Glowing Skin + Gut Support
If you’ve been wanting to start incorporating some supplements into your morning routine to help support your skin and microbiome health but hate the expensive price tag and routine of swallowing pills each morning, then this DIY Morning Glow Tonic is for you!
I’ve combined some of my favourite supplements for glowing skin and a healthy gut from trusted brands I love to ensure they are not only high quality and bioavailable but also don’t contain any unnecessary sugars or fillers.
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Why Hydrate In The Morning?
Lemon Water: first thing in the morning my go-to drink is typically a large glass of warm water, fresh lemon and ginger or herbal tea. This rehydrates my body after my nighttime fast, stimulates my digestive system and provides some detoxification support for my liver and lymphatic system. It also helps keep artificial hunger at bay typically caused by dehydration. Getting some extra fluid on board in the am increases blood volume and pressure which increases the amount of oxygen delivered to the brain to improve cognitive function.
Adequate hydration of your cells is essential for energy metabolism. The hydrogen in water is donated to make cellular energy as ATP and its production is therefore limited if the supply of water is not around. So, if you want your brain and body to function optimally, you’ll want to start hydrating straight out of bed.
Additionally, hydrogen in water is one of our best friends in fighting inflammation. Hydrogen is involved in neutralizing free-radicals and helps keep oxidative damage well controlled which keeps our skin looking healthy & prevents premature ageing. Water is also essential for our detox pathways to function properly. Dehydration causes this system to slow down and therefore prevents the removal of toxins that can accumulate in the body. If you’re already hydrating in the am, great! Let’s kick it up a notch.
How To Use:
Morning Glow Tonic: In order to spice up your morning lemon water routine and pack in some rehydrating skin + gut support supplements, make this supplement blend ahead of time, store in a glass jar and use in the am or anytime that’s convenient for you. You can also add this to things like smoothies or green juices.
Morning Glow Tonic
1 Cup warm or cold water
1 Tsp DIY Glow Tonic Blend
1/4 fresh squeezed lemon juice
3 drops liquid stevia (optional)
Some Notes To Keep in Mind
Note #1: stir water frequently before sipping as the pre/probiotics tend to settle to the bottom.
Note #2: DIY Morning Glow Tonic contains collagen peptides and some natural sugar from the coconut water powder. If you are fasting in the am, drink your GLOW TONIC later in the day with food or omit GH collagen & Beet Coconut Water powder from your recipe.
Note #3: ALWAYS do your research and consult a naturopath ND or functional MD before starting a new supplement regimen to ensure they are appropriate for your specific health condition.
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Making The GLOW TONIC Blend:
5 Tbsp GH Gut superfood+ Berry
5 Tbsp Organic Traditions Cranberry Probiotic
5 Tbsp Bob’s Red Mill Unmodified Potato Starch
4 Tbsp Genuine Health Marine Clean Collagen
4 Tbsp Laird’s Superfood Beet Hydrate Coconut Water
4 Tbsp Foursigmatic’s Hydration Blend
3 Tbsp Camu Camu powder
2 Tbsp MSM powder (Methylsulphonylmethane)
2 Tsp Pink Himalayan Salt or Redmond Real Salt
Directions: Thoroughly mix ingredients of your choice in a large bowl then transfer into a 16 oz glass mason jar with an airtight lid. Store in a cool dark location away from light or in the fridge.
Servings: 96 | Time: 5 mins | Equipment: 1x 16oz glass jar
Total cost per serving: approx. $1.05
Optional Additions:
1 Tbsp CoQ10
3 Tbsp Acai Powder
3 Tbsp L-Optizinc Zinc + Copper
2 Tbsp Lion’s Mane Mushroom powder
+Anything else you like to add to your supplement regiment
Benefits of these Supplements:
Genuine Health Fermented Organic Gut Superfoods+: $24.99 for 91g at well.ca. Why ferment supplements? Consuming foods that have been fermented have increased nutritional properties that are created when microbes break down nutrients and synthesize new bioactive ones that are more readily absorbed in the gut. This is why I am such a huge fan of Genuine Health’s fermented supplements. Fermentation breaks down harmful plant proteins like lectins and phytates which block the absorption of vitamins and minerals. Genuine Health is by far my favourite and most trusted brand for supplements. They are the highest quality, tested and well-researched products that I have found. Check out their website for more information about all of their other fantastic products such as their Advanced Gut Health Probiotics I talk about here. All of their products are soy, gluten & GMO-free. The Gut Superfood+ is made with 22 fermented plant-based superfoods that act as prebiotics to nourish the gut, decrease inflammation and neutralize free radicals. It provides an excellent source of antioxidants and polyphenols that many of us lack in our diet consistently these days. Improving the health of your gut improves health for the whole body and makes your skin glow from the inside out.
