All right my chic vegans… it’s about to get real up in here… let’s talk about REAL FOOD.

As a vegan, I’m assuming  that you try to eat real, whole foods. I, as an omnivore, am very careful about the food I eat.  I get most of my food from farmer’s markets or small, locally owned markets. When I eat out I choose restaurants that either specialize in locally sourced food or I go veggie for the evening.  I am even careful about feeding my dog – she eats Earthborn Holistic brand, Ocean Fusion food and only treats I make myself or are made by small, either organic or small batch companies.  (Apparently, I and puppsters aren’t the only ones who love Earthborn Holistic; the manager at the pet store says it’s flying off the shelves!)

Anyway, back to biotechnology… The whole debate about genetically modified food rages on and there are good arguments on both sides.  However, I personally think unmodified food tastes better.  And I’m not the only one.  According to the BBC , India deferred cultivating its first genetically modified crop due to health concerns.  Some people may say that India may not be the first country that comes to mind when it comes to healthy and safe countries, but anyone who has spent hours at an Indian restaurant chowing down curry and naan will tell you, that country can COOK. And if they are concerned about GM food safety, well gosh darn it, so am I.

If you haven’t seen Food, Inc (and sheesh, WHY HAVEN’T YOU!!! It’s available on Netflix instant! Watch it RIGHT NOW!!!), or have read any of Michael Pollen’s books, or just don’t think about these things, here is a fun fact: 89% of the soybeans grown in the US are GM (with an herbicide resistant gene taken from bacteria inserted into soybean). In fact, Monsanto , the company that produces these GM soybeans and makes pesticides has made it all but illegal for farmers to grow non-GM soybeans. Also, be aware, the USDA does not require labeling for GM products, and most of the mass produced products on the grocery store shelves today, have something GM in them, including organics.  For you vegans, this is very important, especially for those of you that do so for health and environmental reasons.  I know that soy is a vital part of your diet, but remember, your dollar is your vote. Vote NO on genetically modified food!

One last short rant… High Fructose Corn Syrup. I know, I know… those commercials are mighty convincing, with that bright red Popsicle that who knows where that color came from. The argument isn’t that it’s necessarily BAD for you (HFCS and sucrose are basically identical), it’s that it’s unnecessary! Why is it in EVERYTHING? It doesn’t belong in my bread!  If this country wasn’t producing way more corn than we need, then we wouldn’t have to turn cows into corn processing machines and be left to come up with something to do with all the excess corn, i.e. HFCS.  Obviously, it is not natural – I don’t see a HFC tree anywhere with little spouts and buckets hanging off of them somewhere in the Midwest.  Time Magazine recently entered the debate:

“High-fructose corn syrup starts out as cornstarch, which is chemically or enzymatically degraded to glucose and some short polymers of glucose. Another enzyme is then used to convert varying fractions of glucose into fructose,” says (Michael) Jacobson.
Read more…

I’m sure you vegan are aware of this, but maybe someone you know is falling for the wrong side of this debate.  Remember “knowing is half the battle!!!“ (GI JOE theme music plays).  Keep up the good work vegans, the food world IS changing!

About our stealthy guest blogger: Beth is the sole owner and member of The Z is Silent, a project to start an all inclusive arts space in Philadelphia. She envisions a completely modular space where artists can present visual, performing and any other kind of art in a space they themselves can help design and work with instead of in. However, Beth has no money. So, instead she fills her time writing nonsensical and whimsical musings for blogs like Chic Vegan and her own Atoms of Minutiae and being an office drone. She lives with her lovely boyfriend, his mustache, a cat and a dog.

image via jams_123

The post Let’s Talk Biotechnology! appeared first on Chic Vegan.

The Veined Octopus (sexual connotations are welcome in the comments!), Latin name Amphioctopus marginatus,  lives off the coast of Indonesia where the ocean floor is a vast muddy flat with little to offer in terms of safe shelter. To predators these animals are tasty treats with no bones to get in the way.  The octopi have taken to collecting coconut halves and then scampering away with them to build shelters. This little guy has apparently almost caused many a scientist to almost drown from laughing (I can tell you from personal experience, laughing + several feet of water above you + scuba mask = not a good idea)!

