plant-based Archives - Page 5 of 7

Be Beautiful Inside & Out, Part 3

January 21, 2015 by Jillian Leave a Comment

Hello there all you lovely ladies! This is the last blog post of a three part series on finding cruelty-free beauty products that are void of dangerous ingredients. Check out Part 1 and Part 2 if you haven’t already. And if you want to know more about going cruelty free, I wrote this article about picking humane beauty products that describes why it’s important.

Okay, let’s get started! Here’s why it’s so important to actually read the ingredients lists before buying beauty products (or any product for that matter):

Moisturizer – Since skin is the biggest organ, it’s sort of a big deal what we put on it because it absorbs everything and enters our bloodstream – and eventually – our body tissues. If we’re using moisturizers with harmful chemicals in it, those chemicals essentially become a part of us. Yikes! Look for organic products, and definitely stay away from the 4 P’s: parabens (they mimic estrogen and disrupt hormonal processes, and have been linked to cancer), propylene glycol (causes skin irritation and kidney/liver abnormalities), phenol carbolic acid (suspected to cause respiratory failure and circulatory collapse), and petroleum products such as mineral oil, paraffin and petrolatum (they create a plastic coating over the skin that clogs pores and allows for the build up of toxins, and can result in early aging signs and cancer). Also be aware of acrylamide (linked to mammary tumors), dioxane (carcinogenic), sodium laurel sulfates (also called SLS or SLES, it breaks down the moisture barrier of the skin with possible cause of hair loss. Will sometimes be sneakily described on the label as “coconut derived” or “comes from coconut.” Don’t be fooled!)

Instead of using products with these ingredients, here are some suggestions. You’re best bet is to use organic oils that are safe for the skin. I personally use oil of oregano (mixed with a little organic sunflower oil) because it’s moisturizing but also helps with acne and dermatitis. I buy it off Etsy.com from Hippiecrap (technically it’s called Hippieshit but gotta keep it PG for Etsy lol); it’s handmade by a lovely woman who grows her own oregano. You can find oil of oregano in most health and natural food stores, just make sure it’s not 100% oil of oregano, it’s too potent to be put on the skin that way. It should be infused with another oil like sunflower or olive. If the directions specifically tell you how to use it externally, then you’re probably good. You can also use other oils as moisturizers, such as coconut oil or argan oil. Sea buckthorn berry is great for the face and chock full of anti-oxidants. Oils can be used in moderation, just a few drops is usually good.

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Eating Vegan-ish in Seoul, South Korea

December 23, 2014 by Jillian Leave a Comment

Last week I spent a couple of quick days in Seoul, South Korea exploring the Hongdae District. That’s where Hongik University is, so this area of Seoul is very modern and artsy. Walking along the main drag of the district, I sort of felt like I was in New York City. Seoul is just a quick 2 hour plane ride from Beijing. Once I cleared customs, I took an escalator straight down to the subway and hopped on. I was welcomed by snowfall when I emerged from the subway station near my hostel, which was quite magical, then it quickly turned to rain and my shoes were soaked (which was less magical).

In general, Seoul was very clean and friendly. Most of the places I went, the locals knew at least a little English, and they were very smiley and giggly. Even though I braved the intensely cold weather, it was difficult to get around and explore as much as I had hoped to. However, I enjoyed trying new foods and searching for options that were healthy and tasty. Here’s what I came up with!

My first evening in Seoul, I found an “American salad bar & grill” called Ashley’s, which actually turned out to be an upscale buffet restaurant. There was indeed a salad bar, as well as different fruits, yogurt and granola bar, pizza, tofu sushi, apple coleslaw, make-your-own noodle soup, and a section of meat dishes. Obviously, these aren’t all vegan friendly but I was able to make do and went back to the buffet like 4 times! They also had a wine bar, your basic soda options, as well as brown rice green tea and a non-alcoholic wine tea which was interesting. There was also a self-serve espresso machine, which I loved!

The next day was unbearably cold, so I decided just to hit up a 7-11 and purchase several small food items for lunch. 7-11 is everywhere in Seoul and Beijing, and I’m assuming in many other Asian cities as well.

They had a selection of familiar drinks that I could easily get back in America, so I decided to try something new. I saw this Oriental Raisin Water and gave it a try. It didn’t taste like raisins necessarily (the picture on the bottle makes it look like it comes from a berry?), I’m not quite sure how to describe it. It wasn’t too strong of a taste, barely sweet, but overall I liked it. Maybe it tasted tea-ish?

