The “How do you get your protein?” question is easily the most frequently asked question I get asked when someone finds out I’m a vegan.

Planted in Miami – Conscious Living Community Podcast

I was recently interviewed for a brand new awesome podcast called Planted In Miami and my episode airs today! Check it out here 🙂

Planted in Miami: The Concept

“Miami is more than beautiful beaches and glamorous parties. More than a tourist spot and cruise port. It’s also home for a lot of us. A place where people are focused on improving their community and helping others better their lives.

Planted in Miami is an iTunes “New & Noteworthy” podcast about the business owners, artists, musicians, farmers and others who are moving Miami forward through social awareness and community engagement. From environmental causes to healthy lifestyles, animal welfare to conscious living, it’s about giving people the information that they need to make informed decisions about living a more thoughtful and compassionate life.

We want to be the voice that helps put Miami on the map as a forward thinking city. Because it’s not a vacation spot to us – it’s home.”

Listen & Subscribe in iTunes | Stitcher

THE HOSTS

Jeanette Ruiz is a writer, blogger, yoga instructor, detox specialist and plant-based advocate. “Planted” in Miami since the age of 2, she grew up in the hoods of North Miami and Carol City where she enjoyed the craziness of her Puerto Rican family. Although years of enjoying ham and cheese a la plancha with Coco Frio sodas were delicious, it wreaked havoc on her digestive system leading to a host of illnesses. After years of suffering, Jeanette took her health into her own hands and discovered the healing potential of a whole food, plant-based diet.

With this newfound lifestyle came an interest in learning more about where food comes from, what ingredients are in the products we use, how the environment is affected and how exactly do animals fit into all of this. Through her involvement with the No Meat Athlete-Miami running group and volunteering through various non-profits, Jeanette met tons of people moving Miami forward through their actions. She was inspired to co-create the Planted in Miami podcast to give these individuals a platform to showcase their ideas and inspiration worldwide.

Obsessions: Reading, Vinyl Records, Cookbooks, Olivia Pope, Singing in the shower

Alexander Ruiz is a writer, photographer, plant-based advocate and long-distance runner. “Planted” in Miami but hailing from the state of Maryland, he is also the leader of the No Meat Athlete-Miami running group, founded by Matt Frazier.

He studied music at the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA and is an accomplished (but now retired) saxophonist and arguably, an even better whistler! (Ask him to whistle you some tunes)

After reading “Eat and Run” by Ultra Marathoner Scott Jurek, he decided to dive deeper into the plant-based lifestyle with the hopes of improving his running performance and overall health.

Many more books, documentaries and podcasts later, he finished adopting a fully plant-based lifestyle and learned of the many benefits this type of diet not only has on his health and well being, but also the environment and animals.

Everyday he strives to learn more about optimizing his health and living a richer, more compassionate and conscious life.

He envisions “Planted in Miami” as the vehicle to help inspire, motivate and educate others to become the very best they can possibly be while helping to build a community in Miami and beyond of like-minded individuals.

Obsessions: Coffee, Longboarding, His beard, Traveling, National Parks, Chess, Analogue photography

I want to personally thank Jeanette and Alex for creating such an awesome concept. I’m honored to be involved! Please join us!!!

17 Jul 2015

Tags: cruelty free apparel, cruelty free fashion, vegan apparel, vegan fashion

Going Vegan Tips, Guest Blog Posts, Vegan Product Reviews

Vegan-Friendly Mel Shoes!

I remember when I first discovered Mel Shoes at a trade show years ago… I was instantly smitten with the styles and fact that they are cruelty-free!

The shoes are vegan-friendly jelly shoes with playful, imaginative designs available in many fun silhouettes. Mel’s designs are ethically manufactured in Brazil with their signature bubblegum scented recyclable plastic. How cool is that?! Recently they have partnered with some HUGE names in fashion such as Vivianne Westwood and Mr. Karl Lagerfeld which is amazing!! They are sold in retailers all over and online you can easily find them on the likes of Zappos and Amazon as well as their online store. These shoes are definitely a must-have for the summer and of course they have super cute rain booties as well. A vegan brand I will certainly be rocking!

