Strawberry Banana Collagen Smoothie (+ Blender HACK)

Yes I know, 40 is just a number. In fact, it didn't even occur to me that hitting that milestone would even affect me.  I mean, after all 30 wasn't that bad!  I actually felt "ready" to be 30.  I embraced it like a badge of honor and looked ahead to all of the new adventures life would bring now that I was wise enough to appreciate them.  But as I sit here knocking on 40's door I have to admit I'm not feeling quite as ready.  

Unlike at 30, I can now begin to notice more small changes in my energy level, metabolism, and even my ability to recover from a workout.  My skin isn't quite as elastic, my hair is duller and drier, and my knees always seem to be sore.  So is that just life?  I mean, are we supposed to just suck it up and deal with it?  Lord knows there's not a miracle cream on the market that can tackle that kind of drama!

But then recently I read an article about the critical role collagen plays in our body and overall health.  In short, collagen is a long-chain amino acid which is not only the most abundant protein in our bodies but is also the substance that holds our bodies together.  I've read it described as "scaffolding" or "grout" meaning that it is the substance that provides strength and structure to our bones, muscles, skin, and tendons.  Unfortunately collagen production declines with age and by age 40 our bodies begin to lose the ability to effectively synthesize collagen with dramatic reduction happening around menopause.  FANTASTIC!

Luckily, there is something we can do. A growing body of research suggests that the changes I'm beginning to experience in my own body may be reversible.  In a double-blind placebo study (1) women who took collagen peptides on a regular basis for 8 weeks reported a 20% reduction in wrinkles.  What's more, the study found that supplementing with collagen helped boost the body's natural production process and that study participants had noticeable improvements in skin elasticity and moisture which can decline with age.    

But collagen's role in our overall wellbeing doesn't stop there.  It turns out it's also vital to our joint and bone health.  In a second double-blind 24 week placebo study (2) found that study participants (all of whom were athletes ) reported statistically significant improvement in joint pain when regularly taking collagen supplements vs. placebo.  

As if that wasn't enough, there is also evidence to suggest collagen can aide in digestion and also support the body's natural hormone production by assisting the amino acid balance in our bodies.  Who knew?

So, I had to give it a try for myself!  For the past several months I have been on a bit of a morning smoothie kick so I decided to add a scoop of collagen peptides to my smoothie-du-jour.  Now, first off I should point out, I'm no doctor so I would strongly advise that you do your own research and/or talk with your physician to see if collagen peptide supplements might be a good option for you.  It has been 2 weeks. So what have I noticed so far?  Three things:

1. While my workouts have continued in intensity (Kathy G's Tread Tabata - 3 times/week), my knee pain is gone.
2. My skin is noticeably less dry and more supple.
3. I feel fuller longer after consuming my morning smoothie.  Note:  This was an unexpected but welcomed bonus that I attribute to the 10g of protein in each scoop!

I think for 2 weeks in that's pretty fantastic!  I will definitely keep it up and see if I notice any additional benefits over time.  

Ready to give it a try yourself?  Here's a great quick and easy recipe for a smoothie you can make RIGHT IN THE JAR (just like a Magic Bullet) with this genius blender hack.  Enjoy!

 P.S.  This video also includes a sneak peek of our newest JarJacket designed for the 16oz regular mouth mason jar!  We hope to have these in stock soon so stay tuned!