Samita Sarkar: As an animal lover, I have been a vegetarian for many years. The only animal products that I would eat were milk and honey. I followed a typical Indian diet that was high in fruits, dairy, rice and dal. In Hinduism, cows are a special animal, so many Indian dishes are made with dairy — especially desserts. However, when I was in my 20s and my menstrual cramps started to become unbearable, I cut milk out of my diet.
It was a difficult transition to make, but I felt like I had no c