13 Jul 2015

Kirsten Mitchell

Tags: vegan diet plan, vegan food list, vegan products, vegan protein, vegan swaps

Guest Blog Posts, Vegan Fashion, Vegan Product Reviews

My Favorite High Protein Vegan Products

There are so many high protein vegan products on the shelves it can be hard to choose which ones to try first, so today I’m sharing my favorites to give you all a place to start!

When I first became vegan my weight fluctuated a lot because I was eating too many processed foods. If it was vegan, I ate it, regardless of the amount of sugar, white flour, chemicals or bad fats in it. I soon realized that simple, clean and unprocessed was the way to go and these days I mainly stick to a diet of fruits, vegetables, legumes and seeds. But there are some amazing high protein vegan products out there that I use to supplement my diet. These are my favorites!

Field Roast:

Until I discovered Field Roast I had never found a veggie dog or sausage that I liked. These I love! The Smoked Apple Sage is my favorite but they also come in Italian and Mexican Chipotle. Each sausage is 240 calories and has 11 g of carbs and 26 g of protein. They come fully cooked and I often chop one up and toss it in a salad to get an extra protein and flavor boost. Field Roast also makes a host of other great products which you can check out at www.fieldroast.com. Apparently their Vegan Chao Cheese is amazing (unfortunately not yet available in Canada).

Simply Protein Chips:

Finally a high protein, vegan, savory snack! With 15 grams of protein and just 140 calories you can’t go wrong with these. Available in BBQ Tomato (my fav), Spicy Chili, Herb, and Sea Salt and Cracked Pepper.

Gardein Turk’y Cutlet:

Gardein really is the gold standard when it comes to vegan meat substitutes. I honestly don’t know how they do it, but this cutlet tastes like a turkey cutlet…but better! Kids love it and I am sure you could fool a few meat eaters with it too. I actually served this as my protein last Christmas dinner and it was a huge hit. Two cutlets are 260 calories with 19 grams of carbs and 22 grams of protein.

Special K Protein Cereal:

Ok, I’m not proud of this, but I have basically had a bowl of cereal every night before I go to bed for the last 20 years of my life. Not while this is NOT a habit I would recommend, if you have a cereal weakness like me, I think Special K protein is your best bet. A 1 C serving has 190 calories, 33 grams of carbs and 10 grams of protein. I find it very satisfying so I usually have a smaller portion than that. It has a very slightly sweet vanilla flavor that is good on it’s own or with added fruit.

These are my favorites…what are yours? I would love to hear about what products you sexy fit vegans love!

Kirsten 🙂

Cover photograph courtesy of espnW

10 Jul 2015

Elisa B

Tags: cruelty free apparel, cruelty free fashion, vegan fashion, vegan leather handbags

Vegan Leather Handbags: Everything You Need To Know!

Are you still tied to the belief that vegan leather is a poor alternative to real leather?

Unfortunately, this belief is so widespread even vegans have fell for it. We grew up in a world that told us that real leather is the best thing for creating accessories. They told us it’s natural, it’s sustainable and it’s the most durable option for shoes, belts, and handbags. Of course, this might have been true until 10 years ago, but it’s not the case anymore.

I strive to use only cruelty-free products in everything I do, use and wear, but I also happen to be a fashion enthusiast. Have you ever felt discriminated by the fashion industry? How many times did you see those enticing designer handbags and wished they were cruelty-free vegan leather? I felt all this was very unfair and discriminating for vegan fashion lovers (of course it is mostly unfair for the animals, but that’s a whole other post!). I felt discriminated until I started doing my research and found some amazing vegan leather handbag brands.

Vegan Leather and Sustainability

I want you to know that it’s absolutely possible to wear high-end accessories as a vegan today: you can totally keep the style and ditch the cruelty, regardless of what luxury designers are trying to persuade you of.
Research and studies have made it possible to come up with materials that last just as long (if not longer) than leather, and that are far more sustainable and ethical.

