My daughter was about 9 months old and my son was 4 years old when I decided to remove dairy products (milk, butter, ghee, paneer, etc.) from their diet. This was after I came across SHARAN and Dr Nandita’s work.
I went through the works of other plant-based doctors too – Dr Neal Barnard and Dr Michael Greger – and understood the connection between dairy and lifestyle diseases, including cancer. My sister was very young when she passed away due to cancer, and once I learnt that dairy is linked to it, there was no looking back. I learnt how milk is a cocktail of pus, hormones, antibiotics, pesticides and urea. It is a known fact that countries with the highest per capita milk consumption also have the highest rates of osteoporosis. Hormones in dairy milk can promote breast and prostate cancers. It was also an easy decision to make once I learnt how cruel the dairy industry is. I just didn’t want to support a product that separated babies from their mothers.

Shifting to a plant-based lifestyle raised concerns about calcium, protein, and overall growth. I spent many hours researching on the topic and found that a plant-based lifestyle is the healthiest way to live, even for infants.
Dr Benjamin Spock, one of the most esteemed paediatricians of all time, who lived till the age of ninety-four, recommended that children be raised on a plant-based diet with no exposure to meat or dairy products. “Children who grow up getting their nutrition from plant foods have a tremendous health advantage and are less likely to develop health problems as the years go by.”

My children are thriving on the plant-based lifestyle. They have reached their milestones. Their immunity is good (we barely visit the doctor). If they get a cold or flu, within a few days they recover, without the need of medicines or antibiotics.