Why You should start taking (and GROWING) Medicinal Mushrooms (Hint, they're all Magic) PART ONE

I first heard about Medicinal Mushrooms about 3-4 years ago and I was really amazed at the things they promised. Naturally, my curiosity peaked to the point that I started taking them, REGULARLY. I stress that word because unlike so called 'Magic' Mushrooms that give their effects quite quickly, medicinal mushrooms have a cumulative effect that may take a few weeks or months to actually 'feel' the effects. Of course, different mushrooms have different effects but there are a few that have been popular in Asia for thousands of years but are now only just starting to get the attention and use they deserve. I will mention a few that I have tried and benefited from so much that I wish to share them with you now.

Reishi, Mushroom of Immortality
This is probably the best one to start including into your daily routine. As mentioned earlier, it will take time to notice the benefits but it is well worth the effort and they can be taken throughout life, which should be longer and higher quality too, thanks to the practice of including it in your diet. Easiest way to take them is in Capsules, but you can also make an agreeable tea from dried slices of the mushroom, you do need to boil it for a long time and it is a good idea to reuse them multiple times to extract all the medicinal compounds. You can also make tinctures with high % alcohol (Everclear is Ideal) and soak the material in a bottle for a few months and then dilute the solution with reishi tea til it is no less than 40% . BUT If this all sounds too entailed for you, fear not, there are plenty of good companies out there a few off the top of my head, Fungi Perfecti (Paul Stamets' company in a lush organic setting in NW USA, Harmonic Arts from the West Coast in Canada and Mushroom Harvest from Ohio USA. There may be others but those are all good quality or at least good value.

Why Take it?
Over time, Reishi gives this incredible sense of wellbeing and groundedness. You feel better able to deal with stress, your immunity improves and common colds seem distant and unlikely. There is a deeper spiritual aspect that many cultures revered to the point that this mushroom was practically worshiped and reserved only for the Emperor or high nobility. These days, modern cultivation techniques make this once scarce and precious medicine more easily available and affordable for all.
It is a bit like the taste of Garlic. If you have never experienced it, it is hard to describe. Likewise the effects will be noticeable, but gradually over time IF you take it regularly.

I'll be adding more medicinal mushrooms you can check out and consider adding to your diet. But for now, have some tea, tincture or a capsule and maybe even consider getting a kit to grow your own! The kit should come with complete instructions either by keeping an bag of mycelium (the white cobwebby mass of the fungi that the mushrooms spawn from) humid or by putting wooden plugs into logs of the right species. If you do it properly, in a few month you have logs transform into medicine!

Consider exploring more information on Reishi and if you are feeling adventurous try growing them yourself!

To your Health!

@ecoknowme