Your Daily Vegan

Artificial food colors, they’re everywhere.  Pick up virtually any food or drink item at the grocer and you’d probably see, “Blah, Blah, Blah, FD&C Red No. 40, and FD&C Yellow No. 5″- or something like that.  There is one place that I often run into artificial food colorings that catches me off guard- vegan recipes on the web.

Not only are these chemicals toxic, they aren’t vegan.  Artificial food colors are tested on animals.

Shocking, right?  I know.  I wouldn’t have immediately thought of it either, but I looked them all up to get an idea of what they are made of.  Guess what?  They’re achieved through the wonder of chemistry and the industry of oil drilling.  Certainly not something I want on my vegan cupcake, gross.

Artificial colors keep the food sitting in warehouses and on grocery shelves fresh and cheery looking so that we’ll buy it thinking how good and tasty it must be.  Perhaps more insidiously, the bright blues, reds, and oranges of candy lure youngsters with promises of tasty delight- an experience and association that persists into adulthood when it’s time to decorate cakes and cookies for the family or work outing….or, Halloween.

Have you ever noticed that the artificial food colorings at the grocery stores always go on sale around holidays?  We are constantly bombarded with ways to incorporate these chemicals into our diets.  I’ve seen special colorings for drinks, for baked goods, for ice cubes for goodness sake- all in the name of Halloween “fun.”  Food colorings don’t add flavor to our food, they actually taste bad.  So, is our fun really worth the lives of animals?

To determine the safety of these chemicals as they are used as food additives, they are tested on animals.  Of course, these tests do not indicate the substance’s effect on humans, only how much is needed to cause cancer and death in the animals they are administered to.

After the jump I talk about the Seven Deadly Primary Colors and how you can replace them with versions that are 100% all natural, chemical-free, and vegan.  Let’s get our cute fun on with compassion for all!

(more…)

Huffington Post Green* published an article titled, The Real Veal: Sourcing and Cooking Humanely-Raised Veal, penned by chef Kurt Michael Friese.  And good gravy, this article is a mess.

Friese makes the claim that one can still eat veal (baby calves) and still maintain your ethics (which ones he doesn’t specify).  The premise of his argument seems to be that if the veal (baby calves) are raised happily and at their parents side, then it’s okay to slaughter them for food.

I’ve talked about the oxymoron of happy meat before so I won’t go into that here.  The fact is, the longest that veal (baby calves) can expect to live happily next to their parents side is approximately 35 weeks- or, nearly 9 months.  The average time veal (baby calves) is kept alive is 24-26 weeks.  After that they are sent to slaughter.  That’s the best case scenario.  In some cases (1 million cases a year) veal, such as bob veal, are slaughtered at 5 days old.

“Every year 1 million five-day old calves are slaughtered to supply the veal market.”

The veal industry is a direct result of the dairy industry.  Like other mammals, a cow will only produce milk once she’s given birth.  In order to get a continuous supply of milk, farmers will repeatedly impregnate dairy cows (in high and unnatural cycles) to keep them producing milk- for their babies, which we take away to be used as veal.  Meanwhile the mother of the calf cries and searches for her lost young.  Just like a human would if a human lost her child.

I don’t see how any of that is ethical.  But Friese has the answer for that too.  In the comments he wrote:

Nature most certainly DID intend on having these and countless other “babies” taken from their mothers sides and killed for food. All predators do that. It’s just that most are not kind enough to let them have any semblance of a content and pain free life before they are taken.

I am a human, a member of the animal kingdom. I consider myself no better or worse, more or less important than any other animal. My body is designed to be an omnivore and so that’s what I am. I have no problem whatsoever with those of you who choose not to eat veal or to be vegetarian, or to be vegan. Good on ya, your life, do what you want. But I reject out of hand the constant berating I receive from evangelica­l vegans who believe I and a majority of the human race are hellspawn because we eat meat. It just ain’t so.

