Vegan for Dummies

“We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals.”

–Immanuel Kant

Being a New Vegan is Terrifying

Going vegan can be daunting. It seems like you have to change your whole life. It’s overwhelming and scary, especially if you’re doing it on your own. But with my years of experience being a lone vegan, I will show you just how easy it is and teach you my tips for being successful. And if you want more information on particular tasks – like your first trip to the grocery store or how to tell people that you’re vegan now – don’t worry. I will have more helpful guides on that coming out soon!

Plant-Based ≠ Vegan

First, let's get this out of the way: eating a plant-based diet is not equivalent to being vegan. At its heart, veganism is about causing as little harm as you possibly can. It’s not about you being healthy or hip by drinking green juice and eating acai smoothie bowls. It’s about everything and everyone else. Veganism extends its reach to all aspects of life with the refusal to commit harm upon other animals when there are alternatives. And in today’s world, there is always another option. If you're looking for details on how and why certain things aren't vegan - such as honey, zoos, and wool - my first post "A Rational Explanation of Veganism from an Ex-Nonvegan" explains this in much more detail than I'll provide here.

Now that we’ve established this, what actually is and isn’t vegan? As far as food goes, there are only a few things that aren’t:

• Animal meat

  • Note: I include seafood here since seafood is just a word we use to describe the meat from aquatic animals. Meat is any flesh from any animal.

  • Note: This also includes gelatin – an amalgamation of animal bones, skin, ligaments, muscles, etc. used mostly in candy to create a squishy, gelatinous texture. The majority of consumers, even vegetarians, don’t realize what gelatin actually is since there’s apparently no regulation for companies to disclose this disgusting secret.

• Dairy

• Eggs

• Honey

That’s it! Everything else is vegan. This includes:

• Plant-based meat, dairy, eggs, & honey

• Fruits

• Vegetables

• Grains

• Legumes

• Mushrooms

• Nuts & seeds

• Herbs & spices

Once you cut out the animal products, the world of plants really opens up. When I was still eating animals, I was the pickiest eater ever, and that is not an exaggeration (ok, maybe a little bit, but I was pretty bad). I detested food, and there were very few things I actually enjoyed eating (most of which contained animal products). I thought to myself that I could never even be vegetarian because I would starve due to the lack of food options. But in the years since giving those up, I have blossomed into a normal person that gets excited about trying new things. There is literally no food (food being the operative word) that I won’t try now.

And if you’re not ready to eat a whole-foods, plant-based diet (eating plants in their whole or natural form), the meat and dairy alternative industry is booming right now. Brands like Beyond Meat, Gardein, Daiya, Lightlife, Tofurky, Oatly, Impossible Foods, JUST, Bee Free Honee, Miyoko's, and Follow Your Heart are just a few of the many companies leading the way toward a plant-based world with eerily similar plant-based versions of your favorite meat, dairy, egg, and honey products.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqVBInU0A8s

Veganism also extends to other areas of life, like clothing. These are not vegan:

• Fur

• Silk

• Leather & other animal skins (suede, alligator, snake, etc.)

• Feathers

  • Note: This is usually called “down” and is often used in winter coats, as well as pillows, mattresses, sofas, etc.

• Wool (cashmere, angora, etc.)

  • Note: This isn't just used in sweaters; it sneaks into many different products, like hats, shoes, rugs, and mattresses.

If you ever have any question as to whether a certain material comes from an animal, just Google it. Last year, I finally purged my closet of all things containing animal products, and there were many materials listed of which I'd never heard, only to Google them and discover it was a type of wool from a specific breed of sheep or a synthetic material processed in a certain way. These animal-derived materials are quite easy to avoid in daily life unless you often shop at “luxury” stores. All of these materials are used today as a statement of class and wealth, and none are vital to our lives. Unfortunately, there are many different species of animals - rabbits, geese, foxes, alligators, chinchillas, minks, goats, cows, wolves, sheep, coyotes, dogs, ducks, cats, and many more - exploited in this industry simply for the sake of fashion.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDwMeUNcimA

On the other hand, we have these wonderful vegan options:

• Cotton

• Hemp

• Linen

• Bamboo

• Synthetics (polyester, spandex, etc.)

Honestly, there are too many to name here, but as long as it doesn’t come from an animal, you’re good to go. My wardrobe consists mostly of t-shirts and shorts/leggings, almost all of which is cotton, but there are many high-end brands creating vegan alternatives to traditionally animal-based products. For instance, popular brand H&M has recently debuted leather jackets made of pineapple - so cool! The demand for animal-cruelty-free clothing is beginning to boom, and even old-school designers like Chanel, Gucci, and Versace are changing their exploitative ways.

The next step in this process is beauty products. Let’s see what you should look out for when shopping:

• Makeup

  • Note: Eyelash extensions (and probably other forms of weird hair extensions) are often made with animal fur, primarily mink. Your eyelashes are perfect the way they are, but if you really feel in your soul the desire to lengthen them, just use synthetic alternatives.

• Hair products (shampoo, conditioner, dye, etc.)

• Perfume & cologne

• Deodorant

• Toothpaste

When we get here, there are two things to check for: cruelty-free and vegan. Cruelty-free products are not tested on animals, and this is almost always labeled on the back on the product. This is usually depicted as a bunny near the bottom of the label. You can also check out the Leaping Bunny website/app for a conclusive list of all their certified non-animal-testing companies.  However, these products can still contain animal ingredients. Pulverized insects, gelatin, milk, and lots of other things we don’t want to know are sometimes used even if they are “cruelty-free.” That’s why it’s best to research vegan companies in this area, because, though they are not automatically cruelty-free, it’s much more likely that they are. My personal favorites are Pacifica, Schmidt’s, Dr. Bronner’s (they even advertise right on their bottles about how terrible factory farming is for the planet – go them!) and The Body Shop’s vegan products. (Some items will say “suitable for vegans,” which should mean that they are both cruelty-free and vegan.)

