14 Oct 2015
Going Vegan Tips, Vegan Fashion, Vegan Product Reviews
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Vegan-Friendly Tattoos

Vegan Tattoo

I have been itching for a new tattoo lately, but I want to do it right and make sure it’s vegan-friendly (and share my research with you of course)!

I would say I have two and an eighth tattoos now.  Yes, an eighth lol… I had 3 that I got done between the ages of 17 and 20. The first was a tribal design on my lower back which would in later years be labeled a “tramp stamp” (I have come to embrace my tramp stamp over the years)! The second some Chinese characters on my ankle meaning “peace, light, and secure.” And last a female symbol with tribal art right below my bikini line. Well, I don’t know if the guy was nervous or what but he royally screwed that one up and I ended up getting 6 laser sessions to remove it. It’s almost gone, but I can still see the remnants so I consider it still an eighth there. I will finish the removal process eventually! 

In the mean time, 10+ years have gone by (if I want to totally date myself), and I’ve been craving a new tattoo, one that truly represents who I am and what I stand for. I’m playing around with tons of ideas and as soon as I decide on the right one I will be ready to get it done. That’s why I want to go ahead and get the research done to make sure I end up with a truly vegan tattoo. Especially since the tattoo itself will have the word “VEGAN” in the design and I want it to spark vegan-related conversations with anyone and everyone I come across.

So here’s what I found out…

Finding a vegan tattoo shop would be the best case scenario… There’s one in Portland for example, called Scapegoat Tattoo Company. Then you have nothing to worry about! But since vegan tattoo shops are fairly few and far between, it’s important to at least find a shop where the owners and artists are understanding and helpful dealing with your request to have a fully vegan tattoo experience. In Miami, Gauntlet Tattoo for example, is one shop that uses vegan ink (they even advertise it on their website).

Some tattoo inks are made with animal products like bone char, glycerin from animal fat, gelatin from hooves, or shellac from beetles. So it’s important to ask if the tattoo shops/artists if they use vegan inks or if they can order some for you. 

Some vegan brands of ink include:

  • Eternal
  • StarBrite
  • SkinCandy
  • Stable Color
  • Electric Ink USA
  • Dermaglo
  • Intenze
  • Fusion Tattoo Ink

It will be smart to take along your own razor, since the ones they have in-house may have a gel strip made from glycerin. Green soap, which is often used, is not vegan, so using a soap like Dr. Bronner’s is safe. Also, petroleum jelly is a vegan alternative to some A&D Ointment which can sometimes contain cod liver oil or lanolin.

And of course, We’ll want the tattoo-care products to be vegan as well.

Some vegan after-care products are:

  • Merry Hempsters Vegan Hemp Tattoo Balm
  • Black Cat Vitamin Infusion Serum
  • Ohana Organics Tattoo Butter
  • Dr. Bronner’s Body/Tattoo Balm
  • Jojoba oil
  • Coconut oil
  • Shea butter

When it comes to the safety of the ingredients in tattoo ink, we can’t rely on the FDA to help us out. They do not regulate tattoo ink. Beyond the ink, the other ingredient that carries the pigment into the skin is known as the carrier. Non-toxic versions of the carrier include purified water, glycerin (vegetable-based), and ethanol. White and black (iron) are the most toxic colors of conventional tattoo ink, and red pigments cause the most allergic reactions due to the iron oxide (rust), cinnabar, or cadmium red content. Bright and neon pigments often require plastics or chemicals so are best to avoid.

Some non toxic (and Vegan) ink ingredients include:

  • Black – carbon and logwood
  • White – titanium dioxide
  • Yellow – turmeric
  • Green – monoazo, a carbon-based pigment
  • Blue – sodium and aluminum (is that really safe?), many that contain copper are safe.
  • Red – Naphthol which can still cause a reaction
  • Purple – dioxazine and carbazole

Here is some vegan tattoo inspiration I got from Veganmarks.tumblr.com

Vegan Tattoo Vegan Tatto Animal Liberation Vegan Tattoo Black Vegan Tattoo Freedom Vegan Tattoos Hand and Wrist

I hope this helps… Please let me know if you have more suggestions and share your experiences!

Featured Image Photo Credit: Being Vegetarian on Tumblr

12 Oct 2015
Going Vegan Tips, Vegan Recipes
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Cumin Chickpea Celery Salad

Cumin-Chickpea-Celery-Salad

This healthy, easy vegan recipe has become one of my lunch staples because it’s so clean and quick to make.

In fact, I’m eating it right now as I write this! I also like having it for lunch because I leave out onion and garlic and as much as I LOVE these ingredients, I don’t love having their remnants stick with me the rest of the day.