Look, in order for anyone to live, something has to die. You cannot prove that an animal has a “soul” or some such, just as you cannot prove that a plant does not. Unless we are going to reject ten millennia of agricultur­e and forage for all our food, we are going to raise that food ourselves on farms. We should treat it well, and then we should harvest it, so that we can feed our families and our communitie­s, whether that food is from the plant or animal kingdoms.

So there you have it.  Since we can’t prove that cows have a soul, we can pretty much do whatever the hell we want to them.  You’re just being evangelical to oppose such a thing.  And the most ironic part?  Friese telling us to treat the animals well.  If we were really treating the animals well, we would stop forcing repeated pregnancies on animals only to take the resulting children away and slaughtering them.  Further, humans aren’t predators when they breed, raise, and slaughter domesticated animals in captivity for food.

And just because- “soul” is defined as, “the spiritual or immaterial part of a human being or animal, regarded as immortal.”

*Running a pro-animal agribusiness piece on Huffington Post Green is ironic given that everyone knows by now that raising animals for food is one of the worst environmentally destructive things we are (still) doing today.

Veganism is the movement to end exploitation and dominance over animals.  That’s a tall order.  This could mean anything from protesting a seal hunt or cooking a vegan meal- to educating people on the pain and suffering of the Eider Duck.  (Who, although protected, is still routinely plucked alive for it’s feathers.)  Advocating veganism has many facets.

To differ in sentiment or opinion, especially from the majority.

There has been disdain among a lot of vegans surrounding single issue campaigns.  Some feel that our focus should be solely on vegan education, that there are no moral differences between the use or treatment of animals, and that supporting those issues suggests that some forms of exploitation are morally less problematic than others.

I was one of those vegans.  It is true that working on campaigns to stop one issue of exploitation does not end every kind of exploitation.  But the fact is, all issues of exploitation and dominance are connected.  Defending one animal is as important as defending ten million.  They are all individuals who matter.

I see value in supporting some limited issues and campaigns.  Let’s use the recent ban on fur in West Hollywood as an example to illustrate my point.  I support the ban on fur, even though it doesn’t eradicate the use of all animal skins such as leather, wool, or silk.  It is important to realize that fur and leather goods are separate industries.  The use of leather shouldn’t be dismissed, but is more of a by-product in the sense that the animal is raised primarily for it’s flesh.  As more people become vegan, less and less cows will be bred- the demand for leather will decrease.  Fur, on the other hand, is from animals that are normally free-roaming and undomesticated.  If we end the use of fur (wherever possible) those animals could live free (right now).  Anytime our actions liberate animals from our dominion it is a good thing. Right?

Advocating (and educating) with a crystal clear and consistent vegan message will address the cow’s situation.  In the case of fur, these animals could benefit from our direct action right now.

Of course, convincing people to go vegan does bring about respect for fur-bearing animals (as vegans don’t hunt or trap); and yet it’s possible that individuals and whole communities of fur-bearing animals will be wiped out by the time the convincing is complete.  We need not turn away from animals under assault when there’s a chance we can spare them from harm and let them be.  This should be obvious: Advocates can defend animals such as foxes without fearing that they’ve shirked a duty to speak for all animals at once. – Lee Hall, On Their Own Terms

The practice of unfair treatment.

The Fifteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified on February 3, 1870.  It prohibits each government in the United States from denying a citizen the right to vote based on that citizen’s “race, color, or previous condition of servitude” (think: slavery).  In other words, black men were permitted to vote.  Women on the other hand, fought hard for years, but did not earn the right to vote until August 26, 1920- fifty years later.  And although African-American men had the right since 1870, it wasn’t until the 1965 Voting Rights Act that both black men and women were fully protected under Federal law.

(Of course, in many parts of the world women still don’t have the right to vote.)

