Be more resilient with adaptogenic mushrooms
So you’ve been working out, training hard at the gym and getting your healthy meals conveniently delivered to your door by Athletes Kitchen. But then you noticed that people at your office are beginning to get the cold and flu, and now you are worried that you may get sick too, which prevents you from going to the gym and doing all the right things as you are on this path to your best fittest self.
As the weather gets colder, our sleeves get longer, days gets darker and we may find ourselves reaching for that third cup of coffee in order to stay productive at work. I LOVE coffee especially if it comes from an organic mold-free source can provide you with health benefits like polyphenols and antioxidants. However, too much coffee can create havoc in our body or prevent us from getting into a deeper sleep at night.
Personally, I give myself a caffeine curfew and have been swapping my second or third cup of hot beverage with adaptogenic mushroom elixirs.
What the hell are adaptogenic mushrooms?
Traditional Chinese Medicine has been using medicinal mushrooms for thousands of years as foods to maintain good health and as drugs to treat disease. Making these mushroom elixirs a great dietary supplement to bulletproof your immune system and have powerful antioxidant properties.
Adaptogenic mushrooms are getting very popular but my first introduction to it was actually when I was a child and my father would feed me chaga tea daily to boost my immune system especially when the season changes.
CHAGA
According to Dr. Will Cole, functional medicine doctor and author of “The Inflammation Spectrum” he wrote that “Chaga has been used in traditional medicine in eastern Europe in a variety of health problems such as stomach diseases and tumors.
Research is now validating antiquity as chaga shows many health benefits.
Inflammation is linked to just about every chronic and autoimmune health problem. One study found chaga was able to reduce the pro-inflammatory nitric oxide and cyclooxygenase.
Chaga is jam-packed with antioxidant power, having the ability to scavenge harmful free radicals. Think berries on steroids!
Chaga also has been shown to be able to fight off viruses. In one study, the water-based extract of chaga exhibited antiviral activity against common viral infections such as the flu. This superfood medicine was also shown to have immune balancing effects as well.
If that wasn’t enough, research has also shown chaga to be a cancer killer. Certain cancers of the liver, and lung and brain, were all decreased with chaga.”
LIONS MANE
Lions mane is the cognitive enhancing mushroom. This mushroom are increasingly studied for their neuroprotective benefits. Nerve Growth Factors (NGFs) found in this mushroom have the ability to regenerate and protect brain tissue. Lions mane is the pencil sharpener for the digital age- allowing you to be “on point” as you put your mind to the next task.
CORDYCEPS
Cordyceps is the anti-ager of the mushroom kingdom. These mushrooms are most commonly used for athletic performance, to support stamina and endurance.
One study out of China found that cordyceps extract was able to dramatically increase powerhouse antioxidants superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase. This special fungus also decreased pro-inflammatory monoamine oxidase and lipid peroxidation activity which causes us to age.
A double-blind placebo-controlled trial also found that cordyceps acted like an adaptogen, or hormone balancer, helping people struggling with fatigue increase their levels of energy and endurance.
I personally love using cordyceps mushrooms as a pre workout supplement.
REISHI
Also called lingzhi in China, which signifies longevity and spirituality, reishi has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for over 2,000 years. When consumed in continuous, small doses, reishi has been shown to support the body’s sleep cycles as well as support occasional stress. I love relaxing with reishi before bed and waking up feeling refreshed.
Many indigenous cultures used these powerful superfoods in teas, soups for us modern culture I have even seen people add them into smoothies. Now wellness companies like Foursigmatic, Sun Potion and Moon juice are making it easy for us to benefit from the functional fungi.
Adaptogenic mushrooms are available in a variety of forms like powdered, capsules, extracts, elixir drinks, and whole food. Have you tried any of these mushrooms? How do you add them into your daily routine?
By: Jenny Lam @soulmatefit