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Why I Take Collagen

By Kelsey

on Apr 10, 2018

I thought it was about time for a much needed blog post – why I take collagen!  I have been using Vital Proteins collagen since the summer of 2016 after learning about them at a fitness/ blogging expo.  To be honest at first I was confused by it and a little suspicious as to if it worked like it said it did, but it was Whole30 compliant and seemed like a fun new company to try out.  I was also shocked at how the Collagen Peptides (one of their few products at the time) was tasteless and able to be dissolved in hot or cold liquid.  So I took home a canister and started using it in my coffee from time to time – like once a week – and didn’t notice any changes.  Then I thought if I really wanted to notice a change I should try to use it every day. I got in the habit of adding it to my coffee every morning and about a month later…

• SKIN

  • I realized that the bumps I always had on the back of my arms had almost gone away!  It was one of those things that I didn’t plan on it doing because I had no idea how it would effect me. If you have little skin issues like that too, you know how amazing it is to see it go away!!

• HAIR

  • This is a pretty random thing but I have always had baby hairs sticking up out of my buns – probably from years of wearing a swim cap playing water polo and yanking it off.  Once I started taking Vital Proteins my baby hairs got out of control because they started growing!! To be honest I still have them but now they are just long baby hairs – preteen hairs??

• JOINTS/ BONES

  • There are so many underlying ways collagen supports a healthy body but this one was important to me especially when I started taking it in 2016.  When I started taking collagen I was going through my hormone issues with hypothalamic amenorrhea and not taking fake hormones that the doctor recommended meant a decline in bone density and chances of osteoporosis.  It was literally the one thing I was scared about while trying to heal naturally as I had heard other people with HA getting stress fractures easily.  So knowing Vital Proteins was going to help keep my bones strong made me feel better about doing things my way!

Collagen during pregnancy:

I have gotten tons of questions on if I have continued taking collagen during pregnancy and if you are even allowed to! On the topic of “is it safe” – the bottle says to consult your physician.  I don’t know about you guys but my physician would probably look at the bottle and be like what is it? And when I say it’s collagen he would probably either say, yeah it’s fine or hmmm not sure haven’t seen that. My view is that you can eat beef and chicken right?  Those things that have collagen? So why would this be harmful? But I am NOT a doctor so please make your own call on this one and do whatever you as a mother growing a child are comfortable with!

I honestly stopped using collagen in the first trimester only because coffee repulsed me and that was the main way I consumed it.  But now I have started adding it back into coffee and tea and am really hoping it helps with a few things.

• Stretch Marks

  • As collagen helps so much to support skin health, I have to assume it can’t hurt in preventing stretch marks.  I also use lots of shea butter every night and haven’t seen any yet, but it’s still early so I will keep you posted!

• Strengthen Muscles and Ligaments

  • While being pregnant I have made working out my muscles a priority!  I have been going to pilates 3 times a week to not only keep my pregnant body strong as it changes, but also to help strengthen muscles I will be for pushing this baby out!  Vital proteins helps your muscles rebuild and recover after working out so there is no doubt it will help contribute to my goals here.

• Protein

  • I am quickly learning how much protein you need while pregnant!! It’s crazy and can be so hard to add it in just through meals. It is recommended to have between 75-100 grams a day, and I am not pounding steaks over here.  So adding 18 grams of protein to my coffee is a HUGE help to my daily intake.

• Postpartum

  • I already know postpartum brings on a slew of fun side effects like loss of hair and crazy hormones, so I think arming myself with collagen in preparation for this phase can only help!  I will be sure to keep you posted on my postpartum journey when that comes and how Vital Proteins impacts it.

All the products!

As I mentioned earlier when I first started using collagen Vital Proteins only had a few products out, but now they have TONS!  They want you to be able to seamlessly add it into your everyday so they made so many fun products to support that goal. Here are my favorites:

• Collagen Peptides

  • Okay so I am an OG girl with this because it is just SO easy to add to anything because it is flavorless!

• Beef Gelatin

  • I hear so many amazing things about beef gelatin so I love to add it to soups! You don’t taste it or feel it in warm thing and is fabulous for digestive health!

• Chicken Bone Broth

  • This one I love to add to soups or my favorite – in my Mexican Cauliflower Rice!  I am not a big fan of it plain in hot water but the addition technique is amazing!!

• Vanilla Collagen Peptides

  • Now these ones don’t dissolve in coffee very well because of the little vanilla bean specks, BUT it is super tasty to add in smoothies or energy balls like these Vanilla Shortbread Energy Balls!!

Comment below with any questions you have!  Again, this is all my opinion and experience and from what I have heard from other people it really works a little differently for each person depending on you needs.  Hope you enjoyed the reasons why I take collagen! This post is sponsored by Vital Proteins but the views are 100% my own.

Interested in my “All I need is Coffee and Sweet Potato Toast” mug?  Purchase one HERE!