The Glue That Holds You Together

Let me ask you something.

When did your joints start creaking? When did your skin lose that bounce? When did getting out of bed start sounding like a bowl of Rice Krispies?

That's collagen. Or rather, the lack of it.

Collagen is the most abundant protein in your body. It's in your skin, your bones, your tendons, your gut lining, even your blood vessels. It's the scaffolding that holds you together. And from about age 22, your body starts making less of it. By the time you hit 60 (trust me, I know), you're producing roughly half what you did in your twenties.

But here's where it gets interesting. It's not just ageing that destroys collagen. Sugar does too.

When excess sugar floats around your bloodstream, it binds to collagen fibres in a process called glycation. Think of it like caramelising an onion. The sugar stiffens and damages the collagen, making it brittle. Your skin wrinkles. Your joints ache. Your arteries harden.

So the same blood sugar spikes we talk about with weight gain and insulin resistance? They're also wrecking your collagen.

The good news? You can fight back. Eating fibre first slows sugar absorption and reduces those damaging spikes. Bone broth, vitamin C rich foods, and quality protein supplements (like ours) all help. And cutting back on ultra-processed junk removes the biggest saboteur.

Your body wants to rebuild. You just have to stop burning down the construction site.

Your action today: Add a vitamin C rich food (peppers, broccoli, berries) to your next meal and eat it before any carbs. Track it in the Clubwell app and notice how your energy holds steady.