Do you know what has eight legs,  can carry and then MAKE a shelter? This guy!

They actually run or “stilt walk” while carrying the object, which has become coconut shells as of late due to human rate of consumption. The shells get tossed or deposited into the sea where they eventually sink.  The halves make perfect shelters for the octopi as they can actually carry them under their bodies, coordinating thousands of suckers and eight legs. While it would actually be faster and less vulnerable for them to use their natural jet propulsion to escape predators, there is really nowhere for them to jet off to in their habitat.  Which makes carrying the shelter a perfect adaptation.

“The coconut-carrying behavior makes the veined octopus the newest member of the elite club of tool-using animals—and the first member without a backbone”, researchers say. According to National Geographic. The reason this is tool usage and say, a hermit crab’s shell is not is because by definition a tool is something that is useless until used in a particular manner.  A hermit crab carries his shell around with him all the time, giving him a constant use for it.  The octopi carry the coconut halves (and apparently bits of glass, or any other object they deem appropriate) until it is needed.  Think of when you bring your umbrella with you when you think it might rain; it provides no use until you open it and put it above your head.  The umbrella, and the coconut shells provide “delayed benefits”, says scientist Julian Finn of Museum Victoria in Melbourne, Australia who has been observing these octopi regularly. The species is actually very bright, Other octopi have shown the ability to get through mazes, seem to remember past events and are known to be cunning escape artists.

http://www.hulu.com/watch/5551/family-guy-sucky-and-squeezy

About our stealthy guest blogger: Beth is the sole owner and member of The Z is Silent, a project to start an all inclusive arts space in Philadelphia. She envisions a completely modular space where artists can present visual, performing and any other kind of art in a space they themselves can help design and work with instead of in. However, Beth has no money. So, instead she fills her time writing nonsensical and whimsical musings for blogs like Chic Vegan and her own Atoms of Minutiae and being an office drone. She lives with her lovely boyfriend, his mustache, a cat and a dog.

The post The Veined Octopus: Smart-Guy of the Sea! appeared first on Chic Vegan.

We are constantly discovering the bounties that our little planet has to offer, which makes the case for continued and increased conservation. It also helps that many of these new creatures, are just adorable. Sure, it wouldn’t make it any LESS important to discover un-cute animals, but it certainly can nudge a few of the stragglers. SEE? By recycling and turning the water off when you brush your teeth, we can continue to find and preserve animals like this little guy:

Can’t you just hear him saying something prosh like “¡Buenos dias bonita!” (translated as: “Good day, beautiful!”)

On the flip side, I could argue that most of these creatures are doing fine on their own. Now that they have been “discovered”, it is possible that they may become hunted, their food sources depleted and become extinct. This little guy is, unfortunately, nearing extinction:

Not all the discoveries have been of other, new species either. The oldest human skeleton has been found and it is raising many questions of our evolution. Can you believe it? Another link to our own past! Now, I’m not going to assume that if we hadn’t been turning off the lights when we leave a room, or putting rocks in our toilet tanks, we wouldn’t have found “Ardi”. Archeologists and anthropologists will do as they do, no matter how we trash the planet. But, thankfully our poisonous runoff didn’t get too and dissolve these old bones AND has given us new insight into our beginnings and about ourselves.

About our stealthy guest blogger: Beth is the sole owner and member of The Z is Silent, a project to start an all inclusive arts space in Philadelphia. She envisions a completely modular space where artists can present visual, performing and any other kind of art in a space they themselves can help design and work with instead of in. However, Beth has no money. So, instead she fills her time writing nonsensical and whimsical musings for blogs like Chic Vegan and her own Atoms of Minutiae and being an office drone. She lives with her lovely boyfriend, his mustache, a cat and a dog.

The post New Discoveries: Bad Omens or Bright Future? appeared first on Chic Vegan.

