Vegan Rant

I find it as a vegan very irritating that others feel the need to criticize my diet. I get it that there is this stereotype of a "preachy" vegan that sets everyone on edge with their views telling non-veg heads that their diet is wrong etc etc. I am not one of those by any means. I feel that if my diet is something that interests you then you will be naturally curious and ask me about it. For me my choice of food is about my life and philosophies not just simply what I choose to eat. I come at it from a very Buddhist point of view in terms of wanting to be compassionate, gentle and non-harming. I also feel that I do not have the right to decide that anything else's life is any less important then my own. Each creature has it's own purpose and agenda and I do not have the right to treat that as a commodity. I also feel that there are a lot of great thinkers, revolutionaries, athletes, spiritualists and artists that are vegan and that is something worth emulating. I want to evolve and leave as small of an imprint on the earth's consciousness as possible. I want to be a friend to all those I encounter, a gentle soul.
But that is just me. My personal views which I in no way push onto others. I have a bible of factoids in my head that I can spew on a dime about why we should invest in a plant based diet but again nothing turns people off faster. I don't bother wasting my time or trying to convert people.

Having said all that I am human. And as such there are times when I am not strictly vegan. There I said it. For me meat wasn't an issue to give up. It was dairy. I am a bonafide coffee addict: double double ( 2 creams, 2 sugars for you non-Canadian readers, or Timmie's fans.) For years I rationalized not being able to give up real cream, substitutions all sucked. I tried them all. But finally I was able to first kick the sugar and then slowly the cream. To me the dairy industry is one of the worst; and I noticed that perhaps due to the hormones I hit this plateau with my weight; my curves got curvier and there wasn't a thing I could do about the bloating. And after a few  months of giving up cream-13 pounds came off. But I am getting off track.. I will on occasion indulge in a piece of cheesecake or a piece of salmon or tuna. X-mas time there may be turkey. Again this is so few and far between say maybe 5x a year that I choose to consume meat. I am anemic and went through a period where my hair was breaking and falling out- so I thought maybe I should try animal protein. Now I simply know it is time to vary my diet and I haven't had that problem for a long time. But the point of this confession is the fact that I love how meat eaters feel the need to point out my lack of veganism at these times. Like I don't harp on a carnivore for the time they choose to eat a salad and tell them they are a bad hypocritical meat eater. Like for some reason this constitutes a failure of some sort. Never mind that the other 360 days a year I uphold my beliefs or diet. I once read this book by raw foodists saying that once you choose to go with a plant based diet you will notice that an invisible line will be drawn between you and carnivores. And there will be aggression towards you for your choices. Truth be told I have noticed this time and time again. As soon as I say I don't eat meat people's backs get stiff and they either feel the need to state well I ain't gonna become a vegetarian-it's not going to happen without me so much as bringing up idea at all. Or people justifying not being able to give up or survive without their protein or asking me stupid questions like how do I get my protein.

I really just wish people would just stop making such a big deal about the whole thing..

 

Vegan Food Swap

I was looking for something to participate in and I came across this: a pen pal vegan food swap. I love getting fun mail and I love food so this was perfect. The idea is that each month  you send an email to the blog linked below in either the US or Canadian version and she in turn sets you up with a random partner in your private email address. You send to them and someone else sends to you. The limit is under $20 and once you get your package you write a little thing about what you got and add a picture.

So here is what my lovely partner sent me.

The sweet potato cookies were full of chocolate chips and walnuts and so delicious they didn't last long at all. I need to find me a recipe for those. And the coffee was rich and yummy and totally on the spot as I am a coffee addict but it has to be gourmet coffee for me. And I've always wanted to try something by The Merry Hempsters so the lip balm was an awesome treat. Everything was wonderful and yummy and I am so happy that I signed up for this.

It's also really fun to search out vegan products to send to your partner. It seems like people really put a lot of thought into it and try to find items that are local. I know I had a lot of fun checking out the health food store and now when I am at a grocery store I make mental notes of things I see that could be used in the next swap. This is definitely way more fun than getting bills in the mail!

If you want to sign up here is the blog..http://meshell.ca/blog/veganfoodswap/

North American Hemp Co.

