Good morning, Simonee. Today is Day 2 of your journey. Yesterday we had some great discussions about dairy/egg alternatives and we also started to talk about Ghost-Free personal care products.
We’re going to continue delving into these issues today.
Coach Rosemary and Coach Donna
The opinions we express as GFJ Coaches are ours personally. We are not professional health practitioners. Neither are we treating a specific health care issue. That means we are not offering advice on health-care problems. If you are experiencing a health-care problem, it is important to seek the advice of a health professional. However we are experienced, practicing vegans and we look forward to coaching you on your journey.
Good Morning Ghost Free Friends!
Thanks for the support and most importantly all the great suggestions yesterday. I look forward to continuing the conversation and was just on the TKO website trying to find out more info to share with you all… The product is absolutely amazing for the environment but they don’t mention anything about animal testing one way or another. I’m assuming it is Ghost Free but I just sent out an email asking to be sure.
I was just perusing the BEYOND THE EGGS site that Donna sent my way and I like the idea but feel they’re missing some key info like which plants? I couldn’t get a clear sense of what the product looked like, felt like, etc… Has anyone reading this ever tried it?
I sent an email query their way – hopefully they can get back to me, to us!
I’m also interested in the VEGG product and thought I might want to chase that down today – Does anyone know where they sell it for retail?
I’ve got my coffee in hand (still almond milk), just ate some toast with peanut butter and banana and I’m happy and ready for day 2. Looking forward to our discussions!
I may need to be out and about today – so we’ll see how the journey works outside of the home office. I’ll be sure to share all the deets but in the meantime feel free to share your insights.
BTW – I LOVE the Happy Herbivore site! I’ll need to look more closely for recipes that are fast and easy but stay tuned.
Until soon,
Simonee
I thought that since we have been talking about vegan egg products, you might also want some info on what to substitute for eggs in baking and other types of recipes. Lots of great recipes on this site:
https://www.theppk.com/2007/10/vegan-baking-the-post-punk-kitchen-shows-you-how/
Hi Simonee! I believe the Beyond Egg products are not available at this time. I know they are offering samples of their product if you write to them. They will be supplying larger corporations, trying to replace eggs in their products before it is available to the public.
The Vegg is available at Veganessentials.com and Veganstore.com. Hope this helps!
Thank you for the information about the Beyond Egg product, Diane!
It’s really exciting to know that they are pursuing corporations – imagine what an impact there would be if large companies started to replace all of the eggs with vegan products!!
Thanks to Josh Tetrick!
Good Morning!
It’s wonderful that you’re tracking down and researching TKO and other products. Have you looked at Leaping Bunny or Peta to see if TKO has been researched by them?
I know several people who have tried Vegg, but I have not personally. I’ll post the links where you can purchase it online. I don’t believe there is a retail store in Toronto that sells, but maybe someone from Toronto would know for sure.
We so enjoyed your contributions yesterday, Simonee, and especially loved your recipe and photos of your meal last evening!
How can we help you today while you’re out and about ?
Simonee, I have some VEGG! I’ll send it to you 😀 If you can send your address to Rosemary or Donna, I’ll have them email it to me, and off your Vegg will go. It’s SUPER eggy, like so much so that the first time I used it I had to throw it out. It was too eggy for me. I’ve modified how I use it, and let me tell you, it’s AMAZINGLY good! I made tofu scramble and it was amazing!
Here is a list of all online shops that carry Vegg :
https://www.thevegg.com/retail.html
Good Morning Simonee!
Wow – you are a natural activist!! I agree with Rosemary that it is so wonderful that you are tracking down information and questioning products. I will scout around for more info related to vegan egg alternatives. I will also be out and about for a little while, but will be checking in.
I looked for Vegg availability in Toronto, but I haven’t been able to find it in stores. They carry it in some regions of Canada, but not Ontario. It’s possible not all stores are listed, so I’ll check with some Toronto friends today and let you know. Have you tried cooking with egg alternatives in baking, etc? If so, how did that turn out? In the photo montage yesterday, there is one of my Christmas cookies from 2011. I veganized all of my family recipes, and they turned out great! I was skeptical to even attempt this, but everyone loved them, and you’d never know they didn’t include butter or eggs.
TKO looks like it is cruelty-free, but as you mentioned before, Simonee, sometimes testing is “hidden” even behind a product that seems obviously harmless.
Hi all,
This just in from TKO reps…
Good morning! No, Orange TKO is not tested on animals!
…Lona
Orange TKO
That said – I can attest that it’s an excellent product for stains, smells and even good in replacing furniture polish for hardwood.
Here’s their site:)
https://www.tkoorange.com/index.html
Great news!
Animal Testing is a very complicated, very intense subject and one that I am very passionate about. It can be a tough one. Peta is a great sight. Another question to ask is, do they sell in China?? If they do, they are required by law to test it. It can be very deceptive. Keeping things simple and natural are the best ways to stay on the ghost free path. Nina posted a great link to LUSH’s fighting animal testing page yesterday. (I work for LUSH, if you have any questions let me know.) I have found the best place to find items are in Vegan shops, Whole Foods, or places where they really promote their ethics.
