Mini Film Review: Cowspiracy

This movie came out in 2014 but it took me a little while to watch this, though I've now watched it a couple of times.  It looks at the impact of animal agriculture on the environment and, perhaps more interestingly, the policies that environmental organisations have on dealing with the issue.

Made my Kip Andersen and Keegan Kuhn it looks at the impact animal agriculture has on deforestation, water consumption, and pollution, how it produces more greenhouse gases than transportation.  It's the primary cause of rainforest destruction, habitat loss, and ocean dead zones, all of which leads to species extinction.  As Kip found out, you can recycle, save water, be energy efficient, and use public transport as much as you want, but it's what you eat which will have the biggest impact environmentally. 

Despite this, the industry has mostly gone unchallenged and in fact during the filming of this documentary the producers were warned by the industries watchdogs and whistleblowers that carrying on their research could lead to them being arrested and were even risking their lives.

Perhaps the most eye opening part of the documentary is when they were interviewing individuals from environmental organisations they were reluctant to talk about changes to people's diet as a viable solution to the environmental issues we are facing at the moment.  It seems asking people to change this aspect of their lifestyle is seen as going too far despite the positive impact it would have.

I've been aware of the impact the meat industry has on our environment for about 10 years, which is when I first started researching into becoming a vegetarian.  I had thought it would be pretty common knowledge by now but, from the people I've been speaking to, it still isn't clear just how important taking meat out of your diet is.  This is probably connected to the way the animal agriculture industry is using their strengths to 'lean' on the issue, as highlighted in this documentary.  One thing that has changed in the last three years is that environmental organisations have now started talking more about the role meat and dairy can play in helping fight climate change, but it still doesn't seem to be given the level of importance it should.

The two things I got from this documentary film was firstly that there are people trying to fight any of the changes we need to make, making it far more important that we make these decisions on our own, and that taking dairy out of my diet is just as important as removing meat.  I have been removing dairy from my diet any way due to my PCOS, but this has added another reason and has definitely had more of an incentive then the health factor alone.  Over the last few months I've been removing and replacing all the dairy products I use.

You can learn more about the movie and order it (both in DVD and downloadable format) from the website, but you can also get it from Amazon or see it YouTube.  Definitely worth a watch.

Project Pan 17 Update #9 and Other Products

This month has definitely been a month where I haven't been wearing makeup as much as I should have been to use it up for a project pan.  I have made some progress, but it's been really slow.

It almost seems pointless showing this photo as there really isn't much obvious change.  There is a dip going on in Toasted probably because I use it every time I do my makeup as an undereye shadow.  Other than that, everything is moving quite slowly as I'm trying to use all the shades equally.  Urban Decay is a cruelty free brand.

This shadow is the one that has gone down the most.  This is the Sable shadow from a duo eye palette by Natural Collection and is a really good shadow for both setting your eye primer and under the eye to set my concealer.  Both of the sides are now gone and the lower section should be used up within a week.  I might actually be able to complete the top section by the end of October, which would be great.  It is beginning to crumble a little bit now that the side sections have gone, but hopefully it won't fall out before I've finished it.  Natural Collection is a cruelty free brand.

I finished the Black Barry M Nail Paint in the first week of September.  Since then I've been working on Bright Red.  I haven't got a far as I had hoped or expected, but I think I'll definitely get it finished by the end of October.  That will leave me with one last nail varnish by Zoya to finish to be nail polish free.  Barry M is cruelty free.

And now for the world of the never ending makeup.  Here are the Barbara Day eye primer, MUA powder foundation in Shade 4, and Bourjois blusher in Ceidre.  All of them are going down, but not fast enough for it to be obvious on the photo.  I'll be very lucky if these are finished by the end of this year.

The last product is not part of my project pan but is something I finished this month and it's The Neal's Yard Organic Eye Make-up Remover.  I really wanted to like this product but unfortunately it didn't really work out.  Because I have watery eyes I regularly wear waterproof mascara.  Despite it saying it's for waterproof mascara and me holding a cotton pad dampened in the product over my eyes before wiping I still had to rub my lashes quite hard to get the makeup off my lashes.  It also made my eyes a little bit soar.  However, I do have sensitive eyes and so it might not be the same for someone who doesn't have this and who doesn't wear waterproof mascara.  It's a shame but that's how it goes.

