Imagine yourself as an egg-laying hen trapped on a modern factory farm. Confined to a cage so compact that you can't even spread your wings. Sharing a small cage with five, six, or even seven other birds, you have no more space than the size of an average sheet of paper to live your life in. Filth surrounds you while you're engulfed in burning ammonia fumes and a neverending stench. 

After months of producing eggs, once you're no longer at your peak of contributing economically, your only remaining value to the industry is the bruised meat on your bones. You've never seen daylight until this day that you're plucked from your cage, tossed onto a truck, and transported to the slaughterhouse.

This was your life. A life of absolute neglect, apathy, and anonymity. You don't even have a number, let alone a name. For decades, centuries, millennia, you had no one to speak up for you. 

That is, until now. Now, they have you.

You may be wondering: "Well, what can I do?" The...

Beer is most commonly made from barley malt, water, hops and yeast, which means it’s usually vegan. Unfortunately, some beer brewers add finings that are not vegan as part of their brewing process, and this means that some beers are not suitable for those trying to live a cruelty-free lifestyle. 

There are several ingredients you should look out for in beers if you’re avoiding animal products. You should also pay careful attention to the wine and cider you drink, as these can contain non-vegan ingredients, too. 

You're most likely to find isinglass, gelatin, glycerin or casein in non-vegan beers and other alcoholic beverages, but some wines, ciders and beers can also contain milk, eggs and honey. Since vegans seek to exclude products that use or exploit animals within their ingredients or production, this would mean that any alcohol containing those ingredients is not vegan.

Why is beer not vegan?

Some beer is not vegan because bewers add finings to their...

Introduction: Danielle Belardo MD

What if I told you that something you do every day, probably three times a day (or more), affects every cell and every organ system in your body?  

Would you give this activity more thought?

The 'activity' I am referring to is more than just an activity, it is what sustains us, builds and repairs cells, and fuels us. It's eating.

Nutrition

We know that nutrition is linked to many disease processes, and some of the frequently cited organs affected are your heart (my favorite) and gastrointestinal tract.

But what if I told you that eating more plants, and less animal products, could help every single cell, tissue and organ in your body, from your spine to your eyes?

As a cardiology fellow who is passionate about plant-based nutrition and preventative medicine, I have sought out multiple physicians through social media to share evidence based nutrition with.  

Eat more plants

I have connected with physicians all over the globe, spanning from...

Vegan cats cause a lot of controversy. In fact, putting any omnivorous or carnivorous animal on a vegan diet incenses vegans and non-vegans alike.

There are many who'll argue that carnivorous animals, such as cats, should never be given a vegan diet.

The most common reasons for this opinion include a belief that cats cannot get what they need from a vegan diet, and the opinion that animals cannot decide for themselves to go vegan, and therefore the should not be forced into it.

Can cats be vegan?

Yes, multiple experts - including Professor Andrew Knight - say cats can survive on plant-based cat foods, as long as their human companion is taking extra care to make sure that they're getting the nutrients they need. You can buy fortified vegan cat food online and in some pet shop

It is really important that you do not try and feed your cat vegetables in the form of human food. Whilst dogs can be fed a carefully planned vegan diet through proper research, there are...

Vitamin B12 helps to keep nerve and blood cells healthy. The consequences of not getting enough are extremely serious. People who do not get enough B12 can suffer from weakness, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, pale skin, diarrhea, hair loss, and mental conditions.

In severe cases of deficiency, a lack of vitamin B12 can cause death. Most vegans get enough B12 to survive, but are sometimes borderline deficient. In order to maintain optimal health, it is really important that you make sure you're getting enough.

Humans get vitamin B12 from the food that they eat. Whether you are vegan, vegetarian or an omnivore, it's extremely important that you monitor your vitamin B12 intake and take supplements if you aren't getting enough. It is estimated that approximately one third of the general population does not achieve the recommended daily dose of vitamin B12.

What is B12?

Vitamin B12 is a water soluble vitamin also known as cobalamin. It is involved...

Palm oil is a vegetable and is technically vegan in its raw form. It is derived from palm fruit, which grows on African oil palm trees. In principle, palm oil is vegan, but many vegans choose to avoid the oil, because they argue that extraction of palm oil exploits animals and causes them pain and suffering, something vegans avoid.

