Shoes.. I think we all like shoes. From the stereotype shoe addict to the person who likes practicality and comfortability. As a teenager I thought it was cool to have as much shoes as I could possibly have. I started a collection and it actually didn’t matter if I liked them or not. Nowadays I am super picky! I actually don’t like any shoes, apart from a few of the same types. But then still, whenever there is a stitch in the wrong place or in the wrong colour or any little detail I don’t like, I find them a no no. Mostly I like basic things, cuz I find something ‘too much’, quite quickly. Since I’m vegan, I also want my shoes to be vegan. And lately, I also want them to be sustainable, meaning, made of 100% sustainable materials, ethically sourced.. and of good quality. You can imagine that I didn’t buy shoes for quite a while, because this was impossible to find.
A while ago, via a friend on Instagram I discovered PoZu shoes. PoZu shoes are vegan. At first I saw they do a StarWars theme. I liked the look of most of the shoes, but I am not a StarWars fan myself and it felt weird walking around in something that is linked to something I don’t like. Then I scrolled a little further down and I discovered that they also do non StarWars themed shoes and.. I loved them! They are like the Converse style, but with their own shape. I got so so excited! And on top of that I discovered that they are sustainable, made with natural rubber and organic cotton (and guess what.. ethically sourced!). I was so happy that I instantly ordered a pair. Black ones, cuz I like black shoes the best. They came very quickly and 
I was so nervous to try them on, because I really wanted them to fit. They did! They didn’t only fit, but they were super comfortable too. Because they feel so different and comfortable I wanted to know why this is and I discovered that they have a footbed made out of coconut fibre. How original! I loved them so much, that I ordered another 2 pair on that same day. I almost wanted to just get 2 pair of the exact same shoes, but eventually I went for a white variety (nice for the summer) and a blue one (in the lower model). They arrived very quickly again and I love them so much.
I got them in the summer and I especially wore the black ones a lot. If I now turn them around, the soles still look exactly the same from when I bought them. They are such good quality. This and all the other reasons why I am so excited, is why I wanted to share this with you, because I think shoes like this should be out there more. I often get questions, about where to get sustainable fashion. Well.. these are the shoes of the future, made of all natural materials.
The name ‘PoZu’ (ポーズ) comes from Japan, meaning ‘to pause’. They chose this name with the mission to create ultimate footwear, that is good for your feet and for the planet. They do man and woman shoes, StarWars themed, high boots, low cuts and even wellies. As part of their ethical promise, they pledge 10% of their profit to charity. You can learn more about the type of charities via the website (below). Can they be any more cool?
>> CLICK HERE to check out all PoZu shoes!
Their new collection looks amazing as well! They now have shoes made out of apples and I had to keep myself from buying another pair. I mean, it would define the fact of sustainable shoes if I’d buy new shoes every month. Though, their newest shoes (the VIM) are revolutionary I’d say. They are water proof! I might get a pair of those, because they come in super handy on my vanlife travels. Especially in the UK, where it is so wet. They will be perfect to use as light hiking shoes.
Are you struggling to find a pair of good vegan shoes that are also made with all natural materials? I can’t recommend PoZu more! They are my number one shoe brand at the moment. I’d love to hear your experience with them and see what pair you picked! Or if you have any questions about the shoes, feel free to ask me. You can do this down below or you can tag me on Instagram via my brand new (!!) account @freedomevermore or via @planetmanel. Thank you! X
What if we could understand animals (better)? For example, what if we knew how they think, what they are capable of and how they survive and evolved in this world? There are many studies when it comes to understanding animals and ‘their language’. Peter Wohlleben was kind enough to translate this into a book: ‘The Inner Life Of Animals – Surprising Observations of a Hidden World’. He runs an environmentally friendly woodland in Germany after working for the forest commission for 20 years. Peter has a lot of animals himself, like dogs, horses and goats. Because he is out in the open a lot, mainly forest land, he is also surrounded by a lot of wild animals. He speaks a lot from his own experience, but then reflects on the behaviour found in the studies he mentions. This way it’s easy to understand and imagine.
