Benefits of Collagen

I drank the collagen Kool-Aid, ya'll. Or, the collagen coffee, I should say. I've been posting about it on my Insta-stories lately and have gotten several questions so I thought I'd do a full blog post explaining the benefits of collagen, how I use it, and why I've made it a part of my daily routine.

First off, collagen is the main structural protein in the body found in connective tissues (like the skin). It helps with strength, structure and elasticity. Taking collagen regularly helps improve skin, hair, nails, tendons, joints and more. Being fresh out of shoulder surgery, I'm all for anything that will help improve my joints! And who doesn't want healthier hair, skin and nails? Sign me up!

I've been using Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides for the past month and have already seen improvement in the health of my hair and nails! I put a single serve packet of the original, unflavored collagen peptides in my coffee each morning. It dissolves right in - you seriously can't taste it at all. I have heard that it doesn't dissolve as well in iced coffee as it does in hot coffee, though, just FYI. I know other gals put it in smoothies and even in baked goods. Each packet has 9 grams of protein. I track my macros and eat a really high protein diet (like, 140 grams each day), so I'm always looking for easy protein sources that don't take up other macros.

Vital Proteins sent me samples of their coffee creamer packets in addition to the unflavored version. In all honesty, these weren't my favorite. They didn't dissolve quite as well - they left a thick, gritty texture in the bottom my coffee. The coconut milk base was a also a little overpowering....but I like the flavor of coconut, so I didn't mind that! I would probably keep using these, but they have 8 grams of fat which is a lot for my personal macro numbers.

If you don't want to go the coffee route, Vital Proteins offers a ton of other option when it comes to collagen supplementation. They have green supplements, matcha collagen, beef gelatin, marine collagen, collagen beauty water (DYING to try the Lavender Lemon), whey protein and much more. Many are Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Sugar Free, Whole30 and Paleo approved!

Collagen makes up 30% of the protein in the body and 70% of the protein in the skin. Naturally, our bodies don't produce enough collagen on their own and they cannot synthesize it, so it is important to supplement with it in our diets. Here are a few of the amazing benefits of supplementing with collagen:

• Glowing Skin
• A More Youthful Appearance
• Joint Health
• Tendon & Bone Strength
• Healthy Cartilage
• Increased Athletic Performance
• Improved Digestion
• Gut Health
• Deeper Sleep

Yes please to all of the above! Now that I've hopped on the collagen train, I'm hooked. If you have any additional questions, please leave a comment below or check out the Vital Proteins blog, Stay Lively - they have a ton of great information and content (like this recipe page).

Have you tried collagen? If so, I'd love to hear about your experience and how you add it to your daily routine and diet. I think I'll be trying the Collagen Beauty Water next!

This post was created as a part of a collaboration with Vital Proteins. Though products were provided to me for free, all thoughts and opinions are my own. 

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