I keep running into is that I just love cheese, lame as that sounds. The imitation just isn't the same. Otherwise I try to live as cruelty free as possible, and I've stopped drinking milk completely and use soy only. So perhaps I will join you eventually, if only in baby steps :)

YEA!!!!!!

I'm so thrilled to hear this! I went vegan about 8 months ago when I found out the truth about factory farming and haven't looked back!

I'm also getting the book and I expect to have 'challenges' with the gluten and sugar (my 2 BFF's) :-D

Vegan pride baby!!

Yay, good for you!!! I went vegan almost 7 years and I consider it the best decision I've ever made. I've never looked back and I don't ever feel like I'm missing out because I've found a delicious substitutes for all of the foods that I used to eat. When I first went vegan the book 'The Vegan Sourcebook' by Joanne Stepaniak really helped, you may want to check out that one as well. Good luck to everyone on your quests to become vegan and congratulations!
PS. Ansuya, I can't wait to take you sword workshop at Raqs America!!!

hmmm am I the only one here thinking single-sided nutrition is not a great idea for athletes/dancers??!!
I highly doubt joints and bones remain healthy with vegan nutrition, even more so if joints are continuously worked hard as wtih professional dancing..
I used to be a vegetarian in my teenage yrs, and know I had signs of malnutrition (i got paler my hair had a strange colour, veins showed beneath the skin).
When I started dancin (ballroom dancin at that time), and other sports to support the dance (conditioning and such stuff) I gave up the vegetarian lifestyle, and got healthier and healthier..
for me the talk about "nothing s missing" was not true.
That s all I can say.
And I DID use dairy products LOTS, which all medical school graduates i ve heard elaborate on the subject stress is the most important thing.

I do not get the idea of not eating dairy products at all - if it s industrial farming, I totally get that, cruel on the animals, and unhealthy for the consumer - why not buy from small farmers?!

But well, everyone s own choice and life.
Besides in the Arabic and Turkish culture vegetarianism is something unthinkable - when I went vegetarian this choice was disrespected for years. still,,when buying at a kebab shop where they advertise "vegetarian kebabs" I oftentimes hear the salesperson tell me in a shock "do you know, yesterday a girl passed by - and she NEVER eats meat, can you imagine that???" i ll go "ya she s vegetarian"
the subsequent puzzled and so not understanding view has to be experienced to be understood ;)

I wonder if more Oriental ppl will ever "convert" to vegetarianism - quite unlikely given the cuisine i guess.
Well, with Oriental I mean Arabs and Turks, obviously it s very different for Hindu and Buddhist cultures..
oh and besides I m pretty sure a knee injury which has plagued me for years is actually a late effect of my malnutrition from age 12 to 18.. any of you guys considered the potential damage to the joints and bones, or are you convinced there is no such, even for professional sportspeople?
:)
i d be interested in that, no offence
best wishes

p.s. once I can talk to the glorious Ansuya :) actually I think you re one of the most beautiful women I ve ever seen without any makeup on! I found u beautiful in you stage makeup before, but ever since i saw you "sans" makeup in the documentary by Miles C., I d actually want to tell you you re WAY more beautiful, actually shining without makeup on!! :)

Hi Ansuya, I miss u soooo much. I have been totally on the same page with the vegan thing. I was raised on raw foods for the first 5 years of my life, and have never eaten flesh, except the occasional accident that has slipped into my restaurant food. My dad has been vegan 30+ years and he has more energy than anyone I know. Cheese has been the tough one for me, my boyfriend keeps buying products with cheese and it's hard to resist. When I do eat dairy products, I just remind myself of the animals that have suffered and how absolutely unnatural it is and I am disgusted. We are the only animal that drinks milk after they are weaned and from another animal. Some believe that dairy consumption could also be linked to breast cancer. I also saw that Oprah, I am buying that book as soon as possible, Quantum Wellness totally makes sense(Oprah Rocks!!!!). I Love You, Thanks for being the most awesome Teacher ever!!!!
P.S. I am with you