Palm oil is damaging the environment. Huge areas of the rainforest are destroyed to make way for plantations that produce palm oil, and several species of animals are threatened with extinction as a direct result of its production.

Palm oil is a common ingredient in lots of products most vegans and non-vegans eat everyday.

What foods contain palm oil?

You’ll find palm oil in bread, biscuits, sweets, crips, margarine, vegan cheese, ice-cream, instant foods and chocolate.

It is a versatile vegetable oil and can be used to create multiple textures, so it can be difficult to avoid. If you eat processed foods, whether you are vegan or...

Before we even get started about almonds and almond milk, a lot of you may have heard that almond milk is horrible for the environment, especially those living in California. Well, hell no! It is way better than cow milk.

Almond has a bigger footprint than soy and oat milk - but as it is currently the most popular dairy alternative in both the US and UK, we wanted to make it a bit more eco-friendly by showing you how to make it at home.

We also have a dog treat recipe which uses up leftover almond pulp.

Method

‍
1. Pour 1 cup of almonds in a bowl and cover with water

2. Leave to soak for 8 - 12 hours, or over night. The longer they soak the creamier the milk

3. Drain the water away and add the soaked almonds to a food processor with 3 cups of filtered water

4. Blend on high for around 5 minutes

5. Sieve the mixture through a fine sieve at least twice, saving the nut pulp for another recipe(dog biscuits). if you have a nut bag or a fine cloth you can also use that

6. Pour...

Here's how to make a DIY cleaning kit with 5 simple and non-toxic ingredients.  

To make multi-purpose spray

1. Mix 2 cups of water

2. 2 tbsp of castile soap

3. 5 drops each of tea tree and lemon essential oil

4. Give it a mix

5. Pour into a glass spray bottle, or a old cleaning spray bottle that you can upcycle.

This spray is non-toxic and can be used all around your house.‍

To make disinfectant vinegar spray

1. Mix 1 and a half cups of white distilled vinegar

2. Half a cup of water

3. 5 drops each of lemon and lavender essential oil

This can be made purely with vinegar, but if you don't like the smell, add more water.

Use this on harder to clean areas like drains, sinks and around the bathroom. Avoid use on granite, stone, marble, iron or wooden surfaces.

Use on harder to clean areas like the bathroom, avoiding the surfaces outlined above.

To make glass and mirror cleaner

1. Mix equal parts of distilled water and white distilled vinegar

2. Spray onto your surface and...

Did you know the longest living dog recorded was vegan? This seems like a good reason to feed your companion animal some tasty plant-based treats to us.

We regularly make almond milk - this recipe handily uses the waste (almond pulp) that's generated when making milk.

So let's get started.

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 180 celcius (356 F)

2. In a bowl add a ¼ cup of coconut oil

3. Add ¼ cup of peanut butter, and a mashed banana. Then combine

4. Add 1 cup of blended oats

5. 1 -2 cups of almond pulp depending on how much you have left over

6. Add 1 teaspoon of baking soda

7. 1 grated carrot and stir until completely combined

8. Lightly flour a baking tray, and begin to make balls of batter with two spoons.

9. Lightly flatten them and place in the oven for 40 minutes, turning once in the middle, or until they are crispy and golden brown  

10. Break into your desired size of treat, and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.

...

Today we will be making a simple green alternative to the toxic and damaging insect repellents that are on the market.

In this recipe we will be using all natural organic ingredients.

We really want people to make their own products to reduce their impact and waste. The best way to make your recipes as low impact as possible is to ask your friends and family for the ingredients you need. Most of the time, they do have some to spare.

It actually becomes enjoyable when you have to hunt down certain ingredients with the lowest impact as possible. So reconnect with your social media friends and the people you come in contact with by simply asking for ingredients you may not have at home.

Method:

1. In a pourable container add half a cup of filtered water

2. Add Half a cup of witch hazel

3. Add 3 tablespoons of jojoba oil

4. And add 20 drops of any combination of these essential oils - Citronella, Clove, Lavender, Peppermint, Eucalyptus, Lemon, Sandalwood

5. Stir well with a fork or...