Author: Emma

Cheap Vegan Makeup

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This is for all the vegans who still enjoy wearing makeup, but don’t want to spend loads of money on high end products!
 

e.l.f

  • All of their makeup is vegan
  • However, some of their brushes are not vegan.

 

Colourpop

  • Not all of their products are vegan, but they have a list of their non-vegan products here.

 

BH Cosmetics

  • Again, not all of their products are vegan. You can browse through all of their vegan products here.

 

Wet n Wild

  • Most of their products are vegan. Here is a list of their vegan products.

 

Eco Tools

  • 100% vegan makeup brushes, and cheap too!

 

Ardell Lashes

  • 100% vegan drug store false lashes

 

GOSH

  • There’s a large range of vegan products available that you can find here.

 

Jordana

  • They now have a new website including a list of their vegan products! Check them out here.

 

Milani

  • They have some vegan-friendly products which are listed here.

 

Pixi

  • A more natural brand with a list of their vegan products here.

 

As always, double check the ingredients in the products you’re buying to ensure that it is 100% vegan. Sometimes, what a company classifies as vegan may no actually be vegan. Now, have fun with makeup without the expense or the cruelty!

 

Vegan Pizza

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Cheese is typically the hardest thing to give up when going vegan, and pizza is an iconic dish that incorporates cheese. So, here are many ways to enjoy eating pizza while vegan! You’ll definitely fall in love with pizza all over again.
Delivery

Papa Johns:

  • The sauce & dough are already vegan, so just omit the cheese!
  • They have a wide variety of veggie toppings to include on your pizza
  • Their garlic, BBQ, and buffalo dipping sauce are completely vegan. You can even ask for BBQ sauce on your pizza.

Domino’s:

  • The original sauce is vegan, but only the THIN crust is vegan.
  • Of course, they have loads of veggie toppings
  • Add some extra flavor with these vegan dipping sauces: Garlic Dipping Sauce, BBQ Sauce, Kicker Hot Sauce, and Sweet Mango Habanero Sauce

Little Caesars:

  • The original sauce and original crust are both vegan
  • Lots of veggie toppings, as always!
  • You can even place a special order of the Crazy Bread without Parmesan cheese, and don’t forget the Crazy Sauce!

Pizza Hut:

  • The regular or sweet sauce
  • The Thin’N’Crispy and Hand-Tossed crust are vegan
  • Veggies!!
  • The dessert pizza crust is also vegan

And, if you’re feeling a bit fancy, you can always add on your own vegan cheese and pop your pizza’s back in the oven until it melts.

Restaurants

Mellow Mushroom:

Mellow Mushroom has Daiya vegan cheese. This restaurant is a personal favorite of mine. My order is: regular crust, olive oil and garlic sauce, Daiya cheese with mushrooms, spinach and fresh avocado on top in case any of you want ideas! Their full vegan menu can be found here.

California Pizza Kitchen:

Although, they do not have Daiya cheese, their pizza is still good and very tasty when you load up on veggies. Their full vegan menu can be found here.

For a more detailed list of restaurants that may be near you, click here.

Frozen

Daiya:

  • Daiya is an all vegan brand that specializes in cheese. They have a variety of different frozen vegan pizzas.

Amy’s:

  • Amy’s also has a variety of vegan pizza options. However, not all of their pizzas are vegan.
  • Vegan frozen pizzas: Non-dairy cheese pizza (rice crust), Roasted Vegetable Pizza (no cheese), Vegan Margherita Pizza (with Daiya cheese), Spinach Pizza (rice crust).
  • Amy’s also specifies whether an ingredient is vegan or not within the ingredients.

Tofutti:

  • Tofutti’s Pan Crust Pizza Pizzaz is vegan.

