I know this looks/sounds weird.  But seriously, there are so many good things about this elixir.  The wonderful flavor is just one of them!

This recipe was inspired by one of my many visits to a farmer's market one weekend in Austin.  I was casually looking at the vendors (bad idea if you're me because you'll buy more than you need!) and came across a juice stand.  They were selling the standard green juices, but something caught my eye: a detox lemonade.

Now, I don't drink often, but this Sunday was one of the few in which I'd partaken in the devil's cup the night before.  And the person told me that it would help me feel better... or work as a fabulous mixer if I wanted to "detox while I re-tox.  So I spent like $7 and got a bottle.

Wowowowowow!  I LOVED it!  And I've never been one to crave lemonade.  But this was so yummy and I swear I felt much better after drinking it!

I've been obsessed over detoxing lately, and not in the juice-cleanse way.  Just the I-live-in-a-city-please-get-this-crap-out-of-me way.  Ya know, daily toxins you can't avoid pile up.  So, I've stocked up on some detox-y things lately.  

Last night, I was in the mood to sip something while watching Netflix before bed.  But not wine, since I'm on a Whole 30 (and again, I rarely drink).  Not tea, because it's already hot AF here in Texas.  The thought of that lemonade last year somehow made its way into my head while I stared at the pile of lemons on my counter, and it clicked: I had activated charcoal in my pantry!  Lemon juice is super low in sugar!  It won't kick me out of ketosis and is totally Whole-3o compliant!

So this baby was born.  

It's super refreshing, gets you some awesome hydration (it's mostly water!), the detox benefits of activated charcoal, and the skin-clearing I so desperately depend on collagen and lemons for.  Win-win-win, I say!

Black Magic Lemonade

Total time: 2 minutes

Yield: 1 serving

Directions

Ingredients

  1. Open the capsule of Activated Charcoal and pour powder into the water.
  2. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze juice into the water and mix it all together with the charcoal.
  3. Dissolve 1 Tbsp Marine Collagen into the lemonade & stir well so it all dissolves.
  4. Add stevia if desired, mix again, and serve over ice!

12 oz cold water

1 capsule (~1/2 tsp) Activated Charcoal

Juice of 1 lemon

1 Tbsp Vital Proteins Marine Collagen

Pinch of stevia (optional; omit for Whole 30)