by Awesome Author | Aug 31, 2019 | Skincare
In the name of beauty and natural anti-aging, the importance of collagen should not be underestimated. In fact, when it comes to maintaining the integrity of the skin and that coveted youthful glow, collagen is arguably key.
A naturally-produced protein, collagen is essentially responsible for structuring and holding together 80 percent of all connective tissue and 75 percent of skin. When we are younger, we produce enough collagen to meet these needs. As we grow older, however, the supply of collagen manufactured by our bodies naturally declines as part of the aging process, leading to wrinkles, sagging skin, lackluster hair, brittle nails, stiff joints, digestive issues, and more.
Thankfully, there are ways to support your collagen levels naturally, which in turn can have a highly anti-aging result. According to clinical nutritionist Sarah Newland, you can incorporate these easy but effective practices in both your diet and general lifestyle to help support collagen and keep you looking and feeling younger from the inside out.
1. Pay extra attention as you age
Women, who produce less collagen than men, lose it at a rate of about 1 percent each year from age 25 onwards. By the age of 50, women naturally will have lost almost half the elastin from their skin.
When it comes to aging and collagen production, it’s a seemingly double-edged sword.
“It’s a supply and demand thing!” says Newland. “As we age our collagen production slows down, while simultaneously our need for collagen increases.”
Sounds unfair, but that’s just the way our bodies naturally function and why it’s imperative to pay extra attention to looking after your collagen supply and stores. Doing so is key to an effective anti-aging protocol, according to Newland.
2. Include real food sources of collagen
“Our bodies lap up nutrients from real food sources first and foremost,” according to Newland, who recommends her clients consume bone broth regularly as part of their health regimen — and especially for its high elastin content.
Unfortunately for vegetarians and vegans, there isn’t a plant-based source that is comparable as an alternative.
“Collagen comes from the tissues it is found in, like ligaments, bones, bone marrow, and skin. Animal foods that contain these components, therefore, contain collagen that we use as the building blocks to create our own collagen,” Newland explains.
However, if you are not able to accommodate bone broth into your diet, Newland does have some tips for plant-based eaters. “Hydrate, ensure sufficient protein with each meal and snack, stay away from trans fats and unhealthy oils, and instead load up on plenty of essential fatty acids.”
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3. Consume collagen-boosting vitamins
Vitamin C is the key nutrient required to help support collagen production naturally in the skin, so making sure your diet is rich in it is beneficial to supporting collagen.
“It helps the body increase precursors to collagen building blocks, and generally comes in high-antioxidant foods like densely colored vegetables, so it provides the additional support of fighting free radicals that lead to signs of aging,” says Newland, who suggests loading up on high vitamin C foods such as kiwi, berries, citrus, raw peppers, broccoli, and kale.
4. Add a quality supplement
Taking a pure collagen powder as a supplement is an easy way to provide your body with a dose of this anti-aging protein.
“I am a big fan of marine collagen supplements or bovine collagen powder,” says Newland. The benefit to marine clgn is its superior bio-availability, meaning it is more easily absorbed by the body, due to the smaller particle size of fish collagen peptides.
There are a variety of elastin powder supplements available on the market, which can usually be easily dissolved in water or added to your favorite juice or smoothie without any taste. Alternately, you can get it in capsules if you prefer to take it that way.
5. Don’t forget lifestyle factors
Make sure you look at the bigger picture, too, when it comes to looking after your collagen levels naturally. “Staying out of the sun, reducing toxic overload on your system, keeping hydrated, and having a diet high in richly pigmented fruits and vegetables — which are loaded with antioxidants that help scavenge free radicals and reduce inflammation and oxidation of cells, which can be detrimental to skin and joints — are practices that can have a really positive impact on our elastin levels and the way we age,” says Newland.
This article by Lolita Waters was originally published on November 16, 2018 on Bewell.com
About the Author:
Lolita is a lover of words and the world, coming from a journalism and health science background. With a self-confessed case of wanderlust, deep passion for writing and zeal for all things natural beauty and wellness, you will usually find this Australian-born lifestyle writer and model chasing summer around the globe. On her travels, Lolita loves to seek out the best healthy hotspots, organic beauty treatments and local knowledge wherever she goes, which she uses as her inspiration to put pen to paper. While at home in her current base of Bali, you will find Lolita reading, writing, blending up a matcha green smoothie, watching sunset at the beach, hiking to a waterfall or booking her next plane ticket.
Connect with Lolita on LinkedIn
Featured Image Credits: Pixabay
by Awesome Author | Jul 13, 2019 | Health & Personal Care
You’re rushing around to get Christmas gifts, the house needs cleaning, you have five-holiday parties to go to, and family is in town; does this sound familiar? The holidays can be a very stressful time, and excess stress has been known to weaken the immune system, thus making us more susceptible to falling ill. This paired with the fact we are exposed to more germs due to family visiting from out of town, it’s no wonder we are all getting sick during this time of year. Fortunately, there are several preventative measures you can take to make sure you’re doing your best to maintain overall well-being during this busy time of year.
