EcoTools.

The beauty industry is one of the most awful industries when it comes to animal cruelty and abuse. It seems as if they test everything on poor animals and if that is not enough, they also tend to use animal ingredients in damn near everything. From gelatin to tallow, it’s sometimes a tricky maze to navigate when it comes to what is safe to use and what is not. Not only are the products many use filled with animal by products, so are the very tools many use to apply these products to their face and body. This is where we all welcome Eco Tools in our lives and make up bags 😉

Eco Tools was started in 2008 and their goal was/is to offer eco-friendly, Earth friendly cosmetic and bath tools. Their products are made of bamboo, recycled aluminum and of course cruelty free bristles. This is so important because many make up brushes are made from horse or other animal hairs and we all know, none of us want to be using animals hair to fix our faces. Eco Tools make up bags are made from cotton and hemp, as well as recycled plastic and their body care line is also cruelty free and not tested on animals. As this company grows they are covering more and more bases in the beauty and cosmetic world and this is just what the industry needs!!!

Eco Tools, An Earth and Animal Friendly Way To Fix Your Face.

http://www.ecotools.com/ Eco Tools Homepage.

November 1, 2011. World Vegan Day.

Following in the footsteps of World Vegetarian Day, which was October 1st, World Vegan Day is to be celebrated on November 1st. I am all about this day this year. LET’S DO THIS, at least for the day.

I don’t care if you are not vegan, heck I don’t care if you are even vegetarian because for this 1 day, this 24 hour period of time, I am asking you to not eat anything animal related. Consider this a challenge, a test of sorts. I am not asking you to become vegan, not even vegetarian, I am just asking you to try.

How hard is it? Who knows? You may find it super easy, you may quit the first thing in the morning once you realize 1/2 and 1/2 is not vegan, the choice is yours. All I am asking is that you at least make the conscious effort to try then the next day you can go back to however you do, which is hopefully a vegetarian diet anyways 😉

Imagine if we all laid off the animal products for this 1 day. Do you realize how many animals would be ‘saved’ in just 1 day? How much pollution would never be released into the air? The streams? The oceans? The domino effect is so long, intertwined and intense. We all owe it to the planet, the animals and ourselves to go all out for 1 day.

1 Day of true Peace On Earth. World Vegan Day, November 1, 2011.

Are You Down?

http://www.vegansociety.com/News-And-Events/world-vegan-day/ Read About It Here.

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10 Health Benefits Of Going Veg.

…Here Are 10 Health Related Reasons To Ditch The Meat And ‘Veg Out’…

The Vegan Food Pyramid.

1- Your Body Mass Index. Many studies have shown that a diet without meat leads to a body with a lower Body Mass Index which means less body fat and a healthy body weight.

2- Cataracts. Studies have shown that cataracts can be prevented with a diet that is rich in fruits and vegetables. Produce that is high in antioxidants have also been shown to prevent cataracts.

3- Migraines. Studies show that once meat eaters who suffer from migraines switch a vegan diet, the lose the migraines.

4- Macular Degeneration. Studies show that diets rich in foods such as..Leafy Greens, Pumpkin, Sweet Potatoes and Carrots all help to prevent the on set of Macular Degeneration.

5- Nails. People on a vegan diet have stronger nails then their meat-eating counterparts. This may seem like no big deal but many doctors gauge your overall health by how healthy your nails are.

6- Cholesterol. It is proven that once you remove animal products from your diet, you will reduce your cholesterol.

7- Allergies. Studies show that once allergy sufferers lost the meat, the also lost most of the allergies.

8- Prostate Cancer. A major study showed that men with prostate cancer that changed over to a vegan diet managed to stop the cancer from growing and in some cases even reversed the illness.

9- Breast Cancer. It is well documented that women who reside in countries that eat less meat  have less breast cancer.

10- Longer Life. And a better quality of life while living. On average veg heads outlive their meat-eating counter parts by 5-6 years.

Survey Says…

The latest (and most realistic) survey of vegans was done this year and it sure does set the record straight. Debunking all the myths and urban legends that plague the vegan life style, we come to see that all in all vegans really love their life style, they are not all pale ‘freaks’ and that they eat more than just carbs.

