By: Christina Jordan, Board Certified Master Nutritionist & Top 10 Bariatric Nutritionist in America
Multiple studies have shown that including a daily pro- collagen building smoothie into your daily routine can significantly improve your skin’s appearance on both tone and texture. This isn’t magic— although you may think it could be when you see the gorgeous natural glow of your skin your next selfie (no filter needed). Smoothies that promote natural collagen work wonders for your complexion by supporting your skin’s elasticity in as little as four weeks of adding it to your daily. These super skin smoothies have also been shown to reduce unwelcome wrinkles in as soon as eight weeks. If a spectacular selfie isn’t enough to to entice you to try a collagen-building smoothie, perhaps the fact that collagen has an important role in joint health and can dramatically reduce pain and swelling after workouts or for those suffering from sports injuries? It’s a win- win situation!
Not all collagen building smoothies are created equal. Today I’m going to share everything you need to know to make the perfect collagen building smoothie.
What the heck is collagen and why do we want to naturally build more of it? Collagen is a naturally occurring protein created by the body that is found in the connective tissues, including hair, skin, nails, joints and tendons. Simply explained, collagen is “youth juice” of our body that helps us to look, feel and perform like we did in our teens and 20’s. Ummmm, yes please!
There’s two ways we can go about promoting more collagen on our body. First, by taking an actual collagen supplement. The second is by adding more natural superfoods that naturally fuel your body to maximize your own potential collagen building proteins. As a Board Certified Master Nutritionist and a top 10 Bariatric Nutritionist in America I am a big fan of both. Adding a collagen supplement in the form of a high protein superfood smoothie that’s packed with delicious superfoods, like fresh berries, spinach and MCT oil, is an easy and tasty way to gives your body a boost you need to support lustrous hair, glowing skin, stronger nails and healthy joints.
As a Nutritionist I’m very selective over what I put into my body and what I recommend to my clients. Some collagen promising supplements on the market are packed with sugar and fake additives that can cause weight gain, upset stomach and autoimmune issues. This is why I believe in a delivery system that is as natural as possible is best. I opt for collagen promoting vegan-based amino acids on combination with natural superfoods that together will naturally stimulate our body to amp up collagen production.
When searching for the perfect pro-collagen supplement be weary that some may contain ingredients are questionable. I prefer to seek out all natural and preferably certified organic options— which can be difficult to find in the massive sea of vitamin options. In fact, I grew so exhausted by trying to find the perfect pro-collagen vegan smoothie protein that in 2021 I created my own formula after three years of research and development. It’s called Slim Shakes Vegan Protein + Superfood + Pro Collagen and I offer two creamy, delicious flavors of chocolate cupcake and vanilla cupcake. If you’re interested you can learn more on my nutritionist website www.fitbodyweightloss.com.
Collagen is truly the fountain of youth for our body. When we were kids our bodies were collage producing machines and were amazing at producing that beautiful collagen that kept our skin supple and glowing, our bones strong, and our ligaments and tendons in perfect working condition. We could run, jump, and dance all night long and still look flawless for school photos the next morning. Add on the wear and tear of a decade— or two— and we forget what it’s like to simply bend down without our knees popping or leaving the house without concealer! Studies show that after about the ripe old age of 25, our body’s natural production of collagen dramatically declines. Why? Blame it all on the name of progress. The post modernization of our food processing is the tragic culprit for your loose skin on your tummy and early aging around your eyes. Gosh, thanks a lot progress! Much of what we call food has been processed and largely removed the collagen from our diets. This is where making healthy food choices in combination with a pro-collagen building supplements can help support our body’s collagen levels as we age. Doing this can help promote and revive collagen benefits, such as:
• Supple glowing skin**
• Youthful tone appearance (skin elasticity)**
• Joint health**
• Bone and tendon strength**
• Improved recovery from injuries**
It’s truly a no brainer. We need to begin supplementing with a collagen building supplement right away— like last week!
Getting started can feel daunting. Don’t let this stop you. The question I’m often asked is, how many pro-collagen smoothies a day is needed to feel and see a difference? 1-2 super smoothies per day is all you need! That being said, as a nutritionist I recognize everyone’s lifestyle and wellness goals are different and may require a varied amount.
What are you waiting for? Go sip yourself to a gorgeous, glowing, spectacular selfie with pro-collagen smoothies!
Cheers!
Christina Jordan
(Board Certified Master Nutritionist)
*Vital note: This article is meant for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice or act as a substitute for seeking such advice from a qualified health professional.
