choosing collagen

Choosing Collagen

You may have heard that collagen is something that benefits hair, skin, nails, or joints and choosing collagen can be a challenge. All true!

Collagen is a type of protein that’s vital for youthful-looking skin, and you need it for strong muscles and tendons.💪 However, your body’s ability to make collagen declines with age.😟 All of this is why we like supplementing with collagen.

If you’re curious, here are the key things to look for when choosing collagen as a supplement.

Collagen Product Checklist

Does it have all 9 essential aminos? The 9 essential amino acids that your body needs to support protein synthesis are phenylalanine, valine, tryptophan, threonine, isoleucine, methionine, histidine, leucine, and lysine. These are important building blocks for all proteins, including collagen. But collagen by itself has only 8 essential amino acids, so aim for a collagen product with all nine.
Does it provide collagen types I and III? There are at least 28 types of collagen, but the most abundant is type I, which is found in your skin, joints, bones, tendons, and all over your body. Type III is a collagen protein found in your skin that decreases with age. So you’ll want both type I and type III in your collagen supplement.
Does it have vitamin C? Your body can’t effectively produce collagen without vitamin C. It aids in collagen synthesis and helps protect the body from damage caused by free radicals. Your body can’t produce vitamin C on its own, so you’ll need it in your diet or your supplement.
Does it include biotin? Also known as vitamin B7, biotin is another nutrient that can help support healthy hair, skin, and nails. Also, biotin deficiency has been shown to lead to hair loss and skin and nail problems. So make sure your collagen supplement has this one.
Is the source grass-fed? Most collagen supplements come from animals, so it’s best to choose a product that is sourced humanely and sustainably. For bovine collagen, choose one that is grass-fed and pasture-raised. This means that the animal was raised humanely and fed only grass so that it’s as close to their natural diet as possible.

🤔 Looking for something that checks all the boxes?

If you want a collagen product that’s sustainably sourced and contains the key nutrients above, check out Collagen-9^™. Collagen-9 includes the missing amino acid that makes it a complete protein. With 10 g of collagen per serving, plus 100% DV of vitamin C and biotin, it might be one of the best things you add to your nutrition routine.

There are 3 options for Collagen-9:

March 27, 2024March 27, 2024

optimizing your protein intake

Optimizing Your Protein Intake

Did you know there are 5 ways to get the most out of protein in your diet?

Quantity

We learned the basics of how much protein we need earlier. By aiming for at least 20+ grams at each meal and snack, you’re off to a great start at optimizing your protein intake!

Quality

Quick refresher: Proteins from animal sources are considered high-quality as they contain all nine essential amino acids. Other than soy, pistachios, and pea protein, most plant-based sources are not complete but can still meet your protein needs as part of a diverse diet that fills in missing aminos through daily variety.

Now let’s look at three other ways to get the most out of your protein!

Pairing

Better together. A little magic happens when you pair certain proteins and foods. For example, eating grains with legumes (like rice and beans) can provide a complete set of aminos. Whole wheat bread and peanut butter also make a complete protein together. Plus, eating protein with other nutrients like fiber-rich vegetables can improve digestion and nutrient absorption while optimizing your protein intake.

Variety

Your body benefits from a diverse protein intake. Don’t limit yourself to a few old standbys like poultry, meat, and dairy. Mix it up with fish, seafood, and plant-based options like beans, lentils, nuts, and seeds. Each source offers a unique blend of amino acids, the building blocks of protein your body needs to function properly.

Timing

Spreading your protein intake throughout the day can help you build and maintain muscle mass and support recovery. It also helps keep you feeling satisfied and less hungry throughout the day. This is why we’re aiming to eat plenty of protein at each meal, rather than eating it all in one meal.

Another thing to consider is incorporating more protein as you snack. Here are some great protein snack suggestions to optimize your protein intake…

Tip: Anytime you eat a snack, pair it with a protein source. This not only ups your protein intake, but it’s also better for quelling hunger and keeping blood sugar levels balanced.

Here are some great examples:

Greek Yogurt + berries

String cheese + cherry tomatoes

Hummus + carrots

Cottage cheese + peaches

Almonds + strawberries

Hardboiled egg + cucumber

Nut butter + apple slices

Shaklee provides even easier grab-n-go high-protein snacks:

Life Shake is one of the best high-protein snacks. It has over 20 grams of protein!
Shaklee Meal Bar is what I love to grab when I need something quick. They’re perfect to stash in your car, desk, backpack, or purse. These chewy bars keep me feeling satisfied with 20 g protein and 6 g fiber. They come in three tasty flavors.

Do you see a way you could optimize your protein intake even more?

March 26, 2024March 27, 2024

protein sources

You may have heard that some protein sources are “incomplete.”

But what does it mean? It means some protein sources don’t have all nine of the essential amino acids. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein, which your body uses to make enzymes, hormones, antibodies, and collagen.

There are 20 amino acids your body can use, and nine of those are called essential because your body can’t make them–they must come from your diet. And you need all nine to make the other 11 amino acids. So they’re pretty important!! 😯

🍽 Here are some complete, high-quality animal-based protein sources:

Meat
Poultry
Seafood, including fish
Eggs
Dairy

🌱 Here are complete, high-quality plant-based protein sources:

Soy and soy-based protein products
Life Shake

🤔 That last list is short, what about the other plant-based proteins? Aside from pistachios and pea protein powder, most other plant-based protein sources are incomplete on their own, meaning they lack one or more essential amino acids. However, eating a variety of plant foods and proteins throughout the day helps ensure you get all the essential amino acids you need that day.