Cumin Chickpea Celery SaladCumin Chickpea Celery Salad

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups chopped celery
  • 3/4 cup chopped parsley (I like the curly but the Italian parsley works as well)
  • 1 15 oz can of chickpeas (salt free), drained
  • 1/2-1 Haas avocado, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1/8 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/8 teaspoon coriander
  • Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Directions:

Mix together the olive oil, lemon juice, cumin, coriander, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add the chopped celery, parsley, chickpeas, and avocado. Toss. Eat!

It doesn’t get much easier than that. If you like a little spice you can also add a bit of cayenne pepper. Unlike most salads, this one tastes fine the next day if you have leftovers, just make sure to put it in a sealed container so the avocado doesn’t turn dark and ruin the aesthetics of this delicious vegan dish. Hope you enjoy this addition to your vegan diet plan as much as me!

09 Oct 2015
Going Vegan Tips, Vegan Fashion
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Website for the “Ethically Handsome” Man – The Discerning Brute

Discerning-Brute-vegan-men

The Discerning Brute is a website for the ethically handsome man and definitely worth checking out!

When it comes to veganism, sometimes it feels like we’re talking about secret women’s business; after all, 79% of US vegans are women (vegetarians are a more even split at 59% women, 41% men). But a popular website is shaking up the image of what it means to be manly: TheDiscerningBrute.com, for “the ethically handsome man.” I wanted to write this post to introduce you to the website and the inspirational man behind it. 

While it’s not an out-and-out vegan or vegetarian website, the Discerning Brute was founded in 2008 with a focus on “fashion, food and etiquette for the ethically handsome man,” and regularly highlights visionaries and creates discourses with creative influencers who want to “redesign the world, redefine success, and look good doing it.”

The site was founded by Joshua Katcher, an adjunct professor of fashion at Parsons The New School for Design. He is also the founder of the Brave GentleMan clothing label, which utilizes what Katcher calls “future suede,” “future leather,” and “future wool,” sustainable and ethically made fabrics which are superior to animal fibers. There has been a growing popularity in the fashion industry the last few years for the use of these high quality, cruelty free materials. 

Katcher says, “In order for fashion to be truly good, the handsomeness of an object must be matched by the handsomeness of how it was made. There is poetic grace and heightened pleasure in fashions of conscientious construction.”

We couldn’t agree more. Here’s to the ethically handsome man!

Joshua Katcher_Discerning Brute

07 Oct 2015
Sexy Fit Vegan of the Month, Vegan Fame and Fortune
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Russell Simmons – Sexy Fit Vegan of the Month

Russell-Simmons-with-Al-ROker-Today-Show-on-Vegan

This month I want to recognize the incredibly talented, insightful, and seemingly tireless Russell Simmons as Sexy Fit Vegan® of the Month for October 2015!

Hip-hop star-maker, fashion mogul, philanthropist and social activist Russell Simmons has been a vegan for 17 years, adopting the lifestyle as it first became known in the US. “It started with my yoga practice and, you know, the practice of non-harming – ‘ahimsa.’ So I became a vegan because of compassion for the animals. The vegan diet was being discussed around me all the time, so finally, I just made the choice,” Simmons told Today Show correspondent Al Roker in July.

Simmons, now 57 (and looking great!) added that “the first thing I did was lose 20 pounds and I haven’t put that back on. Do I feel better than I felt 15, 17 years ago? Yeah, I think so. I think I’m in pretty good shape.”russell simmons with al roker on Today Show

These days, Simmons is all about finding happiness. He embraces yoga and meditation as a healthy way to find focus and happiness, and says these practices complement his dietary choices. “You do all kinds of twisting poses to clean your liver and cleanse your intestines, so when you think about what adds to your practice, what will nourish you, you know that you don’t want to put animal products in you,” he told Vegetarian Times magazine.Russell Simmons The Happy Vegan

He expanded on this idea during an interview with CNN. “You want to be healthy, you want to feel light,” he said. “I’m a person who comes from a lot of drugs – for 25 years. All the drugs. All kinds of highs. Now, I find food as a drug. It’s become more subtle. Food is a drug. It makes you tired, lethargic or awake and clear. It’s inflammatory food or it’s anti-inflammatory food. You start to look at your body differently. You try to become more in your body.”

Now Simmons also has a new book out, “The Happy Vegan,” that offers an inspiring guide to the benefits of conscious eating and veganism.