Organic Traditions Cranberry Probiotic: $19.99 for 60g on well.ca. Organic Traditions is another one of my fav trusted supplement brands. They have an excellent selection of superfoods that are organic, non-GMO and are extracted at low temperatures to maintain the quality of their ingredients. This cran probiotic provides antioxidants, polyphenols, plant sterols, phospholipids, fibre and omega fatty acids with the addition of 5 billion probiotic colonies including Bacillus coagulans IS-2. This probiotic has been shown to withstand acidity in the stomach, doesn’t require refrigeration and can be mixed into hot or cold drinks. These antioxidants have also been shown to support digestive and urinary tract health.
Foursigmatic’s Hydration Blend: $26.96 for 60g on well.ca Foursigmatic is more well known for its adaptogenic mushroom coffee blends. Mushrooms have a host of beneficial functional properties including mellowing out the effect of caffeine in coffee, giving you a more sustained well-balanced energy boost without the crash. The Mushroom Tremella in this hydration blend helps the body produce more of its own hyaluronic acid (HA), which supports both skin and joint integrity. It also contains sea buckthorn to support mucous membranes and immune functions, plus lemon and Acerola for vitamin C and hydration. You could substitute this supplement for Foursigmatic’s Beauty Blend which also contains tremella.
– Check out my favourite HA facial serum here, which is a complete game-changer when it comes to topical skin hydration.
Bob’s Red Mill Unmodified Potato Starch: $7.13 for 623g on amazon.ca. You’re probably wondering why you would want to consume potato starch right? Unmodified potato starch is a type of resistant starch that is not absorbed in the gut but instead acts as a super-fertilizer prebiotic for healthy bacteria. Microbes in your gut feed on this starch and produce nourishing metabolites that are easily absorbed in the GI tract. Promoting a healthy gut can help improve blood sugar, IBS, inflammation, depression and anxiety. These microbes produce fatty acids like butyrate which help fuel and repair colon cells to help heal inflammation at the gut lining which has been linked to issues like autoimmune diseases, cognitive decline, allergies, and weight gain. This will be the best $7.13 you ever spent. Other forms of resistant starch I love are acacia fibre, psyllium husk, and green bananas.
MSM aka Methylsulfonylmethane: $19.99 for 227g on well.ca. MSM is one of my favourite supplements for overall skin, joint and muscle health. It is a sulphur compound found naturally in plants and animals that donates sulphur to keratin which is the main structural protein in hair, skin and nails. MSM helps reduce inflammation which prevents damage to skin cells. It also helps fight inflammation and breakdown of cartilage in the joints. MSM reduces inflammation by blocking inflammatory cytokines and promotes the production of the antioxidant glutathione, which is one of the most important cellular antioxidants in the human body and has been shown to improve skin conditions such as psoriasis and other autoimmune conditions. It has also been shown to speed muscle recovery following exercise and reduce muscle soreness. (Not recommended for women pregnant or breastfeeding). You can also incorporate foods into your diet that naturally contain sulphur such as broccoli or alfalfa sprouts, coffee, tea and dark leafy greens.
Organic Traditions Camu Camu Powder: $19.99 for 100g on well.ca. Camu Camu is a berry high in vitamin C and other antioxidants such as anthocyanins, flavonols and ellagic acid. Vitamin C is an essential micronutrient for the body to naturally produce collagen which improves structure, elasticity and hydration of the skin. I like to incorporate foods sources like this high in vitamin C rather than taking a vitamin C extract supplement for better absorption in the gut and less risk of damaging the antioxidants during the extraction process.
