Why is it really important not to focus just on the external side of our health?
Think of your body like a garden. We need to continually water our garden, fertilise it and give it nutrients. It's the same for our bodies - we need to hydrate ourselves and eat nutritious food. Sometimes we can't take care of ourselves though because we are so busy.
What are collagen supplements?
Collagen is naturally made by our bodies and it is what keeps our skin plump and our wrinkles smooth. As we get older, our bodies stop producing it, so we can use collagen supplements to help keep our skin nice and plump. There are so many different types of collagen supplements on the market, but of course I would definitely recommend that you boost your collagen levels naturally. One of my favourites is marine sea collagen - it's similar to the collagen we produce ourselves for our hair, skin and nails. Most marine collagen supplements don't actually taste fishy though - they are just in powder form and you can put them in everything. I put one in my coffee every morning! My favourite is the Vida Glow Natural Marine Collagen - Blueberry, with a delicious blueberry taste.
Are there any vegan collagen supplements?
Yes! Not everyone wants to take a sea collagen supplement, so there are also vegan collagen options like The Beauty Chef COLLAGEN Inner Beauty Boost which is actually more of an elixir made from plants and nutrients which can help our bodies to produce our own collagen. This stuff is super concentrated, so all you do is mix 15ml with a glass of water once a day. It also tastes absolutely amazing thanks to all the yummy berries!
What are the best gut health supplements?
There are so many gut health products out there but realistically we can't take all of them! My absolute top pick is the Supercharged Food Love Your Gut Powder which is just pure diatomaceous earth (also known as fossil shell flour). The easiest way to explain how this stuff works is actually to compare it to descaling a kettle, except for our gut! It works by exfoliating all of the muck from our gut, flushing it out gently so that our gut can actually make use of good food and absorb nutrients better. I also love that this powder is tasteless!
How often to take Love Your Gut powder
The beauty of this powder is that it can be taken every single day for as long as you like! Just a tablespoon added to your morning smoothie is perfect, but you can also add it to juice, cereal, water or anything you like. For more information watch my video on Love Your Gut FAQs with Supercharged Food founder Lee Holmes.
Apple Cider Vinegar for gut health
Apple Cider Vinegar is also very well known as an amazing gut health supplement! The Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar is great because it's totally raw and unfiltered, made from organically grown apples and packed full of goodness from the "mother" culture which is rich in beneficial enzymes and protein. Personally I can't stomach the taste of ACV though, so I like to take the Life Botanics Apple Cider Vinegar Capsules instead. These handy capsules still contain all of the amazing enzymes and bacteria but are much more convenient in a tasteless capsule form.
Can I take other supplements too?
Absolutely. A pre and probiotic is really important. The Amazonia Raw Pre-Probiotic is perfect for adding to your daily routine as it contains 13 different organic probiotic strains and billions of prebiotics. A lot of natural health supplements also contain fermented plant ingredients which naturally create pre and probiotics. The WelleCo The Super Elixir Alkalising Greens is one of my personal favourite additions to my morning smoothie (along with the Love Your Gut powder). I love that this was created in conjunction with a team of nutritional doctors and experts. It tastes delicious and it gives me everything I need to get through the day.
I also love the KORA Organics Noni Glow Skinfood which was created by Miranda Kerr. Miranda has always said that she loves drinking noni juice as a supplement but personally I find it disgusting. This powder is amazing because it still contains the goodness of the noni fruit extract but it tastes delicious because it's mixed with berries.
Nighttime inner beauty supplements
Your inner beauty routine doesn't have to just be limited to daytime! Nighttime is actually a great time to continue boosting your body with skin-loving goodness, especially seeing as sleep is such an important time for our bodies to rest, repair and recover. I absolutely love sitting down with a warm cup of the Nutra Organics Lunar Latte before bed because it not only helps me to wind down and relax but also delivers a boost of antioxidants and probiotics from natural plant-based ingredients like Jerusalem Artichoke Inulin and New Zealand Purple Carrot. It also just looks absolutely stunning thanks to the bright lilac pigment from Purple Carrots, and has a delicious creamy vanilla salted caramel taste.
Here are some more of my best tips for natural inner beauty:
● Get enough sleep
● Leave your phone out of the bedroom
● Make inner beauty a daily routine each morning
● If you're time poor, chuck everything in a smoothie
● Add flavoured supplements to your water to stay hydrated throughout the day
Irene's Morning Smoothie Recipe
I love making this delicious smoothie every morning to help get me energised and ready for the day. The best part is I never feel like I need to have a coffee after drinking this! Here's what I put in:
● WelleCo The Super Elixir Alkalising Greens●
● WelleCo The Super Elixir Nourishing Protein - Chocolate
● Supercharged Food Love Your Gut Powder
● Shoalhaven Health Co. Natural Marine Collagen - Pomegranate
● Almond Milk
● Frozen Banana
●Sometimes I swap the WelleCo Greens for KORA Organics Noni Glow Skinfood
