5 Benefits of Collagen Powder

5 Benefits of Collagen Powder

Have you heard about collagen powder?  It seems like the next big hype but this time I actually feel the hype is warranted.  Collagen can now be found in just about everything — from creams and cosmetics, to powders and pills. As the most abundant protein in the body, collagen is found in your muscles, skin, blood, bones, cartilage, and ligaments. You may want to consider squeezing in an extra serving of this vital protein for several reasons, as collagen is a building block that:

• promotes skin elasticity
• holds together your bones and muscles
• protects your organs
• heals the gut

The good news is that your body produces collagen on a regular basis. But, it does slow down with age. It also slows down with smoking, sun exposure, and an unhealthy diet. If you don't have enough collagen in the body you may start to see wrinkles and sagging skin, or even experience joint pain.
Keep reading to discover five specific benefits you may experience if you take the time to up your collagen consumption.

1. Eases joint pain

As your cartilage weakens and deteriorates with age, you may start to feel stiff, achy joints. It’s possible that upping your collagen intake may help reduce joint pain and alleviate symptoms of arthritis.
In a 2009 study, participants took a collagen supplement for 90 days. Results showed that osteoarthritis symptoms decreased by 40% while the severity of symptoms dropped by an impressive 33%.
In an older study from 1993 with the same collagen supplement, participants with severe rheumatoid arthritis saw a reduced number of swollen and tender joints — 4 out of 60 participants also experienced complete remission. 

2. Reverses skin aging

One of the most well-known benefits of collagen is its ability to promote glowing, vibrant skin. This essential protein provides elasticity to the skin, helping it to appear more youthful and healthy. But as you get older and collagen production declines, fine lines, loose skin, and dryness can occur. 
A study published in 2014 randomly chose 46 of 69 women, ages 35-55 years old, to take a collagen hydrolysate supplement. The rest of the group took a placebo. The women who took the collagen showed an improvement in skin elasticity within four weeks.
The same manufacturer also conducted another study in 2014 with the same supplement, which significantly reduced wrinkles after just eight weeks.

3. Helps build muscle and burn fat

Collagen is a major component of muscle tissue, so it should come as no surprise that it can have a big impact when it comes to building muscle mass. Plus, collagen also contains a concentrated amount of glycine, an amino acid involved in the synthesis of creatine which provides muscles with the fuel needed to power through your workout. So what happens when you add collagen to your workout routine?
There’s not much research on collagen and exercise, but a study in 2015 looked at collagen supplements in 53 older males with sarcopenia, a condition where you lose muscle mass due to aging. After 12 weeks, those who took supplements along with resistance training saw an increase in fat loss and muscle strength more than the placebo group.

4. May reduce cellulite

Besides keeping your skin healthy and glowing, collagen may also help improve the appearance of stubborn cellulite. Cellulite is when the layer of fat under the skin pushes up against the connective tissue, creating a dimpled or lumpy appearance on the skin.
Another study was sponsored in 2015 by manufacturers to see what collagen would do for cellulite. They randomly assigned 105 women, ages 24-50, to take collagen for six months. Those who did demonstrated a clear improvement in skin texture.  Yet cellulite is incredibly common — an estimated 80 to 90% of women have it. It’s a natural part of aging and skin formation and not a cause for concern.

5. Improves digestive health

Collagen is in the gut’s connective tissue and can help support and strengthen the protective lining of your digestive tract. This is critically important because alterations in the barrier function of your intestine, also known as leaky gut syndrome, can allow particles to pass into the bloodstream. This may result in inflammation.
In fact, an older study from 2003 looked at 170 individuals with inflammatory bowel disease and found that they were more likely to have lower levels of serum collagen. So the current theory is that by increasing your intake of collagen, you could help build up the tissues that line your gastrointestinal tract and promote better gut health. 

Here are a few easy ways to kick up your collagen intake:

1. Experiment with bone broth

Bone broth is made by simmering bones to help extract the flavor and beneficial nutrients. Not only is it an excellent source of collagen, but it’s also tasty and easy to add to your diet by using it to make soups and stews, whole grains like rice and quinoa, and even to moisten leftovers. You can easily make bone broth at home, or save time by purchasing it in powder form. The brand I love for powdered bone broth and carry in the office for your convenience is Organixx.  

2. Try out powdered gelatin

Gelatin is essentially the cooked form of collagen, and powdered gelatin can be a quick and convenient way to bump up your collagen consumption. It can be mixed into any liquid, including soups, stews, and broths. You can also enjoy it to satisfy your sweet tooth by making homemade Jell-O or natural fruit snacks.

3. Supplement with collagen peptides

Collagen peptides are another easy option to get your fix of this important amino acid. Most brands sell hydrolyzed collagen peptides, which means that the amino acids in collagen have been broken down so that they’re more easily digested and absorbed.
Collagen powder can also be added to smoothies, hot beverages, or baked goods to pump some extra protein into your day. The collagen powder I recommend the most is also from Organixx which we also have in the office.  

There is also ways to get collagen in through your daily diet. If you want to consume collagen naturally, eat a well-balanced, high-protein diet that includes animal products. Collagen is in beef, chicken, fish, and egg whites.

But you don’t want to eat too much protein, either. Your body doesn’t tell the collagen where to go. Instead, it distributes the collagen like it would any other nutrient. So taking collagen supplements works much like exercise — it’s difficult to target a specific need, but increasing your intake could still have benefits.