One of the main issues with vegan leather until not so long ago was the sustainability of the materials involved. The vast majority of vegan leather handbags you find in high street shops are just cheap looking, poor quality PVC (i.e. plastic) products. These cheap materials make the act of not using real leather less sustainable for many reasons:

Cheap fake leather will start to crack after a few months (which will create more waste)
A lot of alternatives to leather are made with non-sustainable materials like PVC (non-recyclable)
Many fake leather handbags are produced in developing countries where workers are exploited and exposed to toxic substances

No wonder we believe that alternatives to leather are cheap and useless: that’s what we have been used to for years. But things have changed now. Many brands have taken the cruelty-free and sustainable pledge, as well as striving to be as ethical as possible. Most vegan brands are also environmentally-friendly and good to people.

Don’t be fooled by leatherette, pleather, fake leather and so on: look for quality cruelty-free and ethical brands that tick all the boxes for your standards.

Here are some materials you should look for when buying vegan leather handbags, totes and accessories:

Canvas
Glazed cotton
Recycled PET
Recycled rubber
Polyurethane (Biodegradable)
Cork
Ultrasuede
Ultraleather

Avoid PVC, as it’s the most polluting material used for vegan leather handbags. If you already keep real leather out of your closet and shoe rack because it involves suffering and killing of many innocent animals, you should also consider continuing to avoid it because it’s neither sustainable nor ethical.

Non-Sustainability of Real Leather

The truth of the matter is that the fashion industry has tricked you into believing that real leather production is “all-natural” and cool for people and for animals. But it’s not. I’m sure you’re already aware of the fact that animals (not only cows: at least other 16 species are exploited for their skin) suffer from cruel farm treatments like overcrowding, confinement, deprivation, castration and dehorning.

More than 60% of the world leather production comes from India, China, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. It’s cheaper, they don’t have many laws regarding the fair treatments of animals, and workers are underpaid and often work in dangerous conditions.

Despite being a “natural” product, leather is not biodegradable and not recyclable; Therefore, it is not sustainable. The tanning process involves chemical dyes, formic acid, formaldehyde, and chromium. Even if adopting “vegetable tanned leather” (which many brands are doing lately), this material is still not sustainable: the leather industry is intertwined with the meat and dairy industry, and together they are the first cause of global warming, deforestation, and water waste.

Quality Vegan Leather Handbags

The existential question now is: where to find beautiful cruelty-free handbags? GUNAS is a perfect example of high fashion, zero cruelty and sustainability in the accessories word. Ethics and sustainability are the core founding principles of GUNAS: this idea totally matches my standards, because a brand can’t truly be cruelty-free if it’s still cruel to people and the planet. Besides being 100% free of animal by-product, these vegan leather handbags are made using sustainable fabrics like coated canvas, polyurethane, ultraleather, ultrasuede and recycled polyester. For some specific bags, they also use upcycled upholstery that would have been discarded into landfills otherwise. For metal parts, they use a mix of recycled metals (lead and nickel free). Last but not least, GUNAS designs are elegant, neat and they are no less than their real leather cousins.

Below is a selection I made of my favorite GUNAS vegan leather handbags for every occasion.

EVERYDAY ERRANDS

MELROSE Tote by GUNAS

NAOMI Tote by GUNAS

WORK

HENRY Laptop Brief by GUNAS

MONARCH Tote by GUNAS

WEEKEND GETAWAY

COUGAR Vegan Backpack by GUNAS

PARIS Vegan Duffel Bag by GUNAS

NIGHT OUT

RIDLEY Cross Body Clutch by GUNAS

EMILY Clutch by GUNAS

There are plenty of other brands to quench your thirst for awesome vegan leather handbags that are also ethical and sustainable. Have a look at Matt & Nat, Cycochik, Angela & Roi, Hipsters for Sisters, Freedom of Animals, BAREL Ethical Luxury, Pansy Maiden.