To see my progress so far:

• Introduction
• Project Pan Update #1
• Project Pan Update #2
• Project Pan Update #3
• Project Pan Update #4
• Project Pan Update #5
• Project Pan Update #6
• Project Pan Update #7
• Project Pan Update #8

My favourite clothing - leisure

There have been a few changes in my life recently and I've had to put a section of my clothes into storage, but I have kept a number of items for when I'm not at work and these are a few of my favourites (missing a couple of skirts that just didn't seem appropriate right now).  So here they are, my favourite clothes for my days off.

Let's start with tops.  My most worn is definitely my BrewDog t-shirt with the two jackrabbits (or hares).  I actually thought it was an owl when I first saw it.  I've worn this a lot, as you can see by the fading, and the fit is great, but the main reason I like it is because it is made with 100% organic cotton and is an EarthPositive t-shirt.  The EarthPositive link means that it was manufactured using only renewable energy.  I haven't seen this on the items from BrewDog I've looked at recently so I don't know if this is still a part of the clothing line.

My next t-shirt is one that I brought a few years ago for Comic Relief.  I mainly got it because the line is one of my favourites from Blackadder.  I've worn this a lot as well and it's beginning to discolour quite badly and slightly loose its shape, but I'm going to cling on until the last possible moment.  It is a good reminder though that when it's time to replace it to not buy white.  The label also says on this that the cotton is 100% sustainably sourced but I'm not sure what that actually means and if that's just green wash.  If you have the answers please let me know?

My last short sleeved top is my Harry Potter Primark t-shirt. It's not the most ethical item of clothing I own, but I've had this for years and it's still holding strong so I'm going to keep it until it falls apart.  It is an ironic slogan to have for someone who spends almost all their time being well-behaved, but I like the cheeky idea of it.

The long sleeve top I wear regularly is from the H&M Conscious line.  It is the organic cotton, tight fit long sleeve top in navy blue.  Even though it is fitted it's very comfortable and pretty warm.  It also washes really well and doesn't get misshapen so I'm hoping that I will have this item for a long time.

My normal jumper is the Lands' End fleece that I brought from a charity shop.  I love fleeces as they're warm and lightweight, but they also don't itch my skin in the same way wool does.  However, I am aware that there are issues with fibres from these types of clothing getting into the water so will be looking out for wash bags I can use to collect these fibres once these come out.

When it comes to trousers my favourite are my Braintree (now known as Thought Clothing) which I brought off Natural Collection about 5 years ago when they were having a sale.  They are made from 98% organic cotton with 2% Spandex (which helps them hold their shape) and Thought Clothing is an ethical brand in both how they source the fabrics and how they treat the people who make them.  I also love the colour of these and they're very comfortable to wear.  I pretty much wear them every week.

The other trousers I wear are also from the H&M Conscious line and are the Lyocell- blend cargo trousers.  Tencel lyocell is deemed a more sustainable fabric as it uses less energy, water, and dye then cotton during manufacturing; manufacturing uses a closed loop system which recycles the solvents used reducing the amount of toxin being released; and the company is looking to solve the issue with energy use during manufacturing by looking at renewable energies.  Though these trousers are fitted, which I don't normally wear, they are really comfortable and easy to wear, they have also worn really well.  The fabric is also very breathable and less susceptible to bacteria growth which means I can get away with washing it less often then normal trousers.

I thought it would be a good idea to keep one dress for special occasions (though in writing this I've realised I packed away my heals, ops).  I brought this second hand from eBay to wear to work, but I've worn this on other occasions too and just changed my accessories.  It's a blast from my childhood past as it was made by C&A.  It's 100% polyester and, though it says hand wash only, has held up very well to a lot of wear and being put in the washing machine.  It's an old style but suits my figure well and I feel very comfortable when I wear it.  I intend to wear this for many years.

