Book review: Animal Liberation.

 Wow, I can't believe it's been a month since I've updated the blog! In that time, I've been busy going to job interviews, volunteering, reading, and running my Etsy shop. I just wanted to write a short review of one of the books I just finished called "Animal Liberation" by Peter Singer. When reading this review, keep in mind that there have been several editions published over the years. This review pertains to the 1990 edition (it's a library book). Anyway, I found this book very informative. Mr. Singer is a philosopher and he presents a very good moral argument for animal rights. He begins the book by explaining how he became a vegetarian and presents his argument that humans and other animals should be given equal consideration. Next, he details many of the cruel experiments conducted by private labs and the government. What's really chilling is that much of the information in this chapter comes from direct quotes of the researchers themselves. He reveals several facts that the public at large isn't aware of: the fact that the vast majority of animal experiments are not considered important enough to warrant publication in the scientific journals, and the fact that many of the "experiments" done do not yield any new information. He gives an example of one experiment paid for by the US Public Health Service in which 33 dogs were put in a chamber heated to 113 degrees Fahrenheit and forced to exercise on a treadmill. 25 of the 33 dogs died. The survivors were put into a 122 degree chamber (without the treadmill) in which all but two of them died in 24 hours. The conclusion that they reached was that the outcome was consistent with all the previous literature on heat exposure and heat stroke in humans (which there was a lot of)! You can find the full description of the experiment on page 63.

In the next chapter, he explains (in graphic detail) exactly what happens on factory farms. This chapter is not for the squeamish, because he doesn't pull any punches! He describes the horrible conditions that cows, pigs, chickens, ect are forced to endure. He talks a great deal about battery cages, gestation crates, and the veal industry. The next time someone says "why don't you eat eggs/drink milk? No animals are harmed to get those", hand them the book and tell them to read chapter 3 and see how mistaken they are.

The fourth chapter is dedicated to the benefits of a vegetarian diet and how to make the transition. The only objection I have to this chapter is that he stops short of recommending veganism. While Mr. Singer does advise the reader to avoid dairy and battery eggs, he states that he sees nothing wrong with "free range" eggs. To his credit, Mr. Singer made a statement after this edition was published in which he said that he is slowly becoming more vegan as the years go by. Let's hope he becomes a full vegan soon!

The final two chapters deal with speciesism, or the belief that only humans have rights and that we can do whatever we want to animals. In these chapters, he explores how speciest thought has been ingrained in humans over the centuries and dismantles many speciest arguments.

Overall, I really liked the book. I feel that it has the potential to educate both devout steak lovers and veteran vegans.While some may argue about whether or not speciesism is as much of a concern as racism or sexism, one cannot argue that the farming and experimental methods described are beyond cruel. I highly recommend reading this book at least once. You can pick up the latest edition on Amazon.com

Have a happy hippie day!

About Honey

One of greatest debates in the vegan world is whether or not honey is vegan. Some people see no problem with honey and will continue to eat it while avoiding meat, dairy, eggs and other animal products. Others, like the Vegan Society and the American Vegan Society, see it differently. Their official stance is that since bees are animals, honey is not vegan. After much research, I have came to the conclusion that The Vegan Society is correct and I have completely given up honey. Some of you may be asking "why would you do that?" The reasons are simple: bee's collect honey for the hive to use as food. They do not give it to us of their own free will, we have to take it by force. Therefore, when you take honey from the hive, you are stealing the bee's food. Secondly, there are reports of beekeepers sometimes killing bees deliberately, so there is a chance that cruelty may be involved. So in light of that information, it becomes clear that it is best to avoid honey.

If you are used to using honey, you can take comfort in the fact that there are vegan substitutes available. One of the best is agave nectar. Agave nectar comes from the agave plant, which grows in the Southern US and Mexico. It is used as an ingredient in Tequila, and can be used to replace honey in anything that calls for it. I bought my first jar of agave nectar yesterday and I really like it. It tastes different than honey, but it is very sweet and delicious. You can pick up several different types of agave nectar at most natural food stores. In some areas, it may also be available at mainstream stores like Wal-Mart and Target (which is where I bought mine).

For more info on why honey isn't vegan, please see the following article:
Why Don't Vegans Eat Honey?

Thanks for reading and God Bless!

A Word of Caution About Kellogg's Products and Good News About Yankee Candles!