How to have Healthy Hair

How to have Healthy Hair

More people than I would think come to me for help with their hair.  Many women feel like they are losing hair at an extreme rate.  They are worried it won't grow back and that they eventually will go bald.  A lot of women come to me showing me spots on their scalp where their hair is thinning or where they are already completely bald.  There is a lot of natural things one can do for healthier hair to help hair regrow (even men) or prevent hair from falling out.

Number one thing I ask patients when they complain about their hair is what their stress level is. Stress is the number one thing that causes hair to thin.  Stress affects hormones and hormone levels affect hair growth.  Besides stress management here are other things that can help.

Supplementation

Some of the best supplements for one's hair to become thick and healthy include Saw Palmetto, Black Current Seed Oil, Vitamin E, etc.  Yet I never found that one supplement that could do it all so I developed my own, called Hair Rejuvenation.  It includes wild harvested Black Current Seed, Saw Palmetto, Dandelion, Rosemary, Pomegranate, Raspberry Leaf, Liposomal Vitamin C and Vitamin E. With this combination of ingredients I have found great results in hair regrowth and strengthening weak hair.  

Vitamin C, vitamin E and pomegranate are used for their antioxidants which helps the body have less stress on it from toxins.  Pomegranate also contains punicic acid which stimulates the hair follicles for better hair growth. This will strengthen the hair follicles and stimulates strong and fast hair growth. Also to help detox is dandelion which supports the liver.  Dandelion is also rich with vitamins A, C, B-complex and E. It also contains biotin, iron, sulfur, magnesium and calcium. These all enrich the hair by stimulating and strengthening the hair.   Rosemary has been tested in clinical trials and shown hair growth just as good as Rogaine on men after 6 months of use.   Raspberry leaf supports the hormones while black current seed and saw palmetto are direct hair support.  Hormone support is important because too much testosterone can cause hair to fall out.  Black Currant Seed contains omega-6 and omega-3 essential fatty acids, which help provide moisture for your hair and encourage hair growth and strength. Specifically, the gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) in black currant seed oil is an omega-6 acid that can help prevent hair thinning, splitting and dryness.

By taking the oxidative stress off the body, while also supporting the hormones and liver as well as the hair I have seen the best results with my patients’ regrowth of hair.  Unfortunately it takes time and it’s usually only in the 4th month that patients start noticing a difference.  

Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse

Simply mix 1 part apple cider vinegar with 2 parts warm water. Rinse through your hair after washing at least 2-3 times per week. You can let it sit for 1-2 minutes, and then rinse out your hair completely.
What does apple cider vinegar do for your hair?
This apple cider vinegar rinse closes up your hair follicle to prevent damage by keeping your hair’s pH levels balanced. This gives you smoother, shinier, stronger hair.

Feed Your Hair the Right Nutrition

One of my most important natural hair growth tips is: nutrition.
Hair only grows if you feed it the right nutrients.  
Here’s how to keep your hair healthy by adding some key nutrients to your daily diet:

• Collagen powder (I use Organixx)
• Food-based B-vitamins
• Healthy fats (think coconut oil, olive oil, wild salmon and omega-3s, etc.)
• Antioxidants 

DIY Abundant Hair Growth Serum

This serum is what I use every day to promote strong hair:

• 10 drops rosemary essential oil
• 10 drops cedarwood essential oil
• 10 drops lavender essential oil
• 2 drops peppermint essential oil
• 2 drops cypress essential oil

Add these oils to 4 ounces of grapeseed oil OR aloe vera gel in a glass bottle. (Use the oil if you tend to have dry hair, aloe if it tends to be oily).
Apply a small amount to your fingertips after washing your hair and massage into your scalp daily.
You can also use the oil to do a deep moisture treatment by massaging a generous amount into your scalp and hair (especially the ends). Leave it in for about 30-60 minutes and then wash as usual. Do this especially if you use heat tools on your hair often.

Scalp Massage

One common reason for hair loss is lack of circulation. Due to lack of circulation the hair roots aren't getting enough blood to them. Without enough nutrients the hair prematurely falls out. What I suggest doing is spending a full minute in the morning and another full minute at night massaging your scalp to increase blood flow to the hair roots. You may find that as you massage in small circular motions using your fingertips, tender spots and it is those spots in particular you want to concentrate on for they are tender due to lack of circulation. You will notice as you massage the tender spots they will become less tender. Continue to do every day, twice a day, for at least 2 weeks in order to see a change.

Best Protein Powder

Since writing about my smoothie people have asked more questions about protein powder. Let me tell you why I like Sun Warrior, Kachava and Garden of Life brands.

Sun Warrior is SPROUTED brown rice protein. Sprouted being the key word. It means they take the rice plant before it sprouts so it's all nice and green and has all the nutrients intact and they harvest it for it's nutrients which is rich! It comes in original flavor and also chocolate and vanilla which the flavors are sweetened with stevia. Sun Warrior has some other products but I have only used the Classic Protein Powder. It is raw, NON-GMO and vegan as well! The cost is about $1 a scoop.



Garden of Life is collagen protein made from grass-fed cows.  Collagen is great for healing the gut, joint support and skincare.  It also includes probiotics for an extra boost to help your gut.   It is also about the same price as Sun Warrior.  I think as far as taste goes both brands are about the same in taste. A little chalky if you drink alone with water but blended tastes just fine.

Kachava is a pea protein that also has tons of superfoods.  Because of the superfoods this protein powder is the more expensive one but well worth it.  It also is the best tasting one.  Just add water to it and it tastes great!  To order here is a code for $15 off.  We also carry it in the office along with the Garden of Life.  If you are interested in either we can muscle test you for which one is best for your body.