Today we’re talking about – Collagen! Surely you’ve heard of it for its anti-aging benefits – the reason behind that youthful glow – but does it live up to the hype?
Collagen is a protein found in the connective tissue throughout the body, which serves to protect tissues from stretching. Makes sense then, that collagen is found in all the good wrinkle creams, because collagen loss is the reason for our sagging skin and deepening fine lines.
Collagen makes up about 75% of our skin, over 90% of our ligaments and tendons, and 35% of our bones, so it’s crucial when it comes to maintaining a healthy body. Collagen is the glue that holds us all together!
We’re mostly head-over-heels for collagen because of its important role in healing the gut.
Known to boost digestion and reduce inflammation, collagen works to soothe and heal the lining of the gut, which can lead to many promising effects such as nutrient absorption and detoxification.
9 Benefits of Collagen:
- Improves skin and hair
- Strengthens bones, nails, and teeth
- Repairs joint health
- Aids in detox
- Heals lining of the gut
- Reduces cellulite and stretch marks
- Boosts metabolism
- Strengthens immune system
- Anti-inflammatory
So do we think that collagen is a key component to overall health and well-being?
Absolutely! But sadly, it’s one of those things that naturally breaks down as we age. Lucky for us there are a lot of new products out there that can help, but it’s important to be discerning so you know that you’re getting the best.
Start to look around and all over the internet and social media you’ll find collagen being touted in protein bars, gummies, chia pudding, popsicles – you name it! But how do you know where to begin?
One of the guiding tenets of the Conscious Cleanse is to eat whole foods that exist in nature. In other words, eat foods closest to their original form.
Which brings us to our number 1 favorite way to incorporate collagen into your diet – bone broth!
One of the most healing elixirs you can drink, bone broth is like fresh pressed green juice for your body. Highly absorbable, full of minerals, amino acids, collagen, and protein, bone broth is liquid gold.
Check out our recipe for Back to Basics Bone Broth today, dust off your crockpot or Instant Pot, and you can be drinking your own homemade bone broth sooner than you think!
When you can’t have homemade bone broth supplementing is a good alternative.
We’ve been asked over the years about collagen products we love and trust and so we want to share a product we use ourselves.
First, when shopping for any collagen supplements, be sure to find one that’s pasture-raised, non-GMO, gluten free, dairy free, and free of other fillers or flavors.
A powder that we’ve been loving ourselves is the Beauty Collagen Powder by Evolution_18. It checks all the boxes- grass-fed, non-GMO, gluten and dairy free as well as no artificial flavoring. Simple and clean.
It’s unflavored and easy to toss into your green smoothie as a boost. We’ve also been adding 1 scoop to our morning Matcha Latte.
Now we’d love to hear from you.
Do you take collagen regularly? What have you noticed? Be sure to leave us a comment below.
With love and elasticity,
Jo & Jules