The black disenfranchisement and women’s suffrage were single issues in the larger campaign of equality for all.  Should those advocates have not worked on these single issues?  Should those advocates instead have stood idly by waiting for rights and equality to be given voluntarily?

The quality or state of being confused.

This is not to say that there are not problems with single issue campaigns, there are.  The fact is, all exploitation and dominance over non-humans is wrong. There is no difference between raising animals for food versus using their skins for clothing.  It is all exploitation.  So, is there a way to combine unapologetic veganism and single issue campaigns?  I think so, as long as there is a crystal clear message that all animal use should be abolished.

The condition of being false; lack of truth.

I want to clarify that supporting these single issues are not the same as saying, “Anything that reduces suffering is a good thing and a step in the right direction.”  These single issues also have no connection with incremental steps, as it relates to animal husbandry reform (which I do not support).  Rather, we can and should respond to these issues whenever possible- whether singular or not, while also advocating a clear and consistent vegan message.

To bring to a successful end; carry through; accomplish.

At the end of the day, it’s the animals that I think about.  It pains me to think that there are animals in more heinous situations than I could even imagine.  Its their situations that drive my veganism and I want to make the most positive impact I can.  The mere mention of supporting a single issue campaign can elicit passionate responses from vegans.  It’s a tough topic.  I know that there are a lot of strong and compelling arguments against single issues, I’ve read quite a few of them.  No one person (myself included) has the perfect answer on how to represent veganism, or even the best way to advocate its position.  If they did, we’d all be vegan.  Let’s not immediately dismiss each singular campaign as something unworthy of our time because it does not bring about veganism overnight.  Nothing to date has done that- should we all just stop trying?

[line]

A common criticism is that the time is not yet ripe for our reform.  Can a time ever be ripe for any reform unless it’s ripened by human determination? ~ Donald Watson, The Vegan News 1944

[line]

It is the world’s oldest and most versatile crop.  It can be grown without pesticides, herbicides, and with reduced fertilizers.  It uses less water than other crops, prevents soil erosion, adds nutrients back to the soil, and produces oxygen thus lowering Co2 levels in our atmosphere – decreasing global warming.

Besides having an abundance of ecological advantages, it is also one of the single most nutritious food item on the planet.  No other single plant source has all the essential amino acids, essential fatty acids, and complete proteins in as perfect ratios to meet nutritional needs.  Further, it is a great source of dietary fiber (a whopping 35%), calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B6, C, D, and in particular vitamin E.  Not to mention it’s low in saturated fat (less than 8%), and because of it’s globulins, it is one of the most easily digested foods as well.

What is this miracle plant?  Industrial Hemp.  And it’s (still) illegal to grow in the United States.  That’s right Americans, no miracle plants for you.

In a new petition to the White House, people are asking that industrial hemp be legalized once again in the US.

With over $419 million in estimated U.S. retail sales, American companies making hemp products have no choice but to import their raw materials because American farmers continue to fear they will be prosecuted due to an outdated federal policy which confuses non-drug industrial hemp with drug varieties of Cannabis.

Fun Fact:  Dr. Bronner’s import 20 tons of hemp oil a year from Canada. That’s a lot of oil.  A lot of amazing oil.

I’ve told you about the amazing power of hemp foods, how you can make stuff with it, and how fashionable hemp has become.  I have even talked about how hemp could help end hunger in America.  And let’s not forget, hemp milk can make a stellar frozen dessert.  We can easily see the nutritional, environmental, and economic value of producing hemp as food and other goods.  Hemp is good for the earth, good for the animals, and good for us.

Head on over and read the White House Petition: Allow Industrial Hemp to be grown in the US again.  There are currently over 6,616 signatures in support for the measure.  Actually, 6,617- I just signed it.

Many have asked this question of cultured dextrose.  Is it vegan?  It appears the answer is no.