Wondering what 20+ grams of high-quality protein looks like? Here are some good options.

📝 IDEAS for 20+ g of Complete Protein Sources

Animal

4 oz chicken or turkey (about the size of your palm): 25 grams
Most 3.5 oz fish fillets: about 22 grams
Lean hamburger patty: 28 grams
3 oz raw tuna (sashimi/sushi): 20 grams
Half a can of tuna: 20 grams
1 cup cottage cheese: 25 grams
1 cup Greek yogurt: 20 grams
3 large eggs: about 20 grams

Plant

½ cup firm tofu: 20 grams
4 oz of tempeh: 21 grams
Life Shake: 20 grams

🚗 Ideas for Complete Grab-n-Go Protein Sources

Life Shake
Yogurt
Hard-boiled eggs
Shaklee Whey protein
Shaklee Snack Bars
Shaklee Meal Bars
Pistachios (unlike most nuts and seeds, they are a complete protein!)

🚫 Are there less healthy proteins to avoid?

Yes, researchers recommend limiting processed meats, meats high in fat, cured meats, and fried meats as protein sources.

➡ What’s your favorite protein source? What’s your least favorite? Be honest, let’s hear it!

January 23, 2024

Benefits of eating well

WHOLE BODY-AND-MIND BENEFITS OF EATING WELL✨

🔬Dr. Erin Barrett, a scientist at Shaklee, put together this list of just SOME of the ways food has a direct impact on you:

Mental health: Specific nutrients, such as antioxidants in fruits and veggies and omega-3 fatty acids in fish, support your mental well-being.
Energy levels: Your body breaks down foods for fuel. Balanced meals and healthy snacks help you have steady energy.
Brain function: Certain foods, especially those rich in antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, and other nutrients, support cognitive function.
Digestion: Fiber-rich foods (e.g., fruits, veggies, whole grains) aid digestion and help prevent GI issues like constipation. Probiotics found in yogurt and fermented foods promote a healthy gut.
Weight: A balanced diet helps support a healthy weight (which also supports your overall health).
Immune function: A well-balanced diet helps provide multiple nutrients that are essential to your body’s ability to fight off invaders.
Heart health: A diet rich in fruits, veggies, whole grains, lean proteins, and omega-3 fatty acids supports heart health. A high intake of saturated fats, cholesterol, and sodium can contribute to heart disease.
Bone strength: Calcium, vitamin D, and magnesium are essential. A diet lacking these nutrients can increase the risk of osteoporosis and bone fractures.
Skin: Nutrients like vitamins A, C, E, biotin, and zinc contribute to glowing skin. Antioxidants from fruits and veggies also support your skin health.

Whew! Few things affect your whole being as much as food does.

Ask for our recipe book for healthy recipes! We are here to help.

Coaching people to a better life.

July 26, 2023July 27, 2023

Being consistent is key in all aspects of life.

What you do every now and then doesn’t count. What matters is what you do every day. It’s about being consistent.

What aspect of this do you think this is true of for you?

One guy is consistent at walking every morning, sometimes at 5 a.m. He’s being consistent.

Another guy shows up at our networking meeting every week with printed rosters for everyone. He’s being consistent.

Someone else is at church every Sunday. That’s being consistent.

The compound effect

There is a book called The Compound Effect, by Darren Hardy. (find it on Amazon) It discusses the importance of how being consistent with a habit can have huge impact on our lives. And these can be good or bad. It seems that repeated actions will seem to have little if any effect for a period of time. Then suddenly there is a big, exponential growth noticed.

As I said, this habit can be good or bad. How does one become obese? There’s no sudden need to eat a whole pie after dinner each night. It starts slowly and then suddenly they are buying double XL T shirts. Their overeating became a habit and the weight mushroomed into an unhealthy state.

I do pride myself in being consistent.

If you sit near me here at the Tuesday morning networking meetings, you will see that I am consistent at taking my daily strip of vitamins.
You will find me at the gym on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 5:15 a.m.
I drink a glass of water first thing every morning.
I floss my teeth every day. I am being consistent.

Why is this important?

Health habits are very important to maintaining our lifestyle. As time progresses, we are no longer able to stand without a groan, sprint across the street or keep up with a friend on a walk. Vacations become more sedentary as one cannot walk or climb as much as when they were younger.

I encourage my massage clients and my customers to look at what their health habits have become and those they may want to incorporate into their routines.

Exercise.

While we are very consistent with our breathing, we are not always in control of how we breathe. It is usually pretty shallow. How do we develop a habit of breathing deeper, longer breaths?

We can take that power and control back. Here is an exercise to help improve your breathing that can add stamina to your day, help you relax more and improve your sleep.

Sit comfortably with your hands in your lap. Take note of your breathing. Are you breathing into your throat? Your chest? Your lower abdomen?

To help you be more conscious of the depth of your breathing, get an ordinary balloon.

Blow into the balloon and quietly let the air out of the balloon. Where did your effort to blow up the balloon come from?

Blow into the balloon again and make an effort to use your lower abdomen to push the air into the balloon. Empty as much air as you can into the balloon. Release the air from the balloon.

Repeat this procedure a few more times. Slow down if you get light headed. This may be something you need to work up to.

Using your powers of consistency, do this on a daily basis. You will notice an easier process of breathing. Be aware if you have increased stamina. What is happening with your sleep after being consistent with this for a period of time?

Moving forward

Think about your health habits. Commit to one new habit that you will take on for the next 30 days. I feel certain that the compound effect will happen for you.