Survey Says...Vegans Love Their Lives.

Here is what the survey of almost 2,100 vegans from all over the world say…

‘Vegans Are Pale And Scrawny And Unhealthy Because They Do Not Eat Enough Protein.’

Survey Says…WRONG. In actuality 2 out of every 3 vegans says they became healthier once they adopted a vegan diet. 55% said their energy levels improved and 64% keeping up their health is one of the important factors as to why they plan to keep on their vegan diets.

‘The Vegan Diet Has Too Many Carbs To Be Effective For Weight Loss.’

Survey Says…WRONG. In actuality 42% of people experienced a welcomed weight loss once they went vegan and 36% said that they remained at their ideal weight. Only 5% said they experienced any weight gain.

‘There Is Nothing To Eat For Vegans, It Is Boring.’

Survey Says…WRONG. In actuality 97% of the survey said they love their vegan diet and 94% said they plan on staying on a plant-based diet for the rest of their lives.

‘Vegans Are Deprived People.’

Survey Says…WRONG. In actuality vegans think they have a better quality of life. 73% enjoy cooking more, 91% feel great about the difference they are making for the animals, 86% are proud of environmental pluses of being vegan and 42% of people said being vegan has made them more spiritual.

‘A Plant Based Diet Is Too Hard To Maintain.’

Survey Says…WRONG. In actuality 61% say it is easy to maintain a vegan diet long-term once you get past the initial phase. 64% of people did say the transition was tough but once they got past that part it has been a breeze.

‘Vegans Can’t Enjoy Going Out To Dinner Or Other Social Situations.’

Survey Says...WRONG. In actuality no one surveyed said they ever considered changing their diet due to these reasons. Everyone said they find foods they can eat in most restaurants and most surveyed said they notice vegan and vegetarian dishes popping up in lots of restaurants.

Overall Analysis Of The Survey:

The survey showed that people on plant-based diets are happy, energetic and feel that they have made the best decision of their lives by transitioning to a plant-based diet.

🙂

Spreading The Word.

Bubbles For The Veg Set.

I am a champagne drinker. I love it. But I love being vegetarian even more, so my choices when it comes to the bubbles have been severely effected. Most alcohol goes through nasty filtration processes that include animal parts, animal by products and just general unnecessary animal nastiness. Thanks but no thanks. Here are the most popular vegan champagnes and guess what, us veg-bubble heads are in luck because we got some good vegan options 😉

Dom Perignon Is Vegan.

As Is Moet. Nectar Imperial Is Amazing As Is The Rose Version.

Veuve Clicquot Is Also Vegan.

Lanson Is Vegan Too.

Matt & Nat Is Where It Is At.

This Is The Pharaoh Bag By Matt & Nat That I NEED. I Adore This Bag.

Since 1995brand the  Matt & Nat has been making lux, lovely, eco and vegan friendly fashions. The founder of the company Inder Beni, is a vegetarian who’s goal is to make beautiful products in a socially conscious way. They have never used any animal by products in their fashions and on average they use 21 recycled plastic bottles per purse and bag to make the lining!!! Matt & Nat are constantly finding better vegan lethers and vegan suedes to make their garments more origional and of better quality.

There are SOOOO many handbags on their website, it is truly amazing that all of the beautiful creations they make are all vegan. I am in shock, looking through their inventory you would never imagine that the bags they make are not made with leather. Compassionate purses and bags have NEVER looked SOOOO good to me before. I could literally order 10 things right now and have zero buyers remorse 😉 On top of bags and purses they also have killer belts, rings, bracelets and necklaces. I find their prices to be more then fair and their sale prices are simply to die for.

Vegan Fashions At Their Finest.

http://www.mattandnat.com/ Matt & Nat Vegan Fashions.

This Is The Lindstrom Men's Bag. They Have Great Mens Stuff Too.

Bone Picking With Famous ‘Vegans’.

Hypocrite?

