Enrichd Every Day: Taking Mushrooms with Integrity + Intensity

ENRICHD SUPERFOODS

I have been experimenting with mushrooms. Not the magic kind ;) though I would be doing this Enrichd Superfoods a disservice to describe them as anything other than beyond magic. I took a 30 day journey with Reishi Spores and Lion’s Mane, and am still learning lessons from the changes I have seen take place since taking Enrichd Superfoods Mushroom Elixirs.

FUNCTIONAL MUSHROOMS

Enrichd Superfood Mushroom Elixirs offer functional support using mushroom powders (and now protein and THE most delicious chocolate) to help you in your wellness goal, whether it’s gaining greater clarity, immune support, feeling more vibrant or, in my case, addressing my hormonal health and grounding a girl who has been on the go (and a bit knackered 99% of the time to be honest) for the last 16 years. Enrichd will actually educate you on foods, teas and herbs, and even the potency of maintaining balance in your lifestyle and thoughts.

Click to browse the Enrichd Superfoods Store here

With its foundations based upon Eastern medicine, specifically Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Ayurveda, Enrichd’s mushroom powders have been developed to support finding a balance to allow the body to heal itself. Adaptogens help bring balance back to your body: they promote homeostasis (physiological balance in your body, from temperature control to how you body regulates blood sugar and insulin) and aid our bodies when we are reacting - and recovering - from stress. Helpful for all of us then!

ADAPTOGENIC MUSHROOMS FOR PMS

For the last couple of years, I’ve tried everything to minimise premenstrual migraines and nausea. Before I turned 28, I didn’t even know what a headache even felt like! Lifestyle and diet has helped a lot - I’ve learnt that alcohol, chocolate, any inflammatory foods (including stress, once of the biggest reasons behind inflammation in the body) will make it worse. But curing it completely? I’m still figuring that part out. I’ve tried cutting out the bad foods and eating a high Omega 3 diet (chia, flax, hemp, pumpkin seeds), and regular exercise. Stress (yes, I know I’m supposed to be a yoga teacher) and lack of sleep tend to be the main culprits that I’m yet to entirely shift. Rich from Enrichd recommended I try Reishi Spores and Lion’s Mane. For tonic herbs and mushrooms (and the BEST raw chocolate for that matter) Rich is your man. Here’s what he says about mushrooms for health:

Chaga — a powerful antioxidant, studies show it inhibits the growth of cancer cells, anti-viral, anti-malarial, anti-fungal, anti-allergic and anti-oxidant properties, reducing DNA damage, supporting the immune system. Chaga has an extremely high ORAC value.

Reishi — may improve sleep, improve gut health, immune system and lower stress levels (which are all connected). It is an adaptogen, and a nerve and immune tonic.

Reishi spores — hormone balancer + immune support, these spores are like the seeds of the Reishi mushroom.

Lion’s Mane — helps protect the nervous system, improve memory and cognitive ability. Other studies also explore its potential for supporting gut health by nourishing the gastric juices.

Cordyceps — increases oxygen uptake and speed up recovery (e.g. from workouts).

TAKING MUSHROOMS

I began with ½ tsp and worked my way up to 1 tsp Lion’s Mane and Reishi Spores every day for 30 days. My favourite way to take it was warm poured on top of hemp seed granola. The easiest fuss-free way was blended with oat milk and maca in the morning. See below for more recipes I used.

After Day 1, I coincidentally experienced one of my worst premenstrual headaches. I spent the whole day in bed, binge-watching TOWIE foetal-curled around a hot water bottle. I couldn’t keep much down that day, who knows how much of the Reishi Spores and Lion’s Mane my body was able to absorb and reap the benefits of. I’m sure you don’t need me to tell you how excruciating - and annoying - it is when there is nothing that can help other than waiting it out until you feel better. The only thing that’s offered me relief in the past are these guys from Foria but, sadly, I’m not a millionaire yet. And rather than spending $50 for 8 tiny little CBD suppositories (though they are amazing), how much better would it be to be able to address what your body is experiencing and bring it into balance so that our own body is able to heal and put a stop to these symptoms on the long-term? It is possible. I believe that my Day 1 adaptogenic reaction was one that started to bring me back into balance with a BANG. Of course, if you try anything and it’s an adverse reaction then do not continue to take it. Back when I was a commodities broker, there was a specific pattern to my PMS:

• BROKING: 2 weeks at work entertaining clients, eating rich foods, drinking alcohol, sleeping 2 - 7 hours per night, stressing before, during, and in the office… once a month I’d be in a 24 hour lockdown in bed with a head feeling like it’s being crushed by a vice and/or my head down the toilet throwing up on empty because I am too afraid to eat anything when I feel like this.

• YOGA LIFE: 2 weeks working on retreat doing the things I loved, drinking juice + plant-based foods, even the odd treat, but at least 8+ hours sleep… this would be the month I skipped those excruciating symptoms of PMS.

It doesn’t take a scientist to figure it out!

