Holiday parties, celebrations, family gatherings, sporting events, you name it, we're always finding a reason to come together, make a toast and chow down on some delicious foods. Unfortunately, with all the togetherness and revelry, we often sacrifice our health.
Carbs, sugar, alcohol and other less-than-healthy options abound.
Fortunately, there is a secret nutritional weapon, a simple solution used for thousands of years to protect the body from the damaging effects of toxins.
And now YOU can use it to eat, drink, and be merry… maybe even overindulge just a bit, without the damaging after-effects of weekend libations and low-quality food.
Before we get to the solution, let’s get clear about toxins: what they are and what they do to you. “Toxin” can mean a lot of things, but here it refers to compounds with a damaging effect on your health.
This means:
There is no “safe” level of toxic exposure. They all negatively impact your health, whether you notice it or not. Toxins can impair your mitochondria, the energy factories of your cells. They cause cellular damage, leading to systemic inflammation and aggravate injuries or underlying chronic conditions.
They can even compromise your immune system and cause allergies or make you susceptible to cold and flu viruses.
Toxins sap your energy and create a drag on your health. And worse, they accumulate, so every subsequent exposure brings down your energy, your mood, your mental clarity, and overall health even more.
Protecting yourself from the effects of toxic exposure is just as important as exercise or eating a healthy diet.
So now that we know why we want to protect ourselves, let’s look at nature’s greatest detox secret: Activated Charcoal
Charcoal has been a part of every major medical tradition around the world for thousands of years. Typically, it is used as a detox remedy. It’s even used today in modern Western medicine to counteract the effects of acute toxic exposure.
Regular charcoal is a product of burning a carbon source like wood, the same kind you would use for a barbecue. Activated charcoal today, however, mostly comes from coconut shells.
The “activated” part comes from exposing the charcoal to extremely high temperatures. This changes the chemical structure, removing any remaining oxygen to create an even smaller structure with millions of tiny pores and a slight negative charge. [1]
The pores created in activated charcoal exponentially increase the surface area of the charcoal.
"Just two grams of activated charcoal powder has roughly the same surface area as an entire football field."
Most toxins have a positive charge, which is bound by the negative charge of the charcoal.
Activated charcoals unique combination of massive surface area with a negative charge creates a giant toxin-binding trap, neutralizing them to be safely eliminated through the bowels. [2]
The benefits of activated charcoal go well beyond the detox benefits of increased energy, enhanced immunity, and improved mental clarity.
Because it neutralizes the common toxins found throughout our environment and food supply [3], it actually contributes to longevity. It prevents many of the damaging effects of oxidation we find in aging. One study even found that it increased the lifespan of test animals by 34%! [4]
In addition, since activated charcoal binds toxins primarily in the gut, it even relieves digestive issues like gas and bloating, which are caused by difficult-to-digest molecules in foods like beans [5].
The best way to use activated charcoal is as a preventative medicine.
Take activated charcoal before you enter into any situation that will expose you to toxins. For example:
It’s best to take 1000mg between meals or 2-3 hours after any medications or supplements. Because activated charcoal is so absorptive, it can interfere with proper absorption of the medication.
Also, remember to drink plenty of water when you use activated charcoal. If you are not properly hydrated activated charcoal can cause minor constipation.
Take activated charcoal powder or capsules when you eat out at restaurants, drink bad quality coffee, when you travel, when you feel moody or tired, and when you drink alcohol.
And finally, If you are already on a detox protocol or struggling with toxicity issues, consult your health professional before adding activated charcoal
Raise your glass: A toast to your optimal health!
With activated charcoal as your secret weapon, now you can party on free of the typical fuzzy brain, slow-motion beginning.
Instead, you can protect your health with just a couple of pills, still party like it’s 1999, and move forward into Monday with high energy and good spirits.
The importance of having a well-functioning and healthy immune system has become increasingly obvious in recent times.
Sadly, everyone seems to have a different answer as to how you should go about strengthening your immune system. When you go to your local health and wellness shop, you might see twenty or thirty products that tout their “immune boosting” powers. An Amazon search reveals thousands of results.
Well, we’re here to tell you about an effective and ancient remedy that has been in use for over two thousand years: the red reishi mushroom.
We’ve all heard about all the negative effects of stress and the modern lifestyle.
We’re all rushing around, overworked, in a constant state of fight-or-flight and it has disastrous effects on our health.
But what if “stress” wasn’t the real problem?
What if our bodies knew exactly how to cope with the intensity of modern life… if we just gave the body what it needed to thrive?
And the key may be one little mineral.
I hope this finds you healthy and able to still get outside (or inside) for a daily run during this trying time of dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Many of us are grieving several losses including race cancellations. Though it's a bummer, I want you to know that your hard-earned training is far from wasted.
Those miles are in your legs and all kinds of wonderful benefits have occurred including the addition of mitochondria, adding new capillary beds for increased blood flow, and strengthening the heart muscle for future training.
As athletes, it's important for us to be proactive in maintaining a strong immune system. We're not only doing this for our own prevention but also our loved ones that we spend time with.
Read on for 5 tips to consider as you seek to stay healthy.