I'm not much of a cereal eater, but I do enjoy a bowl once in a while. Growing up, I really liked Kellogg's Raisin Bran cereal. So last week I decided to e-mail Kellogg's and see if it was vegan. Here is the reply I received:

Sarah,

 

Thank you for your recent email regarding the vitamins in Kellogg's Raisin Bran® cereal, we are happy to provide the following information.

 

The vitamin premixes used in Kellogg products include Vitamin D. Our ingredient specification for Vitamin D says that we can use either Vitamin D2 or D3 in our products. Vitamin D3 is derived from lanolin, a waxy substance secreted from the skin of wool bearing animals. Vitamin D2 is not animal-derived. In either case, the vitamin premix is Kosher certified.

 

Unfortunately with this product we cannot say specifically which Vitamin D is used in the product. I apologize!

 

To determine if a product will fit into your specific dietary preferences, please visit www.kelloggs.com. Please let us know if we can assist you further by calling 1-800-962-1413.

 

 

Sincerely,

 

 

Nikki Weitnauer

Consumer Specialist

Consumer Affairs

Needless to say, I was disappointed to hear this. If you know of any other raisin bran type cereal that is vegan, please leave a comment and let me know.

On the flip side, I also received good news about Yankee Candles. As anyone who knows me could tell you, I LOVE scented candles. I usually make my own, but I do occasionally buy one and the ones I buy are usually Yankee.  They always look beautiful and come in scents that I cannot make at home. I even went to their flagship store in Williamsburg Va. about two years ago, which was a lot of fun. Unfortunately, some brands of candles are not vegan. I sent an e-mail to Yankee to inquire about their wax, and this is the e-mail that I received in reply:

 

Dear Sarah,

 

Thank you for being a valued Yankee Candle guest and taking time to write us with your product questions.

 

Our candles are not animal tested.  And do not contain any animal or insect ingredients.  They are made with a food grade paraffin wax.  I hope this information is helpful. 

 

If we can be of further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us.

 

Sincerely,

Anna B.

Customer Loyalty Team
Yankee Candle Co.
1-877-803-6890

I was extremely HAPPY to get this e-mail. So while I have to give up one old favorite, I get to keep the other. Overall, I am pleased with that.

Thai Crystal Deodorant Stone Review

A few days ago, I developed an allergy to the patchouli scented deodorant that I posted about a few days go. That meant that I had to throw it out and start my search for a vegan deodorant all over again. I remembered seeing an interesting product at my local health food store called Thai Deodorant Stone, so I decided to research it a bit. I found the stone on Amazon.com and saw that it had lots of favorable reviews, so I decided to go down the the store and purchase one. I have worn it for two days now, and so far I really like it. It's MUCH more effective than the patchouli scented deodorant, that's for sure! I worked out in my yard in 80 degree heat for about 30-45 minutes and it held up very well. The stone is made of 100% mineral salt and the company that makes it (Deodorant Stones LLC) proudly states in large letters on their front page that they are against all forms of animal testing. The stone is aluminum free although it does contain potassium alum, which is similar to but not the same as the aluminum chloride in conventional deodorant/anti-perspirants. The deodorant comes in several different forms: a small and large stone, small and large stick (exactly the same as the stone, but in a holder), roll-on, spray, and powder. The stones are a bit pricey, ranging from $4 for the small stone to $10 for the largest. However, it should be noted that the Deodorant Stone website says that the travel sized stone lasts over three months and the largest stone lasts over a year. If those claims are true, you will definitely get your money's worth! Overall, I think that the Thai Deodorant stone is a good product and I recommend it.

Where to buy:
Most health food stores
www.deodorantstones.com
http://www.amazon.com/Thai-Deodorant-Stone-Stick-4-25/dp/B000AN1JEI

Vegan Lip Balm

I often suffer from dry, cracked lips. Unfortunately, all of the lip balms I found in the stores contain lanolin, beeswax, or both. I went online to see if there were any vegan lip balms available. I found some, but they are about $5 for ONE tube. Also, there's the fact that I live in Florida where it's often 80 degrees in Jan. If it had to stay all day in the mailbox, it would be reduced to a puddle! Thankfully, I found a recipe for lip balm online. I was also able to order empty lip balm tubes on Etsy. They arrived today, so I decided to make my first batch tonight. After some tweaking (the recipe makes 15 tubes, while I made less than 10) and some mess, I finally have 8 tubes of cruelty free lip balm. I made 6 of them plain, and used candy flavoring to make two cherry flavored tubes. It feels great to know for a fact that my lip balm is free of animal testing/ingredients, weird chemicals, and slave labor. The balm feels great and makes my lips very soft. The recipe I used is below. You have a choice of different oils. The ones I used in my balms are in bold.
You'll need:

