Billie Jean King has been an inspiration for gay people, and especially gay women, in sport for well over thirty years. In a time where gay people were still subject to horrific discrimination, tennis legend King had the confidence to declare that she was gay all the way back in 1981. She was the first significant female athlete in any sport to declare herself as a lesbian.
Her hand was forced with the declaration due to a palimony lawsuit filed by her former secretary Marilyn Barnett, who she'd been having an affair with since the 1960s. Coming out cost her over $2m in sponsorship revenue as partners pulled out, but she continued playing in defiance, going on to become the oldest player ever to win the Edgbaston Cup in 1983. Today, she's recognized as one of the greatest tennis players of all time and remains an activist for both women's and gay rights.
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.