Healthy Obsession: Hello Gelatin, So Long Stiff Joints and Wrinkles

JELL-O is a childhood favorite, but our skin, hair, and joints benefit most from gelatin—the collagen protein that gives the snack its texture—much later in life.

The easiest way to incorporate this Paleo fave into your diet? Three words: Great Lakes Gelatin.

Yep, we’re pretty much obsessed with this dietary supplement slash secret weapon against stiff joints and wrinkles. Gelatin is found naturally in the bones, hides, and cartilage of animals, so consuming it in adequate amounts and enjoying its myriad benefits can be tricky with our modern-day diets (unless you’re cool with drinking bone broth every day!).

Don’t worry: Great Lakes Collagen is tasteless and super simple to introduce into your favorite recipes. It comes in three different varieties—beef, porcine (from pig skin), and kosher collagen hydrolysate. The key difference to note is that collagen hydrolysate will dissolve easily in cold water without congealing, while beef and porcine gelatin are best used in recipes where they can be incorporated into hot liquids.

To ease your way into the world of gelatin, try cooking with it. This lemongrass panna cotta uses gelatin to stabilize the cream, and blend some collagen into this beauty smoothie to keep your skin smooth and healthy.

Photo credit: Paul Delmont