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I've Never Been Able To Tolerate Collagen Powder Before — Until This Supplement
Among my family and friends, I've fallen into the role of *that* girl: the one who has tried every health trend and product under the sun. You name it, I've probably at least heard of it, if not spent weeks researching it and testing it out. For years I've been asked about my thoughts on collagen—all the typical questions: which brand I take, why, if it's helped me, and if actually, you know, it works.
The thing is collagen and I have a long history—and not always a good one.
I've been a health and wellness blogger for quite some time. I spent my teenage years battling a near-fatal eating disorder. And in my recovery, my journey has allowed me to find a true appreciation for taking care of my body and my overall health: I'm always looking for ways to deepen my personal definition of well-being by trying new rituals, foods, products, and habits. From there, I love seeing what works for me as an individual.
Why I decided to try mindbodygreen's grass-fed collagen+.
In my early blogging days, I fell into wellness circles where there was always talk of collagen supplements floating around. After hearing about the host of benefits, I decided to try some for myself. But every brand I've experimented with left me bloated and even sometimes doubled over in stomach pain. I remember being in college and sitting in class with piercing jolts in my abdomen. At points, my stomach distended under my oversize sweatshirt, the only piece of clothing that was comfortable enough to wear. I had no idea what was going on inside. Wasn't collagen supposed to help with issues like this?
It took me months to figure out what was causing it. I never suspected collagen to be the culprit because I've never heard of anyone having a negative experience with the supplement.
Eventually my supply ran out, and I never got around to restocking. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Once I stopped taking it, my symptoms subsided! It was with great sadness and defeat that I accepted I just wasn't a collagen girl.
A few years after swearing off collagen products, I saw that mbg had developed one of their own, grass-fed collagen+. Part of me was skeptical (just looking at it reminded me of my troubled past with collagen), but I figured enough time had passed that I was ready to try again.
The first few days taking this collagen, I braced myself for severe pain and discomfort, but it never came. "Pleasantly surprised" doesn't even begin to capture my feelings about this product. I've now been taking it daily for the past few months and can confidently attribute it to supporting my digestion, skin, and hair growth.* I was never the girl with perfect skin, but now my face literally glows. My hair is coming in so thick, I'm snapping hair ties just trying to put it in a ponytail.
Given the chaos of the past few months, I've been under plenty of stress. Under times of stress, usually my digestion takes a major hit. But adding this collagen to the mix has helped me immensely. By pairing this supplement with a host of de-stressing practices, like a quick yoga flow before bed and a daily walk around the neighborhood, I no longer feel weighed down or uncomfortable throughout the day. This isn't to say I never get bloated (I'm human!), but when it comes to the day-to-day, I'm seeing major improvements.
How I use it in my daily life
I cherish my morning routine of adding a scoop of collagen to my oatmeal. I pair this lush bowl with a frothed almond milk hot chocolate made with, you guessed it, another scoop of collagen. The combo is absolutely lovely post-workout and leaves me feeling my best! My younger self is very jealous she didn't have this product sooner.
The takeaway
Health is an incredibly wide spectrum. Products and practices that work for one individual may not work for the next, and that's totally OK! It's all about learning your body and what works for you. I'm so glad I took a chance on this collagen powder. You just might be too!
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