Walking home from work last night, I felt lethargic. The stuffy summer air made my breathing feel labored, and my limbs refused to cooperate with the motion of walking forward. But most of all, my brain was in hibernation; refusing to give me any indication of what i should do that evening, and what my body craved to make it feel a bit more alive. Continue reading Lazy Vegan Recipe: Tempeh, Seaweed and Peanut Superfood Stirfry
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The Observer Ethical Awards 2015
I’m back in Cornwall after an amazingly inspiring (and amazing hot and sweaty..) week in London. It was great to catch up with my London office girls and get a change of scenery to mix up my working week, but the highlight had to be a night spent at the Observer Ethical Awards courtesy of the lovely people at Ecover!
This year marked the 10th year of the awards, which are all about celebrating the people, organisations and campaigners who are leading the way to ensure we have an ethical future. The categories for the awards ranged from Campaigner of the year and Community energy project award, to Ethical product of the decade!! Longstanding supporter of the awards, Ecover, sponsored the young green champions category; presenting the winner with a £6,000 bursary to continue and build on their great work. Continue reading The Observer Ethical Awards 2015
Why I’m not Carbon Offsetting this summer
I have a confession that I’ve been holding out on sharing, and it’s left me feeling both shame and annoyance with myself for taking the easiest, not greenest, option. Earlier this year, in my excitement and haste, I booked a much anticipated round the world trip through a series of chartered flights. As many of us do when purchasing something of substantial cost, I was looking for the cheap and quick option to navigating the world. What I did not consider, however, was its impact on the planet. Text book mistake for an aspiring greenling! Continue reading Why I’m not Carbon Offsetting this summer
Vegan in London: Review of Gujarati Rasoi
I’m in the big Smoke ready for tonight’s Observer Ethical Awards (more on this in a couple of days!) and that can only mean one thing, yummy food time! Though Cornwall is getting better for Vegan dining, London wins hands down for variety and choice.
My ultimate fav London Vegan hang outs are usually Mildreds, Woodlands South Indian or Vantra Vitao – all central, affordable and absolutely delicious!
But last night, venturing North for the evening, my friend took me to one of her local favourites, Gujarati Rasoil; which serves traditional, wholesome and vegetarian food (with a nice selection of vegan options) Continue reading Vegan in London: Review of Gujarati Rasoi
Methods Limited Edition Sunset Beach range
I’m not usually one for raving about cleaning products. In fact, I’m not usually one for cleaning much at all!! One of the benefits of living alone is I can wait until I have used all of my dishes before I have to clean them up, and my bathroom stays relatively dirt free with just one person using it. It’s for this reason, that I’ve never posted product reviews or tips on cleaning…as I’m still using up the many of the products I had before I went green!
However, after recently being sent some Method goodies in the post, to test out their new limited edition Sunset Beach range, I’ve become a little hooked on cleanliness! Though a little dust never hurt anyone (That’s my moto anyway) I finally have the motive to do a proper spring/summer clean. My kitchen counters have never looked so clear! Does this mean I’m not longer lazy? Doubt it. Continue reading Methods Limited Edition Sunset Beach range
Is Cornwall a new hub for ethical fashion?
I think we’ve all experienced that feeling of excitement, which quickly turns to anxiety, when a special invitation leaves us freaking out about what to wear. It’s one of the oldest and most unavoidable situations, no matter how comfortable and confident you feel within yourself. Whether it’s a party, wedding, conference, or simply meeting someone new for the first time, we all want to make a good impression and visually represent who we think we are inside.
So, when I was recently invited to attend the Observer Ethical Awards, with the scary sounding dress code of “Sustainable style”, I experienced this vain but natural freak out. If I could even claim to have some form of style in the first place, I would feel a little less nervous. But unfortunately, my outfits usually consist of charity shop hauls and friends hand-me downs. Naturally due to my “make do and mend” approach not simply that I’m a complete fashion-phobe!
However , determined to at least attempt some kind of eco sophistication, I did some digging to see if I could find my own unique sustainable style, without spending more money on one outfit than I would normally spend in a year at the Cats Protection charity shop!
The good news is, my search was easier and closer to home than I thought. It turns out Cornwall is already a bit of a hub for eco fashion, so I don’t have to roam too far to kit myself all green and shiny!
Like many counties across the UK, Cornwall has always been extremely proud of its own home-grown produce; not least because down here we see ourselves as a county within itself! From clotted cream and pasties, to tin mining and the iconic surf culture; Cornwall naturally and seamlessly balances both its historic and modern identities. So it shouldn’t really be any surprise that 5 of the best ethical fashion brands happen to be Cornish… Continue reading Is Cornwall a new hub for ethical fashion?