Ideally, we eliminate anything that causes too much stress. But we cannot always put a stop to the stress that affects us in daily life. It’s not really possible to quit your stressful job or leave the kids at school for 3 weeks whilst you go on a Juice Retreat in Thailand. The body is able to handle stress: that is how we evolved. Whether it’s acute or chronic, eventually when our bodies are not taken care of, they cannot cope with the stress life throws at it. So if you struggle to minimise the stress in your life, what you must do is maximise the activities, relationships and foods that help alleviate that stress:

• Activities: yoga, meditation, walking, perhaps running, reading books that nourish you, sleeping enough, massage, reflexology, tea ceremonies, any other activity that makes you feel rejuvenated.

• Relationships: especially if you spend a lot of time on the phone or at work supporting others, do you spend enough time with the people who give that support back to you?

• Foods: whole foods as a first point of call rather than pills or supplements such as fruits and vegetables, followed by adaptogens which will support your adrenal glands and endocrine system (hormones) on the whole. Reishi, Cordyceps, Chaga, Lion’s Mane, Ashwagandha, Turmeric, Maca, the list goes on… please do your research to ascertain what is most suitable for you! Start with real foods first - there is no point in spending lots of money on supplements when your whole food diet is not on point.

In the 30 days I took Reishi Spores and Lion’s Mane daily, this is what I noticed:

• Improved performance and attitude towards work: I felt inspired and motivated and took on some of my best freelance contracts within days of taking Enrichd Superfoods. These roles were the type of work I align with - the stuff dreams are made of basically :)

• Enhanced memory

• Better sleep

• Slightly improved skin - less breakouts. These would have 100% improved if only I would stop picking them!!

• No PMS / fatigue / headaches / nausea for 55 days since taking Reishi Spores and Lion’s Mane. After 20 days without Reishi, I experienced one more bout of sickness and have since resumed drinking mushrooms in my morning shake.

Enrichd believe in the importance of a balanced life. Eastern Medicine is becoming more popular as many of us are now looking to alternative methods of healing and fuelling our bodies. Natural remedies and whole foods have become so popular now that for some people Western medicine is something that they would prefer to avoid. But there is a balance. Even hospitals in China, for example, acknowledge that there is a place for medicine such as antibiotics, and that no holistic tincture is going to stitch a severed leg back on!! TCM does not deal with acute and/or urgent illnesses in the same way, and rather than honouring one practice and denying the other method, taking the best from both is a wise approach to use both Western medicine and things like TCM to recover and strengthen our system to prevent infection or illness in the future.

It’s not just about treating the cause vs the symptom, or voting for one against the other. It’s easy to overuse and abuse both methodalities, especially in a world where many of us are busy and have forgotten how to listen to our own bodies, and what we feel they might need. There is a lot to be thankful for when it comes to all types of medicine, Western medicine, or otherwise. And a lot more to be thankful for when we are in tune with our own intuition, our own voice, and able to make the most appropriate choice.

Since trying Enrichd Superfoods I’ve felt great, my energy levels have been higher, and the following month there were no headaches, sickness bouts or cramps. I also noticed I was falling asleep more quickly.

Click here to browse Enrichd’s Elixirs if you would like to improve your health and educate yourself on Mushroom Superfoods. Or simply to buy their delicious raw chocolate … !

Reishi Spore Soul Shake

CALMING REISHI SPORE SOUL SHAKE (best enjoyed warm in the evening)

½ -1 tsp Enrichd Reishi spores

½ banana

200 mls plant-based milk or water

½ tsp maca

1 tbsp cacao powder or cacao nibs (optional)

pinch sea salt

3 walnuts

1. Whizz all ingredients in a blender and enjoy cold, or heat in a saucepan until warm.

2. Top with extra crushed walnuts and cacao if you wish.

BRAIN BOOSTING LION’S MANE MYLK

½ - 1 tsp Enrichd Lion’s Mane

1 tbsp cacao powder

200 mls cashew nut milk (or alternative plant-based milk)

pinch sea salt

1. Add ingredients to a sauce pan and warm gently whilst using a whisk to bring together.

2. Pour on top of hemp seed granola, or enjoy as it is.

Hemp Seed Granola with Fresh Figs + Adaptogenic Milk

Enjoy this hot or cold, on its own or as a breakfast mylk with fresh figs and my hemp seed granola recipe.

Website: www.enrichdsuperfoods.com

Instagram: @enrichdsuperfoods

Heirloom Lion’s Mane, Reishi and Chaga Raw Chocolate Bars

Reishi in nature

Ashtanga, The Eight Limbs of Yoga: Yamas and Niyamas

How two Yamas and Niyamas may be put into practice in word, thought and deed.

