The Meatless Monday Movement

I'm a vegetarian; something you've probably picked up from previous posts. I haven't consumed meat in about a year and a half. I never ate a lot of meat, and as time went on, it just began grossing me out more and more. I was unable to eat without really thinking about where it came from, or what the animal went through.

Recently, a friend of mine posted on Facebook how she and her daughter were eating chicken tenders. Her daughter then asked, "Is this a chicken?" and mimicked the movements and sounds of chicken.
My friend answered, "Yes. It came from a chicken."
Her daughter then asked, "What did they do with the feathers and the heart."
My friend was then unable to finish eating.. because she actually had to think about what her food really was, and where it really came from.

That example is profound to me.

Paul McCartney has said, "If slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone would be a vegetarian." There's probably some truth to that. If you can't keep eating meat, even while thinking or talking about where it came from.. perhaps you shouldn't be eating it at all. But factory farming has made our society so detached from the whole process; oblivious to the brutality and dirty conditions in which most of our food supply are kept.

As a side note, I want to include a little something for the hunters here. While I don't think I could ever do it, or eat meat that was produced from it, I have a dramatically higher respect for those that will put in the time and effort to gain meat from its natural habitat. In recent human history, that is how it was done. Meat was a rare indulgence, and it was hunted, as the animals got to enjoy a life of freedom, in their natural habitat, and then nothing was wasted. Though still not an ideal outcome for the animal, it is far better than the cruelty suffered in most "farmed" animals. And I also give hunters credit for knowing exactly where their meals come from. It doesn't get more "local" or transparent than that.

My beef (pun intended), is moreso with the factory farms that raise animals for the sole purpose of consumption. Kept in small crates or pens for their entire lives. Pumped full of antibiotics and unnatural foods. And then slaughtered in very inhumane ways.

If you want to learn more about factory farming, I would suggest you watch Food Inc. and visit sites such as Meat.org (be aware that the video at Meat.org is graphic, I've actually been unable to make it through without crying).

But here's the deal. I'm a realist. I know that I will never convince everyone to give up meat. My husband, for example, has no intention of becoming a vegetarian; but I have at least convinced him to only eat local (preferrably organic) meats.. to lower the environmental impact, and so that he can actual see how the animals are raised; if he chooses to. Not to mention the improvement to his health.

In meeting me halfway, he's actually changed from eating meat several times a day, to eating meat maybe once or twice per week. Of course, he occassionally slips up, but the impact it has made for him to consume 1/6th the meat he used to, isn't lost on me.

Again, though, I know it's not realistic for most people to make such a leap. Others are also aware of this fact. That's how the Meatless Monday movement was born. I first came across the movement as I noticed Tweets with the hashtag #MeatlessMonday. I then discovered there was a group and website dedicated to the movement.

The idea behind Meatless Mondays is to convince meat-eaters to give up meat.. for just ONE day. Doing so will improve their health, help the environment, and show them how easy it is to eat without cruelty. It also is a simple way to bring awareness to factory farming.

Here's a few factoids for you:

• United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization estimates the meat industry generates nearly one-fifth of the man-made greenhouse gas emissions that are increasing climate change worldwide.. way more than our transportation systems are creating.
• The water needs of livestock are tremendous, far above those of vegetables or grains.
• Giving up meat, even if just for one day, will likely improve your health by reducing risk factors for obesity, cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.

Seems like a win-win-win, right? A win for the planet. An obvious win for the animals that won't need to be slaughtered. And a win for your own health.

There really is no downside.

I understand that some people love meat, and would eat steak for every meal if they could. I will likely never convince such a person to go vegetarian. My hope, and the hope of everyone behind this movement, though.. is to get them to put down the meat for just one day per week.

Please help spread the word about this movement, and take a pledge to do it yourself at http://www.meatlessmonday.com/join-the-movement/

Then, arm yourself with some vegetarian/vegan cookbooks, such as The Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone

or look to the plethora of vegetarian recipes online.

And please remember, when eating out, that ordering something and then "picking off the meat" does no good; except perhaps for your health. But the idea here is to reduce the demand for meat. So it must not be bought or ordered. I had to remind my husband of this once, when he ordered potato skins with bacon, and informed me he would just pick the bacon off. I had to explain that it still created the demand for more bacon, and in fact, wasted the meat an animal gave its life for.

