The Truth About Red Dye

Anytime you see an ingredients list that includes carmine, cochineal extract or natural red 4, you can be sure that there's a little powdered bug therein.

The idea that any business would try to feed insects to a largely bug-averse populace may seem remarkable, but consider the alternatives: if it doesn't come from a bug, it may come from something worse.

Cochineal extract is extracted from the cochineal, specifically the female, a species of insect that belongs to the order entomologists refer to as the "true bugs." (Don't trust any account that calls this bug a beetle — it's not).

When Europeans descended on South America in the 1500s, they discovered that the Aztecs were producing vibrant, cochineal-dyed fabrics that retained their color for an incredibly long time. Soon, dried cochineal became a major trade good.

Today, cochineals are harvested mainly in Peru and the Canary Islands on plantations of prickly pear cacti, the bugs' preferred host. There, the insects are sun-dried, crushed, and dunked in an acidic alcohol solution to produce carminic acid, the pigment that eventually becomes carmine or cochineal extract, depending on processing. About 70,000 insects are needed to produce a pound of dye.

Until 2009, cochineal was one of many dyes that fell under the umbrella term "natural color" on ingredients lists. But because cochineal provokes severe allergic reactions in some people, the Food and Drug Administration requires carmine and cochineal extract to be explicitly identified in ingredients lists.

Aside from its role as an allergen, cochineal has no known health risks, although those who keep kosher or choose not to eat animal products will want to keep their distance. In addition to food, cochineal is used as a dye in cosmetics products, including lipstick, and at least one person has reported a severe allergic reaction to a cochineal dye used in a pill coating.

Cochineal may be made from bugs, but other synthetic red dyes such as Red No. 2 and Red No. 40, which carry far greater health risks, are derived from either coal or petroleum byproducts. Click here for a list of products to avoid that use Red No. 40.
 
Courtesy of livescience

5 Alternatives to Your Everyday Antiperspirant

While some people are concerned about common deodorant chemicals like parabens, formaldehyde and triclosan, most concerns focus on aluminum, the ingredient in antiperspirant that blocks pores and fights wetness. Aluminum is rumored to be linked to breast cancer and other diseases, but the National Cancer Institute says this research is inconclusive. In addition to these potential health risks, aluminum mining is also destructive and polluting. If you’re thinking twice putting such ingredients on your body, check out these deodorant alternatives.

1. Natural deodorants
Deodorant stones are large, smooth crystals of potassium aluminum sulfate that must be wetted and applied like a regular deodorant stick. The difference between potassium alum and aluminum chlorohydrate is that potassium alum is a much larger molecule that's not thought to be absorbable through skin. However, if you want to completely eliminate aluminum from your armpits, there are many natural deodorants on the market. Burt's Bees, JASON, Trader Joe's, Kiss My Face and several other companies all offer an all natural alternative.

2. Baking soda and cornstarch
Using baking soda as a deodorant is a simple way to combat body odor without subjecting your pits to a variety of chemicals. Mix an eighth of a teaspoon of baking soda with a little bit of water — don't dissolve it — and rub it under your arms. You can also create a baking soda and cornstarch mix to fight odor and help prevent wetness. Simply mix one part baking soda with six parts cornstarch and dust a little on your underarms.

3. Lemon juice
The citric acid in lemon juice can kill odor-causing bacteria, and there are people who swear by the lemon deodorizing method. Swipe the armpits with a sliced lemon on a daily basis. Just be sure not to apply lemon juice to recently shaven armpits — ouch!

4. Rubbing alcohol
Rubbing alcohol is another inexpensive and easy deodorant that kills odor-causing bacteria. Simply fill a spray bottle with alcohol and spritz your underarms with it. You can even add a few drops of your favorite essential oil to give it a scent — witch hazel absorbs oil and is mildly astringent, and tea tree oil can help relieve body odor.

5. Homemade deodorant
Making your own deodorant is a simple process that allows you to customize your deodorant to your needs and preferences. The Web abounds with DIY deodorant recipes, but here are two from popular bloggers.

Tammy Luna's deodorant
1/4 cup baking soda
1/4 cup arrow root powder or corn starch
5 tablespoons coconut oil

Combine baking soda and arrow root powder in a bowl and mix with a fork. Start with about 4 tablespoons of coconut oil and add it to the baking soda mixture, working it into a paste. You can store the deodorant in a small, air-tight container or put it into an empty deodorant stick dispenser.

