Kylie’s Vegan Corner

Welcome! This is a regular spot with Kylie “The Vegan Queen” telling us all we need to know about veganism, her favourite haunts and what’s new. First up is an interview with Katrina Larsen. She's an animal activist based in Japan who talks about her friend Kei, the Wolf. Then there’s a book of Robert Cohen’s reviewed: Milk A-Z

Kylie’s sussed out the most divine Turtle Mountain vegan Ice-Cream
And last but far from least the interview with Nicole from Myutopia Vegan Cosmetics range and products – plus a full review. You rock girlfriend!

Kei The Wolf

Kei is a North American Timber Wolf who has been incarcerated in a terrible zoo, the Okinawa City Kodomo no Kuni Zoo, in Japan, for most of her life (she turns 14 this year). Her life has been lived on a 7 x 4 metre concrete slab in almost total isolation from others of her species. There, she has been routinely barked and howled at and spends most of her time pacing in the hot sub-tropical climate of Okinawa.

The campaign to free Kei worked hard to secure her release into a wolf sanctuary back in America so she could live out her remaining days in a cruelty-free environment. Unfortunately, despite locating a sanctuary that would accept her, the zoo refused to release her, crying how much `We love her! We love her! `.
However, their idea of love constitutes confining her to a small, revolting cage and having people peer at her for hours on end. I spoke to Katrina Larsen, one of Kei’s friends and campaigners in Japan.

Katrina, tell us about the ways the campaign has tried to release Kei.

The zoo has been flooded with e-mails, letters and telephone calls from concerned people all over the world, begging them to release her. Despite this, and several demonstrations at the zoo itself, the zoo still has Kei in their `care`.
Some animal organizations also became involved but this seems to have had little effect on the zoo

A local American school group in Okinawa also became involved and worked to help release Kei. And, speaking of schools, I think at least one school stopped visiting the zoo as a form of protest.

Also, over the Christmas/New Year period people sent her Christmas and New Year cards. We don’t know if the zoo displayed them or not but it was a way to let the zoo know that we are still around and that we haven’t forgotten about Kei.

Why do you think that these protests have had no effect as yet?

Because this is Japan. And, they do believe they really love her. They see nothing wrong with what they do. They are not necessarily actively cruel to animals, but they just don't "get" what animals need. Plus they feel that moving her to the sanctuary would be risky for her health.

So are there risks in transporting a wolf as old as Kei on a flight half way across the world?

Of course there is. The campaign to free Kei has never denied that. However, as Greg Leisure, the head of the campaign, said “There is a possibility the trip could kill her but is it best she die in vain, or best she die in an attempt for a better life?”

Sadly, the `better life` we hoped for has not been realised.

What are the conditions for animals, such as Kei, in Japanese zoos?

They are appalling. The Japanese are way behind when it comes to animal welfare let alone rights. Enrichment programs are scant. The Japanese are, generally speaking, only interested in looking at cute animals behind bars. They haven’t quite made it into the 21st Century yet when it comes to animal rights.

What have witnesses to Kei’s plight seen?

Here is a quote from somebody who saw Kei in July last year -

"As you know, I went to the zoo at the end of July. Well, Kei looked in horrible condition. Actually, I thought she was going to die right then in front of us. It broke my heart. She would struggle to get up and take about 4 steps on wobbly legs like a newly born deer, and then circle around and flop down to the ground. Then she’d let out a terrible whining howl. Then she’d lay her head on the ground and get convulsions. The convulsions are what scared me and made me think she was near death. It was sad. I stood there for an hour and just watched her do the same thing over and over."

I think that statement alone says enough.

Has any progress to Kei’s conditions been made since the campaign began?

Well, her cage was made somewhat larger, and she was, on a few occasions, given a pumpkin to play with. This may not seem like much but she did seem to enjoy playing with the pumpkin according to those who saw her with it.

What can we do to help Kei?

Contact the zoo, write e-mails, letters and make phone calls. People can also join the Care Connect site (although postings have been somewhat slow recently).

So how can the zoo be contacted?

