Article and Photographs by Tiffany Stuart (@itsmeladyg)
When it comes to eating and living healthier, it’s not hard to see how one can quickly become overwhelmed with all of the options and ingredients that are available and suggested to improve or naturally support well-being.
As someone who’s pretty well-versed in the benefits of plants and herbs, the reality is that I’m not always able to have the best and most healthful ingredients on hand at all times. Life and crazy schedules sometimes present a challenge to crafting and curating meals optimized for healthy living.
However, having blends such as Mushrooms & Herbs powders is perfect to help ensure high-quality ingredients are available to be added into my daily routine with ease.
With ingredients such as Black Elderberry, Turmeric, and Maca being paired with harder to find mushrooms such as Cordyceps, Maitake, and Lion’s Mane, the Mushrooms & Herbs powders can be added to smoothies, made into hot drinks and teas, and can even be incorporated into meals for lunch or dinner.
My current favorite way to use Mind Spring™ is in an elevated Golden Milk drink in the morning. The blend can be swapped in as an alternative for plain Turmeric. The best part is that black pepper is already included in the blend, making it that much more convenient. Adding a warmed nut milk of choice and a sweetener (if desired), is a quick and easy way to get your day started.
One unconventional way I’ve used the Mind Spring powder is adding it to my brown rice while it is cooking. This results in an enhanced and nourishing yellow rice dish that could be served with veggies or a main dish of choice, or even on its own.
Everyday Adaptogen™ is perfect for my morning smoothies. It easily blends and is subtle and smooth enough in taste even for those who are new to powdered herbs and mushrooms.
The Everyday Adaptogen blend can also be made into a warmed treat to sip by adding it to a slightly heated milk of choice and flavored with cinnamon, vanilla extract, and a sweetener. The Maca and Ashwagandha pair deliciously with the cinnamon in my opinion. Once this tasty treat is made, the liquid can be added to oatmeal or even used as a base to make rice pudding. If time is of the essence, a quick spoonful of Everyday Adaptogen in your oatmeal is a great way to start your day as well.
Immune Shine™ is a beautifully-colored blend that stands on its own and can (and should) easily be consumed daily. Black Elderberry has long been a part of my family’s everyday lives to help support our immunity. I’ve personally had a tough time finding the traditionally-used mushrooms found in this mix, including Maitake and Chaga. Thankfully, this is no longer an issue with the introduction of this product.
A couple of my favorite ways to consume Immune Shine is added to a cold Hibiscus Tea or on its own with a bit of Stevia as a hot tea.
When I first tasted the blend, I had a deep intuitive urge to add it to a bit of cold brewed hibiscus tea I had sitting in my refrigerator. So, I took the risk and I was right. It was delicious and only needed a bit of sweetener to appeal to those in my house who might not have been the most excited about having an herb and mushroom drink before that.
Translating that to a hot drink is easy by simply heating up the mix with the warmed hibiscus tea. However, a teaspoon full in hot water can make a fabulous tea by itself.
Adding mushrooms and herbs to our daily life can seem like a huge undertaking. However, finding simple and quick ways to bring them into our routine doesn’t have to be complicated. By using Everyday Adaptogen, Immune Shine, and Mind Spring in tasty ways that complement our life, we are easily able to nourish our body for the better.
Tiffany "It's Me, Lady G" Stuart, is a mom of 2, veggie loving, internationally published blogger, recipe developer, brand consultant, contributor to the Huffington Post, the NON-GMO Project, and other health, wellness, & lifestyle brands, YouTuber, public speaker, organizer of several women's groups in the NYC area, one of 2017-2019 Natural Products Expo East Top Influencers in the wellness industry, and a Certified Integrative Nutrition Holistic Health Coach. Her mission is to help other women embrace themselves, their power, & ultimately become their own educated health & wellness advocate.