7 Essentials for a Healthy Summer

Summer is here and with it, comes the need to hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! Drinking enough water isn’t just a matter of staying fresh in the hotter months: keeping yourself properly hydrated is essential for keeping your body working as it should. We need to be extra careful about staying hydrated during the summer months, as the amount of water lost through sweating increases. Keep in mind, however, that you don’t need to stick with plain old water to stay hydrated. You can get water through your fruits and veggies… or try some of these recipes for refreshing healthy drinks! Plant-Based Collagen Booster Margarita Alcohol and hydration don’t really go together - alcohol suppresses your body’s antidiuretic hormone, speeding up the process of flushing water out. Not to worry though, this margarita recipe is 100% alcohol-free! Plus, it uses our Plant-Based Collagen Booster, helping your body increase its collagen production for better moisture retention in the skin. Ingredients (2 servings): 2 limes 2 cups club soda (plain or flavoured, liked La Croix) 2 tbsp. Plant-Based Collagen Booster 1-2 tbsp. raw honey 2 tbsp. hot water 1/8 cup sea salt Ice Directions: In a shaker bottle, add hot water and raw honey. Stir together. Add 2 cups of soda water of choice. Squeeze out juice of 2 full limes. Keep limes peels. Add lime juice to the shaker bottle with 2 tbsp. of Plant-Based Collagen Booster Put on lid and shake. As that sits, use the leftover lime and rim the glass you will use. Spread out salt on a plate, and rim the glass with salt. Add ice to the cup, and pour your shaken mixture in! Add a sprig of basil if you would like. Mermaid Lemonade What’s better than an icy cold glass of lemonade on a hot summer day? Try this spirulina and apple cider vinegar infused lemonade for a powerful detox effect, lower blood sugar levels, and improved skin appearance! The mermaid vibes are just an added bonus. Ingredients (4-5 servings): 4 cups of filtered water 1 lemon, juiced 1 tbsp. of apple cider vinegar 1 tsp. agave nectar (or maple syrup) 1/8 – 1/4 tbsp. Organika Spirulina powder Directions: Mix all the ingredients together and pour over ice. Back-to-Balance Reishi Cacao Smoothie Nothing beats a good morning smoothie! With a dash of reishi powder, this cacao and peanut butter concoction is not only tasty but also full of adaptogenic goodness to reduce your stress. Add it to your morning routine to start your summer adventures off on the right foot. Ingredients: 1 ripe banana (frozen works well) ½ cup frozen zucchini (easiest to slice into disks and then freeze or buy pre-frozen) 1 tsp. Organika “Balance” Reishi Powder 1 tbsp. raw cacao powder 1 cup almond milk 1 tbsp. Peanut butter Optional: a few handfuls of ice Directions: Place all ingredients into a blender and mix until well incorporated Feel free to add more almond milk or a few splashes of cold water to the blender depending on how thick you like your smoothies Pour into large cup and sprinkle with raw cacao nibs or hemp hearts for extra goodness Matcha Collagen Latte Ditch your iced coffee for this healthier alternative, featuring Enhanced Collagen Vitality! The collagen and matcha combo will help you get a sustained boost in energy and strengthen your joints for an active summer. Ingredients (2 servings): 2 cups unsweetened almond or other dairy-free milk 2 tbsp. Organika Enhanced Collagen Vitality with matcha 1 to 2 tbsp. coconut butter 1/2 to 1 tsp. Organika Gelatinized Maca powder Stevia or sweetener of choice to taste Directions: Place all ingredients into a blender and mix until well incorporated

