Beyond Veganuary: How To Continue Your Vegan Journey

"It can take time and effort to implement new habits - but it is worth pushing through. A vegan lifestyle has huge positive impacts on animal suffering and the environment."

Beyond Veganuary: How To Continue Your Vegan Journey

The Official Animal Rights March Is Back For 2019

"In 2018, the annual vegan march, founded by the animal rights organization Surge, had over 28,000 global participants from four different countries."

The Official Animal Rights March Is Back For 2019

The 'Vegan Internet' Has Just Launched

"A new social network called VSOCIETY is now available in the UK and has attracted the attention of many plant-based influencers."

The 'Vegan Internet' Has Just Launched

8 Eco-Friendly Vegan Fabrics to Replace Wool - Without Plastic

"Innovations in textile development mean it's becoming much easier to ditch animal-derived materials and choose eco-friendly plant-derived options instead."

8 Eco-Friendly Vegan Fabrics to Replace Wool - Without Plastic

I Use Cruelty-Free Products

 

In my previous blogpost, titled, I'm an Animal Rights Activist, I mentioned how I now prefer to call myself an animal rights activist than calling myself a vegan, explaining why. In this similar blogpost, I want to mention that I also now prefer to say I use cruelty-free products instead of saying I use vegan products. Again, as mentioned in my previous blogpost, the word vegan is such a light, fluffy euphemistic word; it lacks the seriousness and power that the word cruelty-free has.

For instance, if someone offered me some ice cream, and I politely say, "No. I don't eat ice cream", they might say, "Hmmm. Since when? I saw you eating ice cream the other day." I could then say, "That was vegan ice cream; I only eat vegan food." Or I could make that statement more powerful in a social justice way by saying, "That was cruelty-free ice cream; I only eat cruelty-free food", bluntly making them realize (if they hadn't realized already) that ice cream is derived from cruelty.

See what I mean? 

We animal rights activists really should stop using--or at least minimize using--the word vegan. Vegan is a pretty word, but it lacks defined power. As a social justice cause, using words that defend animals should be as powerful as possible to make it perfectly clear what this social justice movement is all about. 

I'm an Animal Rights Activist

I like the name, "Vegan", I really do, and often in the past I have usually identified myself in the animal movement as a vegan, but the term is vague when it comes down to defining what this social justice movement is all about. Some people still look at me with a blank look on their face when I say I'm vegan. Therefore, from now on, I will rarely call myself vegan but instead, identify myself in a more straightforward way by saying I'm an...

Animal Rights Activist

It's a no-nonsense, well defined label. Plus, that name alone will cause people to think about how they treat animals. For instance, let's say I'm having brunch with someone for the first time. They order a meat sandwich and I order the only vegan sandwich on the menu. The person I'm having brunch with says to me, "Why didn't you order a meat sandwich? It's a bit too heavy to have so early in the morning?" I answer by saying, "No. I don't eat meat because I'm an animal rights activist."

So now they could think, 'Hmmm. I love animals too. Defending animals sounds like the right thing to do. But by eating meat that means I'm not being an activist for animals?'

See what I mean? If I had said, 'No. I do't eat meat because I'm a vegan,' they probably would not equate veganism with animal rights activism which both do mean the same thing, regardless of what some people believe. Veganism and animal rights activism may mean the same but the word vegan has become so bastardized and watered down to the point of tasting like water that most people when they hear the term vegan they think it as some sort of insignificant cult or club.

About a month ago, at work someone offered me some milk chocolate. I said to him, "No thanks. I'm a vegan." He said to me, "Oh, OK. Well, if you change your mind, the chocolate will be in the front in the lunchroom area."

Here I am, a staunch animal rights activist of 36 years and he has it in his mind that I will all of a sudden "change my mind" and stop being a vegan after 36 years! I told that to a meat-eating ex-boyfriend and even he was surprised at that co-worker's ignorance. People simply don't take the word vegan seriously.

Had I said to him, "No thanks. I'm an animal rights activist", do you think he would have thought I would immediately change my mind? I don't think so.

When choosing a term to represent yourself, choose wisely, as words speak volumes.

