Animal Testing

I now realize that becoming vegan, at least my reasons for becoming vegan, is opening up an even bigger can of worms than I actually expected. Not that I'm shying away from the challenge; only expanding my awareness to the cause.

It's nothing new, but is something that has been pushed back into the dustier aisles of my filing cabinets: Animal Testing.

I really have to start paying closer attention to the products I'm consuming, but I realize that this goes beyond just my dietary habits. Hair care, skin care, makeup, etc.

Last night I did a little research as to which products I've been consuming aren't actually tested on animals, and THANKFULLY, some of my favorite brands are vegan: M-A-C, Urban Decay*, Sebastian International, John Frieda, Too Faced, Redken, Revlon, Wet n' Wild, Smackers, Maybelline, Bare Essentuals, Clinique, Bath and Body Works just to name a few. Of course, Trader Joes and Burt's Bees are on the list as well.

(*Be careful with Urban Decay as not ALL of their products are vegan.)

Unfortunately, though, there are a few brands that I've become accustomed to that I'm going to have to give up. I will of course do further research just to double check, but my vanity is not worth a living creatures well-being. So many amazing hair and skin care products can be made with ingredients that you stock in your own kitchen that one shouldn't have to resort to a product that was tested on an animal. Even makeup!

I found a website that lists companies which do not test their products on animals and even includes some of their contact information, should you be interested.

Another website I stumbled upon in my internet perusing last night was a diet called "The Caveman Diet". It consists of simplistic-style eating and embodies, for the most part, how I would like my lifestyle, as far as my diet is concerned, to be. This one is also caters to the carnivores out there! The only real restriction is that it says to cut out dairy products (milk, cheese, butter), which is hard, but doable.

I've stopped drinking milk long before I decided to go vegan and I actually prefer almond milk. I've replaced butter with Earth Balance, which I honestly can't taste the difference, but then again I'm not connoisseur of butter. Cheese is the hardest to replace. There are a couple replacements that are doable, but nothing (from my experience) that comes close. But in the bigger picture what's more important: your health or artery clogging goodness?

It's a choice and you are the only person who can make it.

EDIT: I was finally able to fix the disabled comments. So, comment! Comment away to your heart's content!