They made natural hair care sexy and beautiful. Their ingredient list is long and scientific sounding though, which makes us wonder if it is all that natural. Most of them turn out to be manipulated natural ingredients. Either way, these days, being “green” is so trendy you can’t walk down a hair care aisle without all sorts of plants, and all natural ingredients screaming at you from the bottles. Salons are developing their own natural hair care lines and paying special attention to their clients. I’m a little wary about buying hair products that might not be safe, for my hair or the world. So instead of diving right in, I sat down with Rebecca from Bubbles Salon in Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia, PA to talk with her about some products we conscious chicks can use without fear.
BG: So, tell me some of your favorite hair products?

Beka: Bubbles Salon makes our own line, Cibu which contains “Spring Roll” . The whole line is sulfate free, paraben free (possible cancer causing agents) and is made with natural ingredients. We test our products on our own stylists, not on animals. The packaging is made from 85 percent post consumer materials and is made in the USA, meaning we cut down on carbon emissions to distribute our products. My other fave is Purology, also made with natural ingredients. It’s 100 percent vegan and most of the packaging is completely recyclable with your regular plastics. Both of these lines are also color safe which is a plus.

BG: Do you find that these work just as well as their less friendly products?

Beka: Absolutely! Over the years, I’ve actually found that these products work better than conventional drugstore brands or less enviro friendly brands. All products use plant derivatives in the formulas. By using products that don’t break these valuable plants down, you end up with a more concentrated product that is much kinder and beneficial to your hair. Think about eating the space eggs from the convenience store as opposed to cooking your own in the morning…real is definitely more satisfying.

BG: Are there any hair stylist secrets that our fellow concerned citizens might find interesting?

Beka: Beer….jojoba oil, avocados and white vinegar.

BG: Beer?!? Really?!? How does that work?

Beka: Beer acts as a shine enhancer. Being a home brewer really got me thinking about this one as well. Normally, with certain beers you want to rip a lot of the proteins out to get a clear beer…not the case with dark beers such as stout, which is the perfect one to use. First you want to clarify to remove any buildup. If you don’t have a clarifying shampoo, take your regular shampoo and in your hand add one teaspoon each of lemon juice and white vinegar. Lather well and rinse. Get your beer pour it over your hair, massage it in, leave it in for a couple minutes and rinse well with cold water. Viola! (Check out a list of vegan friendly beers over at barnivore.com)

BG: I’ve seen Jojoba in shampoo, how does that work? And the avocado?

Beka: Jojoba and avocado can be used as a weekly or monthly mask. Clarify first, then mash up one avocado and two teaspoons of jojoba oil and apply from mids to ends. Leave it on for 15 minutes and rinse well with cold water. You’ll end up with shiny, supple, fabulous strands!

BG: Do you do anything in your personal life to be a sustainably conscious person?

Beka: Of course! Shop and buy locally whenever possible! Carpool whenever possible, and definitely get a reusable water bottle. Think about how many times you buy a bottle of water for 4 dollars from where ever you buy them from and add it up. It really adds up. And I always recycle. I commend Philadelphia’s local government for installing the solar powered Big Bellies…fantastic.

BG: you have a fantastic sense of style, what are some of your favorite local shops?

Beka: Thank you! Buffalo Exchange is fantastic, as well as Circle Thrift in Fishtown. You can completely transform any dull outfit with new accessories and these stores hit it on the mark. Decently priced and fashion forward, they have a way of selecting interesting items to resell. My favorite local shops are Villian Arts a local tattoo art clothing line available only online and select Tattoo Cons right now and Smak Parlour a local shop focusing on handmade, short run pieces with the fashionista in mind.
Some other great eco-friendly places to shop and get beautiful around Philadelphia:

Immortal Uncommon Resale
125 S 18th St
Philadelphia, PA 19103

Greene Street Consignment
Several shops in the area
greenestreetconsignment.com

Tierra Mia
328 S 17th St
Philadelphia, PA 19103
tierramiaorganicnailspa.com

About our stealthy guest blogger: Beth is the sole owner and member of The Z is Silent, a project to start an all inclusive arts space in Philadelphia. She envisions a completely modular space where artists can present visual, performing and any other kind of art in a space they themselves can help design and work with instead of in. However, Beth has no money. So, instead she fills her time writing nonsensical and whimsical musings for blogs like Chic Vegan and her own Atoms of Minutiae and being an office drone. She lives with her lovely boyfriend, his mustache, a cat and a dog.