Ok, so I do not claim to be perfect in any sense of the word. All I do in life is TRY to practice what I preach to the best of my abilities. If you are all ‘animal rightsy’ yet eat meat then you are a hypocrite. If you’re a vegan and get paid millions of dollars to be a spokesperson for a cosmetic company that tests on animals then you too are a hypocrite. A rich one. One named Ellen Degeneres. If you are a Buddhist (well at least CLAIM to be a Buddhist) yet you inject your face with BOTOX, which is not only tested on animals but contains animal by products, then you too are a hypocrite. A big boobed, blonde one named Jenny McCarthy. Two rich, hypocrites (let’s call them ‘richocrites’ for fun). I am by no means trying to be a ‘hater’ or some weirdo with a blog sitting behind a computer hating on successful people. I am glad that these two choose not to eat meat and I know Ellen does not wear skins anymore either, which I commend. Awesome. Rock On. BUT I am just irked at their hypocrisy. Ugh.

Ellen to me seems like a very strong lady, a caring woman and a kind woman. I do not know her, so this is just the persona that she lets us see. I appreciate all she has done with animal rights groups and I appreciate her and her wifes ‘vegan’ lifestyle. SO WHY THE HECK IS SHE THE SPOKESWOMAN FOR COVER GIRL???? HELLO??? You cannot say she needs the money as her talk show is like the #1 talk show around. The ladies LOVE her. She is a millionaire, yet she feels the need to shill Cover Girl cosmetics? Those animal testers? Really? When I first noticed she was working with them about a year ago I was so upset and as the time has gone by I get even more upset that no one has called her out on it. She is receiving all these humanitarian awards for helping animals YET she gets PAID millions to endorse the abuse and mistreatment of them for the sake of vanity. I mean she could not have just gone to Revlon? At least they have been animal testing free since the 90’s (they have yet to sign with The Leaping Bunny Program though) and their products are sold at all the same places Cover Girl is. Almay does not test on animals either and I see them at CVS, Target, Harmon all the usual spots. So Ellen gets the big thumbs down from me because she is a hypocrite who makes money off of being…well…a hycroite. Obviously Ellens bank account is not a animal friendly place.

My second bone to pick is with none other then the buxom blond Ms. Jenny McCarthy. Oh Jenny, where do I begin. This lady is always in the news yapping about something or another. Sometimes making sense, more then often NOT but that is not even really my issue with her. My issue is with her set of convenient morals. This chick is kind of LAME. She claims to be a Buddhist which is super cool if she really is. My big question is, how can one be a Buddhist yet inject BOTOX into their face? Botox is so HORRIBLE. I hope she knows that her lovely Botox is tested on and KILLS animals everyday. Not to mention that Botox is an actual living microorganism. Using Botox also goes against the basic Buddhist ‘Principal Of Equality’ that states all living entities are equal. All of this makes Jenny McCarthy not only a hypocrite, but a horrible Buddhist. How she has not been called out on this is beyond me. Not to mention she is frequently seen wearing Louboutins and YSL’s on her feet. Neither brand makes a vegan shoe line. I guess this is some new form of ‘ Buddhism/Veganism’ she is following. Seems to me Ms. McCarthy is all preach and no pratice and one of the WORST vegans EVER. Two thumbs down.

Buddhist?

Words Of Wisdom…If you say you are a vegan then just be a vegan. If you want to be a vegan in public and a hyprocrite on the low then just spare us all the babble about animal rights and your (part time) vegan lifestyle. Veganism is WAY more then just what you eat. Veganism is not some Hollyood trend. Respect all aspects of the lifestyle or do not claim it.  😉

http://angel4animals.com/animal-testing/animal-testing-dying-for-botox/ Animals and Botox Testing.

http://www.religioustolerance.org/buddhism1.htm Core Beliefs of Buddhism.

6 Degrees of Vegetarianism.

Image via Wikipedia

Well I think there truly are more then 6 degrees of people claiming to be ‘vegetarian’ these days, but when it really comes down to it most of them are not even close to being vegetarian. What I will do is take the ‘Top 6′ Most Popular Degrees of Vegetarianism‘ and explain them to you in the easiest way possible. I will state for the record that eating the flesh of any animal really ’86’s’ the whole vegetarian out of vegetarianism, but I respect some people’s dietary needs/religious/cultural situations so therefore will include fish eaters in this listing. I will attempt to start with the ‘most mild’ degree of vegetarianism and end with the ‘most intense’. I will not acknowledge terms like ‘Flexitarianism’ or ‘Semi-Vegetarianism’ on this list. Those are wonderful stepping stones to becoming a vegetarian, but I personally feel that for ethical and practical reasons they are not vegetarian lifestyles. Again I am NOT knocking those lifestyles by any means and I truly wish more people would embrace those lifestyles. Those lifestyles tend to lead to a full blown vegetarian or vegan lifestyle, which as we all know is a beautiful thing 😉