Cruelty-Free Travel

"There are plenty of vegan-friendly holiday destinations, but if you’re looking for a company to take the stress and strain of planning a trip away, but know that mainstream travel operators won’t cut it, then you could opt for a specifically vegan travel operator instead."

Cruelty free travel: 6 vegan tour operators you need to know about 

World Vegan Fashion Show 2016

Sustainable, Fairtrade & Vegan Fashion Week Berlin 2016

Defining Vegan Revisited

"Although the vegan diet was defined early on it was as late as 1949 before Leslie J Cross pointed out that the society lacked a definition of veganism and he suggested '[t]he principle of the emancipation of animals from exploitation by man'.This is later clarified as 'to seek an end to the use of animals by man for food, commodities, work, hunting, vivisection, and by all other uses involving exploitation of animal life by man'."

Read the entire post at: We’ve come a long way!

Hinduism Regarding a Veg*n Diet

*This is regarding the "diet part" of a veg*n life:

Lesson 28 from the book: Living with Siva

Reasons for Vegetarianism

Vegetarianism has for thousands of years been a principle of health and environmental ethics throughout India. Though Muslim and Christian colonization radically undermined and eroded this ideal, it remains to this day a cardinal ethic of Hindu thought and practice. A subtle sense of guilt persists among Hindus who eat meat, and there exists an ongoing controversy on this issue. The Sanskrit for vegetarianism is shakahara, and one following a vegetarian diet is a shakahari. The term for meat-eating is mansahara, and the meat-eater is called mansahari. Ahara means "food" or "diet," shaka means "vegetable," and mansa means "meat" or "flesh." 

Amazingly, I have heard people define vegetarian as a diet which excludes the meat of animals but does permit fish and eggs. But what really is vegetarianism? It is living only on foods produced by plants, with the addition of dairy products. Vegetarian foods include grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, milk, yogurt, cheese and butter. The strictest vegetarians, known as vegans, exclude all dairy products. Natural, fresh foods, locally grown without insecticides or chemical fertilizers are preferred. A vegetarian diet does not include meat, fish, shellfish, fowl or eggs. For good health, even certain vegetarian foods are minimized: frozen and canned foods, highly processed foods, such as white rice, white sugar and white flour; and "junk" foods and beverages--those with abundant chemical additives, such as artificial sweeteners, colorings, flavorings and preservatives. 

In the past fifty years millions of meat-eaters have made the decision to stop eating the flesh of other creatures. There are five major motivations for such a decision. 1) Many become vegetarian purely to uphold dharma, as the first duty to God and God's creation as defined by Vedic scripture. 2) Some abjure meat-eating because of the karmic consequences, knowing that by involving oneself, even indirectly, in the cycle of inflicting injury, pain and death by eating other creatures, one must in the future experience in equal measure the suffering caused. 3) Spiritual consciousness is another reason. Food is the source of the body's chemistry, and what we ingest affects our consciousness, emotions and experiential patterns. If one wants to live in higher consciousness, in peace and happiness and love for all creatures, then he cannot eat meat, fish, shellfish, fowl or eggs. By ingesting the grosser chemistries of animal foods, one introduces into the body and mind anger, jealousy, fear, anxiety, suspicion and a terrible fear of death, all of which are locked into the flesh of butchered creatures. 4) Medical studies prove that a vegetarian diet is easier to digest, provides a wider range of nutrients and imposes fewer burdens and impurities on the body. Vegetarians are less susceptible to all the major diseases that afflict contemporary humanity, and thus live longer, healthier, more productive lives. They have fewer physical complaints, less frequent visits to the doctor, fewer dental problems and smaller medical bills. Their immune system is stronger, their bodies purer and more refined, and their skin clearer, more supple and smooth. 5) Finally, there is the ecological reason. Planet Earth is suffering. In large measure, the escalating loss of species, destruction of ancient rainforests to create pasture lands for livestock, loss of topsoil and the consequent increase of water impurities and air pollution have all been traced to the single fact of meat in the human diet. No single decision that we can make as individuals or as a race can have such a dramatic effect on the improvement of our planetary ecology as the decision to not eat meat. Many conscious of the need to save the planet for future generations have made this decision for this reason and this reason alone. 