Genuine Health Marine Clean Collagen: $29.99 for 140g on well.ca. Collagen has a different protein profile than other protein supplements and is excellent for improving skin, bone, joint and cartilage health. Collagen has been shown to decrease inflammation at the gut lining, improve IBS symptoms and keep your skin looking young by strengthening elasticity. Your body produces less collagen as you age and is, therefore, a great addition to your diet. The aa glycine is also fantastic for sleep which I talk about in this post here. The best way to take in collagen is by eating grass-fed organic bone broth. Bone broth is great for the digestive system and comes with a host of other bioavailable vitamins and minerals which also support bone health and improve enamel protection for your teeth. You can also get collagen by taking a supplement like GH Marine Clean Collagen or gelatin.
Himalayan Pink Salt: Salt is an essential mineral that is excellent at helping hydrate the body by increasing the absorption of water. Salt has been wrongly accused of for years as a nutrient that causes high blood pressure and heart disease – but I am here to tell you that recommendations to reduce salt in your diet can actually be harmful, not helpful. Sodium is used in hundreds of biological processes and is one of the main drivers of energy production. Himalayan salt gets its pink colour from the presence of other beneficial minerals present such as iron, potassium, magnesium, and calcium. Pink salt helps balance sodium and potassium which supports adrenal health and also contains small amounts of iodine which supports thyroid health. Salt helps with blood circulation and oxygen delivery. Maintaining adequate sodium intake ensures that the body does not pull sodium along with magnesium and calcium from our bones back into circulation which keeps our bones healthy. Sodium also increases the absorption of water-soluble vitamins in the GI tract such as vitamin C and transports it into the brain where it acts as an important antioxidant to help fight inflammation. Pink salt comes from a salt mine, not the ocean, which means that it is not contaminated with microplastics and pollution from the oceans. Despite popular belief, salt actually improves cardiovascular health and athletic performance. Caffeine causes us to excrete sodium from the diet so people who consume coffee and exercise often will need to further increase their salt intake.
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Optional Additions
CoQ10: $14.99 for 60 capsules on well.ca. CoQ10 is one of my favourite supplements taken orally as well as a facial serum. CoQ10 has such a broad range of functions in the body that optimize your health including improving hydration, thickness, elasticity and wrinkles in the skin. It is a powerful antioxidant that neutralizes free radicals, helping to improve the appearance of skin and has been shown to be protective against heart disease. CoQ10 improves mitochondrial function and helps protect the brain against oxidative damage. CoQ10 can also be taken in a PQQ supplement which has additional antioxidant and mitochondrial support and has been shown to protect the brain and heart. Food sources of CoQ10 include organ meats, fatty fish, legumes, nuts and seeds.
Acai Powder: $24.99 for 115g on well.ca Acai is a berry high in antioxidants, vitamin C, magnesium, potassium, calcium, zinc, resveratrol, polyphenols, fatty acids and fibre. It is a true superfood and is a great addition to help fight oxidative damage in the body.
L-OptiZinc: Zinc + copper $11.99 for 100 capsules on well.ca. Zinc is an essential nutrient we must get in our diet daily and plays a number of roles in the body including gene expression, immune function, protein synthesis, wound healing, cardiovascular function, and decreasing inflammation. Zinc is essential for skin health and has been shown to improve acne, decrease oil production and inhibit the growth of acne-forming bacteria. Taking zinc with copper forms a powerful antioxidant (superoxide dismutase) that neutralizes free radicals and is essential for immune function. Food sources of Zinc include meat, seafood, nuts and legumes.
Lion’s Mane Mushroom Powder: $21.24 for 40g on well.ca. Lion’s Mane is an adaptogenic mushroom powerhouse for your brain. Research has shown that Lion’s Mane improves memory and cognition, decreases inflammation, assists in the regeneration of damaged brain cells, increases insulin sensitivity and supports gut health. Check out our recipe for our Brain Boosting Coffee using Lion’s Mane. You can also try adding other adaptogenic herbs like ashwagandha or holy basil depending on your individual needs to your DIY Glow Tonic Blend.
Let us know what you think of our blend on Instagram @LoLoHealthCo and tag #lolohealthco –> send this link to your friends you think might enjoy this recipe!