The zoo details are as follows;

Mr. Yoshinobu Nishikawa, Executive Administrator (or Mr. Genwa Higa, Zoo Director)
Okinawa Kodomo no Kuni Zoo
(Okinawa Kids Discovery Kingdom Foundation)
5-7-1 Goya Okinawa-shi
Okinawa City, Okinawa Pref.,
Japan

or: info@kodomo.city.okinawa.okinawa.jp

or Telephone: (098) 933-4190 - from outside Japan dial the international code plus 81-98-933-4190 (leave 0 out of 098)

Mr. Nishikawa can speak very good English and gets quite fired up when defending the zoo’s position on Kei. Get ready for a verbal barrage! I have spoken to him a few times only to come away reeling.

How can we learn more about Kei?

You can visit the following sites;

http://www.care2.com/c2c/group/Kei(you’ll need to become a member)

http://wolveswhisperaz.tripod.com/id2.html

Thanks Katrina and keep up the great work you are doing and please everyone, write a letter or email or call about Kei, let’s continually remind Mr. Nishikawa that Kei’s situation is unacceptable.

Milk A-Z by Robert Cohen – a Review

The NOTMILKMAN, Robert Cohen strikes again…

Milk A-Z provides us with information from respected physicians, real science, to shatter America’s best marketed myth : Milk does the body good.

Well this book certainly shatters that myth in 26 big ways.
From A is for Allergies to G is for Growth Hormones to M is for Mad Cow Disease to U is for Uterine Cancer, this books covers every aspect of why we should not include dairy in our diets.

This book is packed full of statistics and quotes that keep reiterating all the reasons why dairy should be avoided. It is an eye opener, even if you are already a vegan, to see all this in print and is a must for any library, especially a vegans, easy to read facts and figures and definitely something to pass onto all those people that ask ‘why give up dairy, isn’t it good for you?’ Actually NO!

Get them to take the Robert Cohen challenge, the one week without dairy challenge and I am sure that they will feel the difference!

So give them this book, make them go through their whole ABC’s again and hopefully they will get them right this time!

For more information about cutting dairy out of your life or questions for the author, etc: wwwNOTMILK.com

Purely Decadent (Turtle Mountain) - mmmmmm

Well, following on from the article on Robert Cohen’s new book why not introduce you to a product that is absolutely divine and 100% vegan!
Dairy-free ice cream – lactose free, low fat, cholesterol free, no trans fats and most ingredients are certified organic.

This is the first vegan ice-cream I have encountered with such an extensive range of flavours such as, Cherry Nirvana, Chocolate Brownie Almond, Chocolate Obsession, Chunky Mint Madness, Cookie Avalanche, Mint Chocolate Chip, Mocha Almond Fudge, Peanut Butter Zig Zag, Praline Pecan, Purely Vanilla, Raspberry A La Mode, Rocky Road, Swinging Anna Banana, Turtle Trails, Vanilla Swiss Almond. Ok now I want some!

My absolute favourite is the Peanut Butter Zig Zag it is the best ice cream in the world. That is a big statement but I am sure if you try yourself you will agree!

In Melbourne these are available from Leo's Fine Foods, 26 Princess Street, Kew and Macro Wholefoods Market, 153 Bridge Road, Richmond. For a complete list of stores elsewhere that stock these products, please contact the importers: Good Natured Pty Ltd, 11a Clarice Street, Box Hill VIC 3128

So try it and support a company that gives us vegans more choice and shows non vegans what they are missing out on!

P.S. remember to buy more than one tub….coz once you have opened it – all will power be gone!

Interview with Nicole Patterson from Myutopia

Kylie: Nicole, firstly I have to say I love your products and the name really suits, what led you to call it this?

Nicole: Thank you Kylie, I am very proud of the name as it portrays so beautifully what my products and their message can offer us all, the animals and our planet…purity, freedom and hope. The meaning of utopia is an ideal, perfect place, especially in its social, political and moral aspects. It is where arcadia and bliss are the way of life.

But my inspiration and dream for my utopia came long before the name did. One night I was sitting up late with my husband Glenn, who has been a big source of inspiration (aw), we were rattling our brains trying to think of a name. I was thinking of Nirvana…something or another but really knew it was not an option or very original, so I flicked through the thesaurus and it was like the word utopia just jumped out at me. I knew instantly that I had to name my business my utopia! So thanks to Mr. Thesaurus.

Kylie: Has this been a dream of yours for a while?