When we asked the question, “Is cultured dextrose lurking in your vegan food?” this past Spring, it was decided that it probably isn’t vegan based on the lack of availability of knowledge concerning this product, the food product industry’s desire to protect their property, the fact that it has been tested on animals, and just plain deduction and common sense.  Cultured dextrose is not a requirement for sustaining and nourishing our life, but agribusiness and food processing companies sure make a profit off it, and off you if you continue to purchase it.  Basically, it’s a food preservative.

Danisco, the producers of MicroGARD (cultured dextrose and cultured skim milk), use a dairy-derived ingredient (the culture) to manufacture this product.  That culture is “purified” to remove milk proteins and such before it is added to the dextrose (sugar).  One supposes they skip that step when adding it to the skim milk.  In purifying the culture, they meet the labeling requirements set by the FDA insofar as deeming it “allergen free.”

From Danisco:

To answer your question regarding dairy, MicroGARD 200 and 730 does not contain any milk components.  These products are made from the metabolites produced by lactic acid bacteria, which are purified and added to dextrose substrates and not milk substrates. You can also refer to our allergen panels on the spec sheets for any allergens found in these products.

Made from animals (like white refined sugar), but does not contain animal residue (like white refined sugar).  Tested on animals (like artificial food coloring).

How to avoid cultured dextrose?  Read the label and don’t buy it (vegans often find it in hummus).  Natural, nutritious food doesn’t need it.

Spring is in full swing, even in Ohio!  It’s a bittersweet time of year for me.  I’m always thrilled to see the cold weather go, but leery of the problems that spring can bring for my companion animals.  See, Olli is allergic to bees.  I found that out last year when she went into anaphylactic shock after being stung by (what I assume) was a hornet.  It wasn’t the first companion animal emergency I’ve ever had, but it was one that has forever changed me.  I almost lost Olli that day, she’s extremely allergic to bees.  Thankfully, I didn’t.  I learned a lot that day that I already shared in the post Bee Prepared, but it’s important enough to give a refresher.

Anaphylactic Shock is a severe allergic reaction that, if left untreated, causes seizures, coma, and death.  Anaphylaxis targets the liver.  Signs develop almost immediately, usually within minutes, after the dog (animal) has been exposed to the allergen.  The first signs of anaphylaxis usually include:

• Sudden Diarrhea
• Emptying of bowels (defecation/urination)
• Vomiting
• Severe itchiness & development of hives
• Weakness
• Excessive drooling
• Shallow, rapid, and/or difficult breathing
• Pale gums (tacky)
• Fast heart rate
• Poor pulse
• Cold limbs
• Collapse

Anaphylactic shock is almost always fatal if not treated immediately. If your dog (or animal) exhibits any of these symptoms, take him or her to a vet immediately.

Here’s a few (emergency) safety tips I learned:

• Program all of the surrounding vet offices into your phone, including the hours that they are open- make the entry a favorite so you can access the information quickly and easily in high stress situations.
• Program the numbers to local wildlife rehabilitation agencies in your area in your phone.  Emergency vets are not equipped (usually) to treat wild life such as birds, squirrels, chipmunks, possums, etc.  It’s important to know how to get injured wild animals help.
• Do you know how to get to the closest vet office?  Do you know what routes to take or back roads?  Do you know how long it takes to get to each one so you know which one is closest?  You should.
• My regular vet has a medical history for all of my companion animals, but an emergency vet wouldn’t.  In some cases, they need to know the animals medical history so that they can treat them.  I have a copy of all of the animals’ medical files in a folder in the car.  Easy to grab on the way into an emergency vet.
• Do you have a first aid kit for your companion animals?  You should.

