acne

Collagen: How to Cook, Bake, and Drink it

collagen for the skin
by Kali Kushner

If you didn't know by now, collagen is pretty much the eternal fountain of youth. It's what keeps our skin looking dewy, bouncy, and wrinkle-free. It's also what helps our hair grow long and strong as well as our nails. Unfortunately, once we've reached our mid-twenties we produce 1% less collagen each year; resulting in sagging, tired, wrinkly, scar prone skin as well as dry, brittle hair and nails. And, who want's that? Not me! That’s why I am always looking for any way I can to add collagen into my diet.

From leafy greens and wild salmon to my daily cup of bone broth, getting my daily dose of collagen to stay forever young is always in the back of my mind. However, if I'm being completely honest in life sometimes we get busy or we go off the rails with our diet plan and getting the proper nutrition or vitamins we need to reach our goals on a consistent basis can get tricky. That’s why I've found it super convenient to have a daily supplement like collagen peptides, that you can add into any food to support your daily skin, hair, bone, and joint health.

 

 

 

collagen peptides as a supplement

 

 

Luckily, with pills and supplements like collagen peptides, it's now easier than ever to get a daily supercharged dosage of collagen to quickly reach all of your #hairgoals. I've been using Collagen Peptides for about a year, experimenting back & fourth between various brands and methods, always looking for the "bigger and better" out there- because c'mon who isn't?

However, each time I've been drawn back to the Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides because they're tasteless (unless you use a flavored version and those taste bomb), they don’t give me a headache or stomach ache like most brands, AND most importantly- I feel like they deliver the most noticeable results when it comes to both skin and hair health. I can tell a serious difference since I began using these in November, my skin is glowing on a consistent basis and my hair is soo thick and healthy.

This is a huge win for me personally because after I took Accutane my hair fell out in clumps for a few months, thinned out and looked extremely dull. I was really self-conscious about it and tried a few different methods to restore my hair to its former glory but nothing really seemed to work. I feel very grateful that with the help of collagen peptides, a cleaner diet, and using a detangling brush I've been able to actively reverse the hair damage I once had. Even if I miss my collagen for a week I can expect my skin to look duller than normal and my hair to have less bouncy-filled life. Yup, it makes that much of a difference.

 

5 easy ways to get your daily collagen


So how do I make sure I get my collagen every day? Well typically I choose one of these super easy 5 ways.

 

Water

Adding collagen to your water is one of the, if not the simplest way to make sure you're getting your daily dose. Because the original collagen peptides by Vital Proteins are unflavored, they can easily be added into any drink! And what's better for your health than a good ole glass of water? My only recommendation is to make sure that you slowly add in the collagen powder and that the water isn't too cold or contains ice as the powder may get a little clumpy or hard to stir.

My personal favorite way is using their lavender lemon beauty collagen water. It tastes just like spa water and really hits the spot after a good workout- hydrating both my body and my skin! I actually picked mine up at target one day while I was looking for new skincare to test out in the natural-beauty section and haven't looked back since.

 

Morning smoothie

If you're a smoothie fanatic like me, adding collagen to your morning smoothie or afternoon bowl may be the easiest route for you. It's not an over exaggeration to say I make a chocolate blueberry banana smoothie every single morning, and every single morning I make sure to add my collagen. I've found that when blending the collagen, it blends into the smoothie seamlessly. No clumps, no chunks, and no gritty taste or weird mouthfeel. Probably the most delicious way to take your collagen, in my opinion.

 

 

Dessert/baking

That's right! You can add collagen into homemade baked goods as well. Think cookies, cake, pancakes, waffles, and whatever else you little heart desires. Fortunately, when you bake the collagen peptides the nutritional value isn't compromised so you can even sprinkle them into casseroles or long cooking crockpot stews.

 

Soup/Tea/Coffee

In addition to cold beverages, collagen easily dissolves into hot beverages as well, meaning you can virtually add it into anything; coffee, tea, and soup alike. Plus, these days, there's things like collagen creamer or matcha collagen, so you can easily get all the benefits plus the taste in one single scoop.

 

Togo packets

Don't cook often or don't want to carry a huge tub of collagen around with you? Simplify your routine with these easy to go pouches. You can sprinkle collagen into any food, anytime, anywhere.

 

This list is not comprehensive, merely a few of my favorite ways to use collagen and a few ideas that you could try yourself!

 

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