This article was written by Elisa B, founder of the alternative and cruelty-free fashion blog StyleBizarre.com and author of Your Cruelty-Free Wardrobe eBook. You can find more info about leather alternatives on my ebook, as well as many alternatives to silk, wool, fur and down. Elisa is a costume designer, a fashion & lifestyle blogger and a yoga enthusiast. She has a vision: the human race is living on a healthy planet while not harming any other living creature, including other humans. She’s determined to fulfill this vision and spread the love through her blog and her books. Get her book here.

03 Jul 2015

Tags: cruelty free apparel, cruelty free fashion, vegan apparel, vegan fashion

Going Vegan Tips, Vegan Product Reviews, Vegan Recipes

Online Vegan Fashion Boutique: ASOS – Green Room “Eco Edit”

ASOS Green Room “Eco Edit” is a great online boutique dedicated ” collections with an ethical or eco-conscious story to tell. ”

Since it’s the middle of Summer, if you’re like me, you love an easy breezy dress to throw on with a cute pair of sandals and be on your way. Well ASOS has a great selection and they mostly priced under $100! You can also shop other categories as well so basically it’s a great place to find all kinds of cool eco-friendly fashion. Check out the site HERE!

30 Jun 2015

Ella Magers, MSW

Tags: easy vegan recipes, independence day, july 4th, vegan barbecue, vegan diet plan, vegan july fourth, vegan menu

Vegan Meal Plan for Fourth of July

The Fourth of July is the perfect opportunity to try out some awesome easy summer recipes and products as part of your vegan diet plan!

If you know me, you know I’m all about easy vegan recipes and having fun. Independence Day is certainly no exception! Barbecues may seem a bit intimidating if you’re newly vegan or working on transitioning to a vegan diet plan, but don’t worry, I have you covered! Check out these simple recipes and vegan dish ideas to get you started planning your vegan menu for the fourth of July. Play around with them to make them you’re own. They are all easily modified to give you the ultimate satisfaction based on your individual tastes. Enjoy!!!

Beast Burger

Beyond Meat brand makes an amazing new burger endorsed by myself and Brendan Brazier. Grill the veggie burger and slap it on a whole grain bun or lettuce wrap and add all your favorite fixings like tomato, pickles, grilled mushrooms, onion, ketchup, mustard, and vegan mayo. Done. Yum!

Lemon Potato and Edamame Salad

Kirsten Mitchell makes a great, unique vegan potato salad everyone is sure to love!

Ingredients:

8 Yukon Gold potatoes diced and boiled until tender
3 C cooked edamame
1/2 C fresh basil julienned

Dressing:

2 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp lemon juice
Rind of 1/2 a lemon
2 Tbsp hemp seeds
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Whisk together the dressing ingredients and set aside. Combine the potato, edamame and basil in a large bowl. Toss in the dressing and serve.

Summer Spinach Salad

This one if from the How To Go Vegan Beginner’s Guide and a perfect light and healthy addition to your summer vegan diet plan!

8 C spinach
1/4 cup sunflower Seeds
1/4 cup pumpkin Seeds
1 cup Cup sunflower sprouts
10 strawberries, sliced
1/4 cup raspberry vinaigrette

Toss all the ingredients together and serve.

Grilled Tofu Skewers with Siracha Sauce

Skewers are a great way to grill both vegetables and tofu… easy with a great presentation and of course delicious. This recipe is from Motsbella on AllRecipes.com.

3 (8 ounce) containers extra firm tofu, drained and sliced into large chunks
3 zucchini, cut into large chunks
3 red bell pepper, cut into large chunks
30 large mushrooms
1/4 cup and 2 Tbsp siracha chili garlic sauce
3/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup and 2 Tbsp sesame oil
3/4 cup diced onion
3 jalapeno pepper, diced
ground black pepper to taste

Instructions:

Place tofu, zucchini, red bell pepper, and mushrooms in a bowl. Mix sriracha sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, onion, jalapeno, and pepper in a small bowl, and pour over tofu and vegetables. Toss lightly to coat. Cover, and allow to marinate at least 1 hour in the refrigerator.
Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat, and lightly oil the grate.
Thread tofu and vegetables on to skewers. Grill each skewer 10 minutes, or to desired doneness. Use any remaining marinade as a dipping sauce.

