Beauty is not everything in the world but definitely something when it comes to making your first impression, and your skin is a great part of this outer appearance. There have been endless pursuits to finding healthy alternatives to look good without using any nasty chemicals or products, and we have a new benchmark in this pursuit now.
People are switching to healthy vegan smoothies and a healthy diet to get glowing dewy skin. And we’re thrilled to discuss some of their secrets with you.
What is Collagen?
While reading about this healthy diet and smoothies for getting good skin, you’ll come across a common component named as “collagen”. This collagen is a type of protein that is present in abundance within our body, making our skin, nails, and hair. Many experts, beauty influencers, and doctors describe it as a protein that can even reverse the ageing process, so this collage is the A1 essential thing you’ve to incorporate into your diet—now moving onto the benefits of consuming food rich with collagen.
Benefits of Collagen
There are a total of 16 types of collagen protein present in your body, but the main four types we’ll be focusing on are- I, II, III, and IV. Since we wanted good skin, we should focus on how Collagen type I makes up 90% of the structure for our skin, bones, tendons, etc. Few of us can’t get a sufficient supply of collagen through a regular diet, so it’s smart to rely on either food rich in collagen or have supplements.
To understand why you need to consume so much collagen in the first place, you should know about the benefits of consuming it.
Some of the benefits include improvement in leaky gut syndrome, skin health, joint pain, bone loss, etc., and major studies regarding collagen benefits are as follows:
- Improved skin elasticity: Women who were consuming collagen in apt amounts showed better skin structure, proper hydration, improved skin elasticity, fewer signs of ageing, and better appearance as per a study conducted in 2019.
- More muscle mass and strength: Another 2019 study on men going through strength training and consuming collagen supplements had better muscle mass, more strength, and agility as compared to placebo.
- Arthritis: An animal study was conducted in 2017 on mice suffering from post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA) to study the effects of taking collagen supplements. The supplements were shown to have a preventive role in disease progression.
There were just a few of the benefits tested and backed up by studies on the positive effects of collagen supplements. Collagen consumption has been proved to be good for skin as well as overall well-being from time to time through scientific studies.
Natural Collagen Building Foods
If you are not a fan of having supplements, here is a list of all the natural sources of collagen that you incorporate into your daily meals.
Bell Peppers
They’re great for making your meals spicy and tastier. It contains vitamins and minerals like zinc, vitamin C, etc. that help you boost your immune system and has anti-inflammatory properties,
Dark leafy greens
Rich in vitamin C and various antioxidants pumping your body’s defence mechanism. Leafy vegetables have a high concentration of vitamins C, A, and K. They have a good content of fibre, making your digestive system stronger.
Mushrooms
Mushrooms have a reasonable amount of collagen, and they’re rich in zinc, vitamin B, potassium, magnesium, and fibre. A lot of people enjoy putting mushrooms in pasta, pizzas, and sandwiches.
Flax seeds
You must have heard of flax seeds and how they’re consumed for more Omega-3 fatty acids. It has healthy fats that lower your chances of getting cardiovascular diseases. Flax seeds have high concentrations of magnesium and collagen.
Cashews
Everyone loves a handful of cashews once in a while, but it will be surprising to know how eating cashews can help you get good skin and health.
Avocados
You can’t deny the fun of eating a toast with avocados smothered in it. Your favourite avocados have vitamin E, omega-3 fatty acids and a good enough amount of collagen.
Berries
All berries whether strawberries, raspberries, blueberries or blackberries contains loads of antioxidants good for your immune system. Consuming berries eating them to help you fight diseases and eliminate skin-ravaging radicals that help you get that model-like skin.
Citrus
Despite tasting delicious, citrus fruits are high in vitamins C contents and help to boost hyaluronic acid levels. It also contains a compound called naringenin that inhibits the enzyme hyaluronidase, that breaks down hyaluronic acid quickly.
3 Collagen Boosting Vegan Smoothies
1.1. Collagen Boosting Beauty Smoothie
We know the name doesn’t sound tasty like the previous one, but we assure that this smoothie is flat out delicious and just the right thing for your skin. It brings in some of the best ingredients that work like magic in hydrating and improving your skin texture.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup frozen mango
- 1 cup loosely packed baby spinach
- 1 banana
- 1/2 cup pineapple juice
- 2 tbsp cashew butter
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tbs chai seeds
Directions
Step 1: For making this, you’ll need one banana, 1/2 cup frozen mango, 1 cup loosely packed baby spinach, 2 tbsp cashew butter, 1/2 cup pineapple juice, 1/2 cup water and 1 tbsp chia seeds.
Step 2: The making process is extremely easy as you only have to add water until it reaches a perfect blend and then enjoys a cup full of freshness whenever you want, wherever you are!
2.2. Vegan Orange Julius Smoothie
Talking about orange brings back childhood, and we’re sure this smoothie will take you back to the good memories. It has a nostalgic taste, and the best thing about this is how it tastes great while being healthy. You can always eat with toast or freshly baked biscuits to have a sweet afternoon relaxing time. All you need for the ingredients are fresh orange juice, orange zest, banana, almond milk and a dash of vanilla.
Ingredients
- 1½ cups fresh squeezed orange juice
- 1 teaspoon fresh orange zest
- 2 ripe bananas, frozen
- ¾ cup unsweetened almond milk
- ¾ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 4-6 ice cubes
- 1 tablespoon agave, optional
Directions
Step 1: Start by peeling your bananas and freezing them overnight inside a ziplock bag.
Step 2: Juice your oranges by hand or by a machine and put them with frozen bananas, orange zest, orange juice, almond milk, vanilla extract, and ice in a blender.
Step 3: You can add sugar or agave to this if you enjoy sweet drinks and make sure you have a perfect blend before pouring this in your party cups.
Step 4: You can now decorate with orange slices and enjoy your orangy heaven.
3. Collagen Booster Infused Green Smoothie
Green is not always an indicator of a cup full of healthy but bland food, and this smoothie is a great example of this. You can sip this smoothie with evening snacks, and you won’t forget the taste of it. It’s tasty, and it is super easy to make.
Ingredients
- 1 serving Vegan Collagen Booster
- 2 Spirulina Capsules
- 1 Multi Vitamin Capsule
- ½ cup coconut water
- 1 cup spinach
- ½ avocado
- ½ frozen banana
Directions
Step 1: All you need is coconut water, spinach, banana, avocado and spirulina capsules to make this collagen-infused beauty blend meant to benefit you in so many ways.
Step 2: Remember to add one serving of a plant-based collagen booster of your choice to the above ingredients to make this perfect blend loaded with all the right nutrients that will help you achieve supple and radiant skin. Tully from Vegansfirst.com lists these vegan collagen supplements as the most effective ones.
Conclusion
Well, whoever said beauty is pain definitely didn’t know what he was talking about because these perfect smoothies are meant to make you glow, have shinier hair and nails while having an amazing metabolism. You can always use the power of veggies and natural foods to pump up your beauty regime.
These smoothies are meant to enhance your health while tasting good, so take out some time, make yourself a smoothie, and don’t let anyone get in your way of having an amazing time!
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