Thanks to the popularity of skin-boosting smoothies and other wellness/beauty based elixirs, collagen is getting a lot of limelight.
And with good reason!
Collagen is not only a foundation for the body, but key to a younger looking you!
What da Heck is it
OK, but what is collagen really?
It’s a completely natural, vital protein found in skin, muscles, bones, blood vessels, the digestive system, and tendons. Collagen is sort of like the glue of the body, holding everything together.
(oh um, you mean super duper important?)
For skin, it’s magical. It’s what makes our skin strong, supple, and elastic. Collagen also replaces dead skin cells.
The sad news? Our collagen decreases with age, hence wrinkles, drooping skin, and joint pain.
Collagen-Boosting Foods
The good news? We can replenish our collagen levels by eating the right collagen-boosting foods.
Try bone broth for example. A daily cup of this soup-like mix is extremely healing for the body. I highly recommend for cold season or just for regular wellness and beauty related maintenance.
Sure, it’s a little thicker in consistency and can take some getting used to, but heat it up HOT and it’s a nice way to start your morning with crazy-good health benefits.
My functional nutritionist swears by it.
Other options include wild-caught fish like tuna and salmon, dark greens, berries, garlic, oysters, and clean meats.
Healing Powers of Collagen
Collagen acts as a lubricant for the joints and bones of the body, ensuring our movement is smooth and pain free.
In addition, collagen can aid in repairing the inner lining of the gastrointestinal track. This assists with issues like leaky gut, IBS, acid reflux, Crohns, and ulcerative colitis.
I’m totally team collagen when it comes to improved digestion!
Oh, buzz word! Cellulite.
Yes, collagen actually helps reduce the appearance of cellulite. You see, cellulite is what’s going on underneath the skin’s surface. Thinner skin reveals the presence of cellulite. Collagen helps in thickening skin, therefore making cellulite less noticeable.
MAGICAL.
It also helps reduce the appearance of stretch marks.
Other Ways to Supplement Collagen
Want an easy way to get your recommended daily dose of collagen? There are tons of amazing brands offering digestible forms of collagen!
My personal favorite, and perhaps the most well known, is Vital Proteins. They not only offer tasteless collagen for mixing into smoothies, teas, coffees, and foods, but also offer unique forms of collagen consumption like collagen based matcha and collagen coffee creamer.
Of course, these cool twists on collagen consumption are all-natural and on par with what’s healthy for your body. (none of the bad stuff!)
For instance, their collagen creamer doesn’t have any dairy in it!
So my jam!
Get Your Own Free Collagen
Now comes the fun part!! I’ve partnered with Vital Proteins to give away their collagen matcha and their vanilla collagen creamer. One lucky person will receive canisters of BOTH products!
To enter this giveaway:
Comment on this blog post below telling me why you want to try incorporating collagen into your diet! (make sure you leave your IG handle!)
Make sure you’re following me (@TaylorToro) and Vital Proteins on IG!
And tag a friend on my latest IG pic!
Dat’s it! I’ll announce the winner on IG stories! Good luck!
I hope this blog post shed some light on what collagen actually is and how it can improve our overall health.
Cheers to collagen!
Insider Tip:
I mix my collagen up in a blender with coconut milk and matcha (featured in the above picture) for an energizing morning beverage that’s nutrient rich!
Throw in a few berries, honey, or organic stevia leaf for a little sweetness!
I have tried collagen before and loved it, but I’ve never been consistent with it. I want to try it again to see how it benefits my skin and muscles since I’m a big workout fanatic. My Instagram handle is @sheina.renee 🙂
I’m looking to incorporate collagen into my lifestyle because I’ve heard of so many great benefits! I workout and try to eat clean a good portion of the time but am still looking for more ways to improve my skin! I’m trying to find my favorite matcha brand too! Matcha powder and a little soy milk, yum yum ☺️ Thanks for the opportunity! Best, @beccalynn53
I have been seeing vital proteins products everywhere! I hadn’t taken the time to research it yet so I was excited when I saw this post! My skin scars easily, especially from acne, so I hope adding a collagen boost to my diet will help smooth my skins appearance. Thanks for the interesting post! @britisring
first comment!! Sheina, I think you would totally benefit from collagen with how hard you work!❤️
Hey Becca! I love this! Sounds like you are on a great path as far as health!
Brewa!! YAY! I had no clue what it was either and similar to you, saw it everywhere! Glad we are both in the know now about the benefits 🙂
I put it in my coffee, my protein shakes, and my flavored water! My skin is smoother and clearer. I’ve been using it for over 6 months now!
@a_life_relived
HI Taylor! I've been seeing this everywhere… have wanted to try it just never took the plunge. I have spent years in the sun (causing the quickest skin damage and loss of elasticy) – I know collagen helps the prevention of fine lines and strengthens elasticy! Would LOVE to incorporate this into my beauty routine.
that’s amazing news!!! Thanks for sharing!!
ALL such good points!! And I can relate too with the sun damage! Thanks for sharing lady 🙂
I loved all of the info !! Now I have somewhere to refer friends to when they ask about benefits ! I have tried the collagen from vital proteins but I’m dying to see how the matcha and the coffee creamer are since I can’t seem to shake my current creamer addiction ??♀️
Thanks so much for the read Melissa!! 🙂
I've honestly been super inconsistent with my collagen intake but girrrl, I need to just suck it up and make it part of my routine! Thanks for this daily dose of inspo to get my collagen in!
@rebeccahawkins__
You're so welcome Rebecca! Love that you are already using it!