Tofurky:

  • Tofurky’s frozen vegan pizza’s are: Vegan Cheese Pizza, Pepperoni Pizza, Italian Sausage Pizza

Whole Foods:

  • Roasted Vegetable Pizza (with rice crust or whole wheat crust)

 

You can, of course, make your own dough and buy some vegan cheese if you want to go the homemade route. All you have to do is google ‘vegan pizza crusts’ and thousands of results will pop up! Enjoy your cruelty-free pizza 🙂

 

 

 

Banana Nicecream

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Homemade banana nicecream is a great alternative to dairy ice cream, and even a healthier alternative to vegan ice cream! Feel free to get creative with toppings 🙂

All you need for the banana nicecream:

  • 3 frozen bananas (I chop mine up and put them in the freezer overnight)
  • 2/3 cups of non dairy milk (you may have to adjust based on the consistency you desire)

All you do is put those two ingredients into a blender or food processor and pulse until it’s creamy! You can add sugar to sweeten it, a non dairy creamer or flavor, other fruit, peanut (or any nut) butter, or cocoa powder to make it into a chocolate nice cream!

As for toppings, my favorite is my homemade granola. For a batch of granola all you need is:

  • 3 cups of oats
  • 1/3 cup of salted sunflower seeds
  • 1 cup of dried cranberries
  • 1/2 cup of vegan chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup of coconut flakes
  • 4 tbsp of agave

And, of course, you can adjust or replace these ingredients to fit your taste.

A list of other good ingredients for banana nicecream:

  • Chocolate syrup
  • Fresh fruit
  • Chia seeds
  • Cacao nibs
  • Chocolate chips
  • Cereal
  • Hemp seeds
  • Puffed quinoa
  • Goji berries
  • Cinnamon
  • Coconut flakes

These are just some ideas to get you started. This is a great recipe to experiment with and really get creative! Enjoy eating your cruelty free nicecream!

Hidden Animal Ingredients in Food

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Here are some of the most common unusual non-vegan ingredients. As long as you try to avoid these as much as possible, that’s all you can do since it can be very hard to pick up on every single non vegan ingredient while scanning the list of ingredients of foods.

Albunim

  • What it is: The protein components of egg whites
  • Where you find it: Processed foods

 

Carmina (carmine cochineal or carminic acid)

  • What it is: Red coloring derived from ground up insects
  • Where you find it: Bottled juices, candy, colored pasta, makeup, popsicles

 

Casein (caseinate)

  • What it is: A milk protein
  • Where you find it: In dairy products and sometimes soy cheeses

 

Glucose (dextrose)

  • What it is: Fluids and tissues from animals (some glucose comes from fruit)
  • Where you find it: Baked goods, carbonated drinks, candies, frosting

 

Glycerides (mono-, di- and triglycerides)

  • What it is: Glycerol from animal fats (sometimes from plants)
  • Where you find it: Processed foods

 

Isinglass

  • What it is: Gelatin from the air bladder of freshwater fish, mostly the sturgeon
  • Where you find it: Alcoholic beverage, jelly desserts

 

Lactic Acid

  • What it is: An acid formed by bacteria acting on the milk sugar, lactose
  • Where you find it: Cheese, yogurt, pickles, olives, sauerkraut, candy, frozen desserts, fruit preserves

 

Lactose (saccharum lactin, D-lactose)

  • What it is: Milk sugar
  • Where you find it: For souring milk and processed foods

 

Lactylic stearate

    • What it is: Salt of stearic acid
  • Where you find it: Bread dough

 

Lard

  • What it is: Fat from pigs
  • Where you find it: Baked goods, refried beans

 

Lecithin

  • What it is: Phospholipids from animal tissues and eggs, sometimes from plants
  • Where you find it: Baked goods, candy, cereal, chocolate, vegetable oil sprays

 

Lutein

  • What it is: Yellow coloring from egg yolks (sometimes marigolds)
  • Where you find it: Food coloring

Natural Flavor

  • What it is: Usually derived from an assortment of animal products
  • Where you find it: Beverages, boxed foods, canned foods, processed foods

 

Oleic acid (oleinic acid)

  • What it is: Animal tallow
  • Where you find it: Beverages, candy, condiments, vegetable fats and oils

Pepsin

  • What it is: Enzyme from pigs’ stomachs
  • Where you find it: Cheese

Stearic acid (octadecanoic acid)

  • What it is: Tallow as well as other animal fats and oils
  • Where you find it: Baked goods, beverages, candy, vanilla flavoring

Suet

  • What it is: Fat around kidneys and loins of animals
  • Where you find it: Pastries

Tallow

  • What it is: Fat of sheep and cattle
  • Where you find it: Margarine

Vitamin A (A1, retinol)

  • What it is: Vitamin produced by microorganisms and found in all animal products; synthetic form (cyanocobalamin or cobalamin on labels) is vegan
  • Where you find it: Vitamin supplements, fortified foods

Vitamin B12

  • What it is: Vitamin produced by microorganisms and found in all animal products; synthetic form (cyanocobalamin or cobalamin on labels) is vegan
  • Where you find it: Supplements, fortified foods

Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol)

  • What it is: Comes from fish liver oils or lanolin
  • Where you find it: Supplements, fortified foods

Whey

  • What it is: Watery liquid that separates from the solids in cheese-making
  • Where you find it: Breads, cakes, crackers, processed foods

 

For an even more detailed list, click here for Peta’s master post.

