Charcoal and Wellness Soup

Last week we had a nasty stomach bug hit our house (and by "we" I mean Peter and Simon - I fortunately never got it!)  I felt so bad for Simon as he wasn't quite over a cold he had from the previous week.  We pulled out our activated charcoal and I went to the store for wellness soup ingredients (thank you, Grace for the recipe!).  I didn't realize all the hoopla that would be created with my picture of our charcoal supplements along with mentioning ingredients for a wellness soup!  I was encouraged by a friend (shout out to you, Michelle!), to blog about it so here it is!

Activated Charcoal:
  This is something that I knew nothing about before knowing Peter and his family.  I honestly thought he was joking or something when he suggested taking charcoal.  I believe I joked back, "Like scrape some off of the grill?"  He then proceeded to explain that it's in capsules and you can buy it at the store or get a kit and make it yourself.  Okay then, I had been schooled! =)
  We currently buy the capsules and take them whenever there are digestive things going on.  Charcoal acts like a cleanse to clean out your gut.  It is a wonderful tool for sickness and a poison antidote.  You would probably be surprised to know that it is used in water filters and air purifiers.  It's a wonderful detox and so that's how we use it.  I have heard of people using it to whiten their teeth but have never tried it myself (maybe another blog post?).  =)  If you go buy it from the store make sure that it says ACTIVATED charcoal.

I have heard wonderful things about this brand and I love that it's a powder so it's easier to give to children.



It's on my list of things to purchase next. =)

Wellness Soup:
Usually when we are sick I make a wellness soup from homemade chicken stock (or turkey stock is fine!).  I had not thought of making one for a stomach bug until I was talking with my friend, Grace, and she told me about a soup she was making for her family (who also had the bug).  Homemade stock is incredibly helpful for your body when you are fighting something - I call it liquid gold.  =)  I make my stock by simmering the carcass along with veggies (onion, carrots, celery etc).  Once it's done simmering, I take out the bones and blend everything up so that you still have all the veggies and some meat in it.  I freeze it in bags so that I can quickly pull some out whenever we need it.  This serves as my base for every wellness soup I have ever made.  Typically I don't follow a recipe but fill the stock full of fresh veggies (kale, spinach, broccoli etc) and garlic.  I will often blend up Simon's so that he gets the veggies in more of a broth like substance.  This time, I tried using fresh ginger, lemon and roasted garlic.  My version didn't taste the greatest but I knew it had a lot of nutrients.  If i had followed a recipe I'm sure it would have been better.  =)  Here is the recipe that inspired it:

Grace's Wellness Soup: left over whole chicken carcass boiled then simmered 4-8 hrs with onions, garlic, celery, oregano, thyme, parsley...then strain broth, separate meat and add to broth, return to stove to cook on low. Chop: 6 carrots, 6 celery, bunch of kale, garlic, onion, broccoli, mushrooms then add to soup pot. Add star anise, ginger, lemon, 2 tablespoons miso paste, 1 cup wild rice (optional). Cook 1-2 hrs on low. Remove star anise. Serve, eat, enjoy!

Hope this answers all the questions.  Stay well everyone!

XOXO

Joy