Cruelty Free Shampoo and Soaps

Each year, more than 100 million animals—including mice, rats, frogs, dogs, cats, rabbits, hamsters, guinea pigs, monkeys, fish, and birds—are killed in U.S. laboratories for biology lessons, medical training, curiosity-driven experimentation, and chemical, drug, food, and cosmetics testing.

The Live Clean® brand was created with a simple vision: to create high-performance skin and hair care products that celebrated beauty while honoring the earth. None of their products are tested on animals, they are free of harmful chemicals, and their plant based ingredients are sourced locally. The are available in stores everywhere. Click here to find a location near you. You can also purchase them on Amazon. 

Please make a difference in an animals life and chose cruelty-free products.

Today's Cruelty Free Product

Eco Max - In Canada

An environmentally responsible company producing cruelty-free cleaning/laundry products. One of the first Canadian manufacturers to register their environmentally friendly cleaners with EcoLogo. You can buy on line here or find them at your local supermarket in the organic section and they are quite often on sale.

Method Products - USA

Method is a cruelty free company who consider the past, present and future implications in everything they do. Again you can shop on line here or find them in your local grocery store. If they don't carry these products, ask them too. Your dollars speak volumes.

Just One Change Makes A Difference In An Animals Life

We destroy their habitats, we hunt them for trophies to hang on our walls, we put them through tortuous testing just to have another choice of laundry soap or mascara. We cram them into impossibly small enclosures and force feed them corn, antibiotics and hormones. We dump our garbage into the oceans and poison their homes. We wear their skins, cut off their horns and fins. We lock them in zoos and aquariums and pay to see them perform at circuses after they have been beaten into submission. We are destructive, cruel and selfish and it needs to end! We MUST makes changes in our lives to protect the animals of this earth and stop this disgusting behavior now!

Here are a few easy steps YOU can take to help put an end to the horrendous treatment of the animals we share this planet with:

- Only buy products that are NOT tested on animals. This is very easy to do. DId you know that most of the cleaning products out there are tested on dogs whose feet never touch the ground their entire lives? There are tons of sites out there listing these products. Here is one.  

- Stop wearing leather and source cruelty free and socially responsible brands. Again it is easy to google this and find them. Here is a short list.

- One of the biggest impacts you can have is to become vegan or at least vegetarian. If you believe this is too much for you to do all at once, begin by picking two days a week to eat a vegan or vegetarian meal. Here is a bunch of great recipes to start you off. You will feel better and you will save countless lives.

 - Use egg replacements or buy ONLY pasture raised eggs. Cage free and free range are only marketing terms and mean nothing when it comes to the treatment of the animals. Here is one you can try.

- Speak out!! Sign the petitions, share information. Go to Facebook and Instagram sites and tell companies that you will NOT accept their treatment of animals any longer. Tell everyone and anyone who will listen that is not okay to hunt animals for trophies, it is not okay to lock dolphins and whales up in small tanks, it is not okay to beat elephants into submission so someone can ride them!

- STOP visiting zoo's, aquariums and circuses who use animals for entertainment. Without your money they cannot exist.

- Make sure your sunscreen is reef safe and clean up after yourself when you visit beaches and waterways. Here is a safe sunscreen. 

- There are millions of animals locked up in shelters and rescues - Adopt don't shop! Put the breeders out of business, and hopefully we can put the shelters out of business too.

- Teach our children to be respectful of ALL animals. 

We can no longer be complacent! It is up to us to give our voices to those who have none. We all need to be better versions of ourselves, and we need to do it now!

Pre and Post Workout Vegan Meals

photo by www.onegreenplanet

Black Bean Beet Burgers - 4 servings

-   ½ cup cooked quinoa
-   ½ cup each: chopped onion and chopped mushrooms and chopped walnuts (ground)
-   1 large can of black beans, rinsed and drained
-   ½ cup grated raw beet
-   1 tsp each: cumin, chili powder and garlic powder
-   Salt & pepper
-   olive oil

DIRECTIONS:
-   Heat a pan on medium heat with a bit of olive oil and add mushrooms and onions, salt & pepper and cook for about 8 minutes.
-   Remove from heat and add beans and mash slightly – needs to have some texture.
-   Add mixture to a large bowl and add beets, quinoa, spices and mix.
-   Add walnut meal a little at a time until the mixture is thick enough to form into patties. Set in fridge to chill while oven heats up to 375 F. If cooing in pan, just chill for about 15 minutes.
-   Put on baking sheet sprayed with a bit of oil and cook for about 30-35 minutes.
-   If using a pan, spray with a bit of oil and cook on medium high for about 4 minutes per side

LEMON LIME RECOVERY DRINK

-   4 large dates, pits removed
-   2 cups of water
-   1 Tbsp each: Hemp protein and ground Salba
-   2 Tbsp sprouted buckwheat
-   Juice from ½ lemon and lime
-   ½ tsp lemon zest
-   1 tsp each: ground dulse flakes, maca and greens powder (chlorella or spirulina)

DIRECTIONS:
-   Blend all ingredients in a blender.

