I am reading The Collagen Diet by Dr Josh Axe. It has so much information on his years of research plus years of using collagen in his practice, I decided to break it down and summarize it. Today, is about gut health.
I know many struggle with the obvious gut problems like bloating, indigestion, diarrhea, constipation, IBS, IBD, celiac, Crohn's and food sensitivities. But, did you know your gut health can also improve your immune system, energy levels, mental health, joint pain, thyroid disease, metabolism, migraines, skin issues, auto immune conditions and more?
Hippocrates once stated, “All disease begins in the gut”. Then with modern medicine, we got away from this theory. And now science has proven this to be true. 70% of your immune system response stems from the lining of your gut. When the gut is overwhelmed with external factors, such as stress, lack of sleep, toxins, bacterial/viral infections, antibiotics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, high sugar diet, low fiber diet and too much alcohol, the guy lining is compromised. This causes gut lining permeability, referred to as “leaky gut”.When our gut lining is permeable, it puts us at risk for many health issues. The health of our gut should be a top priority. The connective tissue in our gut lining is made up almost entirely of collagen. As a result, to improve these conditions, collagen is key! Here are some ways to add more collagen to your diet!
Top sources of Collagen:
- Bone Broth
- Hydrolyzed Collagen
- Eggs
- Organ meats
- Skin and bones in Salmon
- Chicken skin (try chicken wings)
- Sardines
I personally find the top 3 the easiest to incorporate in my routine.
Bone Broth: Use organic bone broth in your soups (when it calls for water or broth), or simply just heat up a cup and drink it.
Collagen: SO easy to add to your morning coffee/tea/juice/milk/smoothie. Also easy to add to yogurt or oatmeal.
Eggs: an easy option for breakfast, lunch or hard boiled eggs for a snack.
