There are many things I do all the time for my health like working out regularly, walking my dog, drinking tons of water, eating at least 5-7 servings of fruits/vegetables a day, etc. But there are also some extra things I do on the regular that I think of as “bonuses”. Like health boosts that really add up to make a big difference in the way I feel. So here they are!

#1 Drink collagen powder

I use this collagen powder because it easily dissolves in hot or cold liquid and has no taste at all. I add it to smoothies and my coffee almost everyday. Mixing it in coffee is my favorite because it doesn’t change the taste, it’s an easy step to add to my routine, and it dissolves so fast.

Benefits of collagen powder according to this source:
-It helps build the connective tissue in our skin, hair, and nails
-It helps with joint pain by providing readily available amino acids to build up the joint’s tissue
-It aids with digestion by coating the gut and helping to build new tissue

Basically it’s like a freaking magical powder that builds up everything in your body. YES PLEASE.

#2 I take a multivitamin everyday. I take a prenatal because I’m a young female and why the hell not.

I like the Rainbow One brand because they are highly rated online for actually containing what it says it contains. It also has probiotics and digestive enzymes to aid in digestion and keep the tummy calm. I have found that I still get extremely nauseous if I don’t take these with a big meal, but I just take it after dinner and it’s fine. As far as a prenatal vs. a multi goes, I’d say if you’re a female under the age of 50, you should be taking a prenatal. It just makes sense, even if you’re not planning on getting pregnant soon (I’m definitely not). If you’re not pregnant, you’re having periods, so you can use that extra folic acid for sure.

#3 Probiotics. Good ones. Meaning they need to be refrigerated. Probiotics cannot live on your grocery store shelves, they have to be cold in order to be preserved. So go on in to Whole Foods to the supplement section, find that little fridge section, and pick yourself out the cheapest probiotic you can find that’s refrigerated. These babies are IMPORTANT. Pretty much everything originates from the gut, including your immune system and production of serotonin. Not to mention the modern diet is full of shit that the gut hates, so we need to give it a little love with some probiotics to balance it out. PLUS, if you’ve ever had a yeast infection or UTI (horrific and terrible. ugh.), then you know how important probiotics are. Those good bacterias kill off the bad ones. Exactly what we want.

#4 Coconut oil, coconut oil, coconut oil

I hate to be jumping on the bandwagon here (actually, no, I love it.), but coconut oil is the oil of the Gods you guys. I use it to take my makeup off by rubbing it all over my face and eyes (it does NOT burn), and then wiping it all off with a warm washcloth. I use it all over my body as my “lotion” (mixed with lavender essential oil), I use it mixed with tea tree oil on my pimples and also on my ear piercing that is doing that weird bubble thing. I use it to oil pull by popping a tablespoon in my mouth and swishing it around for about 15 minutes. I rub it on my dog’s paws when they get dry. I blend it into my coffee to make bulletproof coffee.

#5 I add super foods when I can.

This is usually in my smoothies or yogurt bowls. I’ll add chia seeds, flaxseeds, raw cacao powder, or any combination of those things. I also like to add lemon essential oils where possible. I add apple cider vinegar to dressings and sometimes just take a shot of it (YUCK). I want to play around with superfood “green” powders, but haven’t done so yet. It’s nice to just a boost of super food powers when ya can!