OPTIONS
-   Replace Salba with chia seeds or one egg replacement
-   Replace dulce flakes with nori or sea vegetable flakes
-   Replace maca powder with cacao powder

Easy Vegan Salad Dressings - Make Your Own

Unfortunately most of the salad dressing options out there contain a ton of ingredients that can include some pretty nasty stuff. Here are some easy recipes to make your own. Don't forget to experiment with the flavors you love!

photo by connoisseurusveg.com

AVOCADO SALAD DRESSING

-  1 avocado
-  2 cloves of garlic
-  1 Tbsp lime or lemon juice
-  3 Tbsp olive oil
-  Salt, pepper and water

DIRECTIONS:
-  Throw everything into a food processor or blender and add water a little at a time to get the right consistency. About 4 servings.

EASY CREAMY DRESSING

-  3 Tbsp Vegan Mayo
-  1 Tbsp each: Apple Cider Vinegar and maple syrup
-  ½ tsp each: minced garlic and onion OR garlic powder, onion powder, PLUS pepper, salt
-  1 tsp Dijon mustard

DIRECTIONS:
-  Mix everything together and let sit for about 30 minutes. 2 servings.

BALSAMIC DRESSING

- 2 Tbsp each: Balsamic Vinegar and Olive oil
-  ½ tsp each: minced garlic (or garlic powder), mustard, salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS:
-  Mix everything together and let sit for about 30 minutes. 2 servings. 

SWEET MUSTARD DRESSING

-  2 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
-  1 Tbsp each: Olive Oil, Red Wine Vinegar, Maple Syrup
-  ½ tsp each: minced garlic or garlic powder, salt, pepper

DIRECTIONS:
-  Mix everything together and let sit for about 30 minutes. 2-3 servings.

CREAMY POPPYSEED

-  2 Tbsp each: Vegan mayo and Apple Cider vinegar
-  1 Tbsp each: Maple syrup (or agave) and poppy seeds
-  1 tsp each:  Dijon mustard, Olive oil, lemon juice, chopped shallots or onion
-  ½ tsp each: minced garlic or garlic powder, salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS:
-  Chop the shallots or onions fine and garlic if using and mix everything together and let sit for about 30 minutes. 2 servings.

SPICY LIME DRESSING

-  2 limes zested and juiced or 1/3 cup of bottled lime juice
-  1 Tbsp each: agave or maple syrup AND Apple cider vinegar
-  ½ tsp chili flakes or cayenne (or small chopped jalapeno), salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS:
-  Mix everything together and let sit for about 30 minutes. 2-3 servings.

CREAMY CHIPOTLE DRESSING

-  3 Tbsp Vegan mayo
-  1 Tbsp lime juice
-  1 tsp agave or maple syrup
-  ½ tsp each: chipotle powder and garlic powder, pepper, salt

DIRECTIONS:
-  Mix everything together and let sit for about 30 minutes. 2-3 servings.

Consider This... Corn

One of the hottest topics out there is GMO’s-Genetically Modified Organisms. Are they healthy, are they needed, and are they safe? It is a massive and controversial subject that can be pretty difficult to sort out. Today I am only going to talk about corn since most of it is Genetically Engineered, and is done so ONLY to withstand the billions (yes billions) of pounds of pesticides we drown this and other crops in. So rather than ask if you think GE corn is a good or necessary idea, why not Consider This… 

How many pesticides and herbicides do you like in the food you eat and the food you feed to your family or your pets? I am going to assume that most of us would say none. The logical answer might be to stop eating corn altogether and therefore eliminating all those nasty chemicals. Unfortunately that is not the case, not even close.

If we are what we eat, then most of us should be walking cobs of corn. You would think that the assortment of food available to us (over 50,000 various products) would serve us with a genuine variety, but that is not the case.

Corn is the main diet of the cows, pigs, chickens, turkeys, lambs and even salmon, tilapia, and catfish. Our eggs, milk and cheese all come from animals that are fed mostly corn if not exclusively. An easy answer here… become vegetarian or vegan, don’t eat corn and presto- no more corn chemical soup, right? It will help for sure but this is not entirely the case. 