Here are my personal ‘6 Degrees of Vegetarianism’…

Degree #6 –  Pesco-vegetarianism or Pescetarianism
A pesco-vegetarian is a vegetarian who also eats seafood or sea animals, excluding sea mammals. They may also eat eggs or dairy products. This degree of vegetarianism is also known as a pescetarian. This is a very common form of vegetarianism in the Western World and also in the Far East.

Degree #5 – Macrobiotic Diet
The macrobiotic diet is a diet with many followers who believe in its health-promoting qualities. It contains mainly of unprocessed vegetarian foods such as whole grains, vegetables and beans. However, it is not a fully vegetarian diet as it sometimes contains fish. Sugar is avoided, and fruits are often also excluded or consumed in limited amounts.The macrobiotic diet stands out due to its extensive inclusion of sea vegetables, such as seaweeds. This is a more ‘trendy’ degree of vegetarianism in my opinion, unless it is being used for medical reasons.

Degree #4- Ovo-lacto-vegetarianism or Lacto-ovo-vegetarianism
An ovo-lacto-vegetarian or a lacto-ovo-vegetarian is a vegetarian who also eats eggs and dairy products such as milk, yogurt and cheese. The principal of this degree of vegetarianism is that animal food which is produced without causing death or suffering to the animals can be eaten. Another example of such foods would be honey. This seems to be the most popular degree of vegetarianism in the Western World and is easy to follow. Most people who I know that are vegetarians started at this degree and have stayed here or progressed to vegan.

Degree #3- Lacto-vegetarianism
A lacto-vegetarian is a vegetarian who also eats dairy products, such as milk, yogurt and cheese; the prefix “lacto” refers to dairy products. This degree of vegetarianism is sometimes also called a lactarian.

This is the degree of vegetarianism that I practice, I do not eat eggs or milk but I do get down with fat free yogurt and cheese and my guilty pleasure…butter. I am a complete vegan in my lifestyle choices though, I do not wear any animal hide, fur, no silk, no wool, no cashmere, no nothing animal related. I also do not use or condone the use of any products tested on animals, this is just so wrong in my opinion. It may sound crazy, but its quite easy to find great clothes and great skin care products that never caused any harm to an animal 😉

Degree #2- Veganism

Vegans do not eat any animal products at all, including eggs, dairy products, as well as processed foods which contain substances derived from animals, such as gelatin. Even honey is excluded.

I personally consider (and so do ALL Vegans I know), veganism to be more than just a diet, but also a lifestyle – a true Vegan does not use any animal products at all, not even for clothing or other purposes. The lifestyle is also against practices such as animal testing in laboratories and modern commercial livestock farming methods. This means to leather, suede, fur, wool, silk and no beauty products that are tested on animals.

Degree #1- Raw Veganism
A raw vegan is a vegan who only eats raw foods. Some define a raw vegan diet as one which consists of unprocessed foods which have not been heated above 46 degrees Celsius or 115 degrees Fahrenheit. The rationale is that foods which are heated above this temperature lose a significant portion of their nutrients, and can even become harmful to the human body when consumed. This is a crazy strict diet and one I would find impossible to follow, but more power to those who can make it happen. I eat tons of raw food but I need some cooking every once in a while.

I hope this helped to clear things up and gives you a better idea of where your lifestyles falls or where you want it to fall. Let it be known, that whichever degree you are on or choose to advance to, every little bit counts. Every meal you do not eat meat in, saves more then that animal… it saves water, grain, pollution and your body. Best of luck on your way to the degree of your choice 😉

Here is a Vegetarian Food Pyramid…

http://www.vegetariannutrition.org/food-pyramid.pdf

Here is a Vegan Food Pyramid…

http://www.chooseveg.com/vegan-food-pyramid.asp

Image via Wikipedia