Kali Daniel is a longtime Vital Proteins customer and fitness enthusiast. Here, she writes about how she adds collagen to her everyday routine.
Losing 80 lbs. in one year was my biggest and toughest accomplishment. Even today, standing at 147 lbs., I struggle with the temptation of my old lifestyle. I used to fuel my body with anything I wanted, which did more harm than good. I stopped caring about my appearance and health and instead responded to my incessant cravings. Growing up, my weight was like a rollercoaster; I was always dropping and gaining weight, then repeating the cycle all over again. Since I had always been like this, it was a normal thing for me to drop so much weight this time around. The main difference, however, is that I’ve kept the weight off. Even if I worked out like crazy, it came down to changing my diet. Since my past eating habits were so poor, I made it a point to choose gluten-free and dairy-free food options. A diet as strict as this means I had to avoid 50% of the foods out there.
How Collagen Helped Me
Over time, my hair started to fall out. I became weak and was always sick. At this point I knew I needed to change my supplements. I went to Instagram to find some inspiration. My Instagram feed is inundated with food bloggers. These food bloggers would speak so highly of Vital Proteins, I decided to give it a try and my life was changed for the better. The best thing about this brand is that the collagen offerings help to support healthy hair, skin, nails and joints.** The OG Collagen Peptides are also made without gluten and dairy, making me the happiest camper.
Since falling in love with Vital Proteins, I’ve found ways to incorporate some of my favorite collagen products to my everyday routine.
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My Morning Routine
I usually wake up every morning at around 4:30 a.m. and head to the gym to start my workout, which ends around 5:30 a.m. Reaching the end of my workout is my favorite because the endorphin rush always pushes me harder to complete it. Once I get home, it’s breakfast time. I thrive better on a late breakfast so during this time I just have coffee.
Once I brew my coffee, I add a scoop of my Vital Proteins Collagen Creamer® in Vanilla, a little unsweetened soy milk and blend it all up with a milk frother. While drinking my coffee, I get ready for school or work – depending on the day. Getting up at 4:30 a.m. every day is unrealistic so the days I do get to sleep in double as my rest days. I also make sure these rest days are when I eat the cleanest. I do this by whipping up creamy smoothies, which are perfect to take on the go. Check out one of my favorites here.
Green Goddess Smoothie
Yields 1 Green Goddess Smoothie serving
Ingredients:
- 1 frozen banana
- Handful frozen spinach
- Handful frozen baby kale
- 1 small scoop almond butter
- 1 scoop Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides
- Handful pineapple chunks (this add some sweetness)
- Unsweetened coconut milk
Directions:
- Blend all ingredients and enjoy!
Photos: Courtesy of Kali Daniel