Amy Karol's deodorant
3 tablespoons shea butter
3 tablespoons baking soda
2 tablespoons corn starch
2 tablespoons cocoa butter
2 vitamin E oil gel caps (squeeze out the oil)
Essential oil

Melt all the ingredients except the oils and stir. Then mix in the oils, pour the mixture into a container, and place the container in the fridge to set. This recipe filled a 1/4 pint jar.

courtesy of mother nature network

The Vegan Survival Guide

 

Here is a Vegan survival guide I received from Love-Vegan. She has a lot of vegan recipes, articles and advice. Go check her out for more information!

1.Read ingredient labels – You will find that you buy foods time after time. You will obviously know what’s what in these foods.  When you buy new foods however, ALWAYS check! You often get an allergy warning too. That won’t always tell you, if it contains meat, but will usually tell you about dairy and eggs. Once you have checked for the obvious things – like meat, fish, dairy and eggs don’t forget – honey and gelatin  I usually stay away from “Natural Colourings / Flavourings  Natural can mean anything including cochineal which is crushed bugs (YUK). But the “Natural Flavorings” could be meat of fish. Don’t risk it!

2.If in doubt ask! – I recently asked at my local supermarket about an in-store baked loaf of bread which had what looked like butter and garlic on the top. I asked if it had egg or dairy in it. They checked all the ingredients and I found out that not only could I eat this loaf but the entire in store baked breads were dairy and egg free! Bonus!  When you go to a restaurant, ask if the “fries” are fried in the same oil as fish or chicken are fried. However, if you are not bothered about this then don’t worry!

3.Show compassion! – I believe we shouldn’t preach to people about their food. Unfortunately Vegans are given a bad rap because we can be quite militant in our beliefs. I believe there is a time and a place for this and out for a nice relaxed meal with your friends, family or colleagues is probably not it.  People may find it difficult to respect your diet but make sure you rise above it and show compassion for them! Kill them with compassion!
 
4.Eating Out – When I’m planning to eat out, I usually research the restaurant well so that I know what I can and can’t eat. It’s also a good idea to call the restaurant and let them know before you go that you are Vegan and confirm what that means. A few days before is great and that way the chef will have chance to order any extra ingredients in. However, I’ve called an hour earlier to pre-warn the restaurant and they were still able to accommodate. If you are off to a movie or show you may find yourself hungry afterwards so it means popping into the local restaurant. This can be a total worry for us wonderful vegans. I’ve taken a great tip from the great Kris Carr of Crazy Sexy Cancer. Order a huge salad and then take either the rice, cous cous or lentils from this dish or the sweet potato fries, pasta or broccoli from that dish, burger without the meat even!? There is always something you will be able to find – just think outside the box

5.Bring your own! – If you’ve been invited to a BBQ or a party, make a dish to bring. Prepare yourself if it’s incredibly vegan, your friends might not eat it but hey more for you!

6.Answer questions – This is a fine line of being informative without preaching. People are often interested in how you can take on a Vegan diet. The cries of “I could never do that!” forever ring in my ears.  From my experience I have found it is easier to avoid confrontation by just saying I am doing this for health reasons. People can understand a diet change for health (Many have done more difficult diets than a vegan one!) My advice is start people slowly you can then move on to other parts of being vegan. My favourite question is “Where do you get your protein!?” Ever heard the expression – STRONG LIKE BULL! Bulls are Vegan you know!

7.Substitute, substitute, substitute –                                                                                                                                                                                   
Butter – Olive Oil or Dairy free Margarine
Eggs in baking – banana or applesauce, baking powder or you can get egg re-placer 
Chicken or Beef Flavor – Onion, Garlic or vegetable stock cubes   
Milk – Soya milk, Almond milk, Oat milk, Rice milk, hemp milk and even Hazelnut milk – There are loads just try and pick a favourite
Cheese – There are many different types of non dairy cheeses. Nut cheeses and even soya. Some of the Soya ones melt too – great for vegan pizzas.  
Meat and Fish – You can buy so many different fake meats and fish.

8.Snacks – Take snacks everywhere you go! 

 A Bottle of filtered water (essential)
 A Herbal teabag
 A piece of fruit
 Some nuts
 Chopped veggies (carrots, celery) with hummus.
 
9.Vitamin B12 – I  usually have fortified rice milk with B12 in or marmite but, you can also have supplements.

10.Eat your greens! – Leafy greens are natures intended food they have loads of protein, iron, vitamins, minerals and chlorophyll. All essential for a healthy diet!

11.Soya – It can cause health problems.  Its great in moderation just don’t rely on it as your main food. I have it 2 or 3 times a week but you should decide how much you want it. Err on the side of caution.