The star is encouraged to see more and more people choosing veganism as a way of life. “Everybody around me seems to be going vegan. I’m watching the whole world transform in front of me. I don’t know if it’s my diet… my book being a best seller… These subjects were not subjects that were selling 15 years ago,” he told Vegetarian Times.

In an essay written for CBS news, Simmons summed up why he’s a perfect candidate for Sexy Fit Vegan® of the Month: “If you take some of your daily effort and direct it toward eating a vegan diet, your heart’s going to see an amazing return on your investment,” he said. We couldn’t agree more!

 

 

30 Sep 2015
Vegan Nutrition, Vegan Product Reviews, Vegan Recipes
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New High Protein Chickpea Pasta!

Banza-Chickpea-Pasta

I noticed a new high protein vegan-friendly pasta on the grocery store shelves the other day… Banza pasta made from chickpeas!Banza-Chickpea-Pasta-nutritional-label

I’m always excited to find new, healthy products to add my vegan diet plan (and share with all of you of course) so I was psyched to give this pasta a try. I checked the ingredients… approved! I cooked it up the same night. I was craving mac and cheese so I simply added a splash of Good Karma flax milk, some Daiya vegan cheese shreds, and sea salt and pepper, and wow, it was a hit! Compared to the mung bean pasta I usually eat, this pasta tastes more like traditional white pasta. It’s not as low in carbs, has less fiber, and is not organic, but it still has a great nutritional profile. Check it out…

In comparison to regular wheat pasta, Banza pasta has:

  • Double the protein (14 vs. 7 grams per serving).
  • Nearly half the net carbs (24 vs. 40 grams per serving).
  • Four times more fiber (8 vs. 2 grams per serving).

Besides being vegan, Banza pasta is also gluten-free, soy-free, non-GMO, made in a nut-free facility and free from artificial ingredients. In fact it only has 4 ingredients! Chickpeas, tapioca, pea protein, and xanthan gum.

I checked out their website, and Banza offers a ton of recipes, few of which are vegan. I picked one that only had a couple ingredients substituted to share with you, but many of the other recipes can also be easily modified to make vegan.

Thai Peanut Pasta Salad

Ingredients

Serves 6-8 ~ Vegan ~ Gluten Free

  • 1 box Banza rotini pasta
  • 1/4 cup + 1/8 cup peanut butter
  • 1 tablespoon agave or date paste
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons water
  • 1 teaspoon sriracha
  • 1 cup shredded red cabbage
  • 1 cup shredded carrots
  • 3 green onions, sliced thinly

Recipe

  1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water until pasta is cool.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together peanut butter, agave or date paste, sesame oil, soy sauce, vinegar, water and sriracha.
  3. Toss noodles with sauce.
  4. Toss cabbage, carrots and green onions with pasta.
  5. Chill and serve cold.

Vegan-Thai-Peanut-Pasta-Salad

28 Sep 2015
Going Vegan Tips, Vegan Nutrition
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Hemp Seeds: Why and How to Eat More!

hemp seeds

They may be small, but hemp seeds pack a big, nutritious punch!

Nutrition

Hemp seeds can be considered a super food because of their dense nutritional profile…

  • High in digestible protein. Hemp seeds contain all 20 essential amino acids. They are low in the amino acid leucine however, so we need to get leucine from additional sources of protein such as soybeans and lentils.
  • Perfect balance of omega fatty acids. Hemp seeds have a 3:1 omega 6 to omega 3 ratio which is perfect for good health (learn more about essential fatty acids HERE).
  • Good source of soluble and insoluble fiber which help keep our digestive tract clean and functioning at the highest level.
  • High in phyto-nutrients, especially magnesium, calcium, and vitamin E.
  • Uniquely high in GLA (gamma linolenic acid), an anti-cancer compound.

smoothie with hemp seeds

Taste

Besides being so nutritious, hemp seeds also have a great, nutty flavor and crunch! I use them daily in different ways. Here are some simple suggestions:

  • Add to super food/protein shakes (to learn how to create your own super food shakes and smoothies, check out the ebook here).
  • Sprinkle on fruit (I love them on pineapple).
  • Sprinkle on vegan yogurt.
  • Add to hot or cold cereal.
  • Sprinkle on salad.
  • Sprinkle on vegan ice cream (yum!)

Accessibility TruVibe Hemp Seeds

Hemp seeds are easy to find at your local health food store or order online from retailers such as Amazon. Here are some of the brands I’ve tried and liked (with links to order) but I’m sure there are tons of quality brands out there…

Try adding 2-3 heaping tablespoons of to your diet daily to experience all the short and long-term benefits hemp seeds have to offer!

