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Growing Gourmet and Medicinal Mushrooms! June 20, 2011 |
Superfood Evolution Ezine -- Issue #018
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Hello friends, Welcome again to Superfood Evolution! A big thank you to all my Superfoods-for-Superhealth site visitors for your attention and support! Here we go with my monthly newsletter #18. Many of you expressed great interest in learning more about superfoods, superhealth and achieving optimal states of aliveness! So, here it is by popular demand! It is my intent to uplift and empower your true health potential to create the best life ever for you and your family. "You are what you eat" is the first rule of thumb here, the rest just falls into place!
Growing Gourmet and Medicinal Mushrooms
For those of you who are as crazy about medicinal mushrooms as I am, you might be into these new and exciting mushroom growing kits. We started our first one just a week or so ago, now we just have to wait and let them do their incubation thang! I am real excited about the idea of eating fresh lion's mane mushroom, I hear it tastes rich and delicious when steamed slightly. I suppose you could also marinate and dehydrate it instead of heating it, but I actually prefer my mushrooms cooked a little as oppose to raw. Heating also makes the polysaccharides available, which is a nice bonus! ------------
Forest Organics is a company developed by Mycology Instructor, Shane Mulholland, that enables anyone to grow and harvest their very own medicinal mushrooms right where they live. He has created a variety of simple, easy-to-use mushroom growing kits that enable anyone to grow their very own gourmet or medicinal mushrooms, like reishi, lions mane, maitake, and shiitake. About Mushroom Growing Kits
Within each kit you get a bag of spawn, the "mushroom seeds." These are created by extracting the tissue culture from under the cap or gill of the mushroom. It is then grown in a petri dish and this culture is what is used to colonize the wooden dowels. So what you get in the kit is a bag full of miniature mushroom growing logs that you can use to inoculate any log or tree stump in your natural environment. You can also use logs from a fire wood dealer or tree trimming service.
He suggests that it is best to use a log that is "fresh" or recently fallen. When you have your chosen log or stump you simply drill in some holes and tap in the spores, then seal them with wax.
Incubation period or colonization time usually is about 6-8 months, but after that you will get flushes of mushrooms 4-5 times a year for up to 10 years or more. That's pretty exciting!
One of the great things about these mushroom kits is that the spores or seeds have been extracted from WILD mushroom varieties growing in their natural environment. So, you will be getting wild mushroom nutrients, as opposed to cultivated ones that may have been grown indoors or on a low quality substrate. The mushroom growing kits come with a booklet that explains the whole inoculation process and how to take care of them for years of harvest.
A "Recap" on Benefits of These Mushrooms:
Reishi mushroom - Reishi, has been documented in the earliest pharmacopoeia texts in Asian culture, thousands of years ago. Its high ranking was originally reserved for emperors who consumed it daily. This is one of my personal favorites among the medicinal mushroom varieties. I often blend it into herbal tea formulations.
Lions mane mushroom - Lions mane mushroom is known for its effects on cognitive brain functions. Scientifically proven to stimulate the Nerve Growth Factor production in the brain due to it's unique abilities to pass through the blood brain barrier.
Maitake mushroom - Maitake, also called "hen of the woods", is usually found growing at the base of oak trees. It holds value as a great immune system enhancer, restorative and protective agent. Also eaten fresh in Asian countries in soups and sauces. Shiitake mushroom - Shiitake is one of the most popular edible mushroom medicinals with its rich flavor and soft, meaty texture. It also enhances immunity as well as a host of other ailments, and is said to boost energy and improve blood circulation.
ASK A Question Section!
If you have a question about superfoods, super nutrition, diet or superfood recipes.... ask it HERE. In next issue of Superfood Evolution Ezine I will select four and, to the best of my ability, answer them directly. 1) Rene Holland asks.... Is raw chocolate good for us?
Shira's ANSWER: Well, yes and no. It all depends on each individual and the amounts they consume. Some people can eat quite a bit of cacao, with no adverse side effects, only health promoting ones. And others are extremely sensitive to the theobromine content, which can effect the nervous system adversely. My opinion is to test it out and see how it makes you feel. Many superfoody people use it primarily as a delivery vehicle for potent superfoods, while others use it for its delicious tastes and effects that make it a great substitute for alcohol or another stimulants. 2) Mary Wellington asks.... How do I make my own Chinese tonic tea formulas and are they all safe to use?
