Ready for a Cleanse? The Simplest Detox...with Activated Charcoal

"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
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Beautifying Lemonade

Oops, it's been a few days that I promised someone that I'd post this recipe..
He was begging for it and made me promise....when he saw me sipping it ever so enthusiastically the other "hot" day.

As I haven't posted anything in so long, due to a rather painful separation from the person I loved and spent my life with, a relocation to Los Angeles, a brutal car accident (which I still don't know how I survived), and my new business that kept me busy afterwards pretty much 24/7, this is a BIG deal to be back here! Yay! Hi AGAIN! :)

If you also happen to live in L.A. then you know it's been back in the high 80s to 90-ish degrees in the past 2-3 days and so refreshing drinks feel even more refreshing now AND we might as well "cheat" a bit and make them even more nutritious and healing than their commonly-known, traditional versions, right? Of course!..because if you're reading my blog, chances are, you're also into amazing foods for their health benefits, healing and beautifying qualities and the possibilities of its longevity-promoting effects.

Well, here's how I've been making "lemonade" lately....and, let me just say, it's been eye-catching. Yes, I DO take it with me often when I leave my little paradise behind and people ask me what I'm drinking. Most think it's a green juice...but nope. I blend ingredients for this one!
Great for your skin and gut health and a great detoxifier....so get in the garden and the kitchen and make this:

Beautifying Lemonade

Ingredients to be blended:

2-3 cups of the best quality water you can get

juice of 2 lemons

handful of fresh mint 

slice of fresh aloe gel (I used about a 3/4 inch thick slice)

favorite sweetener (I use raw honey* or maple syrup** usually) 

a really thin slice of ginger

pinch or two of (ground) cayenne 

*not vegan, ** not RAW

Blend all of the ingredients in a high powered blender that breaks down the mint leaves and the lemon seeds (which are best to keep in there). Grab a couple of straws and pour two servings of this wonderful treat if you have someone to share it with. If not, you will not have a problem finishing it all by yourself, I promise!

Enjoy! :)

And I'll be back soon.

♥

Dita

P.S: I'll be reviewing a TON of yummy and super healthy products in the next few weeks and some of them will involve giveaways too so stay tuned! You never know....you might get lucky and end up with a bunch of goodies delivered to your door! You can't beat that!