One listen to the lyrics of any of seminal punk band Against Me!'s songs and you'll realize just how much of a turbulent life frontwoman Laura Jane Grace has had. From an early teen drug addiction, to lawful and incredibly unlawful arrests, to a bitter divorce between her parents, Laura has struggled against the system almost from the moment she was born Thomas Jane Gabel.
Against the backdrop of all this has been her greatest struggle of all: intense and painful gender dysphoria. She would skip school and cross dress at home, leading to a "binge and purge cycle" and feelings of immense guilt. Even when she formed Against Me! and married Heather Hannoura, the struggle was always there, and always real. She could never escape this feeling of "misalignment", of being born in the wrong body.
Over the years, weve seen so many food trends come and go, such as ramen burgers, matcha, and spiked ice-cream. Nowadays, were seeing another trend making waves in the food industry. How many times today have you seen an Instagram photo of a scoop of black ice cream, or a cup of black yogurt, or hamburgers with black buns? Indeed, the charcoal trend has taken the world by storm.
So, what gives your latte that deep black shade? Activated charcoal, or coconut ash, is produced by heating coconut shells to insanely high temperatures until theyre burnt to a crisp. The ashes are then increased in size by steaming at high temperatures. Through this process, the ashes become a strong detoxifier, mostly because they become extra absorbent. This product may be purchased in pill form, and promises to alleviate hangovers, minimize the effects of food poisoning, and fight the visible signs of aging.
Activated charcoal is said to boost ones energy as a result of decreasing toxins in the body. However, no evidence proves that detoxifying can lead to increased energy. Also, while it can help cure a hangover, it doesnt necessarily remove alcohol from your blood. It is also said to aid in debloating your stomach because it cleanses your colon but again, this all anecdotal and isnt supported by scientific evidence as of yet. All we can say for sure is that it is a proven detoxifier.