So, I implore you. Don't WASTE meat. Just don't order it, or cook it, for 24 hours. An animal, somewhere in the word, thanks you. I thank you.

 

Bunnies Are Cute; Unnecessary Animal Testing Is Not

Don't you agree? The idea that they're stored in cages, covered in chemicals, with irritants sprayed in their eyes, and forced to ingest products.. to test consumer goods for our safety. It's sad, and for the most part, unnecessary.

Of course, it's not just bunnies. It's everything from mice, to farm animals, to beagles.

Yes, we don't often think of domesticated dogs as research animals, but it is done. If you want to help with that cause specifically, please check out the Beagle Freedom Project (a program from ARME).

Video of Beagle Freedom Project's second rescue.

Listen, the realist part of me understands the need.. possibly.. for some animal testing. And we can't undo what we've done. So, I don't begrudge anyone using the information we've already learned. But there should be an end-point. Sure, animal research has provided us with great insight in the medical field, animal behavior and genetic studies, and psychology. Our life expectancies have over quadrupled. We've found vaccines, cures, and treatments for countless diseases. I think it's enough. I would never say, "Yes, let's kill a thousand innocent animals to save one human."

But I get that not everyone feels that way. So, the issue we're focusing on right now isn't necessarily medical research; but all the testing done for cosmetics, cleaners, and household goods. There is NO good reason for this to be common practice. We know plenty of chemicals that are safe. We have thousands of natural compounds that can be used and are non-toxic. There's no need to harm and animal so we can have smoother foundation or brighter whites.

In reality, many results from animal testing prove to have no relevance to us. We are a different animal, so we obviously have different reactions to products/medicines. For testing on things like cosmetics, human testing is all that is needed; and poses no great risk to anyone doing the testing. The difference is, we humans can say, "Hey, this hurts." and decide to quit. These animals get no say. They have no 'safety' word to get things to stop.

So, if you feel this cause to go as cruelty-free as possible, is as important as I do.. I want to make you aware of an organization and logo that you might not be aware of. It's called Leaping Bunny.

See that little bunny logo? Train yourself to look for that on products.

Did you know that a lot of companies make themselves look better by saying they do no testing on animals; when in reality, they have their testing outsourced.. so they themselves aren't doing it. Or they use ingredients that have been tested on animals, but then just don't test the final product. But with Leaping Bunny, you don't have to worry about that.

For companies to carry the Leaping Bunny logo, they must make a voluntary pledge that their company will clear animal testing from all stages of product development. The company's ingredient suppliers make the same pledge and the result is a product guaranteed to be 100 percent free of new animal testing.

Some of my favorite companies that carry the Leaping Bunny logo are Burt's Bees, Modern Minerals (reviewed in previous blog), Tom's of Maine, Priti NYC, Seventh Generation.. just to name a few.

You can view the entire list of cruelty-free companies HERE.

Please use that link. The site even has a pocket-guide, so you can take it shopping with you.

And please, please beware other logos for 'cruelty-free.' They often use little bunny pictures as well. Remember that only the official Leaping Bunny logo promises no testing in ANY stage of development.

All That Glitters: Modern Minerals Makeup

Do you like playing with makeup? This is the review for you.

I grew up obsessed with makeup. In fact, I remember twisting my grandpa's arm so much that he'd lay on the living room floor, while I put makeup on his face. There he was, a World War II vet, with bright pink blush and blue eyeshadow. Luckily, my skills have improved since then.. and I no longer subject old men to my habits.

I've tried so many make-up brands. From the dollar store, to the department store. I've even been an Avon lady. But my world changed when I found mineral makeup.

I adored the idea of using fewer ingredients.. So, I started where many people start; with BareMinerals. I enjoyed them, and I stopped using almost all standard cosmetics. But then, I came across a cleanser I wanted to try. Problem was, this cleanser specifically stated to not use it with mineral cosmetics. Ugh. So I put my BareMinerals aside.

After several months, realizing the cleanser wasn't really doing anything special for me, and that I missed my mineral makeups, I decided to go back. But by then, I had discovered a new brand: Modern Minerals. I ordered some of their 'light' foundations, a few different eyeshadows, and a face/body shimmer.

