Brittany Phelps

Walking to nearby places and shopping second hand sound great! But I know you consume only a very modest amount of dairy, and that yogurt and cheese is a great source of calcium and protein, both of which women often don't get enough of. Dairy products are important for building strong bones and teeth, maintaining muscle, supporting the immune system, and aiding nerve function. Lack of sufficient calcium increases the risk of osteoporosis. Nutritional supplements may help, but our bodies were intended to get nutrition primarily from our food. The famous nutritionist Michael Pollan says, "Don't eat anything your great grandmother wouldn't recognize as food." I think the corollary "Do eat things your ancestors would have recognized as basic healthy foods" gives a thumbs up to organic dairy products like milk, yogurt, and cheese, which have been around for centuries, especially among Northern European peoples. The climate needs people like you to be healthy and active, much more than a few animal burps are going to damage it. (And don't forget that giraffe, deer, bison, camels, antelope, and a whole host of other animals are also ruminants - if we're going to blame the climate crisis on burping animals, we need to get rid of a lot more than dairy cows!)