Alex Hutchinson is a journalist, one of my go-to gurus and the author of Endure. He recently interviewed my daughter Kate for this month’s issue of Outside Magazine. You might remember that Kate ran in the 2016 Olympic finals.

The discussion focuses on the role of collagen and proper exercise for healing connective tissue. During the interview, Kate even mentioned my use of collagen for healthy hair, nails, and skin.

One part of the article that caught my attention was  “In our obsessive pursuit of stronger muscles and hearts, we’ve failed to understand how to train and feed connective tissue like ligaments, tendons, bones, and cartilage.”  If you’re interested, check out the March/April edition of Outside Magazine.

So let’s talk about collagen as it relates to your skin. Often times, the first thing you notice about a person is their face. It’s a barometer of their personality, attitude, and yes…even their youth.

Imagine drawing a line across the widest part of your face…that space in-between your ears, and then connecting the lines in an upside-down triangle where the point is at your chin. Dermatologists call this “triangle of youth.” At a certain age, the suppleness of your cheeks tend to deflate and sag downward. With age, your body makes less collagen, and the collagen it does produce is less elastic, which causes your skin to not be as firm as it once was. While this is all occurring, your cheekbones shrink, extra skin migrates south to the jaw, and the widest part of your face is now at your jawline..making the triangle of youth flip.

If you want to keep the triangle of youth in tact, and skip the botox and expensive wrinkle creams, collagen is your gal, because she helps give your skin body, bounce, and elasticity.

It’s true…research shows that the peptides formed from ingested collagen can improve skin elasticity and reduce wrinkles. In a specific study with middle-aged Korean women, they were able to reduce skin cracking with a daily collagen supplement.

If you’re unfamiliar with collagen, it is the primary protein in connective tissue, skin and bones. It’s needed for your skin, teeth and nails to be healthy. As a bonus, collagen also helps strengthen bones and joints and helps wounds heal faster.

I usually have a collagen shake to kickstart my morning, or for a mid-afternoon pick-me-up. My motto is “if it’s break time, it’s shake time!” This Chocolate Almond Collagen Shake can  have a lasting impact on your health, slow down aging process and give you glowing skin!