When I first started trying to buy more ethical new clothes I started by looking at clothes that were sustainably made and sourced, with ethical manufacturing.  But over the wears I have found that buying second hand clothing has been just as sustainable, easier to get at, and a lot less expensive.  I have everything I need at the moment so it's unlikely that I'll be buying anything new or second hand in the near future.  When I do need to I'll look for second hand first before I go down the new, but ethical route.

My Morning Routine - Beauty

This is going to be an unbelievably quick post as the number of products that I use are very small in number, unlike my nighttime routine.

I thought I'd start first with my toothbrush and toothpaste as these weren't written about in my previous blog.  I use the Monte Bianco toothbrush in Soft.  I like using this as the head of the brush can be removed meaning that you only have to throw away a tiny part of the toothbrush when it's time to change it reducing the amount of waste I produce (the replacement heads are as easy to find as they used to be so I may have to look at getting a different toothbrush).  The toothpaste is the AloeDent Aloe Vera Sensitive (fluoride free) and I've really been loving this toothpaste.  I've had to be careful about using more natural toothpastes as I have sensitive teeth, but this hasn't caused any issues and has in fact really helped with my sensitivity.  I also like that there isn't a really strong mint flavour.

After brushing my teeth I splash luke warm water on my face.  This is instead of washing my face, which I don't feel the need to do in the mornings and which can really dry my skin out.  After that I moisturizer with the Jason Age Renewal Vitamin E 25,000 I.u.  This is a really good, versatile moisturizer and I use it on many parts of my body.  On my face it really helps combat dryness (mainly around my nose) and is the first layer I put on to protect my skin from the outdoors.

The last product I put on is the Jason Facial Sunscreen in SPF 20.  I love this product, have used it for years, and keep buying it.  It is a physical sunblock, doesn't break me out or dry my skin up, and is very effective.  I know I live in Scotland but I still wear this everyday to protect from the UV you still get up here and it helps as an additional protection from the weather.

And that is it.  A very quick but effective morning routine much less complicated than my nighttime routine.  It does exactly what I need it to and there doesn't seem to be any reason why I should complicate it.

So what do you use in your morning routine? Do you keep it simple or are there a number of products you use to help you start your morning? Let me know.

Mini Film Review: The Minimalists

I recently came across The Minimalists while I was researching into the different ways in which people have been simplifying their lives and living more sustainably.  Whilst some of things they say can be a bit vague, I am interested in the message they are conveying and have started listening to their podcast on a weekly basis.

I found their movie 'Minimalism: A Documentary About the Important Things' a little bit later.  It is a mixture of their story of getting into minimalism, how they are trying to spread their message, the effects that commercialism is having on our society and personal health, and how other individuals have changed the way they live from the norm.  The different stories intermingle throughout the movie and cover everything from not buying items to living in a smaller space.

As I've been looking into living sustainably for a while now the message of the movie was already known to me.  However, the great thing about this movie is seeing how many people from very different backgrounds have given living with less a go and managed to make a success of it.  It even includes families with a number of children making a success of it (no excuses there then).  It's always important to see what is possible to help you realise you can give it a go.

Project Pan 17 Update #8

As with around this time last year progress on my project pan has slowed right down.  In fact there are no completed items to report.

I use the eye shadows from the Naked 1 palette every weekend, but as I don't use it everyday there isn't much progress to see.  The Natural Collections shadow in Sable has gone down a little, but I use it for more then just a base shadow.  Both of these companies are cruelty free.

My Barry M nail paint in Black has gone down a fair amount in August and is now beginning to thicken up.  It's not finished yet but I'm expecting it to go at the beginning of September and then I'll move onto the last varnish in my project pan, Barry M nail paint in Red.  This colour is already well used so I'm not expecting it to take too long before it is gone as well.  Barry M is a cruelty free company.

The Barbara Day eye primer and Bourjois blusher in Ceidre 48 are still showing no real signs of progress.  It's unlikely either of these will be finished by the end of the year, but I am still getting use out of them.  The MUA powder foundation in Shade 4 is now finally beginning to show a dip in the middle, yay!  This has made using it a lot more satisfying and the change is probably due to me now using it as one of the colours in my crease when applying my eye makeup.  It's also highly unlikely I will finish this by the end of the year, but if I get pan on it I'll be happy.

