Day 11: Animal Rights

I was supposed to post my daily meals for the past 10 days but I figured I write about more important stuff today.

One of the main reason why I'm going vegan: Animal Rights

So I was browsing through many websites about different companies that conduct animal testing and needless to say I was shocked. Because even brands everyone buys from, such as Colgate and Ben & Jerry's, do experiments on animals that are completely not required by the law. Let me share some links with you.


Companies that test on animals
In this page lists every company that may not be as 'animal-friendly' as we think. Take a look, you'd be surprised. I've known for a while that L'Oreal conducts animal testing so I urge you to stop buying that products. There's also another 'Good List' in the same website that indicates brands that do not test on animals.

Iams Cruelty
Iams is a company that produces food for our beloved pet dogs and cats. Take a look at the undercover footage below that shows helpless animals suffering in the laboratories. Spread the word to other fellow pet owners to stop buying from Iams if they are. Such commercialized brands are not good for our furkids' health as well. Here's a list of pet food brands that are animal-friendly according to PETA: http://www.iamscruelty.com/notTested.asp


Find out more at peta.org.

Mars Candy Kills
First of all, you absolutely must view the video posted on the website. It may not be pleasant but more of us need to be aware. Mars Inc. creator of Skittles, Mars bars, M&Ms, Twix, Dove and other candies/chocolates stated here were all made at the expense of an animal's health and well-being.

The Fluoride Deception
This element that is found in almost all our toothpastes turned out to be a health hazard. Who knew? Check out the website to see just how dangerous it is. Sources of fluoride are included here: http://www.fluoridealert.org/fluoride-dangers/sources-of-fluoride.aspx. Even teflon cooking pans can contribute to fluoride ingestion by people.

Animal Right Issues by PETA
Live footage of animals suffering in abattoir houses are often circulated around, but this is one that everyone should watch. 'Meet your Meat' depicts raw and stomach-turning videos of what animals go through before they are placed on our plate. Even if they aren't slaughtered for their meat, watch how hens and cattle die slowly providing the eggs and dairy products we consume day in day out.

Animals for science - Vivisection
Vivisection is the practice of subjecting live animals to invasive tests and experiments. This website tells you why animal testing is completely unnecessary and in fact, can and has resulted in the death of humans because of drugs that were animal tested and declared 'safe' but turned out to be fatal. View the truth about vivisection here.

Pledge to be Vegan for 30 Days
Challenge yourself and you'll be quite surprised at what you'll discover from becoming vegan even for just a month. The PETA website provides many recipes and even a vegan's starter kit book for anyone who decides to make a change in their lives. You can also borrow books from the library to read up on the benefits of turning vegetarian/vegan.

And one last video to remind ourselves that animals are not ours to experiment on. At all.

Never Be Silent: People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals

The beginning of positive change

The decision to take up this challenge was purely based on impulse. One day I was at the library and for some reason I was searching for books about becoming vegan. Before I knew it I left with two borrowed books. One was the "30 day vegan challenge" and the other was Jillian Michael's "Master your metabolism".

Picture from The Compasionate Cook

Picture from Fitsugar.com

So since Feb 1 I've been reading the guide by the inspirational Colleen Goudreau and it has been an amazing read so far. She addresses doubts about veganism and sets you thinking about what it really means to be compassionate towards animals. I claim to love animals but it doesn't exactly reflect in my actions, as do thousands of other people. The more I read the less excuses I give for not turning vegan because I admit, I still do miss the taste of salmon and chicken and cheese sausages.

Firstly lets clarify a few things. What's the definition of being a vegan? A vegan does not consume the flesh of animals as well as their secretions. Vegetarians, on the other hand, only do not eat the flesh of animals. This means that as a vegan, I shouldn't be eating meat, dairy and eggs. A vegan's diet mainly consists of vegetables, fruits, grains, nuts, wholemeal, legumes, mushrooms, bread, pasta and herbs. A vegan also does not wear wool, leather or fur. There are actually a lot of by-products of animals that are used in the food and drinks we take in everyday. Or put on. For example, lanolin is oil from sheep's wool and it is found in many cosmetics such as lip balm. Carmine acid, which is used to dye foods red such as red M&Ms, are made from crushed bodies of beetles. Isinglass is a clarifying agent used to make wine and beer. It's taken from sturgeon and other fishes' swim bladders.

I've learnt a lot from the book so far and I'm really excited to share it with my readers (if I have any) over the next few weeks. I will also be discussing on certain sensitive issues regarding animal rights I've been reading about, which I hope will open your eyes as they did mine.

A lot of people ask me, why vegan? I never really knew what to say but writing it down now makes it clearer.

• I want to be healthier and feel healthier
• I want a change of lifestyle
• I want to challenge myself
• I want to make a stand against imprisoning or slaughtering of animals for meat/eggs/dairy
• I want to prove to myself and others that a vegan diet is not as inconvenient as it's perceived to be

I'm not sure what happens after 30 days but I'm pretty excited to see where veganism takes me! On to day 7!

My meals for the past 6 days (including today) will be recorded in the next post.

Till tomorrow x