"New Year, New You" - right? Or so they say! :)
How many times have you seen a New Year Resolutions list with "detox", "cleanse", "healthier eating", "diet", "healthier lifestyle", etc. on it? Pretty much every year, right? And they probably appear on our own lists every year as well. WHY? Because we all know that we could do better no matter what kind of diet we are following and what kind of lifestyle we are living.
I'm there with you!
1 - I haven't been sleeping much...due to way too much work.
2 - I haven't been doing yoga...due to way too much work.
I need to make some serious (while keeping it fun ;) ) changes in those departments! *sigh*
Most of us are bombarded with stress, pollution from every direction...contaminants in food, water and the air we breathe, and most likely lacking sleep or at least quality sleep, as well as enough movement (exercise)...which adds to the problem by not letting us rejuvenate as best as we could.
So what do we do? The best we can...which involves daily / periodic / seasonal cleansing in my world.
Of course, cleansing and detoxification can mean completely different things to two different people....and they SHOULD! But the simplest things are available to everyone and are doable for everyone....regardless of what types of kitchen equipment you have available or how much time you have on your hands to commit to this.
One of the simplest things that takes seconds from your day is adding Activated Charcoal Powder to your juice and you're done!
What does activated charcoal do for you? Well, it can do many things...in fact, the list is so long that there is no way I could cover it here.
But to give you an idea and share a few:
Activated Charcoal is neither absorbed nor metabolized by the body. It simply helps to Eliminate the Body of:
-Toxins
-Heavy Metals
-Pesticides
-Parasites
-Plaque and stains on teeth (it whitens teeth)
-Nicotine / Alcohol
-Chlorine etc. in water (hence, used as a water filter)
-(Lowers) Cholesterol
-(prevent or eliminate)Hangover --- a great thing right now, after the holidays, if you have some on hand!
-Flu Symptoms
-Bloating/Flatulence/Colic
-Stomach / Bowel Problems
-Bali Belly (traveler's upset stomach)
-Liver / Kidney Problems
-Heart Burn
-Nausea / Vomiting
-Insect Bites & Stings
-Candida / Thrush / UTI
-Mouth Ulcers/Cold Sores
-Cuts / Infections
-Eye Infections
-Skin Irritations
-Acne
-Cysts / Ulcers / Abscess
-Arthritis
-Neutralizes Odors (put some charcoal powder in a sachet and place wherever odors need to be eliminated - shoes, fridge, etc.)
-Impurities in Water (it's a water purification substance)
-Bad Breath
....and the list goes on.
So let's start with how to take advantage of it?! Today I'll share my favorite charcoal drinks and I'll share other uses and tips in follow-up posts....fair enough?
The quickest way to take some charcoal is by mixing a teaspoon of the powder with a glass of water and drink it up. That's it. But not everyone likes such a "drink".
I only use Food Grade Activated Charcoal by Schizandu Organics (which you can find at least two places online...on the Schizandu website and on Amazon)
This charcoal is 100% pure, additive-free, food grade, and tasteless and odorless and it's a very fine dust-like powder....specially-milled to blend well. On top of that, you get a HUGE jar - enough to last you numerous 2-week detoxes, and you get an eBook with it too with all kinds of cool info about how you can use this jar of almost diamond dust :)
Here's what I do with it to make it a delicious black lemonade experience:
Black Detox Lemonade
(serves 1)
1 large glass of pure water
1 lemon (use the juice of it only)
1 tsp food grade activated charcoal powder
1 tsp maple syrup / honey / coconut sugar / your choice of sweetener
Drink this whenever you feel like cleansing is a good idea. Some take it every day. That is fine too. But be sure to take it about 1-2 hours away from medications and birth-control pills, etc. Some say charcoal could even carry those out of the system, given it's such an excellent detoxify and used in hospitals to save lives when someone has overdosed or poisoned themselves.
Of course, you can add a teaspoon of the charcoal powder to any juice as well. Even better, make your own. I love this combination:
Activated Charcoal Detox Juice
(serves 1-2)
Juice of 5-8 celery stalks
Juice of 1-2 apples
Juice of 1-2 lemons
Juice of a thumb-walnut size ginger root (depends on how spicy you like it)
1-2 tsp food grade activated charcoal powder
And here's a detox shot....it comes to your rescue if you ever have a stomach bug / upset stomach / hangover:
Activated Charcoal Cleanse Gut Shot
(serves 1)
Juice of ½ apple
Juice of piece of ginger root
Juice of piece of turmeric root
1 tsp food grade activated charcoal powder
These are my favorites but you can certainly come up with other favorite recipes and I'm sure you will! :)
Pretty easy, right?
You can thank me later! Happy cleansing and Happy New Year.....new chances for a new YOU! :)
♥
Dita