To see my progress so far:

• Introduction
• Project Pan Update #1
• Project Pan Update #2
• Project Pan Update #3
• Project Pan Update #4
• Project Pan Update #5
• Project Pan Update #6
• Project Pan Update #7

Beating PCOS: diet

Diet isn't particularly a good word anymore. It conjures up ideas of watercress soup, feeling hungry practically all the time, and then putting back in all the weight you lost and then some.

Before I discovered I had PCOS I had tried to have a healthy diet and to exercise regularly.  For anyone else it would have meant being slim and healthy, but for me it meant remaining plum and feeling disheartened that work I was doing was having no effect on my body.  For me it was, and still is, important to be healthy and I knew that the size I was meant a higher chance of getting Type II diabetes and having high cholesterol (obviously having PCOS increased this even further).  After I found out that I had PCOS I decided to research into what I could do to help deal and, in particular, if there were any changes I could make to my diet that would have a positive effect.  This is what I found out and what changes I made.

Firstly, as is the case with basically everyone, avoiding refined carbohydrates like white bread and cakes is hugely important.  These types of foods give you sugar highs, followed by sugar crashes making you want more.  This has leads to problems with your insulin level and weight, and is particularly bad for those of us which already have raised insulin levels.

Secondly, you want to combine complex unrefined carbohydrates (think vegetables, fruits, wholemeal bread, and oats) with proteins (like nuts, seeds, fish, lean meats, and eggs).  This will help regulate your blood sugar levels and prevents you from getting the insulin spikes that can be a problem.  If you can, eat little and often as this also helps keep your blood sugar level consistent.

The next piece of advise might seem a little odd, but it's the one that has had the most impact for me, and that is to avoid dairy.  The reason behind this is that milk contains an insulin-like growth factor (not surprisingly) which can interfere with the hormone balance.  These are easy enough to replace with plant based milks, but be sure to look for those which are fortified with calcium.

The last thing usually recommended for those suffering from PCOS are supplements.  These include chromium and B vitamins to help stabilise blood sugar levels and makes insulin more effective, zinc for reproductive hormones, magnesium the lack of which is linked to PCOS, as well the amino acids N-acetyl cysteine and L-arginine to help with insulin sensitivity.  I don't actually take any supplements as I am trying to get everything I need from my diet, but this may change in the future.

So, what does a day of food look like for me.  Breakfast is usually porridge with cinnamon, chai seeds, and some fruit (usually peach slices).  Morning break is a fruit of some form and a handful of mixed nuts.  Lunch used to contain quinoa as this is shown to be one of the healthiest options, but is now two wholemeal rolls (for ease) with spinach, peppers, and some type of vegan Quorn.  We don't normally get an afternoon snacks, but when I get home I try to have something healthy like half an avocado.  Dinner is a little more tricky as I don't have the cooking facilities I would like to be able to cook all the things I would like so it normally consists of a couple of different types of veggie burgers (not ideal) and then a whole load of steamed vegetables.  I try and change the vegetables I eat on a daily basis to help ensure I get all the nutrients I need.  It actually seems quite a lot when I make it, but as my job is quite active at the moment I need to make sure I eat enough for that without spiking my insulin levels.

Of course, it goes without saying that exercise is also hugely important for helping to keep you healthy and to help you loss and keep off the weight you will have had.  Now I do most of my exercising during work, but before I made sure I ran three times a week and walked practically everywhere.  It's worth pointing out that women with PCOS usually gain weight for metabolic reasons rather than the amount that they eat and that it can be harder to lose weight once you've gained it.  However, it is possible to do if you work on what you eat and on getting enough exercise.  I haven't managed to make my diet perfect and I do slip up regularly (in fact I'm drinking fizzy water at the moment as I try and get myself of fizzy sodas), but I have still managed to lose weight.  Four stone in total.  And it's all thanks to the changes I have managed to make to my diet.