You need collagen all over your body, not just your face
If your instagram ads are anything like ours, you may be constantly bombarded by the latest pourable neon or pastel nutraceutical supplement promising you firm, glowy bouncy skin, with ‘real people’ tilting their heads at different angles to the camera so the light can reflect off their perfectly tight, new and improved faces— and no judgement over here…we’ve taken the clickbait too. What these ads don’t mention is the very common sense, cheap and or/free lifestyle changes that can help you preserve and promote collagen formation— not just in your face, but your WHOLE body where it is needed.
That is right, collagen is not just for plumping your ‘fine lines’, it is actually the glue that holds your entire body together, and makes it possible for us to move through the world. As a recently published medical journal explains: “Collagen is protein molecules made up of amino acids. It provides structural support to the extracellular space of connective tissues. Due to its rigidity and resistance to stretching, it is the perfect matrix for skin, tendons, bones, and ligaments.” So you can thank collagen for literally holding the big bag of flesh and bones that you are together in a recognizable form!
You may ask, what can I do to support this body-wide collagen that keeps me zipped up in a humanoid shape? Below are some really simple habits to incorporate regularly. As a plus, these strategies DO help your sweet, overly scrutinized face collagen as well— but that is an added bonus to overall health imho. Because as much as mainstream beauty companies don’t want you to know this… your face is part of your body ;)
EXERCISE
For some, you were raised running track or playing team sports and this makes sense to you, that you would need to do this nearly every day to feel and look your perceived ‘best’, but for the rest of us… this can really be our Everest. Choose something you love and do it regularly, but there are two kinds that seem to more effectively boost collagen production for various reasons and those are strength training and HIIT—but be careful with this one if you have symptoms of adrenal fatigue! The goal is not to exhaust ourselves and burn out so be sure to balance high intensity workouts and weight lifting with long walks, gentle stretching and slow somatic movements. The Workout Witch offers beautiful and accesible courses and provides plenty of free content on her Instagram. https://theworkoutwitch.com/
BALANCING BLOOD SUGAR
In order to have the energy to exercise and to thrive, we must fuel our bodies intentionally and consistently. By eating multiple nutrient rich meals a day, we can help prevent our bodies from the roller coaster of blood sugar spikes which increase our bodies aging process, also known as glycation. When it comes to blood sugar it’s not just about eating enough, we also want to be intentional about how and when we eat. It is an old and probably overused phrase but breakfast really is the most important meal of the day. After our nightlong restful “fast”, it is key that we stoke our digestive fire with warming protein rich food, preferably after walking outside to take in the morning light and BEFORE (or at least with) our morning cup of caffeine. Another tip for keeping blood sugar balanced through every meal is to be thoughtful of the order in which you eat, it’s all going to the same place but the order really does make a huge impact on how we digest. The general “rule” is to have vegetables and fibers first, proteins and fats second and sugars and starches last. If you are making a big one pot meal or indulging in a decadent dessert, don’t stress. But you can benefit your bodies proper absorption of a more sugar/starch heavy meal by starting with a small salad, a helping of sauerkraut/kimchi/really anything fermented, or even just a small swig of apple cider vinegar in a bit of water. Glucose Goddess on Instagram provides great scientific backed research and tips on this topic.
PROTEIN AND VITAMIN C
We are what we eat, and we eat what we are. We are animals that require diverse protein and the vitamins and minerals of plants to survive and thrive. Eating a biodiverse and nutrient dense diet is foundational to our overall health and well-being. When it comes to collagen production, protein and vitamin c are especially important— they’re the building blocks. Vitamin C “has been shown to stabilize collagen mRNA, thus increasing collagen protein synthesis for repair of the damaged skin (47). This occurs concurrently with a decrease in elastin production; the elastin protein is often overproduced in response to photodamage (48). Vitamin C also increases the proliferation rate of fibroblasts, a capacity that is decreased with age (49). Further, vitamin C stimulates DNA repair in cultured fibroblasts (50).”(Study)
We can incorporate these elements and more through a diet of eggs, fish, lean meats, legumes, seasonal vegetables and fruits. A favorite collagen supporting medicinal meal during the cold and dark months of winter is an herbal bone broth soup.
https://blog.organicolivia.com/how-to-elevate-your-bone-broth-with-herbs/
If you are looking for an extra external boost of vitamin C in the winter months when we are lacking in the seasonal abundance of fruits, try our Vitamin C serum Marmal’aide.
SILICA/MINERAL RICH HERBS
While animal proteins are an essential source of the amino acids we require to create collagen, there are many plant allies which can help us to protect and activate our collagen production because of their high mineral content. Here’s some stars:
Nettle- A powerhouse of vitamins and minerals.
Horsetail- One of the oldest silica rich herbs considered to be a living fossil.
Burdock root- A deeply grounding and strengthening energy.
Milky oats/ oatstraw
The best way to incorporate these herbal allies is through a long steep infusion. Simply add your dried herbs to a large mason jar and fill up to 1/4 of the jar with the herbs. Then cover with hot (but not quite boiling) water to the top and lightly cap the jar. Let sit for several hours or overnight then strain and store in the fridge for a couple days. You can drink a few small cups a day, add to a soup or even spray it on your hair and face. The only note here would be that burdock and any other hard bark or root, first requires a light simmer on the stove for at least 10 minutes.
A few other supportive herbs to explore would be Gotu Kola, Gingko and He Shou Wu. While teas and infusions are great, you can also experiment with these herbs in tincture form.
We hope we’ve convinced you it’s worth investing in your whole-body collagen with old fashioned strategies for the long game! If we take care of it, the hope is we will be able to garden and run and jump and be happily in our bodies for many years to come (and you’ll look cute too.)
xoxo
Aviva (Apis founder) and Jenna @rosesinthe12thhouse