I am a firm believer that one of THE missing ingredients in ALL our our diets is COLLAGEN! It does SO much! It is essential in our soft tissue and connective tissue systems. This includes our skin, intestinal lining, all epithelial linings (think nose, throat, urethra), all endothelial linings (think arteries and vessels), organ structure and integrity, eyes, ligaments, tendons, cartilage, joints and more! Collagen is especially important for athletes, because of the roll collagen plays in preventing over-use and over-training injuries. The problem is, collagen can only be incorporated into our diets if we eat healthy, well-raised, pastured animal connective tissue. That means, meat on the bone, so we get cartilage, or bone broths where the cartilage has be turned to liquid. Unfortunately, we only eat the muscle meat and most are disgusted by meat on-the-bone (where the cartilage is), skin, organs…. eating JUST the bone-less, skin-less breast meat is making us deficient in a host of proteins that make up collagen. This is doing a major disservice to our skin, connective tissue, cartilage, gastro-intestinal lining, organ structures, etc, etc, etc. Got get my Healing and Preventing Injuries download for the down-low!!
What to DO?
The REAL, WHOLE food option is to start cooking more meat on the bone, using the bones to make bone broth soups, etc. But there are some work arounds for our busy lives if you don’ t have the time or desire to make a bone broth.
Collagen Protein Powder and Bone Broth Protein Powder
This Multi-Collagen protein is the highest in ALL 5 TYPES of collagen. This is the best most well-rounded way to get the variety of collagen we need for skin, hair, nails, gut, immune system AND tendons, ligaments and cartilage. It is flavor-less and can be added to smoothies, OR added to a flavored bone broth protein powder (below). The difference between this Multi-collagen Powder and the Bone Broth Protein Powder is: The BBPP has 20 grams of protein, the MCPP has only 13; the BBPP has only 1 type of collagen, the MCPP has 5; the BBPP has other minerals derived from the bones, the MCPP does not as it is the isolated collagen only. So you get slightly different profiles of collagen and nutrients in each.
Vital Proteins carries a line of coffee creamers and in my new favorite Collagen Company, but doesn’t have the variety of flavors that Ancient Nutrition has. So I am offering both companies as options.
Here are a few of my favorites from Vital Proteins: (click on pic for link)
More favors and recipes!
Turmeric Smoothie
Ingredients:
- 1 cup (about 1) mango (frozen or fresh)
- 1/2 banana.
- 1.5 cups (375 ml) almond milk.
- 1 tsp coconut oil.
- 1 tsp white chia seeds.
- 1 scoop BB Protein Powder Turmeric
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon.
- 1/4 tsp chilli (optional)
MAKES ABOUT 2 CUPS
- 1 blood or navel orange, peel and white pith removed
- 1 large carrot, scrubbed, coarsely chopped
- ½ cup frozen mango chunks
- ⅔ cup coconut water
- 1 tablespoon shelled raw hemp seeds
- ¾ teaspoon finely grated peeled ginger
- 1½ teaspoons finely grated peeled turmeric OR BONE BROTH PROTEIN POWDER
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
- Pinch of kosher salt
This flavor can be used in a shaker with just water and tastes Great!! Or put in a blender with some greens, ice, berries, chia seeds, shredded coconut…. play with it!!
Vanilla: This one is our favorite in the Taylor house. Very mild and versatile. We blend it with green powder or greens (kale, spinach), berries, chia seeds, coconut milk, shredded coconut flakes. It is also great on it’s own in a shaker with water or coconut milk, hemp milk, almond milk, etc.
I love this flavor too!
Pre-Made Bone Broth in stores:
These are the liquid, properly prepared (meaning cooked for hours and hours) bone broth that can replace your home brew to make soups, cook rice/quinoa with, drink a cuppa broth, make Pho, etc. These are both shelf stable until opened.
Gelatin- The Healthy Jello!
- ¾ cup lemon juice
- 1 cup frozen raspberries
- 3 tablespoons honey
- ¼ cup grass-fed gelatin
- Place lemon juice and raspberries in a blender and blend on high until completely mixed. Pour into a saucepan.
- Add the honey and gelatin and whisk together. You will have a thick paste. Turn the heat on low, and continue to whisk the mixture for 5-10 minutes, until it becomes thin and everything is incorporated. Take off the heat.
- Pour into silicone molds or a small baking dish. Set in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour to firm up.
- If you used a small baking dish as a receptacle, cut into bite-size squares. Otherwise, remove gummies from their molds and enjoy!
Make this recipe with this grass-fed gelatin:
This gelatin provides collagen from Types 1-3, but primarily type I. This is used in making gelatinous treats. If you wish to add collagen to your smoothies or drinks/soups, you need to use this one:
or this one
Greens
Here are my favorite Green Powders. They taste good, that is KEY!
Favorite Greens:
THE MULTI-VITAMIN
THIS IS A MUST HAVE. Many of you have asked me recently which multi I recommend. Well, I did my research and this is IT! Kids can take it at a slightly lower dose if they can swallow pills. It is set up for a dose in the morning and a dose in the evening, which is perfect as you need different nutrients at different times and some nutrients do not work well together.
Keep your soft tissues healthy to prevent injuries, wrinkles, sagging, prolapse, cardiovascular weakness, and on, and on, and on! Listen to the Podcast with Danielle about Healing Injuries in Young Athletes! And listen to our first one on Feeding Young Athletes Part!
In Health!
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