Kelly, thanks so much for lending your expertise today! It can be complicated when products are owned by a larger company that may test or sell in China. Recently, I learned of two cosmetic/haircare companies that I have loved for years now sell in China. However, my understanding is that Urban Decay has now decided against selling in China and is still on the cruelty free list. What are the alternatives for cosmetic companies who don’t test on animals? How do they test for safety, etc?
By the way, Congratulations on your award for most inspirational manager for LUSH!
Thanks Rosemary!! I am off to London today to attend the LUSH Prize – an award for people and organizations fighting against animal testing and seeking out alternatives. The best alternative is using ingredients that we know are safe. We know that coconut oil is amazing, safe and certainly doesn’t need testing. Keep it simple. Animal testing is unreliable, Dogs will die if they eat too many grapes, we won’t. We are built differently, so why we continue to test on beagles is beyond me (and beagles are the most common subject due to their docile and kind demeanour.) It makes me SO sad, and so very very angry,
Congratulations, Kelly – your award is so well deserved!! We would love to hear about your trip when you get back. LUSH is really an inspirational company with it’s dedication to fighting animal testing.
Simonee – Kelly is a previous participant of the Ghost-Free Journey.
That’s amazing Kelly!!! Congrats 😀
LUSH is such an amazing company, and I love that now I can get cosmetics that I can trust in the same place I get everything else for my person!
Thanks guys!! x
My home-based company, Smallbones Studio of Home Arts & Sustainable Living, is certified by Leaping Bunny as cruelty free and listed in SafeCosmetics.org. I make 100% natural soaps, mists, perfumes, lip balms, and lotion bars.
Hi Ghost Free Friends, Thanks Kelly and Jane – I’ll be sure to check out both your companies. I really love and need a lead on cosmetics. I used to be a MAC gal but they got bought out – I believe by a bigger company that does test on animals?
Funny thing just happened…I went to the grocery store in search of some more goodies. I was trying to find the Vegg product and some supplies for my soon to be cheese substitute. I’m also dying to make a shake from the Healthy Herbivore site. More on that later.
Anyhow, in the process of trying to find raw Cashews for my makeshift cheese I turned to the produce dude for some help. I told him I was on the Ghost Free Vegan journey and wanted to make a vegan friendly cheese substitute… Turns out he’s vegan and has been for 10 years! He shared some personal insight into his journey and said something that really struck me as profound when I asked him if he missed anything or had tried to make vegan cheese… He said he stopped trying to substitute things and just embraced there was something new. Vegan cheese couldn’t taste like cheese.
He told me that he personally doesn’t try and find things that taste like cheese, eggs or meat and simply opted for a different road in a very produce friendly diet. He went the fresh and whole path and rarely buys anything in a package or can.
I found what he said profound because it spoke to our unwillingness around change…maybe it less about mimic and more about changing course?
Anyways, food for thought – I’m off to make my shake, I’ll check in later to let ya know how it all goes☺
Grocery Goodies
[img]https://www.theghostsinourmachine.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/NewGoodies-3.JPG[/img]
I used Mac too, they are owned by Estee Lauder. They were a cruelty free company at one time, but they decided to sell in China which will require their products be tested on animals. It is unfortunately the law in China.
Do you have a Whole Foods market in your area? WF carries only cruelty free items, be it cosmetics, skin care or household items.
Also check out Etsy.com, and search for vegan cosmetics. They have tons of choices.
At Sephora.com, click on Makeup, then click Natural. Those brands are cruelty free. Although I would avoid the cosmetic brushes under this category, I believe they are real animal hair. If you are looking for good cosmetic brushes, check out Urban Decay.
Do you have anything in particular you are searching for?
Hi Simonee! You and Jennie might find the information in this link to be of interest.
https://freefromharm.org/health-nutrition/addicted-to-cheese-and-ice-cream-the-opiate-qualities-of-dairy/
EXCELLENT COMMENT – REPOSTING TO OUR FACEBOOK PAGE <3
Hi Simonee,
I have never liked the ‘food replacement’ route. I confess that I was disappointed when early on I tried a well known and loved vegan cheese substitute on a home made pizza for my kids and they rejected it wholeheartedly! In general I rely on the many, many different vegan Asian foods and flavours that are available, and oh so tasty!
It’s so cool that you’re enthusiastically embracing this shift, Simonee. I think this guy is right on….how could these non-dairy cheeses taste exactly like dairy based cheese? Believe me, with an Italian palette and family of foodies, it became abundantly clear that embracing the shift in my thinking was the way to go for me. As Adrienne said in her post yesterday, you can mimic some of the effect with salty flavors and smooth textures of cheese with the likes olives, avocados, and sweets with coconut cream, nuts, coco and frozen fruit smoothies.
Did you find out if your makeup is cruelty free or not? What kind of skin care do you use? (I love this subject, btw…).