Long weekends, camping, BBQs, hikes, beaches and so much more! Canadian summers are loaded with adventure, good company and lots of laughs. Great times are often accompanied with rich foods, sometimes drinks and often late nights - it can be hard to find some balance! By the time September comes around many of us are ready for a return to routine when it comes to our sleeping and eating habits, as well as our busy social lives! Creating more balance during the summer months may help take the edge off when it comes to bouncing back in September. There are a number of ways to help you ease back into your routine come September! Hydration It is easy to become dehydrated in the summer months. Outdoor activities, hot temperatures, alcoholic beverages, and salty snacking can all lead to dehydration. Dehydration results in symptoms such as fatigue, muscle cramps, dry skin, hunger and more. Being mindful of how easy it is to become dehydrated and counteracting it will help with overall energy and health when it comes to tackling September! Snack on cut-up veggies such as cucumbers and carrots. Chopped up veggies are great to have stored in the fridge with a dip for easy snacking. Consuming vegetables and fruits is a great way to stay hydrated, as well as keep a balanced diet. Smoothies are a fantastic meal in the summer. Try adding fresh seasonal fruit with ice, water, avocado and some collagen powder in a blender. This is a great meal on a hot day that gives you a healthy balance of carbohydrates, fats and protein. When drinking caffeinated or alcoholic beverages, be mindful of your water consumption! Try to add extra water between drinks and it will go a long way in improving how you feel afterwards! Immune support Late nights, hectic schedules, sugary drinks and rich foods will cause our bodies to experience stress. Stress in the body reduces our immune system’s ability to function well and can lead us to fatigue quickly and to get sick more easily. It is understandable that life happens during the summer months, however, it is important that we do what we can to avoid putting too much stress on our immune system. Below are great ways to help support your immune system. Adaptogens are botanicals that help your body cope with stress and change. Some great adaptogens are therapeutic mushrooms such as Reishi and Chaga, as well as herbs such as Schisandra Berry. Taking time to meditate daily and being mindful for even as little as 10 minutes at a time, will help lower stress hormones and aid in immune support. Stay consistent with your workout schedule. It is easy to get off track with your exercise regime with a hectic schedule. Being mindful of this and sticking with it will help you avoid starting over again come September. Nature and Socializing Summer is a great time for get-togethers such as family reunions, camping trips, BBQs, festivals and more. Getting outdoors and visiting with loved ones, is one of the best things you can do for your overall health! Schedule meet-ups and hangouts to take place outdoors. Chat with friends/family while going for a walk or hit the beach for a visit in the sunshine. Join an exercise boot camp outside. This will introduce you to new people as well as keep your activity level high and your endurance challenged. Try taking transit or cycling to work. This will involve more activity and will have you spending more time outdoors. Summer is a great time of year for many Canadians. It sometimes seems to go by too quickly and before you know it September is here! We tend to lose some healthy habits over the summer and struggle harder than we should to gain them back once fall rolls around. Being mindful of this and maintaining some structure in your schedule, like making sure to wake up the same time every day, will make the transition into fall much smoother. However, it is still important to take advantage of the beautiful weather and get outside, soak up that sunshine and catch up with family and loved ones. Appreciate this beautiful country we call home and enjoy the fantastic backyard us Canadians are fortunate enough to have to explore! Stay Happy, Stay Healthy! XO Amy Wilson

Everyone loves a nice cold treat on a hot summer's day! We've got two perfect summer ice pops recipes that everyone will enjoy! It's sweet, easy to make, and has the nutritional benefits of collagen and matcha. Vitality Collagen Pops Ingredients: 2 tbsp Enhanced Collagen Vitality 1 tsp of vanilla extract 3 tbsp honey 3 cups of yogurt (we used Greek yogurt) Directions: In a mixing bowl, stir together the yogurt, honey, and vanilla. Add the collagen matcha powder and whisk until smooth. Pour the mixture into popsicle molds and place in the freezer for 4 hours or until completely frozen. When ready, run the popsicle molds under warm water to loosen the popsicles. Remove and serve immediately. Matcha Chia Pops Ingredients: 2 tsp of Enhanced Collagen Vitality ¼ chia seeds 3 tbsp agave nectar 1 tsp vanilla extract 2 cups almond milk, unsweetened Directions: Mix collagen matcha, agave, and vanilla extract into the almond milk. Add in the chia seeds. Place the mixture into the fridge for an hour so the chia seeds can expand. The mixture should get thicker. Once one hour has passed, mix it up with a spoon. Divide the mixture and put them into the popsicle molds. Freeze for three hours or over night. When ready, run the popsicle molds under warm water to loosen the popsicles. Remove and serve immediately