The One Ingredient You Need To Heal Your Gut & Your Skin

We are all racing against the clock here, whether you are battling wrinkles, acne or general aging of the body, we want to stay looking youthful and vibrant every day. We try all kinds of chemicals to treat our acne & smooth our wrinkles, but let me tell you that it all starts from the INSIDE, inside your gut to be exact. Our gut is where most of our immunity lives, so it's important to take care it. And there is one very powerful ingredient, in form of a protein that can take care of your gut, which in return will take care of the rest of your body, especially the skin. It’s called collagen.  

You might recognize it as an ingredient in anti-aging body lotions, but what collagen really is, it’s the most abundant protein in our bodies. It’s found in our muscles, bones, skin and tendons. It’s the “glue” that helps hold the body together. It gives our skin strength and elasticity, and helps replace dead skin cells. And because collagen production in our bodies begins to slow down as we age, you may start to notice sagging skin, wrinkles & weak cartilage in our joints. So it’s important to supplement our bodies with collagen BEFORE you start seeing wrinkles, experiencing acne or “creaky” joints.

There are a few different forms of collagen you can take, but the one that I have found the most useful and versatile is in a form of a bone broth. Bone are LOADED with collagen and as the broth cooks, it breaks down into gelatin. In other words, gelatin is full of the same good stuff as collagen, just in a different form. You can either make your own bone broth, which I often do, but with the demands of a fast-paced life, I cannot keep up with making bone broth every day, so I supplement with this amazing powdered version. It’s important you get your powder from grass-fed, pasture-raised cows (with no antibiotics or chemicals).  You just mix a scoop into water & drink. I have also found it useful to add it to soups, instead of chicken or vegetable stock to make the soup more flavorful and healthy.  After just a few weeks of consistent consumption of bone broth, I have noticed a difference in my skin, the acne has diminished significantly, my belly didn't ache as much after meals and interestingly enough my joints weren't as creaky as before.

Also, in order for collagen to be activated in the body, you always want to take your supplements with a source of vitamin C & two amino acids: lysine and proline, so make sure that your supplement includes these activating nutrients to ensure absorption and usefulness to your body. Because humans are one of only four animals that cannot manufacture large amounts of vitamin C on their own, it’s important we give our bodies a boost in this this vital supplement to help. A recommendation is that we ingest at least 75 to 90 mg of vitamin C daily, but up to 2,000 mg or 2 grams would be even better. Citrus fruits such as oranges, grapefruits, limes, and lemons are excellent sources of vitamin C. Many non-citrus fruits are highly rated sources as well, such as papaya, strawberries, pineapple, kiwifruit, cantaloupe, and raspberries. Cranberries, blueberries, and watermelon are examples of very good sources, while apples, pears, and bananas are in the good category.

As for the lysine & proline, foods high in protein are naturally rich in lysine & proline, with meat and poultry topping the list, and milk & cheese also being good resources.

Through bone broths you’ll improve your body from the inside out. Give it a try and let me know the improvements you start to notice.

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Here is a full list of all the benefits this amazing protein can provide to your body (courtesy of Dr. Axe)

1. Skin and Hair

As we age, collagen production declines. You’ll see notice it physically: looser skin, more wrinkles and less elasticity. Increasing collagen levels can help your skin look firmer, increase smoothness, and help your skin cells keep renewing and repairing normally.

2. Joints

Have you ever felt like you’ve got skeleton legs? Yup, that’s a loss of collagen rearing its head. That’s because when we lose collagen, our tendons and ligaments start moving with less ease, leading to stiffness, swollen joints and more.

Think of ingesting more collagen like greasing a creaky door hinge: It’ll help your joints move more easily, reduce joint pain and even reduce the risk of joint deterioration. A recent study even found that collagen is an effective treatment for treating osteoarthritis and other joint disorders.

3. Leaky Gut

If you suffer from leaky gut syndrome, a condition where bad-for-you toxins are able to pass through your digestive tract, collagen can be super-helpful. It’ll help break down proteins and soothe your gut’s lining, healing damaged cell walls and infusing it with healing amino acids. It will also help absorb water, keeping things moving freely in the digestive tract.

4. Boosts Metabolism & Energy

A boost in collagen can increase your metabolism. Gylcine, found in collagen, helps pump sugar into your body’s tissue to increase energy levels. It also helps in muscle development — and muscles burn more calories than fat. Combine any supplementation with vitamin C to ensure your body can convert the collagen into a useable protein that can begin to restore the source or your energy and vitality.

5. Strengthens Nails & Teeth

Ever had peeling and splitting nails? Well, a lack of collagen could be to blame. Collagen protein is also the building block of your fingernails and teeth as well! Adding collagen into your diet regimen can help keep your nails strong and your teeth healthy!

6. Detox

If you’re looking to detox, collagen is extremely helpful. That’s because glycine helps minimize damage your liver experiences when it absorbs foreign substances that shouldn’t be passing through it.

One of the easiest ways to cleanse your liver is with a bone broth fast; I often recommend a three-day bone broth detox to rapidly repair leaky gut. It’ll help rid your body of chemicals and “reset” your gut.

7. Reduce Cellulite/Stress Marks

When skin loses its elasticity as a result of decreased collagen, there’s another side effect: more visible cellulite! Because your skin is now thinner, cellulite becomes more evident — no more hiding what’s happening below the surface. Improving your skin’s elasticity through collagen will help reduce that dimpling on your skin.