7 Smoothie Recipes

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I’m always looking for new vegan smoothie recipes, so I thought I’d share some of my favorites with you. All you do is put it all in the blender and blend until your smoothie is as the consistency you desire. You may have to alter the amount of ingredients to match your preference. Also, you can add a scoop of protein powder as well! Sprinkle on some toppings like granola, coconut chips, chia seeds, hemp seeds or even some more fruit. Enjoy!

  1. Chocolate Delight:

 

  • 1 cup of your desired non-dairy milk (chocolate non-dairy milk if you’d prefer)
  • ½ sliced banana
  • Small handful of frozen strawberries
  • A couple dates
  • 2 teaspoons of cocoa powder
  • ¼ cup cacao nibs
  • 1 teaspoon or brown sugar
  1. Peanut Butter Banana:
  • 1 cup of non-dairy milk
  • 1 frozen banana
  • 2 tablespoons of peanut butter
  • 1 teaspoon of brown sugar
  1. Tropical Fruit:
  • ½ frozen banana
  • 2 kiwis
  • Handful of frozen mango
  • 1 teaspoon of brown sugar
  1. Apple Pie:
  • 1 cup of non-dairy milk
  • 1-2 sliced apples
  • ½ cup walnuts
  • 1 teaspoon brown sugar
  1. Oatmeal:
  • 1 cup non-dairy milk
  • â…” cup of oats, soaked overnight for softness
  • Your choice of â…” cup of frozen fruit
  • 1 teaspoon brown sugar
  1. Creamy
  • 1 cup non-dairy milk
  • ½ avocado
  • ½ banana
  • 1 teaspoon agave nectar
  • A few squeezes of lime
  1. Energy
  • 1 cup of coconut water
  • ½ banana
  • 1 cup of kale
  • A few chunks of broccoli
  • ½ a large carrot, sliced
  • ½ a squeezed lime

If you don’t have frozen fruits, you can add some ice instead! Have fun with your smoothies, and remember that those recipes can be outlines for your own creative outlines. Blend away!

Where Do You Get Your Protein?

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Meat-based protein has been proven to cause heart disease, cancer, high cholesterol and a copious amount of other problems resulting from all of the GMOs and added hormones. Basically, meat isn’t good for you. Besides, why would you consume something that’s slowly killing you just to make ‘gains’ when plant-based options are higher in protein and don’t cause health problems later on?

Beef is only 25.8% protein, chicken is only 23% protein and eggs are only 12% protein. Plus, they can cause heart disease, cancer and of course high cholesterol as previously mentioned. Other healthy, plant-based option like spinach (49% protein), kale (45% protein), broccoli (45% protein), cauliflower (40% protein), and of course many other options are easy to incorporate into meals whether you add them into a smoothie or sauté them up with some coconut oil! Vegetables, of course, aren’t the only source of plant-based protein.

1 cup of tempeh has 30 grams of protein! That’s more than a normal, 3 oz., serving of chicken. You can use tempeh as an alternative for meat in any dish you desire. Sweet and sour chicken? Even better: sweet and sour tempeh. You can make tempeh tacos, sandwich, fajitas and anything else your low cholesterol heart desires!

One of the most highly praised or eaten source of protein that vegans it is, of course, beans. Beans, like tempeh, can be a healthy alternative for almost all meat dishes. 1 cup of black beans has 15 grams of amazingly tasting plant based protein. Even higher in protein than black beans are lentils. For every cup of lentils you eat you’re consuming 18 grams of protein. Try out some lentil soup to meet your protein needs!