Corn is in your canned fruit, prepared soups, beans and your morning waffles and cereal. It is in your salad dressings, hot sauces, syrups, ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard, relish, margarine, peanut butter, jams and gravies. Your cakes, cookies, candies, chewing gum, potato chips and doughnuts all contain some form of the yellow stuff. Even the shine on your cucumbers and apples comes from a wax made from corn. Thirsty? Your beer, sodas and even your glass of wine - corn and more corn. Of the average 50,000 food items in your supermarket more than 40% contain some form of this genetically engineered vegetable.

Grow your own food, don’t eat meat and skip the yellow cobs? You will still find yourself surrounded in corn. It is in your vitamins, toothpaste, diapers, cleaners, trash bags, batteries and matches. Magazines covers and produce shipping containers are coated with products containing corn. Even the supermarket itself has been built with products made from corn and don’t forget about your cars, it is in your gas tank as well.

Not such an easy fix: It is a difficult ingredient to avoid, but the best you can do is to read the ingredients of the products you buy, choose organic when you can, cook your own food and eat mostly greens. Avoiding meat does cut out a lot of corn, not to mention all of the other health benefits. If you have the option, grow as much of your own food as you can. You would be surprised at how little space it takes to grow food.

Vegan Salads Full of Protein

As a Vegan, the most asked question I hear is - how do you get enough protein? Well, even though this question can sometimes get a bit annoying, I always let people know that protein isn't ever an issue if you eat healthy. Most vegetables, grains, beans, nuts and seeds contain some protein and many of them have a lot of protein.

These salads are so delicious, even your non-Vegan friends will love them. Feel free to change up these recipes and add whatever plant based ingredients you like. Enjoy!

photo by robinhelfrich.com

QUINOA SALAD WITH MANGO

-  ½ cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
-   1 cup each: black beans and chopped cucumber
-   1 fresh mango, cubed
-   1 avocado, cubed and sprinkled with lime or lemon juice
-   ¼ cup each: mint (chopped), cilantro (or parsley)
-   2 Tbsp each: olive oil and lime juice
-   1 garlic clove, minced
-   Salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS:
-   Cook quinoa according to package.
-   Mix olive oil, lime juice, garlic and salt and pepper.
-   Add all the other ingredients and toss with dressing. Cool in refrigerator.

photo by farmerstoyou.com

ROASTED BEET SALAD

-   3-4 medium beets
-   1 Tbsp olive oil
-   A bunch of mixed greens (organic of course)
-   Vegan Goat cheese
-   ½ cup of chopped walnuts

DRESSING:
-   1 ½ Tbsp. each: maple syrup, Dijon mustard, minced onion
-   3 Tbsp red wine vinegar or balsamic
-   5-6 Tbsp of olive oil
-   Salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS:
-   Preheat oven to 400. Scrub beets and cut off both ends. Drizzle with olive oil and put on a cookie sheet lined with tin foil. Cover with tin foil loosely. Cook for 1 hour. Let cool enough to handle. Peel skin off and slice. OR clean (don’t cut off ends) put in a pot and boil for 40 minutes. Let cool and peel.
-   Mix all of the dressing ingredients together.
-   Arrange mixed greens, top with beets and cheese and drizzle with dressing.

OPTIONS:
-   Add cut up orange pieces to salad. Replace one of the Tbsp. of vinegar with orange juice and a bit of orange jest.

Easy Healthy Snacks

We all need to recognize when we are truly hungry versus just eating for the sake of eating. Sometimes we eat just because others are doing so, or because there is food in front of us, or even because we can’t bear to leave food on our plates, but in order to be successful at maintaining our goals – we need to say no. And avoiding the urge to eat when you are bored, stressed or even depressed can be difficult some days but it is also a must!

Snacking is something that can easily destroy the best intentions when it comes to keeping on top of your calories and fat. Having said that, healthy snacking can also help to curb overindulging at your next meal because you are starving. The best thing you can do is snack healthy. I have put together a few suggestions for those who are craving somethin somethin.