I can’t recommend having a first aid kit enough. I didn’t have one prior to last year.  Now, I’ll never be without one again.  Before I go on, I am not a vet.  I am not claiming to be a vet, I am also not claiming that this advice should replace that of a vet.  This post is for informational purposes only, please consult your regular vet with any questions regarding your own animal’s health.  Now, that said- let’s talk about a first aid kit.  Here’s what’s in my kit:

• Scissors
• Tweezers
• Styptic Powder, or cornstarch
• Eye dropper or oral syringe
• Cotton Swabs/Cotton balls
• Paper Towels
• Rectal Thermometer
• Lubricant such as mineral oil/vaseline
• Disposable gloves
• Cold packs/Heat packs (wrap in towel prior to use)
• Gauze (sterile)
• Non-stick pads
• First aid tape
• Bandage rolls (Vetwrap)
• Band-aids
• Wound disinfectant
• Triple antibiotic ointment for skin
• Diphenhydramine  (Benadryl – get the liquid kind) for allergic reactions (get the proper dose from Vet for your pet)
• Hydrogen Peroxide
• I also carry water, a portable water bowl, treats, doggie poo bags, and a spare leash in my car at all times.

Watch the expiration dates on any medication, and replace as needed.

Poisoning is another common pet emergency.  Generally speaking, any products that are dangerous for humans are also dangerous for non-humans.  Think cleaning products, automobile lubricants and coolants (antifreeze), lawn chemicals, and rodent poisons.  But you should also be aware of the common food items that could be harmful.  The AVMA (Animal Veterinary Medical Association) offers the brochure What You Should Know About Household Hazards to Pets which offers a summary of foods and common household items to watch out for.

If you know your companion animal has consumed something dangerous you can call the Animal Poison Control Center hotline at 888-426-4435 (available 365 days a year, 24 hours a day – there could be a fee for the consultation) and/or go to your closest emergency veterinarian.

Find additional information on animal poisoning (including plants, household products, foods and more) please visit the (ASPCA) Animal Poison Control.

Emergency care and first aid should never be used as a substitute for care provided by a licensed veterinarian, but being prepared could save your animals life.  Please remember to follow up with your vet anytime your companion animal has had an emergency.  In a real emergency situation you are forced to deal with any lack of planning that you might have.  Don’t let a random tragedy remind you that you could have been more prepared.

KD Traegner is an unapologetic vegan. She believes that animals besides us, and including us humans, have the fundamental right to a natural and free life. She is compassionate, believing that her choices matter, and she takes that power seriously. Her mission is simple: to bring the vegan evolution to the masses, connect vegans with other vegans, and support vegans in their own lives, as well as their advocacy work. She does that through the use of her website, Your Daily Vegan, and her big mouth.

Live in San Diego?  Got plans on Sunday?  Why not check out the Hemp Edibles & Wearable Fashion Show in honor of Hemp History Week? Special guest speaker David Bronner, President of Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soap, will be there.  There’s also going to be a Hemp Foam Shower (check out the video to know what to expect), Vegan Food Vendors, Free Giveaways, Hemp Education, Full Catwalk for the fashion show, 3D Art, Raffles, and more.

RSVP on Facebook or just get more information.

(Did you check out that foam shower?  Seriously, I want Dr. Bronner to bring his foam shower this way- it looks FUN!)

We certainly can’t have a Hemp History Week celebration without having a discussion about it. You know, hemp’s cousin, marijuana.  While Hemp History Week does not address medicinal marijuana (or advocate for it’s use), hemp’s legal status is defined by marijuana, thus making it important to understand the difference between the two.

Cannabis Sativa is generally grown for hemp.  It’s full of seeds (amazingly nutritional seeds) and a lot of stem (known for it’s fibrous properties), and has a low THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol – aka the psychoactive chemical which gets people “high”) content.  The Cannabis Sativa of today is based on naturally selected strains of the plant which produce effectively no measurable THC, less than 0.01%.  Meaning, you’re not going to get high from consuming it.

On the other hand, Marijuana is generally cultivated from Cannabis Indica.  Indica plants have little to no seeds, is bushy with little stem, and has a much, much, higher THC content than hemp.  Marijuana is not grown near hemp because cannabis is dioecious- meaning, plants are either female or male.  To achieve the highest THC level possible, isolated female plants are desired, because once they become pollinated by males, the flowers on the female produce less THC.  Meaning, it’s less attractive as a sinsemilla (drug).

