Skinfood: Beta-collagen Soup
The health of your skin is not solely dependent on skincare products, treatments, or even your genes. Diet plays a huge role in skin health, particularly for your collagen and elastin; the cell structures that give skin firmness and elasticity.
Use this delicious soup recipe to ensure your skin gets what it needs to be healthy and beautiful from the inside out.
www.cognitune.com/collagen-powder-benefits/
Beta-Collagen Soup
About 5 servings
Ingredients:
1 small onion or ½ large onion, finely chopped
1 quart (32 oz) organic bone broth (homemade is best)
5-6 large carrots, largely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 small red or yellow potato
½ tablespoon grated or sliced ginger
1 tsp ground ginger (optional for extra ginger taste)
2 teaspoons parsley
2 tablespoon grass fed butter OR 2 tablespoons coconut oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional for an extra kick!)
Instructions:
Start by boiling the potato in a small pot of water until soft. While the potato is cooking, combine onion, garlic, ginger and carrots and your choice of coconut oil or grass-fed butter into a large pot over low heat. Cover, stirring occasionally until onions appear translucent. Once the potato is semi-soft, cut into small chunks and add to the pot. Pour in the bone broth, ground ginger, parsley, salt and pepper. Cook on low heat until the carrots are soft enough to break with a fork (depending on your stove, this could be 30-60 minutes). If you want an extra spicy kick, add a little cayenne pepper at the end. Combine all ingredients into a blender and serve warm!
Benefits:
Carrots are rich in beta-carotene. When digested, this is converted into Vitamin A (retinol) in the body and is vital to many biological functions, such as proper cell growth and differentiation. Vitamin A also acts as an supercharged antioxidant that protects cells from the damaging effects of harmful free radicals, making it an anti-cancer food. Beta-carotene promotes cardiovascular health by reducing the oxidation of LDL cholesterol, which is in part responsible for atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease.
Bone broth is literally made of collagen. When it is cooked down, the collagen turns into gelatin. By ingesting this gelatin liquid (full of amino acids, vitamins and minerals), you are getting a boat-load of raw materials for a stronger immune system and glowing skin. Glycine and proline (amino acids that help produce the heme in your blood) supports collagen growth, while calcium and magnesium are important for electrolyte balance, muscle contraction/relaxation and bone health. Collagen peptides are also a good source of protein!
Potatoes are a great source of fiber, vitamin A, B, C, potassium, copper, phosphorus, iron and niacin.
Gingerol is the medicinal property found in ginger that has powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. Ginger is used to aid digestion, prevent and treat nausea, and fights infections such as the common cold.
Onions contain vitamin C for healthy immune function. They also contain quercetin which is a potent antioxidant and also helps suppress enzymes associated with cortisol release.
Garlic is rich in allicin, a sulfuric compound that helps to reduce or kill bacterial infections, eliminates heavy metals from the body, reduces LDL cholesterol and has a slight blood thinning component to prevent clumping and thickening of blood. It’s also rich in vitamin C, B6 and manganese.
Cayenne pepper has anti-inflammatory and cardiovascular benefits. It will also warm you on a cool evening!
Coconut oil is a medium chain triglyceride that, when ingested, is directed to the liver to be processed and used as fuel, rather than being stored as fat.
Grass-fed butter is a healthy saturated fat that improves the lipid profile of our blood by creating more HDLs and converting small dense LDLs into large fluffy LDLs (which are actually good for you). It’s also a great source of vitamin K2 (great for keeping arteries clean), and butyrate, a short chain fatty acid that fights inflammation.
*When sourcing these ingredients, always keep in mind that quality matters. Butter from a miserable feedlot cow will not serve you well, nor will pesticide-soaked potatoes and carrots. Vote with your dollars and support sustainable farming.
