A Step In The Right Direction

by: Marlene Gelfand

Like many people, I try to be a good person.  I try to be considerate of others and make responsible decisions so as to not negatively impact myself, others, or the environment.  This is a large part of why I chose to be vegan.  However, even though I have been vegan for a while and feel fairly comfortable with preparing a wide variety of nutritious and delicious foods, I am still constantly overwhelmed by the way animal products are regularly used in a vast number of products that many of us use daily and of which we are totally unaware.

For example, I had recently tried this sample of lipstick from a company that is known as fairly green and clean, yet when perusing their site I became aware of a section directed toward vegans and people with gluten concerns.  Upon reviewing it, I learned that some of the cosmetics contained carmine, which is a pigment of a bright red color obtained from the aluminum salt of carminic acid, which is produced by some scale insects.  Not exactly vegan, especially since the process used to achieve this result involves boiling the insect bodies in a solution! So much for that lipstick!

When I first started to become vegan, I really only thought about it in terms of the food I ate.  That in itself was enough of a challenge, and I was only transitioning from vegetarian to vegan at the time.  But as time went on, I started to think about all the other areas that impact on animals and what I could do in terms of my choices that would be a kinder path to take.  I am completely aware of how overwhelming it can become and how difficult it feels to make these changes that affect our everyday habits, from eating, to brushing our teeth, cleaning ourselves and our homes and our clothes, the clothes we wear, and the list goes on and on.  So, why do it?  I’m a big believer that even the smallest of efforts toward a vegan lifestyle – a lifestyle that is gentler and kinder to the planet on many levels – environmental, humanitarian, health and well-being – can only be a step in the right direction.  And let’s face it, if a lot of people make small changes it adds up to a big change.  

 

So, if you have been contemplating making a change in your eating habits, for whatever reason; health, moral, etc., and you’re not sure what to eat or cook or buy or how to get enough of that famous “protein” people constantly question vegans about, stay tuned.  We’ll be discussing some suggestions in future postings.  In the meantime, just remember, every little effort, no matter how small, toward a kinder, gentler and healthier planet is truly overwhelming – in a good way!