Now you know the difference between Hemp and Marijuana.  So, let’s talk about Medical Marijuana and why it’s more vegan than popping an aspirin.

Marijuana was placed in Schedule 1 of the Controlled Substances Act in 1970 by the US Congress because they determined it had, “no accepted medical use.”  It is illegal for any reason, with the exception of FDA-approved research programs.  Since that time, 15 out of 50 states (including DC) have now legalized medical marijuana.  Confused?  It’s confusing.  Medical Marijuana is legal to use (in varying degrees) at the (some) state(s) level, but remains illegal at the federal level.

Supporters of medical marijuana argue that it can be a safe and effective treatment for the symptoms of cancer, AIDS, multiple sclerosis, chronic pain, glaucoma, epilepsy, and many other conditions.  Marijuana has shown to have several well-documented medicinal properties including, amelioration of nausea and vomiting, aiding in stimulating hunger in AIDS and cancer patients, lowering of eye pressure (effective for treating glaucoma), as well as gastrointestinal illnesses, and used an analgesic.  There have been dozens of “peer-reviewed studies, prominent medical organizations, major government reports, and the use of marijuana as medicine throughout world history.”

Those against the use of medical marijuana say that it is; dangerous to use, addictive, a “gate-way” drug (a drug that leads to harder drug use), has health implications such as infertility, injuries to the lungs, immune system, and brain.  The drug lacks FDA approval and opponents claim that medical marijuana is simply a front for drug legalization and recreational use.  They also state that there are legal drugs that make marijuana use unnecessary.

So, how does any of this matter in terms of veganism?

All drugs, regardless if they contain animal ingredients, have been subject to animal testing at one time.  The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations require that all new drugs undergo animal experimentation before they are permitted to proceed with any clinical trials.

Over-the-counter medications, prescription medications, and vaccines all contain a myriad of toxic ingredients in endless combinations.  This makes it nearly impossible to determine actual effects on humans without human clinical trials.  Different species ingesting equal amounts of the same chemical will react differently due to their fundamental genetic and biochemical differences.  It is important to note that there is only a 5% – 25% correlation between animal results and human ones, rendering animal experimentation data dangerously unreliable.

The testing performed on non-human animals, including primates, does not provide accurate and useful information regarding human medicine.

Ending Non-human primate research would benefit human medicine by halting the flow of unreliable data from it, and by diverting research funds to more appropriate and promising methods. These include batteries of human-based tests that provide reliable and relevant information on which to base further research and translate laboratory findings to the clinic: microarrays and other DNA technologies; proteomics and metabolomics; mathematical and computer modelling; epidemiology; human clinical research; myriad in vitro molecular biological techniques; microfluidics devices; scanning technologies, microdosing etc…. in short, technologies that have demonstrably contributed to human medicine. – Jarrod Bailey, Ph.D

Due to current governmental regulations around the globe, it is nearly impossible to avoid medications that have been tested on animals.  Refusing medications for ethical reasons will do little to deter pharmaceutical companies from using animal experimentation to determine the safety and efficacy of new medications.  Help affect change by contacting your governmental agency that is responsible for animal testing regulation, and support charities that fund only non-animal research.

Medical Marijuana looks as if it could be a vegan alternative to some traditional pharmaceutical offerings.  It can be cultivated locally, cutting down on energy costs in shipping (and overall costs associated with obtaining prescription medications).  It prevents soil erosion (by root-binding), adds nutrients back to the soil, and produces oxygen (lowering Co2 levels in our atmosphere – decreasing global warming).  Finally, it eliminates the need for non-human animal testing, unlike any over-the-counter or prescription medications, thus saving the lives of non-humans.

In my mind, that makes it more vegan than aspirin.