1 oz hard wax (soy wax works well)

1 oz solid-at-room-temperature oil (coconut oil, avocado oil, mango butter, or shea butter)

.75 - .8 oz another additional hard-at-room-temperature oil (cocoa butter, floral waxes, or palm oil/vegetable shortening)

2 oz liquid oil (jojoba oil or olive oil)

Essential oils (optional, your choice) - maximum 8 drops for each lip balm

Microwave-safe cup or bowl with pour spout

Digital scale sensitive to at least .1 oz (a postage scale will usually work for this)

Stirring spoon

Dropper (I didn't have a dropper, so I bought a $2 flavor injector syringe which worked very well)

Lip balm tubes/jars/tins (up to 15)

1. Place your microwave-safe cup on the scale and turn it on. Measure your oils and waxes into the cup.
2. Place it in the microwave and heat in 30-second increments until almost completely melted; remove and stir to finish melting.
3. Add 8 drops of essential oils for each lip balm (use any combination of essential oils listed below, just make it a maximum of 8 drops per balm).
4. Stir the oil in very thoroughly to prevent separation, then use the dropper to dispense the balm into the containers.

Allow the balm to completely cool and harden before applying a cap. This recipe makes about 5 ounces of lip balm, enough for about 15 lip balms in a typical 1/3 ounce container.

Recipe source: How to Make Vegan Lip Balm | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_4450466_make-vegan-lip-balm.html#ixzz1l0pmmFCg

 

I bought lip balm containers like this in black. You can get 10 of them for $5 including shipping at CountrySoapShack

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well, that's all for now. If you decide to try this recipe, please tells us what you think. Toodles!

My Favorite Things From The EtsyVeg group

I recently joined a great Etsy group called EtsyVeg, which is for vegan/vegetarian crafters on Etsy. I have decided to share some of my favorite items made by EtsyVeg members. Keep in mind that just because I list something here it doesn't mean I've actually purchased anything from the seller.

1. Vegan Gluten Free Pumpkin Doughnuts.

Yes, you can buy vegan goodies online! These doughnuts are available for $15 from VeganLotus



2. Harry Potter Blanket

I'm a HUGE Harry Potter Fan, so naturally I LOVE this blanket!  Unfortunately, I don't have $200! If you do, you can get this at Magglepie

3. Batman Recycled Wallet.

A vegan wallet made from recycled comic books. Very cool! $10 from Polyester10

Product Review: Kiss My Face Active Enzyme Deodorant

A few weeks ago, I was browsing one of my local independently owned natural food stores and I came across this deodorant. I've been looking for a natural, cruelty free alternative to the deodorants that I had been using, so I decided to give it a try. I have been using it for two days now and I am ready to tell you the pros and cons.

PROS

1. It clearly states on the back label that it is 100% vegan friendly (it's always great when you don't have to spend several minutes trying to decipher ingredients)!
2. No aluminum
3. No parabens
4. No propylene glycol
5. No artificial colors
6. It has the wonderful, distinctive scent of Patchouli Essential Oil
7. It's made in the USA.
8. It's 100% biodegradable.
9. Kiss My Face was founded and is owned by vegetarians.
10. There is a peace sign on the label (I am a hippie after all)!

CONS

1. It is NOT an anti-perspirant.
2. It's not as strong as my old deodorant.
3. It's  a bit expensive ($6 for ONE stick)

As far as performance goes, I give this deodorant 3 out of 5 stars. I've noticed that I can smell a bit of B.O. if I've been moderately active. If you naturally sweat a lot or plan to spend a lot of time outdoors in a hot climate this deodorant may not work for you. If you spend most of your time indoors, you might want to give it a try. Do I see myself buying again? Maybe, but only if I can't find another vegan deodorant that works better. Kiss My Face also makes a deodorant line called "Active Life" that comes in patchouli. I plan on trying that when this stick runs out. If that doesn't work any better, I will try another brand like J.A.S.O.N. That's my opinion.

Where to buy it:
1. Your local family owned health food store.
2. Amazon.com