I was looking for a new lotion to soothe my suddenly extremely dry  winter skin. Having moved from a damp climate to a dry one my skin suddenly went haywire and became very dry and flaky. My requirements where natural ingredients, paraben free,animal ingredient and cruelty free. I came upon the North American Hemp co. at the drug store and decided that since my skin was so dry it could probably use the wonderful properties of hemp. I purchased Hemp Holy Grail unscented body lotion at $9.99 for 342ml.
The body lotion is nice and thick with a pleasant slightly nutty aroma. I use it everywhere- on my body and my face and have noticed that since I have used it my dry scaly skin is no more, yet there is no greasy residue afterwards.

In case you are unfamiliar with hemp's wonderful properties it contains loads of Omega 3,6 & 9 oils which makes it wonderful for skin dryness and elasticity. A little goes a long way so this lotion will last you forever- ok maybe not that long but a few months for sure. I use it everyday right out of the shower from tip to toes.

The North American Hemp co. is based out of Ontario, Canada which also fits my criteria of trying to purchase Canadian made products. They make a whole range of hair and skin care products from body lotion, face cream, hair serum and styling products. Each contains certified organic hemp seed oil.  For whatever your needs there is a product out there for you.  You can also visit their web site and find some fun facts about hemp's history and skin benefits.

http://www.northamericanhempco.com/home.html

Food for thought.

I have been reading Skinny Bitch by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin and came upon this awesome quote.

"Think of how you feel when you are angry, afraid and grief stricken. Bear in mind the physical feelings that accompany these emotions. These emotions fear-grief- rage- produce chemical changes in our body. They do the same to animals. Their blood pressures rise. Adrenaline courses through their bodies. You are eating high blood pressure, stress and adrenaline. You are eating fear, grief and rage. You are eating suffering, horror and murder. You are eating cruelty. You are what you eat. You cannot be thin and beautiful with a glowing complexion when you eat fear, grief and rage. "

http://www.skinnybitch.net/

Organic Hair Colour and Care

I recently relocated to a very small town in Alberta- pop.3000. Needless to say that can sometime make it quite difficult to find products that are vegan so imagine my immense pleasure when a local salon opened that is all organic and vegan! I mean everything- all hair dyes and styling products are vegetable based with no chemicals and completely cruelty free. Their bottles are also made of an organic biodegradable plastic that contains tree seeds so that when disposed of creates a fertilizer for tree
growth. How cool is that?

The hair care line the owner uses is simply called Organic Systems. They make hair colours, perms, straighteners and hair care products. They are ammonia free, certified organic and PETA certified
 vegan and cruelty free.http://www.organicsalonsystems.com/

Vegan Etsy!

If anyone out there hasn't discovered this hand made market place they should hop on over right now for some very unique hand made goods and killer finds. http://www.etsy.com/?ref=si_home

As I have mentioned before in previous posts you can find all sorts of up and coming indie designers on a budget. It is a great place to find clothing and accessories made in eco friendly materials like bamboo, hemp, soy, organic cotton and upcycled reclaimed clothing..

Here are some of my pics for items that are good for the earth yet don't make you look like one of those "crunchy granola types" as I know some women do not want to look like what a "vegan" or eco friendly person stereotypically looks like..

The Love Root tshirt by Thelotusroot. Hand screened water based ink on an organic cotton and bamboo tshirt. $28.00

100%Hemp bag lined with 100% organic cotton with poppies made by Uzura $58.00

The Black & White Paisley Leggings are made with eco friendly modal knit. Made by FineThreadz $26.00

This dress is made from ridiculously soft Organic or Eco jersey fabrics (see colour chart below). Upcycled twill fabric make up the "suspenders" that cross in the back and have upcycled large Buttons in the front! Made by Alterecoclothing $70.00

Rock Star Zipper Ankle Boots w/ gold studs and spikes. Black vegan leather with a 5" wedge heel. Each pair is custom made to order by JennyFallsDown. $115