6 Tips for Losing Weight on a Vegan Diet

"Anyone looking to lose weight, conversion to a plant-based regimen and weight loss are not always synonymous. Many who switch to a vegan diet for weight-loss reasons often find themselves filling the meatless void with an array of plant-based processed food. Luckily, a veg diet is so much more than packaged food that just happens to be animal-free, especially for those looking to lose weight."

Check out some tips for losing weight on a vegan diet here:

6 Tips for Losing Weight on a Vegan Diet

*Please see your physician first before starting any weight-loss program.

Vegan Wines

While most beers are vegan-friendly, a lot of wines are not.
Read more: 
Buying vegan wine is as easy as checking for ‘unfiltered’ on the label
You can also check out this blog, V-EGANISM, at the bottom of the home page for links to lists of vegan wines.

Cities for Vegan Travelers

Planning on doing some world traveling this summer?

Here are 10 cities that make traveling cruelty-free more delicious and satisfying:

The Top 10 Cities for vegan Travelers

Pro-Vegan Stickers on Meat

"A customer says she was shocked and felt "emotionally blackmailed" after finding an anti-meat sticker on a packet of spaghetti bolognaise.

Leah Mallett bought the ready meal at a Morrisons supermarket in Leeds.

Marc Gurney, who runs a vegan campaign in Brighton, says he wants people to think about what they're eating."

Read more here at:

'Why I stick pro-vegan stickers on meat in supermarkets'

Your Home and Companion Animal

"Whether you become a vegan for health reasons or due to ethical values and beliefs, you may want to look into making your entire home vegan. This can be a segmented process that requires some consideration, since most people do not realize how many of the products and materials in their homes come from animals. It may be a long, and at first expensive, process, but if you are committed to the cause it will be worth it in the end."

Here are some tips:

Veganism: Your Guide to Veganising Everything in your Home

Here are more ideas for creating a animal-friendly, stylish and comfortable home for you and your dog:

Is your home 'best friend' proof?

Vegan Weddings

I know this is short notice tips for planning any wedding for this year but if you want to change a thing or two, here are some great ideas (or ideas for a next year wedding):


"Once considered a fringe movement, veganism is now mainstream and options are more available than ever before.
Beyond food, couples can now opt for non-animal product versions of nearly anything you'd find at a wedding."

To read more: 10 tips for planning a vegan wedding

"There are so many easy ways to “veganize” your nuptials—whether you want an intimate indie love fest or a royal-level extravaganza, planning a vegan wedding has never been so fun and easy."

To read more: How to Plan the Perfect #VeganWedding

"Wedding planning is inherently stressful, so planning a vegan wedding may seem completely overwhelming, since nearly every element of the wedding requires extra consideration—dress, cake, caterer, wedding favors and so forth. But don’t despair, it’s easier than you think! In this guide we’ve broken down everything to show that veganizing your special day is not only possible but easier than you may imagine."

To read more: Vegan Wedding Guide

And one more thing: CONGRATULATIONS! 

Holiday: 40+ Vegan Easter Recipes for Everyone to Love!

Below is a link to fantastic vegan recipes for you and your friends/family during Easter--or at any time.

Holiday: 40+ Vegan Easter Recipes for Everyone to Love!

P.S. I plan to post more often here (at least once a week), so stay tuned for more soon!

Fall 2015 Fashion Trends: Vegan Leather Picks

On-trend outfit obsession and adoration for all things eco-chic means vegan leather wins as a style staple, while hitting the mark in the sustainability category as well! Check out these great outfits:

Fall 2015 Fashion Trends: Vegan Leather Picks To Add To Your Closet

Vegan Fashion and Accessories, Vegan Bodycare and House Products

Since I have talked mostly about animal rights veganism here, I now want to also do blogposts on the often forgotten other cruelty-free items (products besides vegan food and vegan cosmetics).

Sadly, I rarely hear podcasts and bloggers post about vegan fashion and accessories, vegan bodycare and vegan household products; so look for more blogposts about these items.