Three trendy health things I actually do each day

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of NeoCell for IZEA Worldwide. All opinions are 100% mine.

Hi, friends! How was your weekend? Ours was great, because we had some friends from Orlando visiting, and we’ll talk more about that later this week. Today, it’s all about health, wellness and keeping it simple. 

There’s so much information out there on all of the things you SHOULD be doing to be healthy … from the supplements you should be taking, workouts you should be doing and foods you should be avoiding, it can be hard to know what’s right. And here’s my main piece of advice for you: You do YOU! You don’t have to try every trend, and you DON’T have to devote your existence to being a science experiment in the name of wellness, because someone you follow on Instagram is doing just that. There’s much more to life. In fact, you can keep things pretty simple in the name of health. I’m living proof. 

Over the years of being interested in this wellness space, and doing a lot of reading and researching, I’ve gone through phases. When I was healing my hormones from hypothalamic amenorrhea and trying to get pregnant, I was taking a ton of herbal supplements, monitoring my workout intensity closely, choosing specific foods for their purpose in supporting my hormones, and avoiding specific ones, going to acupuncture once a week and much more — it was quite consuming — it worked, and I’m better now. These days, I’m way more loose with everything related to diet and fitness, and I actually only take one supplement regularly, which we’ll discuss next. I’ve learned that I don’t like to have “off limit” foods or be on a strict diet — or any diet at all for that matter with a label — I don’t like to be overwhelmed by my morning routine, and I also don’t like to have to keep 8 million expensive healthy products in stock in my pantry.

I like things simple, but I also like to feel my best, so I’m not opposed to a few “extras.” And after much trial and tribulation, here are the three trendy health things that have stuck for me and I actually do each day …

Three trendy health things I actually do each day

Take a daily collagen supplement.

I’ve been taking a collagen supplement every day for almost four years, and it’s the only supplement I take. I did cycle off my collagen supplements for a while when I was pregnant, just because I think it’s always good to take a little break off of everything you’re consuming, so you don’t overdo it — that way the body doesn’t get too comfortable — and pregnancy seemed like the perfect time. But other than that, I’ve been regular with taking my collagen, even when I travel. I’ve taken powder and peptide forms, and most recently, I’ve been getting my collagen in capsule form from NeoCell Super Collagen + Vitamin C, which I picked up at my local Sam’s Club. The capsules are small and white, and I like to take them on an empty stomach for the full effect.

I don’t think collagen is essential for everyone, and it’s not some magic pill that will change your life, but here’s what I have noticed since I started being regular with it: My nails grow faster and are stronger. My hair grows faster and is thicker and healthier looking than ever before (it’s literally like night and day with my hair). My skin is better. My joints feel good (which is definitely important now that I’m back to doing high impact workouts and teaching BODYATTACK). And my digestion is good too. 

These benefits that I’ve seen are all probably supported by my overall healthy lifestyle and diet as well, but I know that the extra high-quality collagen I take definitely plays a role too, so that’s why it’s the one supplement I like to keep up with. It works for me. 

Consume at least one serving of fermented food or drink each day.

If the thought of eating sauerkraut or kimchi each day weirds you out, you have other options, I promise. But the truth is, I like to “eat” my probiotics rather than take them as a supplement (which isn’t always as effective as getting them through real food), and so I choose to have at least one serving of sauerkraut or kombucha every single day. Sauerkraut is pickled cabbage, which is fermented, and that means that it has good bacteria in it, and it helps defend against toxins or harmful bacteria in your stomach. Eating fermented foods like sauerkraut is said to boost your immune system, keep your gut lining healthy, and not to mention, sauerkraut has a lot of other vitamins and minerals too that support your body and health. 

Most days, I have sauerkraut with either lunch or dinner, but if I’ve eaten my meals out and don’t have access to sauerkraut, then I’ll usually drink a kombucha. Kombucha is fermented tea and also has a lot of the same gut-supporting properties as sauerkraut, with some additional antioxidants too.

Why do I care about gut health so much? A healthy gut = a healthy brain, because the brain and the gut are completely connected (lots of research is coming out on this). I rarely have any digestion or stomach issues, and I definitely think that’s because I’m always pumping the good bacteria into my tummy via fermented foods. By the way, yogurt and kefir work too, and I used to eat a lot of those, but currently am more into sauerkraut and kombucha.

Scrape my tongue every morning after I wake up.

Does talking about scraping the tongue make you squeamish? It shouldn’t. It’s not gross, it’s simple and you can do it in 30 seconds or less. I bought a copper tongue scraper and started using it every morning (and night) maybe a year and a half ago. Here’s why I like it: it helps your breath, helps you to be able to taste your food better, and gets rid of any build-up from overnight. And here’s the fluffy part: Cleaning your tongue has a correlation with freeing up your mind too — not scientific, just the word on the street and also how it makes me feel. Once again, it’s all about how it makes you feel.

And those are my three things. Simple and effective, if you ask me. Just how I like it.

To be clear: I definitely do other beneficial health-related things regularly, like foam roll, drink a lot of water, eat veggies and heart-healthy fats, do a variety of workouts, take a weekly rest day, have a strong social support network and even a new meditation practice too — but I don’t jump on every trendy bandwagon just because, and I don’t think you need to either. 

What is collagen and why should you take it?

So let’s talk more about collagen. Collagen is naturally occurring in the many parts of the body, but you don’t produce as much of it as you age. And here’s more info straight from the NeoCell product page …

Collagen is found in your skin, bones, muscles, nails, ligaments, tendons and hair. In fact, it makes up about 25 percent of the human body’s protein. In addition to providing strength to many of the body’s tissues, it’s also part of what makes skin look youthful and healthy. As you age, the body’s collagen production naturally slows. After the age of 25, it starts depreciates as you age. This slowdown in collagen production will start to have an effect on the skin. You will start to notice more wrinkles and fine lines. Plus, you may notice that you tend to have more injuries and aching joints.

That’s why it seems like it’s one of those things worth taking. And for me, I’ve seen the benefits of doing so first hand.

NeoCell Super Collagen + Vitamin C at Sam’s Club

I picked up my NeoCell supplements at Sam’s Club. And I’ve got to be honest, I hadn’t been into a Sam’s Club since going with my mom back home in Southwest Florida many moons ago. However, Dave, Brady and I went to check out our local Sam’s Club a couple weeks ago, and we loved it. There’s so much to see, and boy, can you get large quantities of stuff. We’ve been missing out and will definitely be going back now that we’re members.

I was pleasantly surprised by the health aisle as well, which is where I found the NeoCell Super Collagen + C. Here’s the gist on the product …

• Non-GMO
• Gluten free
• Does not contain soy, wheat, lactose, starch, pork, yeast or artificial flavors or preservatives
• Made in the USA
• And there are 360 capsules in each bottle, so if you take the suggested serving size of 6 a day, it’ll last you for 60 days — not bad for only $18.98 a bottle

If you’re interested, pop over to your local Sam’s Club to get your hands on NeoCell Super Collagen + Vitamin C, and some new packaging is launching for the product soon too. Buy NeoCell Super Collagen + C at Sam’s Club today by visiting here!

And always remember, keep it simple and you do you. Have a great day, friends! Thanks for stopping by the blog to read today. 🙂

Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. And thank you to IZEA and NeoCell for sponsoring. I received compensation, but all opinions are my own. 

Buy NeoCell Super Collagen + C

Questions of the day

Have you ever used collagen?

What’s a trendy health thing that you like to do regularly?

What’s your favorite superfood?