There's something that really irks me about being vegan.The price tag. It seems that these days clothing designers are really adding a sky high price tag for quality items that are Eco friendly and cruelty free. I think this could be a huge deterrent for someone who simply doesn't have that extra cash flow to spend on such items. I recently saw a really cool veggie leather coat that was $570. Now that is more then what I pay for my part of rent! So having said that there are so many small designers that are up and coming who are promoting a cruelty free lifestyle are affordable and they also donate part of the proceeds to charity! One such designer is on Etsy: Love Peace Vegan clothing. Every item you purchase goes to help support such charities as farm sanctuary and the price range is from $3.99-39.99.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/lamotif01?ref=seller_info
   

Sexy Canadian Vegan Women

I made a post here a few months ago on sexy vegan men, and since I am equal opportunist I thougth it only fair to show off some sexy vegan women.

Bif Naked

K.D Lang

Carrie Anne Moss


Alissa White-Gluz: From the Montreal based band The Agonist.

Alanis Morissette

Live Clean

I am always on the scout for new products that promote a conscious attitude towards sustainability, cruelty free practices, plant based ingredients and are affordable to boot.

While wandering through Pharmasave yesterday looking for a quick fix for my overly staticy hair ( gotta love winter for this), I found the company Live Clean.

They are Canadian and promote all of the above mentioned must haves. I purchased a shine and smoothing cream with agran oil ( the nut Moroccan Oil is made from because it is only found in Morocco hence the name) that can be used as both a fixative on wet hair and a finisher on dry hair. And it was only $6.99

I popped over to their company web site because I like to know what decisions and companies I am supporting every time I fork over my hard earned money and found they have loads of information on earth news and how the world is growing more eco-friendly. They also have lots of coupons you can sign up for and a way to search your area for local green events that you can get involved in.

Here is their mission statement:

mission
Our mission is to provide a line of products that contribute to a greener planet and perform at the highest level. Live Clean is a unique eco-friendly beauty care line that delivers exceptional results using natural, plant based ingredients. Live Clean formulations are made with a minimum of 96% replenishable, renewable and sustainable plant ingredients...as good for the earth as they are for your body. Go Green without compromising performance.

live simple. live beautiful. live clean.

Cruelty Free Face

Here is an awesome tutorial web site for cruelty free make-up. It features info on what cosmetic companies are animal and cruelty free as well as video how to's on things like how to create a smokey eye or some mod gold and green tutorials are done by the author of The Vegan Girl's Guide to Life; Melissar Elliot.

http://www.crueltyfreeface.com/

Sexy Vegan Men

Just thought I would add a shout out to some sexy famous vegan men out there. Add some eye candy to this little blog of mine..Also interesting to note that none of these men look sickly or skinny. In fact they all have some pretty hot bods..
Casey Affleck

Bob Harper

Anthony Kiedis

Jared Leto

Tobey Maguire

Jason Mraz

Joaquin Pheonix

Davey Havok

Russel Brand

Ok I'll stop there for now..Pant pant..

Yummy Vegan Men.

To me a man was always the concept of a protector. I found this video about a group of men who are vegan and out to dispel the myth about what a vegan body looks like. All of these men work out -outdoors without the use of a gym and only consume plant protein. Their athleticism is amazing and ohhhh the muscles. definitely worth the 6 minutes to watch the video.  http://youtu.be/hZv0milS6hE

Innocence Mineral Cosmetics

Make-up I am loving right now. Totally bright and every colour you can think of in this mineral make-up line. They have no fillers, dyes or synthetics. But some of them do contain carmine which is an animal product ( ones that are red) so not all of them are vegan. These shadows can go on soft and glimmery or bright and rockin. They are based out of Calgary Ontario. http://www.innocencecosmetics.com/

Dark Sexy Vegan t's and Prints.

Finally! Something dark and sexy and with a message that isn't some beer slogan. I love this designer's artwork for these Vegan t-shirts! The artist creating the designs is named Rolland Straller. He sells prints on Deviant art and also on t-shirts at the link below.

Check the link!!http://www.roland-straller.com/en/projekte/31/shirt-designs-a-lesson-in-compassion---enjoy-the-vegan-revolution.html

Some of these would make awesome tattoos if you ask me.

