something close to my heart

for the past nine years i’ve been plant based. i eat mostly vegan with sustainable fish as an exception (usually only when there aren’t other options). it all started with a book called ‘skinny bitch’ where i immediately changed my eating habits, which then segued into other areas of my life from clothing, beauty, and other material items, saving on plastics and reducing my carbon footprint.

now i do my research so that i am not supporting what does not align with my personal morals and ethics. knowledge, awareness and education on these topics has shifted the manner in which i view a piece of food, a purse or to-go container. and thus i sometimes forget that this information which i continuously seek out, is not widely available to the public and get frustrated when i feel like the overall public is not aware of what they are supporting.

i have definitely approached certain topics relating to food, animals, the environment and its resources, with resentment and aggression rather than with compassion and an awareness that others likely don’t know what they are promoting with their purchasing behaviors. the thing is, the majority of us grew up in a household that did not have knowledge of the animal cruelty that happens everyday. whether that be in factories, product testing, relating to the circus, zoos, sea world, or even by individuals in our own towns. information surrounding the amount of plastic waste entering our oceans, from produce bags, straws, plastic containers and shopping bags, was not readily available or discussed.

let me give an example: there was a time when plastic was considered an amazing commodity; a creation that would make our lives easier, less messy, and more efficient. we did not realize that these materials (whether they be manmade ‘fibers', a straw, airbags etc.) were also hurting our economy, our environment, affecting our water, food, and resources.

in relation to fashion, most consumers don’t know that purchasing a single pair of jeans supports the use of 4,000 liters of water, puts lives of minors in danger, and poisons water sources in other countries. it wasn’t until 2013 that we began to learn about this post Rana Plaza. from there, the documentaries came flooding in on working conditions, dyes, age of the average worker or hours worked per day. and in addition, the effects of these productions on global warming: how much of these textiles end up in landfills; releasing methane as they decompose.

with that said, today we have access to so much more information. we have the internet, social media, cameras on our phones and wifi. our ability to gain information, to spread awareness, to learn, is greater than it has ever been. and i believe that we collectively need to utilize these resources to gain more knowledge about all topics that relate to us individually, as a society, as a race, and part of the eco system.

our interests vary which is what makes humans so fascinating, and conversations so enthralling. we acquire information from each other about topics we may know nothing about. which brings me back to the deliverance: the way we interact and share news… i’ve been guilty of being too intense about the topic of vegan-ism, animal rights and animal cruelty, the fashion industry, and the use of gasoline, electricity, and water. although i stand by what i say and post, i never want anyone to feel attacked or victimized. of course we feel guilty, as do i, when i learn that i’ve paid for something that in the end is hurting my home and my health. but that guilt fuels change and inspiration to do better, to stay informed and inform others. an issue cannot be resolved if no one knows it exists…

we are human. we aren’t perfect beings. i buy new clothes, i’ve made purchases from zara this year, i drive a jeep (not the most eco-friendly), and ordered the new iPhone 11 when my 8 worked perfectly well for what i needed… but having that knowledge and awareness that my actions affect the world inspires good choices and conducts such as: bringing my food scraps to compost, using re-usable bags for all my shopping needs, cooking in bulk so less gas is used, even simpler things like unplugging items & turning off lights, buying vintage, donating clothes and other household items instead of tossing them into landfills; supporting individuals and causes that fight for animals rights, that free dogs from the farms that raise them for the dog meat festival, that bring down the inhumane factories that line up cows for slaughter, or expose how those cute animals at the circus actually learned the trick that you’re watching…

i’ve learned (sometimes the hard way) how to educate: to show the lifestyle changes i’ve made, how i live my life, what i eat and buy, and the positive impact is has made on myself and the environment. yes, i will still post about the cruelties of factory farms, the videos of tortured animals used for circus stunts, the horrendous manners in which we use pitbulls or chickens to fight and make us money (but really, like go get a f*cking job; fuming). and i will post the people who are out there fighting these cruelties, who fight for us because they know we stand by them and their ability to create change with our support. the companies that add vegan items to their menus or refuse to use single use plastics or napkins. the brands that use sustainable sourced and recycled materials.

i had to shift my mindset; where did i want to stand on this spectrum?

the 'mean' vegans, the true activists that exploit the harsh images, truths and videos opened my eyes, instilled the guilt that we talked about, and forced a change in my lifestyle. but those individuals, those non profits like Peta, they’re very controversial. their methods are intense but they are effective.

so what’s the right approach? intense or passive? i’ve choose somewhere in the middle. there will be moments when i expose the unpleasant facts of cruelty and wastefulness and times where i’ll highlight the positive changes that have emerged, being mindful that not everyone has made the connection that what is on their plate, filling their coat or on their arm was once living or contaminating the environment in its production. most of us were not brought up with this information. marketing has eluded this information by instilling a level of hierarchy based on luxury which is completely fabricated to advance sales.