[Editors note: This post is not about the efficacy of marijuana use for health related issues, nor should it be interpreted as a pro or con regarding it's use. Medical Marijuana in this article refers to crop that is grown legally within the parameters of local law.  This article is not intended to encourage or suggest illegal activity of any kind, nor should it be construed as medical advice or otherwise. This article discusses medical marijuana use and it's relation to veganism only.  Please consult your doctor as well as any and all information sources regarding medical marijuana to determine if it's (legal) right for you.]

KD Traegner is an unapologetic vegan. She believes that animals besides us, and including us humans, have the fundamental right to a natural and free life. She is compassionate, believing that her choices matter, and she takes that power seriously. Her mission is simple: to bring the vegan evolution to the masses, connect vegans with other vegans, and support vegans in their own lives, as well as their advocacy work. She does that through the use of her website, Your Daily Vegan, and her big mouth.

Hemp History Week is raging all this week at Your Daily Vegan!  So far we’ve talked about the history of hemp, amazing hemp foods, and hemp products.  Today we’re talkin’ fashion, hemp fashion that is.  Hemp has come a long way from the days of shapeless clothes and scratchy shoes.  These days hemp has been fashioned into furry, silky, cozy, comfort, and stylish clothes.

And spring is here or, it is in most places of the world (not in Ohio, of course- we can’t even get above 50 degrees here…sigh), so let’s look at some spring/summer collections made from hemp.

I love The Coco Dress from Mountains of the Moon.  It’s classic, yet modern.  I even love it with red tights, a purple sash (see!? I always tell people that red and purple match but no one believes me!), and grey ankle boots.  It’s totally chic.

The Coco Dress from Mountains of the Moon Photography Sylvia Karena Bouvier for Ame.

I also swooned when I saw the Taylor Pants from Mountains of the Moon. I am particularly fond of the cedar green, though the quarry blue is lovely too.

The Taylor Pant by Mountain of the Moons

Nomads Hemp Wear has been making stylish and quality hemp gear for ten years.  I’m completely smitten with pretty much everything in the spring/summer line.  Here are a few favorites:

The Duchess Tank from Nomads Hemp Wear

Broadway Bloomers by Nomads Hemp Wear

Kid Mahina Dress by Nomads Hemp Wear

The Luxe Shirt from Nomads Hemp Wear

The Crunch Tank from Nomads Hemp Wear

The Mandala LS Shirt from Nomads Hemp Wear

Alternative Outfitters (love them for affordable sweet vegan fashion) is a Vegan Boutique that also sells hemp products. Check out these hemp shoes I found:

Simple Shoes Satire Flat

Simple Shoes Carport Shoes

More hemp designs comes to us straight out of Los Angeles from The Hempress herself, Linda Montellano Werner and her line Think Substance. I like it because it’s made up of extremely wearable clothes. I’m thinking that I pretty much NEED this ‘Hemp Can Save the Planet’ shirt.

I haven’t even touched the surface of great hemp fashion in this post. I didn’t get to tell you how awesome Hemp Hoodlamb is, or how you can find hemp clothing at Cow Jones Vegan Boutique.  I also didn’t mention Hempmania even though they have tons of bags.  There are just too many hemp fashion designers, clothing stores, and online boutiques to list.  That’s because hemp is in great fashion everywhere!  It spans from wallets, belts, dresses, and coats all the way to ties, shoes, and bags. It’s cruelty-free, eco-friendly, and looks hot. That’s my kind of clothes!

KD Traegner is an unapologetic vegan. She believes that animals besides us, and including us humans, have the fundamental right to a natural and free life. She is compassionate, believing that her choices matter, and she takes that power seriously. Her mission is simple: to bring the vegan evolution to the masses, connect vegans with other vegans, and support vegans in their own lives, as well as their advocacy work. She does that through the use of her website, Your Daily Vegan, and her big mouth.