Summer Solstice 2015
I’m getting very excited as tomorrow is one of my favourite days of the whole year; Summer Solstice! Now is the time that summer has well and truly begun, and it’s the one time of year I have an excuse to get up early and watch a beautiful sunrise.
Summer Solstice – which marks the longest day of the year and enjoys the most hours of sunlight – has been a special day for thousands of years to Pagans and non-pagans alike. Though it’s celebrated in a variety of ways, it’s usually enjoyed with feasting, dancing and basking in the sunrise of the morning of the solstice.
In keeping with its name – which comes from the Latin solstitium meaning ‘sun stands still’ – the solstice is a great time to stop for a moment and thank the life giving sun for keeping our beautiful planet flourishing. It’s no coincidence that the Solstice celebrations are symbolic of renewal, fertility and harvest.
In the past, I’ve celebrated on beaches, in my garden and at the Iconic, but somewhat overrated, ceremony at Stone Henge. Last year I enjoyed a simple camping adventure with my bestie and watched the sun rise over a sleepy Cornish village.
This year, I plan to wake up early and venture out the stunning North Cornwall coastal cliffs of St Agnes and break some breakfast bread with my loved ones, and say a massive thank you for my blessings so far this year. If its warm I may even go for a quick dip in the sea!
Even if you’re not much of an early bird, get yourself up and out of bed before 4:43am tomorrow and enjoy one of the most beautiful sunrises of the year!
10 Common Vegan Myths Busted
1. You Lose Weight
Unfortunately this isn’t always the case. I lost half a stone in my first vegan month. And then I put it back on again…
My weight loss was less about being vegan and more about making healthier choices when my world was opened up to a 100% plant based diet. The fact is, whilst the vegan diet is generally lower in fat, cholesterol, sugars, calories etc. its not an instant weight loss program. You still need to exercise and eat well.
Jammie Dodgers are vegan. Enough said…
2. You miss out on treats
I’ve lost count of the amount of times cake or chocolate has been passed around the office to tempt me. It’s true that by going vegan at first you might notice more what you’re losing, than what you’re gaining in terms of treats and choices. But you soon learn to get prepared and plan ahead. And once you do a bit of digging, you’ll be surprised how much is accidently vegan (see above!)
3. All vegans are activists
So you’ve made the switch and feeling inspired. Does that mean that you now have to become an activist and recruit more vegans? The answer is not if you don’t want to. Veganism is a personal choice and there are many ways you can inspire people without shoving horrific images of animal cruelty or deforestation in their faces. In fact, if you want, you don’t even have to label yourself as vegan, and just make discreet choices.
4. It’s expensive
It’s true that fancy imitation products like vegan cheeses, meats and treats are a little more than your average grocery shop, but these are not essential for a vegan diet. Vegetables, fruit, beans, lentils, tofu, pasta, rice, spices….well just about anything else you can eat is just the same price and you’re saving money (and lives) by avoiding meat! Plus, as demand rises, so the prices get lower.
5. You have to go to special shops
As above, your vegan staples aren’t dissimilar to what you normally buy, and even supermarkets and local stores are now getting wiser and stocking more “specialist” items. Asian markets, or even world food sections of supermarkets, are full to the brim with vegan delights. Explore if you want, or stick to your fav shop and do some digging!
6. You’ll need to change friends
Yes, it can be hard when your friend chomps into a bacon sandwich, but you need to live and let live; and friends and family are no exception! In fact, you will find that without even trying you might just inspire some vegan friendly changes in your friends anyway!
7. All Vegan products are soy
It does seem like the world is being taken over by soy these days, doesn’t it?! But there’s no need to worry, as there are plenty of alternatives. Sunflower spreads, nut milks and cheeses, and banana “nice cream” are all delicious options if you don’t want to turn into a soy bean! Plus, you really really don’t need soy for protein, there are a million other plant-based options!
8. You’ll need to reply on supplements
Hmm I think I summed this up quite well here .
9. You’ll have to throw everything out
Because I hate waste, I didn’t go out and buy a brand new wardrobe as soon as I turned vegan. In fact, I still wear my old leather belts and shoes, and will continue to do so until I have 100% used them up. Switching lifestyles doesn’t have to result in further landfill!
10. You’ll feel happier, healthier and better about life
Can’t argues with this one, its complete FACT!
A Lazy Girl Goes Green 