CBD Health Benefits for the Immune System
As we have talked about previously, the endocannabinoid system (ECS) is responsible for regulating most functions in the human body. One of these functions is our immune response. Cannabinoids (like CBD) interact with our ECS. When our ECS is active, it helps to aid our body in bringing itself back into balance (homeostasis). When our body is in balance, it is more likely to make sure proper immune function and regulation are occurring.
The immune system is extremely complex, and there is still much to be learned about it. We are excited to see more research being conducted about the relationship between CBD and the immune system. For now, though, it appears the ECS and CBD are very much involved in the maintenance of a properly functioning immune response.
Due to the complex nature of the immune system, there are many misconceptions when it comes to staying well as the weather changes. Let’s bust some of those myths before jumping into the best preventative measures you can take to keep sickness at bay.
Busting Myths About Immune Health
Many of us have heard the phrase ‘put a coat on or you’ll catch a cold!’ Although we may associate sickness with colder weather, research suggests our increase in sickness during the winter months is most likely due to spending more time indoors (to avoid the cold) and spending more time in close contact with others who may pass a virus to us.
Having busted this common misconception, let’s dive into some effective, preventative measures to keep you healthy this winter.
1. Manage stress
Stress is the single most important factor you can manage to avoid weakening your immune system. Stress wears down our immune system rapidly, making us more likely to fall ill when we are exposed to germs.
It’s not uncommon to be stressed out during the holidays, it can be a stressful time! You can help mitigate this stress by meditating, indulging in regular exercise, and practicing mindfulness. There are many various ways to manage stress over the holidays, so whichever option works best based on you and your schedule is great! We’re not so concerned about HOW you manage stress, we’re merely advocating for you to do so!
2. Prioritize sleep (or make yours better!)
Our bodies repair themselves while we sleep – which is why it is so crucial to make sure we’re getting enough quality sleep. When we skip out on our regular amounts of sleep, the number of infection-fighting antibodies and cells in our bodies is reduced.
Supplementing with a CBD supplement before bed will help you relax and therefore get into a deeper sleep. There are several things you can do to ensure you get a better night’s rest, and it is in your immune system’s best interest to get quality sleep when you can.
Image Credits: Pixabay
3. Support your body with herbs and supplements
At Made By Hemp, we always recommend using a supplement as just that – a supplement to an already healthy lifestyle! Things, like sleeping well and managing stress, will always make a more significant impact than a supplement, but we listed a few supplements that can help boost your immunity nonetheless.
CBD
As we mentioned before, CBD can be a powerful tool to help maintain balance in your body. Including CBD into your daily routine will be all-around beneficial – and will especially aid in activating your ECS and keeping you balanced this winter.
Reishi mushroom
Mushrooms are widely used in Eastern medicine and have been known to act as a powerful immune sidekick. Source high-quality reishi mushroom powder and try mixing it into your morning latte.
Echinacea
Echinacea has been shown to increase the number of white blood cells, which helps to fight off colds or infection. Try an herbal echinacea spray or a bag of tea that contains dried echinacea.
4. Load up on healthy foods
Vitamins can help an infection from even happening in the first place. If you are eating a healthy, balanced diet, then you should not need to take a supplement – the vitamins are already in the food we eat! We know there are plenty of treats around this time of year and we are not suggesting you don’t indulge (because we sure do!), but that doesn’t mean you have to completely ditch your healthy lifestyle altogether. You can still eat healthy meals in between your holiday get-togethers, and squeeze in workouts when able.
Vitamin D
Due to the decreased amount of sunshine, vitamin D is an important supplement to add to your regime. You can either purchase a high-quality vitamin D supplement or look for fortified milk and cereals.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is probably the most well-known immune booster. You can get your dose of vitamin C by eating citrus (like oranges, grapefruit, or lemon), bell peppers, kale, and broccoli.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is an antioxidant that will help the body fight infection. You can get vitamin E from nuts (like sunflower seeds, almonds, peanuts, or hazelnuts), avocados, mango, and kiwi!
Zinc
Zinc is a mineral that keeps the immune system strong and aids in healing. You can find zinc in legumes, nuts, seeds, and soy products.
Prioritize eating a salad packed with vegetables, drinking green juice, or even making your own vegetable broth before your next holiday get-together. Your immune system will thank you!
Image Credits: Pixabay
5. Stay hydrated
Making sure you stay hydrated aids your body in eliminating toxins and other unwanted bacteria. Soda, alcohol, and sugary drinks are not substitutes for water; if you need to, try herbal teas or add flavorings to your water to make sure you are getting enough.
As a guideline, to be properly hydrated, our bodies need ½ of our body weight in ounces per day to stay hydrated. If you weigh 150lbs then 75oz of water daily is what you need. We know to drink that much water isn’t always possible, but 35oz of water daily is better than zero. Do your best!
6. Wash your hands
One of the easiest tips of all, but we had to mention it! Thoroughly wash your hands, especially before handling food or after being in an environment with a lot of germs (like a Christmas work party or family dinner).
These tips can help you avoid sickness this winter (or anytime in general). We want to show you how easy it is to integrate a wellness lifestyle into your already busy schedule. Wellness is a choice that everyone can make!
Stay well this holiday season from Made By Hemp!
This article originally appeared on MadeByHemp.com