There are also multiple vegan protein powders, if you’re really looking to make some gains in the gym. Some of the most popular brands include: Vega, Sun Warrior Protein, MRM Veggie Protein, Raw Fusion and of course many more. You can add these to your smoothies or even just add it to some water or your choice of non-dairy milk and shake! If you think you’re lacking protein or want some extra protein you can add a scoop of protein powder into your day!

Animal protein are high in components that contribute  to cardiovascular disease, such as saturated fat and cholesterol. Even lean sources of protein are still packed with added hormones and antibiotics. Parasites, bacteria and carcinogens have all been found in meat. As long as you remember to wash your fruits and veggies, you’ll be safe!

In conclusion, plant-based protein is plentiful and much better for you than meat. Of course, protein isn’t everything! If you’re looking to gain muscle then you should definitely eat plenty of protein. Although, as long as you’re getting enough carbs, you’ll be perfectly fine for everyday life! Have fun making those gains or carbing it up, and the next time someone asks you ‘where do you get your protein?’, you can just show them this article!

Mental Illnesses and Veganism

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Firstly, many vegans suffer from an array of mental illnesses. In addition, many of them have noticed significant benefits to switching to a plant-based diet. Vegans all around the world are praising the impact a plant-based diet has on their mental health, so why aren’t you turning to a vegan diet?
Depression can cause fatigue, worsened social functioning, worsened emotional well-being. It can take a toll on a persons general health, physical functioning and mental functioning. Although, it has been scientifically proven that an improvement on health can improve a persons overall quality of life.
Depression is related to inflammation in the body and low levels of serotonin. A person is able to naturally lower the inflammation of the body by eating a plant-based diet. Plant based foods reduce the amount of inflammation since they are naturally lower in fat and high in antioxidants. Increasing the amount of B vitamins in the diet which are found in vegetables has been proven to affect the mood of individuals in a positive way.
Eating a plant-based diet allows you to eat more whole, nutrient rich foods. Your physical health is directly linked to mental health. What are you waiting for? Eat a plant-based diet to boost your mood, energy and productivity.
Some foods that have been proven to increases happiness levels of individuals:
– Legumes
– Spinach
– Quinoa
– Tomatoes
– Apples
– Walnuts
– Berries
– Oranges
Indulge in all of these yummy vegan foods to boost your mood!
Veganism has helped countless people recover from eating disorders, including myself. By sticking to a vegan diet you’re able to know that what you’re eating is nutritious and benefitting your body. It allows many people suffering from eating disorders to eat more knowing that what they’re putting into they’re body is very good for them. Veganism allows people suffering from eating disorders to transfer away from a diet and into a lifestyle that benefits not only their health, but animals and the environment too!
Switching between medications to try and find the one that suits your body best can be a long, and exhausting process. You are never able to predict how your body will react. Some medications, such as various anti-depressants, worsen physical health which leads to a worsened mental health. There’s an easy solution to this possible endless quest for the “perfect” pill: veganism. As explained earlier, plant-based foods help cope with mental illness. And sometimes, animal products can cause mental illnesses.
Arachidonic acid is found in particularly high levels in chicken in eggs. This acid can result in an increased amount of depression, anxiety, stress and mood disturbance. These symptoms are significantly lower than those who eat a vegan diet.
Chickens that are a product of the poultry industry have been subjected to mass amounts of genetic manipulation. Thus, having been linked to a variety of neurological and psychiatric conditions.
Toxoplasma brain parasites are found in meat as well. These have been linked to causing schizophrenia and bi-polar disorder.
By switching to a nutritious vegan diet, it can improve the mental health of individuals as well as prevents mental illnesses completely! Although, all experiences are different. Even if your mental health doesn’t improve from a vegan diet, your physical health will still improve. Veganism has more benefits than just improving the mental health of people!
Tips on going vegan with a mental illness:
– Only buy or order vegan foods to prevent yourself from eating animal products during a relapse/breakdown
– Pre-make large amounts of vegan meals to eat when you’re unable to cook your own meals
– Keep vegan snacks in places that you spend a lot of time for easy access! (Your room, friend’s house, work, etc.)
– Stock up on a list of quick vegan recipes. You can find some right here on Mad Rabbits!
Remember, as long as you try your best to stick to a vegan diet that’s all the vegan community can ask for. Your best is the best. It’s better to try and have a few hiccups than to not try at all.