The post Staying Beautiful (and Green) in Philly -or anywhere else. appeared first on Chic Vegan.

1. Buy those reusable bags you see EVERYWHERE! Did you know there is a giant island of garbage in the Pacific Ocean that is 80% plastic?  Ew!  These reusable shopping bags are cheap and are usually made out of recycled plastic bottles or those offending plastic bags. And they have gotten mighty chic. Hardest part of this habit remembering to bring them with you when you go shopping.  I keep one in my backpack so that it is ready should the urge to shop arise.  My mom keeps four in her car!  And as I mentioned, almost every grocery and drug store have them right there by the cash register. An added saver: a lot of stores are now discounting your total bill by as mush as 10 cents PER BAG you use instead of taking the bags they offer you! And you didn’t even have to clip any coupons!

2. Get RID of your car! I know I know, America is the birthplace of the automobile. But guess what?  Those cool cars everywhere cause major environmental damage.  California is considered one of the most eco-conscious states (though not as much as my favorite state Vermont!) and yet they produce the most smog due to the sheer amount of cars on the road.  Which I should mention also contributes to their world famous traffic jams.  When you have thousands of cars sitting on the road wasting gas and not moving, you create air pollution.  And they’re expensive!  Think about all the money you spend on insurance, parking, gas and mechanics!!! Need to get somewhere? Use those 2 wonderful, natural locomotive appendages south of the border; your feet and legs were made to move you! Ride a bike! Most cities nowadays have a pretty good bike lane system in place, and many more are making major improvements on existing systems.  In NYC, for example, one can ride the entire length of the island of Manhattan straight through on Broadway on a safe, paved Bike Lane protected from traffic by barriers. And right now as we speak, The East Coast Greenway is making huge strides that will soon connect every major city on the East Coast of the US. Even taking public transportation reduces traffic and smog.  And of course, there are exceptions to every rule: if you MUST drive, buy the most fuel efficient vehicle you can. The US Government recently had a great promotion “Cars For Clunkers” that gave citizens up to $4,500 US to trade in their cars averaging less that 18 MPH for a newer, more efficient one.  Good job Government!

3. Start cookin’! Cooking at home not only saves the air from those car fumes we were just speaking about, but its also healthier for you.  When you cook, you control the ingredients. This  means there are no mystery ingredients in your food. I know for a fact that McDonald’s puts SUGAR on their fries to make you thirstier so you will drink more of that soda they sell.  And, those so called “Healthy options” on those national chain menus, may not be so healthy after all!  A lot of them contain HFCS (high fructose corn syrup), and fake ingredients to keep their calories and fat content down.  That does not sound appetizing OR healthy to me. The hardest part for this one?  Figuring out WHAT to cook!!!  The rest, is actually fun.  Get the whole family involved!

4. Shop at your local farm stand or grow a garden! Every city in the great USA now is home to at LEAST one farmer’s markets every summer. Some are even open all year ‘round! Support your local farmer and buy direct!  It not only saves money, but also saves the environment because you are supporting produce from next door instead of halfway across the world.  Plus, its healthier because the produce can stay on the plants for longer, infusing more nutrients and vitamins!.  This also forces us to eat seasonally, which many food experts are saying is actually healthier.  When you eat seasonally, your body uses what it needs depending on your climate and time of year.  The more food you eat that has been produced and grown locally, the more of the local environment you are putting into your body, and acclimating it to the area.

5. Use your money as your vote! When you buy locally grown, sustainably produced products, it shows our lawmakers that we care.  It says, “I’d rather buy things made by my neighbors that are healthier for the environment than those that are trucked from across the world.”  Money rules the world, they say.  Of all the habits, this is the easiest one to do. So choose local!

About our stealthy  guest blogger: Beth is the sole owner and member of The Z is Silent, a project to start an all inclusive arts space in Philadelphia. She envisions a completely modular space where artists can present visual, performing and any other kind of art in a space they themselves can help design and work with instead of in. However, Beth has no money. So, instead she fills her time writing nonsensical and whimsical musings for blogs like Chic Vegan and her own Atoms of Minutiae and being an office drone. She lives with her lovely boyfriend, his mustache, a cat and a dog.