Why Modern Minerals? Well, their cosmetics are cruelty-free and vegan friendly. They never test on animals, and their containers are recycleable. They also don't use carmine (BareMinerals does). If you don't know what carmine is, don't worry, I didn't either. But it's a coloring developed by boiling insects. Eh. You can read all about it on Wikipedia.

If that's not enough reasons for you.. then there's the fact that they're super affordable. AND unlike other cosmetic companies, Modern Minerals has little "try me" sizes, so you can try before dropping full price on a color that you won't end up liking (which I doubt would happen anyway). But as of the time of this post, you can get the trial size for just $1.50, a medium size (modular mini) for $5.00, and the full size eyeshadows for just $10.00.

So, it costs less than BareMinerals, doesn't use carmine, and is made in the United States. Win. Win. Win. In fairness, many of you are probably aware that BareMinerals foundation does have an SPF. Modern Minerals makes no such claims. Though, it is worth noting that BareMinerals states that the SPF in their product comes from Titanium Dioxide. That ingredient is also present in Modern Minerals.

All in all, I think it strongly competes, if not wins in a side by side comparison with BareMinerals. What about your standard cosmetics? No question. Modern Minerals wins.

Let's just compare the ingredient list for the foundation I used before, and the Modern Minerals foundation.

Regular foundation (Cover Girl): Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Tridecyl Neopentanoate, Titanium Dioxide, Propylene Glycol, PEG-10 Dimethicone, PCA Dimethicone, Cyclohexasiloxane, Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl, Taurate Copolymer, Squaline, Phenoxyethanol, Isopropyl Titanium Trisostearate, Butylene Glycol, Methylparaben, Ammonium Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer, Cyclomethicone, Propylparaben, Cyclotetrasiloxane, Polysorbate 60, Styrene/Acrylates Copolyner, Trisodium EDTA, Zinc Oxide, Iron Oxides. May contain: Yellow 5 Lake, Red 36

Modern Minerals: Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Zinc Oxide, Iron Oxides

Which one do you want on your face every single day?

But does it work? Does it provide coverage? Do the eyeshadows sparkle? Well, I did a test run for you. I used EcoTools (which will be my next review) to apply all of it. And you should know that I did use an eyeshadow primer, made by EyesLipsFace or e.l.f.; as it was the most 'natural' primer I could find, and my eyelids tend to get oily and crease my eyeshadow.

So, first, I covered my entire face with the Light Almond foundation. And though the Light Olive foundation was far too 'yellow' for my skin, it covered my undereye circles fabulously; using my EcoTools concealer brush. At the time, I was breaking out (due to medications), so I found that wetting my brush with a tiny bit of water allowed me to dab it on like a liquid concealer. Covered everything completely.

Some of you may use blush, but I can't really provide reviews for that. My cheeks are always rosey, and since I was drinking this evening anyway.. I knew blush was completely unnecessary for me.

Then, for the fun part... the eyes.

I have a thing for purples. So I got my colors all ready. Creme Fraiche, Lotus, Mulberry, and the Translucent Shimmer for face and body. That's it.

Personally, I was doing the technique for a smoky eye, but keeping it a little lighter and with shimmer (it was for my birthday night out).

Step-by-step:
Liner: I used the Mulberry, Lotus, and Shimmer as liners, going from the outside edge.. going from dark to light. I used a technique called 'foiling' that really concentrates the shimmer. Just dab your liner brush in water, then dip it into the color. As you apply it, it'll go on like a liquid liner. I did this on both the upper and lower lashes.

Shadow: Using an angled eyeshadow brush, I applied Mulberry into the crease of my eye, and on the outer edge of the lid. I then applied Lotus to the rest of the lid. Lastly, I put the Shimmer on the inner corners of my eyes and on the brow bone.

And a final look at my overall face:

All photos are un-retouched, no color correction, etc.

The makeup lasted all night without any issues. I have an oily t-zone, and I didn't even have to touch up between dinner and drinks. And that's the Truth + Beauty of Modern Minerals ;-)

Clearly, I've found my new go-to makeup. Modern Minerals.