Photo Credit: www.figgyandsprout.com

25 Sep 2015
Vegan Product Reviews
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An Energy Drink Without the Junk!

I like to share the products I use on a regular basis and Hi Ball Sparkling Energy Water is one of them!

Even on a whole foods based vegan diet plan, it’s possible to need an extra boost on occasion. I am not alone when I say I am extremely active… Hi Ball Energy WaterThere are fitness freaks and athletes everywhere and we like to push ourselves to the max. Our workouts are demanding physically and mentally. And then, most of us are active the other hours of the day until it’s time to collapse in bed. No matter how clean we eat, our bodies may say, “You need to chill for a few hours,” yet it’s 1:00 in the afternoon and we have another 6 hours of work to do. No need to suffer… Hi Ball Energy to the rescue!

My favorite is the Grapefruit Sparkling Energy Water. It has zero calories, zero sugar, and no artificial flavors or sweeteners. Additionally it contains vitamins B6 and B12, niacin, pantothenic acid, and organic panax ginseng extract. In combination with the organic guarana and caffeine, this drink packs a punch. The company also offers organic energy drinks that additionally contain a bit of organic juice and organic sugar. I haven’t tried these because I prefer to stay away from sugar, even organic sugar, as much as possible.

I’m not a fan of the taste of the majority of energy drinks out there. This one is refreshing with a very light flavor and no after-taste. If you didn’t know what it was, you would think it was sparkling water with a drop of fresh grapefruit juice.

I have found that one small can (only 8.4 oz) is more than enough to spike my energy through the roof for hours without the “crash” I experience with coffee. It also comes in 16 oz cans which is way too much for me.

This energy water is around $2.67 per small can at Whole Foods or Fresh Market. For the results, it’s worth the money.

Hi Ball Energy is unfortunately not a plant-based company. They have a coffee beverage that contains milk and a protein shake coming soon that is made with milk protein. I urge the company to go vegan! There is simply no reason to use dairy-based ingredients, especially in this day and age when there are countless alternatives available. 

 

21 Sep 2015
Vegan-Related Books & Documentaries
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PlantPure Nation Documentary Review

Plant-Pure-Nation-documentary

I was thrilled when I learned I had an opportunity to go to a screening of the new documentary about plant-based eating, PlantPure Nation.

When I learned that PlantPure Nation was being brought to us by the same producers as Forks Over Knives (2011) I was especially excited to check it out. (If you haven’t seen Forks Over Knives, read my review HERE!)

The documentary is narrated by Nelson Campbell, son of renowned nutrition researcher and co-author of the best-seller The China Study, Dr. T Colin Campbell. The film basically picks up where Forks Over Knives left off, focusing less on convincing the viewer that a whole foods vegan diet plan is the way to go, and more on how we, the people, need to take the initiative and come together to demand our rights when it comes to accessibility of information and availability of fresh, whole plant foods. PlantPure Nation follows the journey of Dr. T. Colin Campbell, Nelson Campbell, and Kentucky State Senator Tom Riner as they work tirelessly to start a grassroots movement as well as pass legislation that will bring awareness of the benefits of a plant-based diet to the public eye.

During the course of the film, you go on the road with Nelson as he leads pilot 10-day “jumpstarts” starting in the unlikely small town of Mebane, NC, where Southern charm and barbeque make up the culture. Here he manages to gather 16 participants who receive education, medical exams, and prepared fresh vegan meals for a 10-day period. As you witnessed in Forks Over Knives, the participants were overwhelmed with the results after the ten days when their total and bad (LDL) cholesterol dropped by an average of 20%.

PlantPure Nation also emphasises the role of the medical community, featuring several doctors who testify to the fact that nutrition is hardly a part of their education or professional development at all. They are trained to write prescriptions for drugs. One doctor even threw out the idea that it would be legitimate if one day, it would be considered malpractice for doctors to NOT educate their patients about how a whole foods, plant-based diet can prevent, treat, and often reverse chronic conditions and disease.plantpure nation

This documentary is both powerful and informative. For people like me with a short attention span, Nelson speaks a bit on the slow side, but I believe this is necessary to clearly get his points across, especially to those hearing the information for the first time. You spend a large part of the movie inside the offices of politicians and inside governmental walls, so be prepared to learn a great deal about the legislative process which can be a bit tedious, though vital in order to further grassroots efforts to make change. 

The take-home message is that we have the power to create a movement and revolutionize our health care system and save both our own lives and the lives of people in the U.S. and all over the world. PlantPure Nation is not just a movie, it’s a movement… a movement with structure. They have started something called “PlantPure Pods” which are being formed on the local level all over the country. The Pods are groups of people coming together to bring awareness and start positive change within their communities.