the truth is i’ve gotten a lot of backlash for what i believe, for what i post, whether my deliverance was blunt or sugar coated. we like to play the naive card to eliminate some of that responsibility, that weight from our own shoulders. i’ve been sh*t on so many times by people who think i do this for ‘attention’ or because i think ‘i’m better than everyone else.’ i’ve been called a hippie, i’ve been called judgmental, among a slew of other things. and honestly i reached a point last year where i really thought, what’s the point? why bother? i should just live quietly, upholding the values i have for myself. but what i realized is that i have affected some people, just as so many have affected me and my lifestyle choices / changes.

i try to stay honest about my food choices, about my beauty and fashion purchases. there’s days i sit on my couch and watch hours of netflix and others when i’m out there doing something more useful and beneficial with my life. of course i make mistakes, more often than i’d like to admit. i’ve bought products whose parent company tests on animals, i’ve forgotten my produce bags, thrown away something that could have been recycled, bought from fast fashion companies; i’ve let the water run in my shower longer than i should have, and left alexa on when i’m not home.

it’s not all or nothing. nobody expects perfection and you shouldn’t expect it from yourself.

here are some facts.

if every person in the USA didn’t eat meat for 24 hours it would:

save 100 billion gallons of water

1.5 billion pounds of crops that would otherwise be fed to livestock

70 million gallons of gas

3 million acres of land, an area more than twice the size of Delaware

33 tons of antibiotics

3 million tons of soil erosion

$70 million in resulting economic damages

4.5 million tons of animal excrement, which would eliminate almost 7 tons of ammonia emissions, a major air pollutant.

& that’s just one day…

“85% of the daily needs in water of the entire population of India would be covered by the water used to grow cotton in the industry. 100 million people in India do not have access to drinking water.” - Stephen Leahy (The Gaurdian)

1.5 trillion liters of water are used by the fashion industry each year.

200 tons of fresh water are needed to dye one ton of fabric.

750 million people in the world do not have access to drinking water.

85% of human made debris on the shorelines around the world are microfibers

190,000 tons of textile micro plastic fibers end up in the ocean each year

only 15% of clothing is recycled or donated

23% of all chemicals produced worldwide are used for the textile industry.

70 million trees are cut down each year to make our clothing.

and there is a lot we can do about it.

the truth is i love fashion, but i know what the bag i’m starring at once was, where it was made and how. i used to love fried chicken and burgers but now instead of seeing something tasty, i see something else. and i’ve learned about the hazards to our environment that we are responsible for through our purchases whether that be an i-pad or a tie die hoodie.

i eat fried chicken; i’ve just subbed the chicken for fried oyster mushrooms, and the burgers i loved are now a pea protein base. i have everything i once loved with less harm to the earth and it’s resources. this is why i post recipes, new information, cruelty free beauty, and sustainable products, because through these posts we cultivate a need for more options, developing an entire group of people who are now purchasing less of one thing and demanding something else.

with conflicts comes solutions, with awareness comes action. and with all of this information so widely available, there are more activists, more solutions and options so we don’t have to suffer without the taste of what we love or eliminate all of our technologies. we don’t have to switch to electric cars or add solar panels to our roofs but those options are there. we have farms that take food scraps to feed little piggies or organizations like GrowNYC that will compost for you. our favorite fast food places now offer vegan options; KFC has vegan fried chicken.. did you ever think you would see the day? there are more widely known, recognized and fashion forward sustainable fashion brands like reformation and re-done as well as more mainstream like People Tree. Designers like Stella McCartney proving there is a space in this industry for cruelty free luxury.

what i’ve realized is that it doesn’t matter if fifty people overlook what i’m trying to do here, which really is just leaving the world a better place than when i entered it. if one person decides to make a small change to better the environment, eliminate animal cruelty, use less resources, or minimize their support of unsafe working conditions then thats’ HUGE, and that’s what matters.

as Gary Vee says ‘You just have to make the choice to actually do it. I am so tired of excuses. Why not try something new? Be optimistic, exhibit patience, shut your mouth, and execute.”

there are people who i look up to. i seek out their online presence to learn more about these topics, and i’d love to be that person for someone else. and even if just one person decides to not eat meat for one day or switch to re-usable cups or picks up garbage on the side of the road, buys used instead of new, then i don’t care about the others who think my posts are stupid or egotistical or rude or judgmental or any of the other things i’ve been called.

i cannot be anyone but who i am. this is me and this is something that is so close to my heart, it’s something i am passionate about. the earth is all we have, money is nothing without trees. the ocean cannot continue to act as a buffer for our poor choices. we must reduce our pollution, save water, use less resources, appreciate the earth instead of dig it up. we play an essential role in sustaining our ecosystem, and right now we are doing more harm than good.