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Creamy Vegan Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce

November 20, 2014 by Jillian Leave a Comment

I love alfredo sauce. I love it too much. I’d put it on everything if it was socially acceptable. Unfortunately, not only is it heart attack in sauce form, but because of the massive amounts of dairy it contains, alfredo sauce is a very cruel food choice. If you aren’t already aware, the dairy industry is one of the most horrific and abusive places for an animal to be. Plus, dairy is very unhealthy for humans to consume. It’s an inflammatory, which is why our bodies aren’t made to consume it, and therefore causes a myriad of health issues including cancer and heart disease.

But wait! There’s hope for all you compassionate, alfredo-sauce-loving people out there. A brilliant woman named Lindsay over at Pinch Of Yum created a plant-based version of this creamy sauce. She even created an eCookbook dedicated to creamy cauliflower sauce recipes! To clarify, Lindsay’s recipe does call for 2 tbsp of butter and 1/2 a cup of milk, but I loved the idea of using a vegetable as the base instead of dairy, so I decided to completely veganize it! And it’s super easy!

First things first, let’s briefly discuss the benefits of eating cauliflower:

It contains sulforaphane, a sulfur compound that has been shown to kill cancer stem cells.
Sulforaphane also improves blood pressure and kidney function.
Cauliflower contains nutrients that help prevent inflammatory responses in the body (inflammation causes disease).
One serving of cauliflower contains 77% of the recommended daily value of vitamin C.
It’s also a good source of vitamin K, protein, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, magnesium, phosphorus, fiber, vitamin B6, folate, pantothenic acid, potassium, and manganese.
It contains choline, which supports healthy brain development.
Cauliflower aids your body’s ability to detox.
The fiber promotes a healthy digestive system, and the sulforaphane protects the lining of the stomach and also prevents bacterial overgrowth in the stomach.
It’s packed with antioxidants.

Wow! This cruciferous veggie is quite the superfood, am I right? And enjoying it in a creamy sauce form makes it even more awesome. Let’s get started!

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My Life in Beijing

November 8, 2014 by Jillian Leave a Comment

Hello all my compassionate friends! I’m here in Beijing, week 3 of 52. I’ll be spending the next year here working with really adorable kids and exploring the culture and history. I thought today I would share some of my thoughts on Beijing, the capital of China, including my impression of how compassionate of a country it is – or isn’t… Here goes!

It reminds me of any big city I would come across, like NYC or LA, or my hometown (Dallas)
People here have no sense of body space (esp on the subway, bus, elevators, or really anywhere!)
There are sooo many restaurants and stores. There is a lot of shopping to be done! And most things are very cheap to purchase.
There is a very big foreign community here. I’ve seen people from America, Canada, Europe, Africa, and other places.
The Chinese seem to admire Americans and their lifestyle/culture and sometimes they like to come up and take pictures of me and my friends.
The outskirts of Beijing are surrounded by some beautiful scenery, esp the mountains.

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Be Beautiful Inside and Out, Part 2

October 6, 2014 by Jillian Leave a Comment

This is part 2 of my series about the little known toxins lurking in your everyday beauty products, and the safer alternatives to buying the cheap, big brands that are harmful to your body. If you missed it, here’s Be Beautiful Inside & Out, Part 1.

And here’s a quick reminder of why it’s important to buy cruelty-free products.

Toothpaste – Most people use toothpaste multiple times every day and never think there may be some serious toxins in a paste this is supposed to keep teeth healthy. Unfortunately, all the big brands contains a plethora of chemicals that do harm to the body. For years fluoride was touted as the end-all-be-all for strong pearly whites. I remember getting the fluoride foam treatment every time I went for a check up at the dentist. New studies show that sodium fluoride may be a possible neurotoxin, and the Food & Drug Administration now requires all toothpaste containing fluoride to label this warning on their product:

WARNING: Keep out of reach of children under 6 years of age. If you accidentally swallow more than used for brushing, seek professional help or contact a poison control center immediately.”

Ummm, great. So glad I swallowed so much of that foam treatment when I was a kid. In fact, it takes a very small amount of sodium fluoride to cause symptoms of acute fluoride toxicity. If there’s a warning label on something as simple as toothpaste, I’m going to assume I probably should find a better option. Aside from that, big brands also contain sodium hydroxide (the chemical name for lye and a toxic drain cleaner), titanium dioxide (a possible carcinogen), and PVM.MA copolymer (a highly irritating binding agent). Don’t forget about 2 chemicals I discussed in part 1 – triclosan (classified as a pesticide) and sodium lauryl sulfate or SLS (used in products like garage floor cleaners and engine degreasers). Oh, and those pesky dyes and additives, like FD & C Blue Dyes 1 & 2 are made from coal tar oil and synthesized from petroleum, and can still be absorbed into your body even if you don’t swallow your toothpaste. Scary! I currently use Xyli-White from Now Solutions. It’s free of fluoride, SLS, gluten, parabens, and all the other chemicals we just discussed.

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