You can join your local Pod HERE. I did… join me!

 

18 Sep 2015
Vegan Nutrition, Vegan Product Reviews
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Vegan Dog Food Review – Pet Guard Vegetarian Feast

vegetarian-feast-vegan-dog-food

There are a growing number of choices for vegan dog food these days.

So far PetGuard’s Vegetarian Feast Dinner is my dog’s favorite.

We are fortunate to live in a day and age where we can feed our dogs organic, plant-based food that is fortified with every nutrient they need to live healthy happy lives. Ethically, I couldn’t rescue a dog from death and then feed her dead animals. Sure, it can be argued that a plant-based diet is not the “natural” way dogs eat. However, if my dog’s diet is nutritionally balanced to meet her needs, she loves it, is full of energy, and has a clean bill of health, I can argue, “What’s wrong with that?” The Vegetarian Feast Dinner is “formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO dog food nutrient profiles for maintenance.”

As with people, dogs can be picky about their food (some more than others) so it can take some experimentation to find the vegan dog food that pleases your pet. My dog Shye happens to love to eat in general, but before I get into more, let me quickly share Shye’s story.

Shye came from the Miami-Dade Animal Services pound, listed as a stray. I remember the moment I saw Shye for the first time like it was yesterday. I was walking by each cage slowly (this is SO hard and heart breaking), and when I got to Shye’s cage, she caught my eye because she was sitting at the very back, facing the back wall of the cage. She heard me and without moving her body, she did a 180 with her head and stared at me with her big brown eyes. We made a connection and I walked out of the facility with her in my arms that day.

From day one Shye has scarfed down food she enjoys so fast I sometimes think she forgets to chew! When she doesn’t like a food however, she will stay away from it like the plague. I tried several different brands of vegan dog food, dry and wet, before finding her favorite, and that is PetGuard’s Vegetarian Feast Dinner. I’ve found that Chewy.com has the best deal for ordering or you can pick it up at your local Whole Foods Market. 

I’m going to keep trying out new brands however, because I’d love to buy from a cruelty-free company (one that makes only vegan products). So if you have a brand of vegan dog food that your dog loves please share!

vegan-dog-Shye

14 Sep 2015
Vegan Product Reviews, Vegan Recipes
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Nasoya Chipotle Baked Tofu Review and Recipe

Chipotle-baked-tofu-review

I recently had the pleasure of trying Nosoya’s latest baked tofu flavor, “Chipotle.”Nasolya chipotle tofubaked

This product gets the Sexy Fit Vegan stamp of approval as a healthy and delicious addition to your vegan diet plan!

As the company says, this TofuBaked flavor is “smoky and spicy with a touch of heat.” I would say its between mild and medium on the spiciness scale, so if you like intense heat, you can simply add some of your favorite hot sauce. This tofu makes a perfect addition to salads, sandwiches, and Mexican dishes like the taco salad below. I also love it because you can eat it as a high vegan protein snack as well. Just one piece has 8 grams of protein (there are 4 pieces per package). I’m always looking for new go-to savory vegan snacks, especially to eat right away after working out, and the TofuBaked products meet this need perfectly.

From the package I got, I ate two of the pieces as-is, without even heating them up, enjoying the flavorful snack after an intense training session. The other two pieces I used to create a new, easy vegan recipe for a taco salad to share with you!

Chipotle Taco Salad

Servings: 2 

Ingredients:

  • 4 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
  • 1/4 cup black beans 
  • 1/2 cup tomato, diced
  • 1/2 cup cucumber, diced
  • 1/2 an avocado, diced
  • 1/2 cup bell pepper of choice, diced
  • 1/4 cup black olives, sliced
  • 3 Tbsp salsa of choice
  • 2 pieces Nasoya Chipotle TofuBaked, chopped into bite size pieces
  • 2 Tbsp vegan sour cream* (optional)
  • Beanitos Chips or chips of choice* (optional)

Directions:

In a large bowl, toss together the lettuce, black beans, tomato, cucumber, avocado, bell pepper, black olives and salsa (the salsa takes the place of dressing). Serve onto plate(s) and top with the tofu and a dollop of vegan sour cream. Line the edge of the plate with Beanitos chips or chips of choice. Enjoy! 

*Tofutti and Vegan Gourmet both make one, or you can make your own such as this one from Food.com.

*Beanitos are a great alternative to regular corn chips because they are made from beans and have more protein and fiber.

For more high protein vegan products and simple recipes make sure to check out the How To Go Vegan Beginner’s Guide.