Nicole: I have always had a strong connection with animals and have loved smothering myself with body products ever since I was old enough to reach up and get into Mum’s Mary Kay make up! Over the years it progressed to the Estee Lauder creams, which I am sure she was not as impressed about, anyhow the reality of how animals and the beauty industry are tragically connected only became apparent to me in recent years.

Over recent years I began searching for products that were not tested on animals so I frequented The Body Shop. Throughout my research of all things beautiful however, I learned more and more about the dangerous chemicals that saturate much of today’s beauty industry. I continued to become deeply saddened by the terrible tragedies and barbarities befalling our animal friends in laboratories…..all in the name of beauty! I could not, nor ever will, turn my back on their pain and suffering so I decided to create Myutopia.

Again, I have to give hubby another plug, it was a book he gave me for Christmas one year that turned a switch on in my mind. It was a lovely book about using natural body products and how to create your own potions from ingredients in the home and pantry.

At first I just started making myself cleansers from soy milk and oatmeal and considered making a handful of products that promoted cruelty free beauty at an affordable price, to sell at local markets. However, before I knew it, I had a website with a natural and compassionate product range with about 30 yummy creations….a real business!

I still can’t believe Myutopia has come this far in such a short time.

Kylie: Tell us a bit more about you, how long have you been vegan and what inspires you?

Nicole: I only recently made the switch to becoming vegan. Prior to that I had been vegetarian for 3 years. The switch was inevitable really. I am constantly inspired by my customers who give me so much support! Also, I am always inspired by people who try so hard, especially publicly no matter what setbacks confront them, to speak up for animals, our beautiful children and this amazing planet!

Kylie: You are accredited by Choose Cruelty Free, how important, do you feel to have that accreditation for a businesses and do you think all businesses similar should have to be accredited?

Nicole: Really important. Anyone can print ‘not tested on animals’ on their products. As more consumers seek cruelty free products there are more products out there claiming to be not tested on animals. Most, probably are not tested on animals but to satisfy the curiosity of the customer and to validate the claim it’s sensible to show that your products are the real deal. I’m proud of my accreditation and I have proved that you don’t have to be a huge business to be able achieve this.

Kylie: When you start a business like this from home I guess you really have to count on major support from family and friends….

Nicole: Definitely, my Mum Irene, Sister Lesa and friend Anne wre my main testing buddies. My Dad even had a go as did Anne’s husband with the shaving crème and he loved it! The girls were all more than happy to smell yummy and with the exception of one incident, loved the lot. It took me a while to get the lip balm perfected and one of the batches I got them to try needed a sledge hammer to get it out of the jar…oops!

But they were all very, very honest and really helped me to develop my range to the standard it is at today.

Kylie: I know that I now won’t be able to live without the eye cleanser but do you have a favourite product yourself?

Nicole: It is really hard to choose just one and I would have to say that there are two products that I can’t live without. The Body Polish with Cinnamon is the first one as it’s a great one step routine if you are feeling a bit lazy or just running out of time. It is so nourishing on your skin and leaves it feeling so smooth that there is no need to use a body crème afterwards. And the fact that it smells like a cinnamon bun is a bonus for me!

The Ultra-nourishing Hand & Nail Crème is my other favourite. My hands have always been very dry and I only ever used a much more expensive brand as it was the only cream I could find that kept my hands feeling hydrated…..until now. It was so exciting to formulate my own product that worked exactly how I needed it to, without feeling greasy. My hairdresser, who’s hands do a marathon daily, uses it and loves it and the lavender and rosemary essential oils have a relaxing aromatherapy effect on her hands too!

Kylie: Will we see these products out & about in retail outlets at all?

Nicole: I have contacted a few businesses and would have to say that with the exception of one retailer, the people I have spoken to have been so kind and friendly. A small selection of my range will be available through the one & only – The Cruelty Free Shop www.crueltyfreeshop.com.au and will also soon be available through some other stores.

Kylie: It’s really good to see that your company donates to ethical charities, you donate annually to Nicole: Choose Cruelty Free and also The Australian Childhood Foundation, can you tell me a little about them?