What an incredible and serendipitous encounter! There are all sorts of ways that people approach the change in diet aspect of veganism. Many turn to “substitutes” to have something familiar – or maybe they are not that comfortable with cooking.
I love what you said about “unwillingness around change”. It truly is profound because it is a reminder that we consider our own discomfort around change to be of a higher priority than what happends to others when we don’t make changes.
Day 2 – and you are truly and deeply into this journey!
Hi Simonee,
Good for you for diving into this lifestyle. I became vegan 2 1/2 years ago and the thing that was simplest for me was to forget my old diet, buy a couple of vegan cookbooks (or use vegan recipes online) and start again.
Substitutes for meat, eggs, and dairy are never quite right and they tend to be too processed to be healthy. I drink my coffee black, gave up yogurt and glasses of milk, and eggs are no longer part of my menu. But I eat whole grains, lots of nuts, seeds, vegetables, fruit, and I feel so good about not adding to animal suffering that I also feel lighter emotionally (and physically–I’ve lost 25 pounds…). And there are so many delicious vegan recipes. My husband is also thrilled with the meals–and he lost 25 pounds too.
Re cosmetics, there are small local companies out there who would love your business. (I research by calling and talking to the manufacturers–mind you, I don’t use many cosmetics so that is not too onerous to do).
Anyhow, however it works for you, congratulations! And all the best with it.
Bravo, Sigrid! A whole-foods based vegan way of eating is so healthy. If you have the time, we’d love it if you could share a typical day menu or one recipe using whole foods. Thanks for your comments 🙂
https://www.thisveganlife.org/i-couldnt-give-up-cheese-so-i-gave-up-animal-cruelty-instead/
Thanks for sharing that article Rosemary. I think that was the final “push” I needed. I haven’t eaten meat in a long time, but have been struggling to totally give up cheese.
PS. Good luck with your journey Simonee. I’m following with interest. The advice from the guy in your grocery store is a wonderful suggestion. If we try totally different meals (instead of looking for substitutes) then we wont be comparing the taste to something that is already familiar.
Hi Jennie – we are so happy that you are following this journey – and adding to the discussion! The struggle to totally give up cheese seems to be the most difficult for many. I need to find links to articles that discuss the addictive aspects of cheese to share here.
Good luck with your journey – we hope that you will continue to join in.
And Congratualtions also to you, Sigrid!
Speaking of cheese, I used to put a slice of cheese on some bread for a quick lunch before I changed my diet but now I get that dairy is meant for baby cows, not humans. So, to solve the quick lunch problem I found a tasty solution.
I make a sunflower seed pate once a month or so and cut it into 4 or 5 chunks so that I can refrigerate one piece and freeze most of it. It contains sunflower seeds, whole wheat, nutritional yeast, spices, onion, garlic, carrots, lemon juice…When I need a quick lunch I spread some on a slice of bread with some tomato or bell pepper and it is sooo good.
I often go to potluck dinners and sometimes I take a chunk of the pate with crackers for an appetizer.
I have been asked for the recipe so many times I take photocopies with me. Even kids seem to like it.
I found it on the internet. Rather than write it out here, you can google “healthy gourmet vegetarian sunflower seed pate” and print it if you like the idea.
By the way, before I changed to a vegan diet I didn’t have a food processor but I bought one a couple of years ago and have found it to be an important food prep tool. So many vegan recipes have nuts and seeds and chopped vegetables that it has been worth every cent of the investment.
Just one more quick note–I’ve enjoyed cooking so much more now that animals aren’t part of the process. I’m much more adventurous than I used to be. Today I’m starting the process of fermenting my own miso paste. Strange idea of fun, I know!
I hope you enjoy your new culinary (and health) adventure too, Simonee.
Hi Sigrid!
Thank you for sharing the information about this delicious sounding pate! I am definitely going to try it. It sounds like you have become quite the adventurous chef since going vegan – and I quite agree with you that cooking is so much more pleasurable when the ingredients are nuts, seed, grains, veggies, etc. Even when I was very young and didn’t really question things, I cringed when I helped my mom to do things that required handling meat (breading it, chopping it, etc.).
You will have to keep us updated on your miso fermentation – I think that it sounds like a lot of fun!
I would love to hear what others feel/felt about the handling of animal flesh during cooking.
Wow all!
The enthusiasm and suggestions are awesome. Thanks!
I hope to make a trip WF tomorrow – more for inspiration than anything else:)
Thanks Diane for the suggestion of Esty.com… I like their site and often search for many things (mostly clothes), I’ll look into the cosmetic options tomorrow and share what I find.
BTW: Had to forgo my shake. I had a wee family emergency so I had to run and gun it out of the house but I do plan shake it up in AM so stay tuned as I’ll share pics and general comments on how it turned out.
Thanks for the kind words of encouragement!
We hope everything is ok with you and your family, Simonee and look forward to what tomorrow brings for you and your GFJ.
There has been so much great information shared by so many people today. Thank you all for stopping by!
For the Ghosts