I decided it was time to do another collagen post. Given everything we’ve gone through over the past year, the stress and overwhelm is not over for most of us. While I am super grateful to live on an island where I have not needed to wear a mask or practice social distancing for some time now, I am very aware that friends and family in other parts of the world are not as fortunate. One common reality is the inability to travel and be with loved ones that have had to (and continue to have to) self-isolate. This hurts on a very personal level and I’m sure many of you can relate to the sentiment.
So, what does this have to do with collagen? Well, while the body easily adapts (and can even thrive) with short bouts of stress, the consequences of chronic stress can ultimately hurt us on a structural level.
With acute stress, the body adapts by triggering the nervous system to release stress hormones like epinephrine, norephinephrine and cortisol. Damaging free radicals are also created in the process. In an attempt to adapt, the body tries to help us handle things better by enhancing immune function and helping us focus. With chronic stress, however, this adaptive response doesn’t quite work the same way. The opposite actually happens; immune function starts to become compromised, blood pressure becomes elevated and heart rate increases. Ultimately, long-term stress contributes to sleep problems like insomnia, gut issues like leaky gut and dysbiosis, sagging skin, and chronic diseases like heart disease, dementia, and arthritis.
One way stress does all of this is by damaging collagen – the main component of your largest organ system: the skin. Collagen plays a major role in the structure and integrity of all tissues and organs in the body. You can read more about the benefits of collagen from a previous post here.
In addition to eating a whole foods diet that includes plenty of fruits and vegetables, aka anti-inflammatory nutrients to help the body neutralize and fight against those damaging free radicals, I try to find ways of incorporating collagen into my diet. The easiest way is to add it to a smoothie. You could also stir an unflavored collagen into a cup of hot tea or coffee, or…try adding them to baking recipes or yummy bites like these! 😉
Coconut Brownie Collagen Bites
Ingredients
- 1 cup pecans or walnuts
- 1/4 cup raw cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes divided
- 1 cup pitted dates soaked in warm water and drained
- 1 1/2 tbsp coconut oil or avocado oil
- 1 tbsp raw honey or pure maple syrup for vegan-friendly
Instructions
- Soak dates in warm water while you gather the rest of the ingredients.
- Combine cacao powder and half of the shredded coconut together in a food processor. Process into a fine powder.
- Add nuts, coconut oil, honey/maple syrup and the soaked (drained) dates. Pulse until a dough-like consistency forms.
- Roll batter into small bite-sized balls. Then roll balls through a bowl with the remaining coconut flakes to coat.