Nicole: Choose Cruelty Free seeks to promote a cruelty-free lifestyle, encourages manufacturers and service providers to adopt a cruelty-free ethic and aims to make people aware of their power, as consumers, to change attitudes about testing on animals.

www.choosecrueltyfree.org.au

Also a percentage of the profits from the Mother & Baby range will be donated to the Australian Childhood Foundation who work to give children a happy and secure childhood – a childhood free from the devastation of abuse, family violence and neglect. The Australian Childhood Foundation has at the core of its vision the hope that all Australians want to be involved in making sure that children have a happy and safe childhood. Childhood should be important to everyone!

www.childhood.org.au

Well thank you again Nicole! So not only are we buying Vegan 100% ethic products that are divine when we purchase Myutopia products….we are also giving back to organisations that are ethical too! So get online at www.myutopia.com.au and see what it’s all about for yourselves! And keep up the great work for the Animals and us Nicole!

Myutopia – Review by Kylie Dubrich

It looked elegant (great for gifts) and the whole concept fell into my moral compass setting well, so I had to try the products! All the products are 100% vegan and use biodegradable and recyclable packaging. They are hand made using plant bases, essential oils and plant extracts, they have no animal derivatives whatsoever, no synthetic fragrances or artificial colours or preservatives, no petrochemicals, no propylene glycol or sodium lauryl sulphate or parabans, no silicones or formaldehyde or synthetic vitamin E!

All good stuff so I had to try them…being vegan and so excited about trying these products, I got my flatmate & some friends to also try some of them just in case I was too biased. You rock Nicole!

Foaming Facial Cleanser - $16.95 AUD
I loved this product, my skin has honestly never felt cleaner! I have normal type skin but do wear a bit of make up, especially if ‘goth-ing it up’ on a Saturday night and this cleanser gave me the cleanest and freshest feeling I have had in a long while, I also found the consistency really nice.

My flatmate Leah’s skin is a little oily and the cleanser worked well for her too, she said that her skin felt very clean, soft and smooth after use, it did not dry her skin out like a lot of other cleanser. *So this one was a winner for us both!

Eye Cleanser - $12.95 AUD
Ok this was my favourite product by far, I have had a lot of trouble getting black eyeliner off with so many cleansers but this one, well the eyeliner came off completely without having to rub hard! Gentle and smooth to use on the eyes and had a sweet smell to it! It is a must product for me!

Delicate Eye Crème - $12.95 AUD
You only need a very tiny bit of this, very light in texture but felt quite thick when applied. I tend to get dry skin around my eyes occasionally but my skin has been very smooth since using this.

Leah also tried this and found it to be a good eye crème for night time.

Ultra-Enriching Face Crème - $19.95 AUD
Again, you only need a little, also light in texture but feels thicker once applied. I found it to be a great crème to use at night, made the skin feel really smooth in the morning.

Leah also tried this and said basically the same.

Juniper Berry Foot Polish - $12.95
Leah used this one and said that it worked well but found the texture not cohesive enough. But the smell was divine.

Enriching Foot Crème - $18.95
I used this one and really liked it, my feet soaked it up and it did make them feel softer and I get really dry heels, which this is really helping with.

Body Butter with Vanilla - $23.95
I tried this and liked the consistency; it absorbed well and did make my skin feel soft. I am not a huge vanilla fan but would buy this again for the texture and results. Though vanilla fans will love it, must get some for my friend Kate!

Body Polish with Cinnamon - $25.00
This stuff is excellent, my second favourite product. When I first used it I thought it was going to leave an oily film but amazingly within seconds my skin soaked it up leaving my skin feeling so soft! And the smell is wonderful, kinda like a Christmas pudding.

Leah also used this and really agreed with me here, she also mentioned that if your body is prone to pimples this is great for getting rid of them.

Baby Moisturising Lotion - $16.95
Well since I have no baby, I sent this one off to Jen. She said that the smell was wonderful and calming but the texture was too thick to be absorbed on Riley’s skin. However she ended up using it on her legs and said it was wonderful…..

Pregnancy Belly Butter - $23.95
Now this one was a winner with us all, yes even us non-pregga’s! The smell is divine, love it! We did allow a pregnant friend to try it but I loved the smell so much I kept it! This is great stuff, pregnant or not! But I will get some more for my dear pregnant friend to try properly!

So all in all the products are great and I would highly recommend them. And Myutopia also do wonderful gift packs for when you are looking for a great gift. I know I will be shopping there.