The post 5 Habits to Create A Greener Existence appeared first on Chic Vegan.

Picture the Appalachian Trail… but instead of dirty hippies and deep dark woods (which are both very nice, don’t get me wrong), there was a nicely graveled trail that connected all the major cities, from Boston to Miami and beyond. You can bike the whole way or just a little.That’s what the developers thought. But how?

Thanks to the recent economic developments and ecological movements, bike riding as a means of commuting has become more of the norm than ever before. Sure, bicycling is fun and also healthy, but it appears that more and more Americans are matching their European counterparts in bicycling to work, to the store and to social events.

The Greenway project is most defiantly influenced by the EuroVelo, which is the European cycle route network.

The EuroVelo is a project of the European Cyclists’ Federation to develop 12 long-distance cycle routes crossing Europe. So far, more than 44,000 km (27,340 mi) of 60,000 km (37,282 mi) are in place. Rather impressive! While the main focus of the 12 route EuroVelo is for bicycle touring across the continent, they are also used locally. This is the main difference in the thoughts between the ECG and the EuroVelo and is similar to the Trans-Canada Trail.

The TCT is unique in that it is able to use defunct rail trails as a guide through the country and is intended for multi-use by (depending on the section) hikers, bicyclists, cross country skiers, all-terrain vehicles and snowmobiles.

The creation of the trail was announced as part of Canada’s 125th anniversary celebrations in 1992. The difference with the TCT, the ECG and the EuroVelo (which is still hoping for EU support) is that the TCT is mostly funded by the Canadian government while the other two have relied on corporate and private donors. As of today, 70% of the proposed 18,078 km (11,233 mi) corridor has been completed.

As of the last date check, 21% of the ECG has been completed since its beginnings in 1992. Its intention is different than that of the TCT and the EuroVelo in that it is intended for urban, non motorized transportation along its proposed 3,000 mi(4,828 km route). There are 27 cities planned to be connected by the “spine route” including Portland, Maine; Boston and Worcester, Massachusetts; Hartford, Connecticut; New York City; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Baltimore, Maryland; Washington, DC, Richmond Virginia; Raleigh and Wilmington, North Carolina; Charleston, South Carolina, Savannah, Georgia; Jacksonville and to on through to the end in Key West, Florida. One of the truly innovative ideas is The ECG will be connecting trails that already exist, its just a matter of getting them into the program and building trails to connect them. Throughout the area, many trails are already in use, but have issues with either accessibility and/or upkeep. For example, you can ride from one end of the island of Manhattan to the other on a buffered lane of Broadway!

This is a prime example of the attitude change in our own country about bike riding. It’s not just for kids anymore! Right here in my own fair city of Philadelphia, where I see more and more bike commuters daily, the formerly named West River Drive, now Martin Luther King Drive, is closed to cars until 5pm on the weekends and the bike lanes on Pine and Spruce Streets are planned to be operational after Labor Day!

I could go on and on about how this project will change the face of America and the world-wide biking culture, but you can read as much as you’d like about it yourself in the links provided to the organizations that are heading up these projects. I’m hoping someday to take a ride on any of the three (or all… if the airlines ever relinquish charging for checked luggage. Sadly, my bike will not fit in the overhead compartment, nor under the seat in front of me) , from one end to the other. And, I won’t even have to bring my gorp… though I probably still will!

About our stealthy  guest blogger: Beth is the sole owner and member of The Z is Silent, a project to start an all inclusive arts space in Philadelphia. She envisions a completely modular space where artists can present visual, performing and any other kind of art in a space they themselves can help design and work with instead of in. However, Beth has no money. So, instead she fills her time writing nonsensical and whimsical musings for blogs like Chic Vegan and her own Atoms of Minutiae and being an office drone. She lives with her lovely boyfriend, his mustache, a cat and a dog.

The post The East Coast Greenway: A Cyclist’s Dream appeared first on Chic Vegan.