As long as we are turning towards our own heart, how can we be in the wrong direction? There is much more to Yoga than the physical practice - we know this. In the Eight Limbs of Yoga, before stepping into Asana, we have Patanjali’s Yamas and Niyamas. The yamas and the niyamas offer us an opportunity to turn inwards and practice what we realise outwardly. The yamas and the niyamas quite literally offer us a guideline to navigate real life and go beyond the unreal, beyond the emotions and that which is falsify what we think is our true life experience. The yamas and niyamas bring us closer to navigating a truer existence, to exist in and to experience the universe and our true selves. This is liberation. These “rules”, although might seem restrictive to some, offer us the truest freedom.

The first of Patanjali’s Yamas is Ahimsa: non-harming or non-violence in thought, word and deed towards ourselves and others. The Yamas are often considered as ‘restraints’. They are a guideline as to how we can interact with the outer world. Ahimsa , the first of the yamas, is probably the the most fundamental of all, and the core basis of yoga. To refrain from causing harm to any living creature in the world may seem obvious. It is not in our natural instinct to harm another human being, to inflict violence on any living creature. Though to consider the indirect harm we may cause to living creatures, human or otherwise, opens up a huge chasm for thought. What about the choices we make and their consequences? The vote we have with our forks as to whether an animal should be harmed for our pleasure/survival. If not in action, what about the harm we may cause in words to others, or even thoughts to ourselves?

Thoughts are like drops of water. When I think the same thoughts over and over again, I am creating this incredible body of water. First, I have a little puddle, then I may get a pond, and as I continue to think the thoughts over and over again, I have a lake, and finally an ocean.

Inner Wisdom, Louise Hay

To live with a sensitivity to all living things, our own selves, the beings we have not and might never meet but who are affected by the choices we make. To honour the power that we possess and the ripple effect of a single thought, word, act or deed. To acknowledge the power of a single thought or act with ahimsa in mind is the yogic path. It is because of and thanks to this that starting from a single thought, the yamas and niyamas are able to translate into our everyday lives as unique human beings. And like droplets each of us as human beings might cascade into a community that is one body, as it always has been: Ātman.

Ahimsa, too, might be applied to our yoga practice itself - navigating the fine line between practicing with an effort that challenges us but that does not cause harm (or other impure thoughts e.g. competition, which causes damage to ourselves if not others).

How do we practice Ahimsa in word, thought and deed?

Word: speaking kindly towards others and ourselves. You know the old saying, if you can’t say anything nice then do not say anything at all! In word, we might speak up for those who are being caused harm, for example children or those who are abused, for animals who have no voice, even for the boy at the back of class who is being picked on. The key is that we use our voices for those who do not have their own without violence, as sometimes in sticking up for others we can become violent ourselves.

Thought: catch yourself when you think a negative thought. The more you catch it, the less you will do it. Be kind in thought to yourself and others. Think about how kind thoughts causing no harm might translate into action in the outer world.
Deed: practice non-violence outwardly, spread the message with your own example. Our behaviour in the outer world can cause a ripple-effect that others may follow. Choose foods which have caused no harm to animals and the humans who have produced it. Choose clothes that are ethically-sourced. Do the research!

The Niyamas offer us guidance in the personal: how we relate to ourselves. Ishvarapranidhana is the last of the five niyamas. It can open up differences of opinion as it literally translates as ‘surrender to the Lord God’. Can this not be interpreted as instruction to shift our perspective away from our selves, away from our egos, and the incessant obsession with the ‘I’? Instead we might dedicate our daily practice (in life, in yoga, in relationships) by surrendering to something other than our own self. There is something much more precious, more constant and more divine than ourselves. It need not be identified as a ‘God’ in the religious sense, but a higher Being, a higher collective that is far more important than the individual who is ego-driven, fear-driven, governed by unstable emotions and changing moods. There is something much much greater than us. This is what God, however we interpret him or it to be, reminds us. Surrender to this and we catch a glimpse of freedom. Freedom from the experiences, the feelings, the disappointments and even the joys, of ego-driven human life.

How do we practice Ishvarapranidhana in word, thought and deed?

Word: chanting mantra, prayer, withdrawing from uttering words which take us away from this practice.

Thought: surrendering thoughts which do not serve the greater purpose, whether these thoughts are those which push us to progress in our career for example (e.g. make more money that we do not need) or which detriment us.
Deed: chanting mantra, prayer, interaction with others in a way which surrenders to that which is greater.

Maha sadhana means Great Practice. With Asana, Pranayama, Meditation, as well as consistent practice of the Yamas and Niyamas, this practice will result in more control of the body and mind, as well as increased spiritual awareness. “The greatest teacher is within your heart” (Dharma Mittra). This teacher, ourselves, holds the answers to all of the questions that we already know, all of the teachings that we have forgotten, and the key to a freedom that we have always possessed. This is the practice that leads us back home.

Only a single thought can enter our mind at one time. If we have a positive thought, neither a negative nor a neutral thought will enter our mind. If we have a negative thought, neither a positive nor a neutral thought will enter our mind. If we have a neutral thought, neither a positive nor negative thought will enter our mind.

Excerpt from PiPo Source Code 072