Mushrooms Are The New Black [coffee]

Hey Fit Fam,

Hopefully you read my blog about me being [almost] caffeine free for FOUR WEEKS!

If not be sure to check it out HERE and learn more about WHY I cut (most) caffeine in order to address/treat adrenal fatigue!

One of the products I mention in that Instagram post is MUSHROOM COFFEE and MUSHROOM ELIXIRS. These products are probalby foreign to most of you (they were to me until a few months ago) so I wanted to give them their own little blog entry.

SAVE 15% off with code SIMPLYSTACY

Recently I've been doing a TON of reasearch on something called ADAPTOGENS. You may be  taking them and don't even realize that is what they are called (things like rosemary, aloe vera, milk thistle, licorice root, ginsing, maca, goji, etc.) But there are a TON of others adaptogens that you may have never heard of ... like Ashwagandha, Rhodoila, Chaga Mushrooms, Reishi Mushrooms, Cordyceps, etc.

In short, adaptagens are a natural substances that works with a person’s body and help them adapt. Adaptogens are a natural ally in dealing with things like stress and fatigue because they work with regulating important hormones.


Pending which one you take .. they can offer a host of benefits (naturally)

• Boost immune system
• Support a healthy weight
• Increase physical endurance and mental focus
• Lower Stress (ie cortisol levels)
• Encouraging a balanced mood 

There are a few that I plan to start incorporating in 2018 (once I'm back home from travel and have time to order them) but in doing this caffeine cut I got a jump start on a few! Here is a little breakdown of a few I've been using.

Cordyceps (Supports Energy and Performance)

Cordyceps is an adaptogen, not a stimulant, so it helps you produce and maintain steady energy levels. Coffee can give you an energy spike, followed by a crash; cordyceps, on the other hand, helps your body produce its own energy.

REISHI Mushrooms
Reishi is classified as an adaptogen. It has no side effects, it is useful in a wide variety of illnesses and conditions, and it helps the body return to a normal and balanced state.

Reishi is gaining acceptance as being helpful in combatting the unpleasant side effects of chemotherapy, and its anti-stress effects are believed to contribute to easing tension, strengthening the immune system, sharpening concentration and improving memory.

CHAGA Mushrooms
This one has SO MANY beneifts - read here. But in short .. it is the antioxident king!! It smashes things like green tea in terms of levels of antioxidants!

So far the products I've used are from a brand called Four Sigmatic. The mushroom coffees and elixirs (that contain these adaptogens listed) that I have personally tried are:

CHAGA Mushroom Elixir Mix 
See above for what CHAGA is. I use this one in AM mixed with my decaf for it's antioxidant properties. You don't have to mix with coffee. You actually mix it with 8oz of water. I just mix it with my decaf because for ME much of nixing the caffeine addiction was HABIT in the form of drinking my morning coffee ... not so much the caffeine.



Mushroom Coffee Mix
This one is made up of Chaga and another shroom called LIONS MANE. It does have a little caffeine plus the NATURAL kick/focus from the shrooms! I have this in place of my coffee or mixed with my decaf. It has 50mg caffine and also cordyceps and chaga for natural energy and antioxidant properties.
I already describe CHAGA above, but Lions Mane is basically a natural cognitive enhancer. It's been shorn to support memory and concentration!

DECAF Mushroom Coffee Mix
This has both Chaga and Reishi mushroom extracts! See full descriptions above. You can also read all about these shrooms on their page but in short this coffee has these benefits:

• Reishi dual extract is known for its potential ability to support occasional stress
• Earthy chaga dual extract balances the lighter roast beans with its rich flavor while helping to reduce coffee’s natural acidity and potentially supporting immune function with antioxidant properties.

Cordyceps Mushroom Elixir Mix
See full description of Cordyceps above. I took this one pre-workout since cordyceps help your body produce natural energy.

Mushroom Hot Cacao Mix
They have two. One is good before bed. The other (pictured) in AM or Pre-Workout. I've had them alone with just unsweetened almond milk, mixed in my coffee and even mixed in my ice cream at night.

 




Each of these producs have a unique taste (hard to explain) but all taste very mild and are really good in my opinion. As mentioned, I've been mixing in my decaf most of the time instead of drinking alone. However many people mix with milk or water (pending the product) and a sweetener or in smoothies! The COFFEES can be BREWED or PRESSED just like regular coffee! The elixirs and hot cacao you just mix with water/liquid.

As for the MUSHROOM COFFEE (regular and decaf) it does taste like COFFEE! This one would be a great alternative for someone that can't handle coffee because of the ACID! So instead of buying a "low acid coffee" you may want to check this out instead! My husband can't tolerate coffee very well because of an ulcer so I'm hoping this will allow him to enjoy "coffee" without stomach pain!

I'm not sure I've ever seen a webpage that is more organized and more educational than Four Sigmatic. For real, I think I spent like 3 hours on there reading! So make sure and check it out HERE.
 The site has SO MUCH information it can be a little overwhelming finding it all! So I've made it easy for you! If you don't want to just go to the main page, you can also follow any of the specific hyper links I mention throughout the blog or here below to take you directly to things like:

FIND MY SHROOM

START HERE (examples of times/situations you may want to take each)

SO MANY BLOGS about medicinal mushrooms! With endless reasearch and studies!

FAQ that answers just about anything you can think of.

RECIPES using their products.

Even VIDEO LESSONS that allow you to take a 3 hour course and become a mushroom expert, ha!

I'm not a "shroom" expert. I am still learning about these products and simply wanted to share with you what I've been trying out! So I highly suggest you use the links above (specifically Find My Shroom) to see which (if any) may be best for you! Just like many supplements and herbs ... they are not one size fits all! But luckily they have this great little guide!

I can't wait to dive deeper into the world of ADAPTOGENS and am thankful I found this product during my CAFFEINE CUT ... which is now over, ha. I may not cut back as much as I was during my Adrenal Restore, but I am going to continue limiting the amount I take in daily.

I was able to get Four Sigmatic to give me a discount code that I can pass on to YOU so that YOU can save some money! Just type in SIMPLYSTACY at checkout and you will save %15 off your order.

Xo
Stacy


**Some products and links may be AFFILIATE links. Meaning I may or may not recieve commission or product as part of a sponsorship or affiliation with the company. But please know that any product I post about I use and stand by.**