-   3 cups of organic air-popped popcorn – you can top with spices to bump up the flavor.
-   2 1/2 tablespoons of roasted garlic hummus with 10 baby carrots for dipping.
-   10 baked organic tortilla chips with 1/4 cup of salsa.
-   1/2 cup of kale (remove stems) sprinkled with a teaspoon of olive oil and lightly salted, baked at 400 degrees until crisp.
-   10 olives – black or green.
-   1/2 cup of vegan cottage cheese with 1/4 cup of salsa.
-   10 mini pretzels with 1/2 teaspoon of mustard for dipping.
-   1/4 cup of dry roasted pumpkin seeds.
-   1/2 cup frozen organic grapes
-   3/4 cup of chocolate almond or soy milk
-   1 cup of organic blueberries or raspberries
-   2 medium kiwi fruits
-   1 oz of dark chocolate – make sure it is vegan – Most are, but some sneak in ingredients like whey or casein.
-   2 cups of watermelon
-   1/2  cup of vegan yogurt with 1/4  cup of sliced fruit
-   Almonds and goji berries – about 20 of each
-   2 celery sticks with almond butter
-   2 dates stuffed with almond butter – add a slice of banana
-   1cup of kale, beet or sweet potato chips – check the ingredients to make sure they are vega

Vegan Soups Made Easy

photo by peasinablog.com

ROASTED CARROT SOUP – Can Freeze

-   3 cups of carrots, peeled and cut into ½  pieces
-   2 cups of parsnips, peeled and cut into ½ pieces
-   1 medium onion, cut into big pieces
-   1 Tbsp. Olive oil
-   Salt and pepper
-   2 cups of veggie broth
-   1 tsp each: turmeric, cumin, chili powder

DIRECTIONS:
-   Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
-   Toss veggies in olive oil and add spices and salt and pepper.
-    Spread onto baking sheet lined with tin foil and bake for 35 minutes (stir once in a while).
-   Let cool a little and add veggies to blender. Add veggie broth ¼ cup at a time until it is the consistency you like. Reheat for about 3-4 minutes.

OPTIONS:
-   Add one large chopped Sweet Potato and reduce the carrots and parsnips to 1 C each.
-   Use an immersion blender instead of a blender.
-   Add a tsp of curry powder to veggies before cooking and remove chili powder.
-   Add a sliced/peeled apple to veggies last 10 minutes of cooking time.

photo by veglibrary.com

MUSHROOM SOUP

-   2 Tbsp of Vegan butter or Olive oil
-   1 onion, chopped
-   5 cups of mushrooms – any kind, a mix is good
-   4 cups of mushroom or veggie broth
-   ½  cup of white wine or sherry
-   1 tsp each: thyme and tarragon and mustard
-   Salt & pepper

DIRECTIONS:
-   Heat up butter/oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add onion and cook for 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes. Add spices and mustard and cook for a minute or two.
-   Add stock and wine, salt & pepper.
-   Bring to a boil and the lower heat to medium low and cook for about 25 minutes.
-   Let cool slightly. Take a bit of the onion/mushrooms out of the pan. Use an immersion blender and blend the rest. Add broth or water if it gets too thick. Add back in the mushroom/onions that you took out. Serve with Vegan sour cream.

Easy Vegan Tacos

photo by cookeatdelicious.com

TOFU TACOS

-   5 whole wheat tortillas
-    8 ounces of extra firm tofu
-   1 Tbsp each: smoked paprika, thyme
-   1 tsp each: cumin, garlic powder, pepper
-    ½ tsp cayenne
-   1 Tbsp Olive Oil

CABBAGE SLAW:
-   1 cup each: red and green cabbage, sliced thin
-   ¼ cup of apple cider vinegar
-   Salt & pepper

AVOCADO CREMA:
-   2 avocados
-   2 garlic cloves, mined
-   1/3 cup of lime juice, fresh or bottled
-   1 ½ Tbsp olive oil
-   Salt & pepper
- Cilantro or parsley, chopped (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
-   Drain and rinse tofu and press it between kitchen towels and weight it down.
-   Preheat oven to 400 and line baking sheet with parchment paper.
-   Combine cabbage, vinegar and salt/pepper.
-   Mix spices: paprika, thyme, cumin, garlic powder, cayenne and pepper.
-   Cut tofu into 1 inch pieces and lightly coat with olive oil. Bake in oven for 10 minutes.
-   Remove tofu from oven and sprinkle with spices.
-   Heat 1 Tbsp olive oi in large pan on medium heat and add tofu. Cook for about 5 minutes per side.
-   Place all ingredients for Crema in blender and blend until smooth.
-  Warm tortillas and add tofu, slaw and crema. Top with cilantro if using.

OPTIONS:
-   Add chopped tomatoes, rinsed and drained black beans, and chopped jalapenos.
-   Replace tofu with black beans, chopped mango and jalapeños.
-   Buy packaged coleslaw.