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Mushroom Magic
Wellbeing

Mushroom MAGIC

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So it turns out mushrooms are pretty magic, and no we don’t mean THAT kind, although, you do you baby. Does the phrase “adaptogenic” ring any distant bells for you? While it might sound jargon-y, and you just like your long black psychedelic free thank you, there’s actually a whole host of benefits from mushrooms, and they’re causing quite the buzz in the wellness world. 

Wait, what are they?


Adaptogenic mushrooms are mushrooms that have been proven to have phenom.com results on the effects of stress on our bodies, and more and more people are using them as a herbal health product. Let’s just get this out of the way now: they have no effect on your perception whatsoever, and we’re not endorsing getting high to take the edge off. 


While they don’t get you high, adaptogens increase the body’s resistance to physical, biological, and chemical stress, help promote normal functioning during the times when everything feels like too much, and reduce the physical damage when you do actually end up screaming in line at the post office. They do this by influencing the HPA axis, to reduce reactions and help keep harmony in the body. 


Okay cool, which ones are right for me? 


Cordyceps

These bad boys have been used by traditional healers and in Tibetan medicine for centuries, and there’s a LOT of reasons why. Firstly, some context. Traditional variants, Cordyceps Sinensis, grow at the foot of the Hilamalayas, giving them the nickname Himalayan Gold. You only need to read the name to guess that yep, they’re rare, and super expensive. A kilo can cost up to $20,000. Luckily for those not willing to remortgage their home in search of a guilt-free good time, look out for Cordyceps Militaris, which are the synthesized version and a lot more affordable. 


Benefits for your body?


Firstly, they can seriously improve your stamina, physical endurance and improve muscle fatigue. If you’re over the mainlining caffeine ‘til you crash and burn’ cycle, these are where it’s at. 


Speaking of crashing, your immune system will start doing the opposite. Why? It increases the number of natural killer cells (a type of white blood cell) in your body, which basically act as a natural protector from viruses and bacteria. On the spicier side, if you’ve been feeling off it in the sex drive stakes, these ones are for you. The effect they have on your libido = petition to rename them Hornyceps. Warn your partner, or make some time for a little me-moment because, baby didn’t come to play.  

PLR recommends Superfeast’s Cordyceps for Lung and Kidney Tonic.

Lion’s Mane

You MAY have heard of this one, because it’s popping up left right and centre in everything from smoothies to skincare. It’s considered one of the heavy hitters in the mushroom world, with “kind of a big deal” energy to match. Used in traditional medicine for centuries, their popularity is at a fever pitch thanks to athletes, celebrities and influencers coming out publicly and saying they’ve been hitting the good (legal) stuff. 


What do they actually DO to your body?

Ever feel like you’re just not in the room mentally? Do you find yourself zoning in and out of conversations and having to pretend to know why everyone’s laughing? Or feeling over-zoomed and under-slept? Well, brain fog be-gone with Lion’s Mane. It can help regenerate brain and nerve growth, which in turn leads to improved cognitive function. Kind of like you’ve been sitting in a dim room, and someone cracks on a light and starts playing 90s house in your head. You’ll feel stimulated, focused and not tired, not wired. It’s also the MVP for mood regulation, immune support and preventing inflammation. 


Again the PLR team are obsessing over Superfeast’s Lion Mane for brain and nerve protection.


Reishi

Another staple in traditional medicine and yep, another mushroom with raging BDE, is the reishi fungus. If you ever see one in the wild you’ll know, because it peacocks hard (just google it). It’s sometimes referred to as “the mushroom of immortality” and people have been enjoying this beautiful, frilly and yes slightly  freaky looking,  for 2,000 years. 


What do they actually DO to your body?

Reishi is actually best known for its insanely good effects it can have on immunity (are you picking up on a theme yet?), as well as for how it interacts with white blood cells AKA cancer fighters. It can also massively benefit athlete’s bodies after intense amounts of stress and help someone out with fatigue and depression. Think of them kind of like good vibe generators grown in the ground. 


And again we are loving Superfeast’s Reishi calm mind and steady spirit.


Go forth and experience these beauties. They  can come in liquid, powder or capsule form so they’re super easy to add to smoothies, coffee, punchy margaritas, whatever works. Experiment with combos and discover some mushroom magic for yourself.


Article Written by Ianthe Jacob


Article image credit @pinterest