Shira's ANSWER: There are a few routes to making your own tonic herbal formulations, depending on your level of interest. The first is to study them from a professional, someone who knows the herbs and how to combine them for greater effectiveness. The second is to read and learn about the main tonic herbs yourself and eventually evolve into creating your own personal herbal formulations for specific needs. Chinese Tonic Herbs 3) Lupe Alvarez asks.... When making sauerkraut do I need to use a weight to press it down? Or will it ferment without it? Shira's ANSWER: You can use a heavy weight, but I have found it not to be absolutely necessary. I usually don't weight down my sauerkraut. I just make sure to really press it down as tight as I can when I pack the jar. 4) Harry Williamson asks.... How can I get more protein in my diet using superfoods. I am interested in body building and want to gain more muscle mass. I know that a high protein diet is usually the protocol for achieving this, want do you recommend?
Shira's ANSWER: There are certain superfoods that are particularly great for building body mass. These are protein rich foods, like hemp seeds, goji berries, brazil nuts, leafy greens, and algaes. Sun Warrior Protein Powder is a popular mix than many raw body builders use. In addition, high amounts of astragalus and cordyceps mushroom extracts are great for weight training and building muscle. Sherif Kamel is a professional raw vegan body builder. For more info on body building go to his site: Natures Fitness Model. Products of the Month
This product actually deserves its very own page, but we will wait til we get ours to write more about it. A lot of superfoody folks are really lovin their new nut grinders that stone grind any nut, so you can make your own totally raw, unheated, fully nutritious nut butter in your very own home. This is a heavy duty machine and for the same cost as a high speed blender or juicer you can now be self sufficient with your own nut grinder. Why pay for expensive nut butters anymore? You can make your own from fresh, raw nuts and seeds. Or make your own raw chocolate or coconut butters!
Latest Superhealth UpdatesDehydrated Crouton Recipe - An Easy and Cost Effective Way To Make Croutons!
Finally, a recipe that makes use of all the fibrous pulp that is left over from juicing your green juices or mixed juice combo's. In this recipe we use it by the quart full to make incredible tasting and crunchy croutons. Its great to have this raw crouton recipe on hand, so you have superhealthy, homemade croutons for the next few weeks. Learn about the other ingredients in our crouton recipe that make it even more nutritious! Astragalus Root - How Can Astragalus Benefit Your Energy Levels?
One of the top herbs in Chinese tonic herbalism, this powerful root doesn't just build immune system strength, like commonly promoted in the West. It also stands as the TOP herb to use for increasing vital energies that support a productive and physically active lifestyle. Not only that, it is safe and easy to use, with results that can be felt immediately. Learn more about astragalus benefits and how you can start accessing higher levels of energy today!
Recipe of the Month:Mung Bean Sandwich
Mung beans are a great nutritious sprouted bean that give you some high energy bursting protein when you need it! You can see our mung bean page for more on this cute little legume. Here, I wanted to share an easy, but delicious, recipe that I have been using a lot lately when I want a quick, instant meal that takes no time to prepare. You do have to make the mung beans and onion bread in advance, but these sort of food items you can make in bulk and stock them for the week in your fridge, so they are available when you want a "fast food."
Place all ingredients any way you like on a slice of onion bread or roll it all up in a nori sheet. SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS:
BOOK of the Month:The Health Benefits of Medicinal Mushrooms
The Health Benefits of Medicinal Mushrooms, by Dr. Mark Stengler This is a nice medicinal mushroom book to have in your collection. It is a short, concise guide and nice introduction to the world of medicinal fungi. Dr. Stengler's research in 2005 uncovers a wide variety of health promoting properties that are well studying and documented. In addition, he also dedicates whole chapters to specific types of mushrooms and their benefits. These include: agaricus blazei, cordyceps sinensis, coriolus versicolor, maitake, reishi, shiitake, and lions mane. Happy Solstice everybody and thanks for joining me on my eighteenth edition of Superfood Evolution. If you would like to subscribe or tell a friend click here.
Until next month... Here's to your Superhealth! Much love, Shira
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by Ron Teeguarden is a great book to start with. All the "tonics" are like foods for the body, so they are very safe to use. But, always seek the advice of a medical professional if you are on any drug or have any kind of serious illness.
25th Annual Mushroom Conference - October 20-23, 2011, Breitenbush Hot Springs, CA