Though Peter isn’t vegan himself, he almost writes like he is one. For example, he writes: “When people reject acknowledging too much in the way of emotions in animals, I have the vague feeling that there’s a bit of fear that human beings could lose their special status. Even worse, it would become much more difficult to exploit animals. Every meal eaten or leather jacket worn would trigger moral considerations that would spoil their enjoyment.”. Personally I find it a little strange that he understands animals so well and he can see it this clear, but then he can still exploit them himself. This is actually the only thing I think is such a shame, but other than that, I think this is an amazing book. Especially for people who are vegan for the animals or want to understand animals better. It’s fascinating how the animal world works. Some things will sound familiar to you, but others are so surprising and you can’t help but feeling compassionate and understanding even towards things you wouldn’t think you would.
Something I really like is that the chapters in the book are very short (mostly only a few pages long). This makes it very easy to read. All the subjects (different emotions, feelings etc.) are divided in different chapters. This makes it an easy read and a nice book to just pick up once in a while, instead of reading it from cover to cover at once.
A while ago I needed a place to sleep in London. It’s funny how I suddenly don’t have a place to sleep anymore in this lovely city, after living there for 5 years. So I had a look at AirBnB and I found Isabel, who didn’t allow animals to be eaten in her house. That was like music to my ears and so I booked her room. She turned out to be lovely. She told me she is an author and I always love this as I love writing myself. She wrote several books already, but her newest one was ‘Sensation’. I wanted to support her and so I decided to buy her book. On the front it said ‘Adventures in sex, love and laughter’. Definitely something I’m interested in, I mean, who isn’t? And so it happened that I started to read..
Personally I hate the taboo around sex. I’m always very open (minded) about it and not embarrassed to talk about it at all. This book is the perfect book to break that silly taboo. I’m sure that (almost?) everybody loves sex and is having sex, so why not be open about it? I don’t mean that you should have sex with a 100 different partners or that you should tell everybody all the details of your sex life. I mean that you shouldn’t be embarrassed to want pleasure. It’s a human right and it gives joy. Speak up about it.. especially and most importantly, to your partner!
It’s real.. a vegan steak! Vivera launched the first vegan steak in the world. Steak was always my favourite meat when I used to eat meat. When I think about the time I did, I can’t actually believe I used to do something so horrible. Anyway, when I heard the news of Vivera launching the steak, I was very excited. Not only because I was curious of the taste, but also for this development itself. The day it was launched I jumped into my car as soon as I was off work and I drove to the biggest Tesco, with my fingers crossed. I was rewarded, because there was a whole box of Veggie Steaks. I took 3! Just because I know Vivera and I know they do good products, so I was confident enough it was going to be tasty. I love that Vivera is a Dutch company and I love it even more that they launch more and more products here in the UK. I love EVEN more, that they’re transitioning from being a vegetarian/vegan company, to an all vegan company. I love it! If you want to know more about Vivera and their products, you can read 
So about the Veggie Steak. To have a good idea of the taste, I served it with corn on the cob, sweet potato fries, chunky guacamole and ketchup. All separately served. To start from the beginning, the steaks look very real. The size is just right, the inside is red and they even ‘bleed’ a little. Then the taste. I think they taste very real. They’re soft, juicy and have a realistic structure (esp when you fry them on a high fire, so the outside will be a little more firm). I do like the taste, but in general it didn’t have to be that realistic for me. But to be fair, as far as I can remember a meat steak, I like these Veggie Steaks better. The taste and structure are just very good or maybe it’s just tastier because you can enjoy it with a clear conscious!
VIVERA VEGGIE STEAK
NUTRITIONAL YEAST
good for you. It’s full of B vitamins, folic acid and zinc. It contains no artificial preservatives, colouring, flavouring or genetically-modified material and it has added vitamin B12. There is also one without B12, so pay attention to the one you get. I always get the one with added B12, because it’s always good to have some extra B12.
