Collagen Latte & Benefits of Vital Proteins

Another fun addiction I've picked up from Whole30, along with my cauliflower oatmeal, is what I call the Collagen Latte. I used to drink my coffee black but some friends suggested I start putting Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides, Ghee Butter and Coconut Oil into my coffee (sidenote: this is NOT the same as bulletproof coffee, which contains upgraded coffee, grass-fed butter and brain octane oil, so that's why I've given in the name "collagen latte"). At first I was kind of hesitant to add all of this "stuff" into my coffee...why would I want to drink all this fat and intake all those calories instead of just drinking my plain, two-calorie black coffee?

Well, first thing's first, it tastes DELICIOUS. When you blend the coffee, collagen peptides, ghee and coconut oil, your coffee suddenly becomes this amazing frothy "latte," if you will. And if you follow me on Instagram, it's pretty obvious how much enjoyment I get out of pouring that frothy coffee into my mug each morning.

Aside from it being delicious, there are so many health benefits from this concoction. I'll start with the Collagen Peptides because I get asked about them all the time and why they're so beneficial. I'm not a nutritionist, but I've done a lot of research and reading up about this stuff so I feel pretty confident talking about the product. Collagen is the building block of your skin, nails, bones, joints and cartilage. Therefore, supplementing collagen into your diet helps reduce the risk for injuries by increasing bone and joint health, while improving the vitality of your skin, hair and nails. Prior to supplementing Collagen Peptides, my skin was not good and I suffered from joint pain in my knee every single day. Now? My skin has improved tremendously and my knee hasn't bothered me in months. I'll take that.

Next up, the FATS! Do not be afraid of fats like ghee butter and coconut oil, they're actually HEALTHY fats. They help provide you with more energy, keep you fuller for longer and even help to burn more body fat. Before starting Whole30, I probably ate around 40 grams of fat a day. Now, I eat 70+ grams of fat and guess what?! I've actually lost a couple pounds (without even trying). And, if you're lactose-intolerant or dairy-free you can still have ghee butter since it doesn't contain milk solids.

For me, I like to eat a light breakfast post workout around 8 am and drink my collagen latte around 10 am. But, there are many people who drink this coffee in the place of breakfast as it keeps you full and energized for several hours. I did experiment with this method the other day and I was surprisingly full until 1pm, without eating any food!

Hopefully I've provided some insight for everyone and have helped answer some questions that you all have asked about my crazy coffee addiction! Below is my recipe that I use each day but you can add as much of each ingredient as you like:

Ingredients:

- 1 cup of brewed coffee

- 1 tsp Coconut Oil (I use Trader Joe's)

- 1 tsp Ghee butter (I use 4th and Heart Original)

- 1 scoop Vital Proteins Unflavored Collagen Peptides

Directions:

Brew your coffee as normal and add to a blender with the rest of the ingredients. Blend for 5-10 seconds, pour and enjoy!

xx

Erin