Two-Layer Raw Chocolate Brownies

This recipe comes directly from the awesome OhSheGlows.com. It’s not only vegan, but also gluten-free, grain-free, no bake/raw, refined sugar-free, and soy-free! Go Angela!

Ingredients:

For the brownies:

1 cup raw walnut pieces
1/2 cup hulled hemp seeds
1.5 cups pitted Medjool dates* (approx. 275g)
1/2 cup raw cacao powder or dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt or fine grain sea salt
heaping 2 tablespoons raw cacao nibs
heaping 1/4 cup raw walnut pieces

For the chocolate topping:

1/2 cup virgin coconut oil
1/2 cup raw cacao powder or dutch-processed cocoa powder
1/4 cup pure maple syrup (or agave nectar for a raw sweetener)
small pinch pink Himalayan sea salt (or fine grain sea salt)
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:

For the brownie: Line an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper, one piece going each way to make it easy to lift out the brownies later on.
In a food processor, process the walnuts into a fine crumb.
Add the hemp seeds and the pitted dates and process until finely chopped and sticky. It should look like a Larabar in texture and appearance.
Add the cacao powder, vanilla, and pink salt and process until thoroughly combined.
Stir or pulse in the nibs and chopped walnuts until just combined.
Evenly press the mixture into prepared square pan until smooth. You can roll it out with a pastry roller until smooth. Place in the freezer for about 10 minutes.
For the chocolate topping: Melt the coconut oil over low heat in a medium pot. Remove from heat and whisk in the cacao powder, syrup, salt, and vanilla until combined and smooth.
Remove the brownies from the freezer and pour on the chocolate topping. Spread out evenly. Carefully transfer the pan to the freezer on a flat, even surface. Chill for 20 + minutes or until the topping is firm enough to slice
Run hot water over a knife for a minute or so, wipe quickly with towel, and carefully slide the knife into the brownies to slice (warming up the knife helps it slice more evenly without much cracking).
Store leftovers in the freezer for a chocolate treat anytime.

Tips: You’ll want to use soft, fresh Medjool dates for this recipe to make it easier on the processor. If your dates are firm, try soaking them in water for 30-60 minutes (and then draining well) before use.

Instead of the raw chocolate topping, you can melt 3/4 cup non-dairy chocolate chips in lieu of the homemade chocolate.

Happy Birthday America!!!

26 Jun 2015

Tags: cr, cruelty free fashion, vegan apparel, vegan bags, vegan fashion

Calico Dragon Vegan Bags

Calico Dragon is a super cool line of vegan bags and the best part it was started with the sole purpose of benefiting animals.

Not only does the brand donate a portion of their sales to various animal charities, but they also have cruelty-free messages incorporated into the designs. According to their website, the “bags are completely vegan and constructed from up-cycled materials. Since we order such a small number of bags, the fabric used to make our bags is purchased from factories out of their “scrap” material, which would otherwise end up in a landfill. Heavy duty construction along with a bold message presented in an artistic fashion make these bags truly unique!” Love it!! The bags are such a bargain as well! Priced from as little as $15.00. Check out these cool bags on their website!

19 Jun 2015

Guest Blog Posts, Vegan Fashion, Vegan Product Reviews

Tags: elephants, freedom of animals, vegan accessories, vegan products

Freedom of Animals

Freedom of Animals is another brand I found through Peta…they make high-end luxury handbags that are animal free and made in the USA.

What I love about them is that they are partnered with the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in Kenya to which they donate a portion of their sales and also encourage their customers to donate and they name most of their bags after orphaned elephants that are rescued from the wild because their mothers were killed by poachers and taken to the Sheldrick Foundation. A gentle reminder of how precious all of our animals our to our world and how important it is for us to take care of them. The bags are sleek, timeless and classic in design which can easily go from the office to a night on the town. Check out their website.

12 Jun 2015

Tags: cruelty free apparel, cruelty-free, eco-friendly fashion, vegan apparel, vegan fashion