Peace Keepers

I just found out about this company. I keep seeing the same reviews of the same companies being touted for being vegan- which is great, but I want a variety of places to shop and options! So I like to keep digging for new things to get excited about and I am soooo excited about this company:

Peace Keepers
 They have a wide variety of vegan products and not only that but their company principles are based off of the yoga Sutras of  truthfulness and non-stealing. They believe in fair wages, and promoting slavery free work and are 100% cruelty free. Also if that isn't a sell they donate all of their after- tax profits to issues concerning women!  Their products all come with an full ingredient list that can been looked up on their web site and a specific toxicity report on each ingredient. They also have a specific listing as to which products are vegan and which are not.

This is a quote of their mission statement:

"Peacekeeper Cause-Metics is the first cosmetics line to give all of its after-tax, distributable profits to women’s health advocacy and urgent human rights issues. PeaceKeeper builds a bridge between extraordinary women in the land of plenty and extraordinary women who, by chance of birth, don’t have our resources or opportunities.
Here are the ideals that we pledge to uphold in our business practices: 



1) Slavery-free labor
2) Fair wages

PeaceKeeper is building a slave-labor free company, so if we believe there to be any  exploitation in hours, safety, or health-care and retirement benefits, we are out.

We are consulting with www.newstandards.com to monitor this.

PeaceKeeper makes sure that the companies we are working with, here and overseas, pay a fair wage to their employees.

3) Cruelty-free products 

PeaceKeeper does not use any products that have been tested on animals. We also provide 100% vegan products for animal lovers who do not use ingredients such as carmine.

PeaceKeeper strives every day to practice the ideals of truthfulness, non-stealing, and non-violence, as found in Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, a text which outlines the ways in which a yogi can find ethical balance throughout their life.

When a yogi practices truthfulness, ultimately anything they say will come true.  If they practice not hoarding or stealing, people will feel so safe around them that they will reveal unimaginable treasures. When we truly practice non-violence, then no negative energy can harm us. Like the Buddhist monks who can safely walk through a battlefield, we can face each day unaffected by the negativity in the world. Now that's powerful!

As a company, PeaceKeeper strives to promote promote greater peace throughout the world by the practice of these traditional concepts. We hope that you can help us achieve success by practicing truthfulness, non-stealing, and non-violence in your own everyday lives! "http://www.iamapeacekeeper.com/products.htm?PriceCat=2&Lang=EN-US&SID=07b9ab82-ca6d-45e7-9449-3727b0c9c036

Tattoo!

Food for thought

Yesterday afternoon my husband and I visited a new cafe in downtown Kitchener called Pyrus. The place rocked! It was decorated with thrift store cast offs such as the typical plaid couch with wooden arms that is seen in so many cottages or grandparents basements. All the tables were mismatched, and there were bookshelves with books and board games. The food was all vegan, organic, and locally sourced and cheap! I got  a plate of coconut curry on basmati rice for $6- and it was a big plate. The place was rocking full of people I might add, which lead my husband and I to have a rather interesting debate.

The majority of the customer base were hippies or very "granola" looking. There were girls with long dreads, girls with their hair in bandanna's and basically what you would stereotype as being a "vegan". So it made my husband pose this question as to why it is that if you are a vegan you seem to end up looking or dressing this way. We thought that perhaps it had something to do with keeping it at a grass roots level or maybe had something to do with the anarchists and environmental activists that live mostly around the Seattle area. Then we also thought maybe there is also a cross over with the straight edge punk scene that could influence clothing and style since many of the customers also had manic panic hair, piercings and tattoos.

After all of this I pointed out that there are lots of vegans out there that don't want to look this way at all and feel that there is nothing out there for them, fashion wise. I think this gap is why there are now so many designers coming out with "haute couture" for vegans. But I said to me this new marketing spin is a ploy to market to rich bored housewives. I have seen non-wool winter coats selling for upwards of $600 and shoes for $300. And as much as I would love to support the entire vegan movement who has that sort of disposable income to be able to buy a $600 coat in this time of financial uncertainty?