Shopping cruelty-free is quite simple because companies usually always want you to know that they don't test on animals. Take Covergirl, for instance, by far the largest business to end animal testing recently. They started putting ads on television just to let people know that they were finally cruelty-free. Ethical beauty is growing in popularity, and most companies want to jump on the bandwagon. The basic rule of thumb for cruelty-free shopping is that if it doesn't explicitly state on the product that it is cruelty-free, that means it's not. Therefore, anything not labeled funds money back into the brutal and barbaric animal testing industry.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZQ5ZdRawpQ

Now let’s check on household products, a category often forgotten until it’s time to buy them again:

• Cleaning products

• Hand soap

• Dish soap & detergent

• Laundry detergent & dryer sheets

  • Note: Dryer balls are almost always made of wool, but there are alternatives. Or you could just not use them.

The rules for this category are basically the same as beauty products. Though they can be labeled as cruelty-free, not all of the products are vegan. The vegan companies Seventh Generation and Mrs. Meyer’s are my go-to for all these needs. Even better, they can be found in most grocery stores.

The next category is entertainment. These are not vegan:

• Zoos

• Circuses

• Rodeos

• Fishing & hunting

Unfortunately, there are many ways in which animals are used and exploited in the broad realm of entertainment. However, if you can find alternatives, they can be even more fun and fulfilling:

• Animal sanctuaries/shelters

• Bird watching

• Hiking

• Boating

• Animal/nature photography

• Protest zoos, circuses, & rodeos

Visiting a farm animal sanctuary is so much better than a zoo. Though on the outside they may serve a similar purpose, there is a huge difference. Zoos are created for humans to ogle the wildest of all beasts. Sanctuaries are created for the animals to have the best possible life after being rescued from places like zoos. Getting to spend time with rescued animals – animals you are helping every day that you’re vegan – is an emotional, life-changing experience. And it is so much better to be around nature without killing its inhabitants; you’ll feel a sense of peace and connectedness to the earth, truly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgE7X2gJpY4

Finally, here are some surprising nonvegan things you should watch out for:

• Tennis rackets & balls: tennis strings may be made of “gut," or animal intestines, though synthetics are much more common now, and some tennis balls contain wool. Recently, however, VegNews published an article about a vegan company called Sheeps offering customers access to vegan tennis products. As a huge tennis fan and former player, this is a great success for the sport and the future of vegan athletics. (They have an adorable shirt that says, "Play Tennis Save Lives," that I'm currently obsessing over. Ethical athletic wear is the best!)

• Shoes: footwear sometimes has leather mixed with synthetic materials. “PU leather” can be vegan, but it is often a combination of cow skin and faux leather. The glue used is also sometimes made from animal body parts. Always read the label! I usually only shop on Moo Shoes (a vegan retailer) or Zappos (using their vegan filter) to ensure the shoes I buy are 100 percent vegan.

• Floss: not only is generic floss terrible for the environment, but it is often coated in beeswax. Try vegan alternatives like EcoDent instead.

• Disposable razors: again, these are devastating to the environment, as they are not recyclable, and they also contain animal ingredients like lanolin (a derivative of wool - I told you, it's everywhere) or glycerin (which sometimes is and sometimes isn't derived from animals). I now use this safety razor that was only $25, will last for a very long time, and the only part I need to replace is the blade every couple of months (which cost less than a dime each).

• Tattoos: basically every aspect of tattooing can either be vegan or not. I don’t have any tattoos, but I would recommend speaking with the artist first and doing research of your own. I do know, however, that vegan tattoo parlors are becoming a thing now, which is super cool. If you’re interested, check out this video from Bite Size Vegan, a tattoo expert.

• Headphones & camera straps: some headphones and camera straps contain leather.

• Camera film: while this isn't commonplace in today's digital society, though Polaroids seem to have made a comeback, film often contains gelatin.

• Artificial colors: of course something named Blue 1 Lake doesn't sound natural, but it's also not vegan. These colors are tested on animals just so we can eat pink cupcakes or drink green liquids. They also contain really disgusting ingredients, things they certainly would never label on a box of children's cookies, like petroleum and tar. You can read this article to learn more.

• Jeans: the brown patch on the back of jeans with the brand’s name (apparently called Jacrons) is sometimes leather. Check to make sure the pair you want does not have that on them or that it is made of paper or a vegan material.

Get Involved!

Getting involved with vegans in your area is the best way to learn about veganism and become more comfortable with it. They can help you find your way around the grocery store and give you advice on the best vegan-friendly places to eat. My post next Monday will discuss this much more at length, so make sure you check it out.
*Check out my series "How to Become an Introverted Activist" part one and part two to learn more about how to get active for animals!

Keep It Simple, Stupid

To conclude, there was a lot of information in this post, but I hope it will be helpful to you. I find that it helps to just keep it simple when I start to feel overwhelmed: animals die every time I purchase a nonvegan or non-cruelty-free (aka cruel) product. Animals don’t die when I purchase a vegan and cruelty-free product. Which one do I want to support?

It will take time at first to get adjusted, and don’t get frustrated if you don’t have it all figured out right now. Once you get these basics down, veganism will become as easy as breathing. It will just be a part of who you are, and you won’t even have to think about what you should or shouldn’t eat, wear, or do. Remember, you’re vegan for reasons outside of yourself, and that is one of the most admirable and selfless acts for a person. I believe in you. Good luck!

be conscious, be kind, be vegan