12.Ignore negative criticism – Always do that, which you know to be right. You will get negative criticism here and there but, you will become a great judge of what you can and cannot say in the right situation. Quietly lead by example.

13.Find like minded vegans – You can Twitter other Vegans; join forums or even a local Vegan society. You can find out about it on the Internet.

14.Don’t make it more difficult than it is! – Take it 1 meal at a time! This is an evolving process. However, don’t kid yourself that it’s the most difficult thing that you will ever do because it’s not. The more you tell yourself how difficult it is, the more difficult it will be! This is what stops people from giving up smoking and giving up meat for just 1 meal!

15.Plan, Plan, Plan! – Again another obvious one but so worthwhile! In the beginning its really essential. Fail to plan – Plan to fail! – Winston Churchill

16.Try Everything! – As long as its Vegan! If you don’t you may miss out on a delicious morsel! If you hate it, don’t eat it again.

17.Whoops! – If you have an accidental mistake, don’t beat yourself up! Just pay attention, learn from it and move on! Its unlikely you’ll be caught out by meat but you may have the odd occasion of dairy or egg.

18.Research – Research everything! The Internet is an amazing tool and if you are equipped with lots of knowledge you will find your journey a lot easier!

The Most Important Meal of the Day

I know, from lots of experience, that eating breakfast can be a challenge some mornings. I can’t even think about food until I’ve been up for a couple hours. But did you know that breakfast is actually the most important meal of the day. It is what starts your metabolism and that is important for when you first wake up. Did you know that by skipping breakfast you are actually increasing your chances of gaining weight?

The best thing you can do is drink a glass of water right after waking up and by the time you are done getting ready you will probably be able to eat before you go to work/school. Eat an apple or banana if you your stomach still can’t handle a hardy breakfast. It will help you out in the long run.

BE A BUNNY’S BELLE OF THE BALLROOM

Kim Johnson (Dancing with the Stars) does a sexy photo shoot for PETA to raise awareness of product testing on animals and makes the pledge to go cruelty free for her cosmetic products.

I personally use mostly all vegan cosmetic products because of some sketchy information I was given a few years back about the ingredients in some cosmetic products. I find it extremely interesting that a lot of celebs nowadays are supporting the vegan and vegetarian movement.

Kim also did a quick little behind the scenes video where she shares why she participated in this ad campaign. WARNING: There are some pictures that are sad and slightly disturbing.

Check out this link and receive a free shopping guide if you are interested in finding out more about living the cruelty free lifestyle.

Did You Know...?

There are certain types of beer that contain isinglass (which is made from a fish’s bladder.) Guinness, Red Stripe, Fosters and Newcastle are some of the brands to stay away from if you are living a vegetarian lifestyle.

Carrots Give You Cancer

So you may have seen this post stating that baby carrots are a danger to your health:

"DANGER TO YOUR FAMILY!!
From the Department of Life Education:

Baby Carrots:
The following is information from a farmer who grows and packages carrots for IGA, METRO, LOBLAWS, etc.

The small cocktail (baby) carrots you buy in small plastic bags are made using the larger crooked or deformed carrots which are put through a machine which cuts and shapes them into cocktail carrots - most people probably know this already.

What you may not know and should know is the following:
Once the carrots are cut and shaped into cocktail carrots they are dipped in a solution of water and chlorine in order to preserve them (this is the same chlorine used in your pool).

Since they do not have their skin or natural protective covering, they give them a higher dose of chlorine.

You will notice that once you keep these carrots in your refrigerator for a few days, a white covering will form on the carrots. This is the chlorine which resurfaces. At what cost do we put our health at risk to have esthetically pleasing vegetables?

Chlorine is a very well-known carcinogen, which causes Cancer. I thought this was worth passing on. Pass it on to as many people as possible in hopes of informing them where these carrots come from and how they are processed.

I used to buy those baby carrots for vegetable dips. I know that I will never buy them again!!!!”

I’ve been trying to look into it and I found an article from wafflesatnoon.com which responds to this claim. From what I can tell they are no more dangerous to you than every other chemically treated vegetable in the grocery stores. They take deformed carrots and make them more attractive then rinse them in the same solutions that the rinse almost all market ready vegetables. It seems that the process is similar to the chlorination process they use to treat tap water (which is FDA approved.)

There are a few alternatives if you are not happy with this process. You can buy organic or you could buy local. Local vegetables don’t need to travel so they don’t treat them so extensively (that’s if they even treat them at all.) I buy from a local market down my street where they grow and sell their own vegetables. There is something comforting about seeing the food you are about to eat growing all around you. Also by buying local you are supporting your community.

Just remember to always wash your fruits and vegetables before you eat them!