CHOCOLATE 
heart shaped and it says ‘luv’, what I love. It looks so attractive. It melts quite fast, so you can’t hold it in your hand too long, unless you have very cold hands, hehe.. the taste is very nice though. It melts very nicely in your mouth and it’s very soft and creamy. It’s sweet, but not too sweet and you can taste it’s made with good ingredients. It’s very filling, so just half of it is kind of enough. What makes it great to share! They sell it at 
PERFUME
I don’t know any of these so that wasn’t very helpful for me. He asked me what I liked for a scent and I said I really love roses. They did have arose perfume and I actually liked it. He also had one with rose and vanille he said and I’m so happy he recommend it, because I totally love it!! So I bought it. The best thing is, they’re only £18 for 30 ml. It’s so affordable, 100% vegan and not tested on animals. Check their 
CHEESECAKE
‘cheese’ is more like mousse. It’s tasty, but I wouldn’t call it cheesecake. The top layer is just very very sweet. It does have a fruit taste, but I think the sweetness ruins it a little bit. Overall I think it’s tasty, but you do need to really like sweetness. I think it’ll be nice for once in a while, as a treat, but I don’t think I’ll buy it again for myself.
VITAMIN DRINK
litres a day though. But I think this is a super good idea, to add vitamins instead of harmful crap. Alibi comes in different flavours (I tried the pomegranate and the blueberry) and I can tell you that they’re very tasty. It’s refreshing with a nice fizz to it, not the one that makes your mouth hurt (really, I don’t understand how people can drink the painful fizz sometimes, but maybe that’s just me..). It’s sweet, but not too sweet and I’m sure it will help you to get rid of your fizzy soda drink cravings. You can buy it at several health shops and the 
SHOWER GEL
YOGURT
though and the package looks nice and appealing. There is also a almond-vanilla one and a hazelnut-chocolate. I think I should especially try that last one, because it just needs to be done, haha! The downside: It advertises with ‘less sugar’, but there are actually almost 3 sugar cubes per pot. What is a lot! Such a shame.. but that’s why you should only have this as an occasional treat.
FRUIT JELLY
love peach and it was very tasty. The pots don’t seem very big, but I think they’re perfect size actually (120gr). The consistency is very good and the fruit pieces taste really nice on it’s own, but especially in combination with the jelly. They do not use artificial colours, sweeteners or preservatives and they are also gluten-free. I’m not saying to have this instead of fruit. You still need to eat your whole fruits, but this is a fun way to eat fruit though. Especially for children I think, this is a nice treat. It’s perfect for on the way (it even comes with a spoon) and for lunch boxes. The downside is that there is a lot of plastic though. The pot is made of thick plastic and so is the spoon.
VITAMIN B12
But why would you get B12 through killing and eating an animal if you can just eat it straight? A lot of products are enriched with B12 now, like plant milks and meat substitutes. To make sure you get enough B12, you can take extra by taking a B12 supplement. I use the B12 of the brand Solgar. This is a trustworthy brand, vegan and they don’t use any crap. They have B12 in little capsules, but I prefer the little pills with cherry flavour, that melt in your mouth. I only take it twice a week though. I feel that it’s enough for me, knowing I do consume some enriched products too.
CROISSANTS
I always have them from the brand ‘Jus Rol’ and they are delicious and easy to make. I often make them in the weekend when my boyfriend and I are waking up together and have a lazy morning. I like to roll in some cheese, pesto or even some pieces of dark chocolate. So yum! You can vary endlessly and it’s all so yum. I think cheesy is my favourite though. So whenever you need some croissants for a brunch or just because you’re craving some.. enjoy these ones!
TOFU
in a sandwich and so many more recipes. They have a naked version and a smoked version. The smoked version is nice for salads, sandwiches and wraps, because in a stir fry everything will taste like this and I can tell you that, even though it’s yum, it’s a little too much to have a whole dish taste like it. I’m so happy to have discovered this brand and the good thing is they sell it at quite a lot of shops, even the smaller Tesco’s for example. Hooray!
PATE
snack before or after the gym, because it’s high in protein. So if you want to get some extra proteins in, you better get some crackers and spread away (I got some garlic pita bread sticks and this is a perfect combination). It’s also high in fibre and has absolutely no crap inside. Totally perfect! I got mine at Ocado and I think it’s definitely a good treat. Liberto has more things to offer than only this pate though. Check out their 
Planet Manel 