The well-received launch of Living to Smile in this past year has been an invigorating journey. There is nothing more intimate to discuss than what we put into our bodies, living in a way that help rather than harm the Earth, and culturing positive energy and good karma.
While we generally try to publish one or two thought-proving articles a week, we push the envelope every day, sometimes twice a day, on Instagram. As the old saying goes, a picture says a thousand words and we find that Instagram is a positive environment where it is easy to connect with like minded souls.
In the spirit of the coming new year, we are happy to share Living to Smile: Best of Instagram 2016.
Thank you to all of our followers and readers for support… the journey has just begun!
Every day I wake up and say, “Today is the first day of the rest of my life.” When the day starts to get busy, and stress presents itself, the challenge is holding onto that feeling and riding the wave. Carpe diem.
For the past several years, there is only one houseplant that’s more of a constant presence in my home than Mathilda, an 8-year-old philodendron- a lush basil plant. Did you know that at most supermarkets these days it’s cheaper to buy a living basil plant than it is to buy packaged cut basil? It’s just about the only ingredient at the supermarket that you can take home, water and it will just keep making more.
If you like to cook, having a basil plant is a no-brainer. Delicious fresh basil will be at your constant disposal, and they look great too.
Grow tips and recipes on livingtosmile.com
But isn’t it the truth… BBQ seitan is the BOMB. Like healthy living? Check out livingtosmile.com… and follow us
Food doesn’t discriminate- good food keeps you healthy and junk food treats you like shit. A plant-based diet is forgiving too… no matter what you’ve eaten in the past, a whole natural diet of fruits, vegetables, nuts and all else that is grown from the Earth will begin to heal you starting the moment you step out of the haze and into the light.
It’s that easy! Our friends who love real cheese can’t get enough of this and put it on pretty much everything- it’s delicious!
I reviewed 75 of the most talked about issues this election, and not one of them had to do with our actual health. When the candidates did spar about health, it was only about Obamacare and abortion, never about the fact that our caloric intake has gone up by almost one thousand calories a day in the last few decades. Meanwhile, tens of millions of Americans are suffering from obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and a slew of other health issues with one major cause- our diet. Read the article at livingtosmile.com
Yes 2016 was the year of homemade vegan Parmesan… we are officially calling it Snooch. Stuff is insane. If a faux cheese gets the approval of a Frenchwoman, it’s on. So… it’s on.
Ingredients:
3/4 cup raw cashews
1 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
Directions: Combine ingredients in food processor and blend until smooth.
A picture says a thousand words!
One moment of pleasure traded for a lifetime of agony.
Great idea by Dr. Michael Gregor from @nutrition_facts_org. If you’ve haven’t read his amazing book, “How Not to Die”, make sure Santa knows it’s on your list.
Made this tonight! So delicious!! Vegan Carrot, Potato, & Leek Soup
Over the years I have tried out a variety of store-bought taco seasonings. Organic ones are expensive and any of the mainstream ones such as Ortega, McCormicks, and Old El Paso have ingredients such as whey (milk), autolyzed yeast extract (MSG), caramel color (sulfites), silicon dioxide, and ethoqyquin (preservative). Not to mention the wasteful single-use packaging many of these seasonings come in. You and your tacos deserve much better than this! Making your own taco seasoning is a snap. The best thing about making your own seasoning mix, besides not having a bunch of nasty stuff in it, is that you can make it in bulk and use it on all sorts of things you conjure up in the kitchen. Get the recipe on livingtosmile.com
A plant-based diet means good health, for you and for the Earth. Food for thought- literally!
@living_to_smile “Animals are not Barcodes” sticker spotted outside @burgerking Food fact: Burger King and @mcdonalds combined are responsible for killing approximately 100,000 cows a day.
A picture really can say a thousand words! Visit us at livingtosmile.com and join the movement to live a positive and healthy life. You can buy this shirt on Zazzle.com/livingtosmile
But isn’t it the truth… BBQ seitan is the BOMB. Like healthy living? Check out livingtosmile.com… and follow us
Over 80% of apples contain at least one probable or known carcinogen, with 18 likely or known carcinogens being used on apples consumed in the U.S. The list of pesticides containing hormone disrupters, neurotoxins, and developmental and reproductive toxins that are especially harmful to children is too long to list in one blog, and the bottom line is: washing an apple before you eat it just isn’t going to cut the mustard. Read the full story on livingtosmile.com
Tomatoes are also an excellent source vitamin C, biotin, molybdenum and vitamin K. They are also a very good source of copper, potassium, manganese, dietary fiber, vitamin A (in the form of beta-carotene), vitamin B6, folate, niacin, vitamin E and phosphorus.
“That was easy!”
Every day more companies seem to be jumping on the ethical consumerism bandwagon. As consumer consciousness rises, market veterans respond with more ethically responsible products. Simultaneously, new companies thrive off emerging markets demanding healthy products that consumers can believe in and trust. Boycotts of unethical organizations happen all the time, as do buycotts, the purchasing of products to support a company’s policies.
Ethical questions are become widespread regarding which forces create more significant change. On one side there is an absolutist approach: “Don’t ever buy from that company because they still make these other products or do this to the environment”. While the pragmatists say, “The more of this particular product people buy from that company, the less they will sell these other products.” Read the full article on livingtosmile.com
You’ve heard of recycling… how about upcycling? Turn your “trash” into treasure, because “once” is never enough. See more awesome upcycling ideas
Just a handful of nuts a day can help prevent heart disease and a slew of cancers. Cashews are an awesome source of vitamins and minerals and can do wonderful things for your health including help prevent weight gain, reduce your risk of diabetes, and even help prevent migraines.
Love. It’s hard to define love in just a few words, it’s something we know from birth, but we develop ways to communicate it our entire life. One things love isn’t is taking a newborn animal away from its mother, never to be seen again. The cows you see in this picture live on a farm sanctuary and will share the bond of mother and child, and know the feeling of love, their entire lives.
In 2017 we started loving our sofritas recipe, and so did our readers!
Who says comfort food can’t be healthy? Check out our Mushroom Sofritas with homemade taco seasoning recipe on livingtosmile.com
Well? Do you? Almond milk is…
1. Helps with weight management
2. Keeps your heart healthy
3. Makes bones strong
4. Great for your skin
5. Barely impacts blood sugar
6. Promotes muscle strength/healing
7. Keeps your digestion in check
8. No lactose
9. Tastes better than cow’s milk
10. Easy to make
Happy to attend the Boston Veg Food Festival today and get to spend time volunteering for Citizens for Farm Animal Protection. Amazing to get to spend time with thousands of people interested in a vegetarian diet and lifestyle and animal welfare issues!
On November 7th 2016, Massachusetts passed “Question 3” a first step in providing protections against animal cruelty in agriculture. A resounding 75% Massachusetts voters passed this ballot question that will prevent caged eggs, gestation crates, or veal crates to be used in the Commonwealth. The new law will also prevent products from using these cruel methods from being imported into the state.
Over 80% of apples contain at least one probable or known carcinogen, with 18 likely or known carcinogens being used on apples consumed in the U.S. The list of pesticides containing hormone disrupters, neurotoxins, and developmental and reproductive toxins that are especially harmful to children is too long to list in one blog, and the bottom line is: washing an apple before you eat it just isn’t going to cut the mustard. Living to Smile article
“Rainbow Strong”
– Inspired by the tragic Pulse Nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida. 49 people were killed and 53 wounded in a hate crime framed as a terrorist attack. Living to Smile article
4 pounds of almonds, 4 pounds of cashews and a pound of nutritional yeast… time to make some vegan cheese and almond milk!