I guess that is the entire reason I started this blog. It was because of this growing gap between what the stereotype is and  this new culture sprouting up. You have on one hand a person who would look at the hippies and say " I don't want to look like that" or you have a normal gal like me who looks at the couture and the pricey food stuffs and thinks " I can't afford that." So what's one to do especially if you are new to the movement and have no clue as to where to start? So again I reiterate; this was my purpose in beginning this blog. There are so many in-betweens in all areas be it clothing, beauty or food that is vegan and affordable in whatever expression you choose.

Having said that the debate with my husband ended with him agreeing on his own terms that too would become vegetarian. Up until this point I left it up to him and whatever meat he bought was purchased from a family member who owns a hobby farm with two cows that live well and are ethically killed to feed several families for a year. I am quite happy that he is coming to this decision and doing it on his own terms without doing it just to please me.

Mainstream Vegan Beauty Products.

I was doing some research trying to find other companies that are out there and readily available for the gal that likes to get her stuff exclusively from a drug store or maybe a discount department store. So here I have found a list of cruelty and animal free beauty companies that are affordable and readily stocked at most drug stores,Walmarts, Zellers, Zehrs, Giant Tigers and surplus stores. Now that you have a list of alternatives perhaps it will make the trip down the beauty isle not so confusing.

~E.L.F ( eyes, lips, face): I always see gift sets of this make-up line being sold for around the $6 range for a package of 3-6 items, and I never knew it was vegan!
http://www.eyeslipsface.com/

~Freeman Beauty. They are known for their individual travel face mask pouches- you know the ones with the avocado or strawberries on the picture. Their products come in large tubes and are sold in Shopper's Drug Marts and I have even found their shampoos at Dollarama. Now it doesn't get more budget friendly then that for the veganista.

~Hard Candy. Not all of their products are vegan, but if you go to their web site they have a listing of which items are specifically vegan. These products I have mostly found at Walmart.
http://www.hardcandy.com/updates.php?id=4

~Physicians  Formula;  They have a wide range of cosmetics to choose from including eyeshadow pallets consisting of 17 colours specifically designed to highlight the colour of your eyes. They also have refillable compacts made from bamboo. The organic wear line is free of cosmetic chemicals, and nasty parabens and preservatives.
http://www.physiciansformula.com/en-ca/staticpage/organic-wear.html

~Mitchum Deodorant

And for the salon brands opt for these companies:

~Abba- 100% vegan, free of sulfates and synthetic dyes.

~Derm Organic: 100% vegan, free of preservatives ( parabens) and dyes and sulfates

I hope that helps some of you out there make informed decisions without the guess work.

New Magazine I'm Loving

I just discovered this awesome eco-aware magazine yesterday during a much needed de-stressing trip to my fave book store: chapters.
The Magazine is called Boho and it features reviews on all things eco-conscious and sustainable from upcycling artists to haute couture and reclaimed items being made into furniture, and lots of beauty and food reviews. It's of course printed on recycled paper- no glossy pages here. It's totally cute and worth the $5.99 Canadian.

http://www.bohomag.com/

New Year Beginings.

Happy New Year my lovelies!  In with the new and out with the old as the saying goes. This year I plan on making a vow to be more conscientious to what I put into and onto my body, how I may inadvertently pollute my mind and soul and how I can reduce my polluting the earth I call home.

I have been reading a lot about sustainability and  reducing our toxic footprint both on the earth and inside our homes and bodies. For example did you know that 89% of the ingredients used in the majority of cosmetics have never been tested for safety! There is no governing body that forces cosmetic companies to adhere to a basic standard of health and safety.  Pretty scary when you think about it especially when you know that our skin is one big sponge that absorbs 50% of everything it comes in contact with.

I'm not going to get into a big diatribe of what to avoid and all that jazz, but I will point out companies that I use that are both vegan and truly natural and free of harmful chemicals. Trust me it takes a bit of patience and finesse to find both but the long term effect will be so worth it in the end!

For now here is an awesome book on sustainable fashion and beauty; I picked this book up at chapters for $6.99 and it is loaded with colour photos of all sorts of companies. http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Style-Naturally-Savvy-Shopping-Guide-OAKES-SUMMER-RAYNE/9780811865241-item.html?ikwid=oakes+summer+rayne&ikwsec=Books