In a throwback to an era that we all hoped rap music had moved away from, singer, rapper and songwriter XXXTentacion died in a shooting in South Florida in June. He was only 20 years old. He may have only been at the start of his career, but he was already a big deal both on the stage and in the newspapers. His album "?", released in March, debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 album chart. Away from the stage, he was facing mounting legal problems, not least battery of his pregnant girlfriend.
XXXTentacion seemed to know that the end of his life was a possibility. In a video he posted on Instagram very shortly before he was gunned down, he spoke of how he'd like to be remembered if he died a tragic death, and what influence he'd like to have on young people who were touched by his music. Specifically, he spoke of wanting them to "take his message and turn it into something positive".
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.