How to Use Reishi Mushroom to Support Health This Winter*

Learn How to Use Reishi Mushroom to Support Your Immune Health This Winter*

Reishi mushroom, Ganoderma species, is one of the best-known mushrooms and has been used by humans for over 2,000 years!* In this blog, you’ll learn how to use Reishi mushroom as a food and supplement, including an awesome immune-supporting soup stock recipe.*

Reishi, also known as the Mushroom of Immortality, is revered for its health-promoting properties.* It supports the entire body with its many compounds, including polysaccharides and triterpenes.* Throughout research studies, Reishi has demonstrated its supportive impact on the cardiovascular and digestive systems, as well as the liver and kidneys in already healthy individuals.* Reishi support the immune system, and supports normal inflammation response from occasional stress.* If you want to learn how to use Reishi mushroom to stay well this winter, keep reading!*

​How to Use Reishi Mushroom to Make Adaptogenic Soup Broth for Immune Health Support*

Reishi is a saprophytic mushroom, which means it grows on dead or decaying matter. When found in nature, Reishi can typically be found growing on dead trees. It is a bracket fungus, or shelf fungi. These characteristically grow out of the side of a tree horizontally, creating shelf-like fruiting bodies called conks. These conks are rather hard, tough, and sometimes spongy. Unlike Oyster or Maitake mushrooms, the conks of Reishi mushrooms cannot simply be cooked and eaten. Learn how to process Reishi to a state that makes it bioavailable for our bodies.

With a conk of fresh Reishi, cut it into long slices and arrange in a dehydrator or an oven set to the lowest temperature (about 175 degrees F, for most ovens), and left slightly ajar. Process until pieces are thoroughly dry. With dehydrated slices of Reishi, there are a lot of options of how to prepare it for use! Grind it up to make a powder, combine it with alcohol to make a tincture, or, one of our favorite uses, make a delicious and nutrient-dense soup broth. Follow this recipe and enjoy the benefits of adaptogenic, immuno-supportive mushroom soup!*

Reishi Immunity Soup Broth

• 5 slices of dried Reishi mushroom
• 4 slices of Astragalus root
• 6 sprigs of fresh or dried Rosemary
• ¼ cup of fresh or dried Sage leaves
• 6 sprigs of fresh or dried Thyme
• 6 garlic cloves
• 2-inch piece of fresh ginger, roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon ground Turmeric or 1-inch fresh, chopped
• 1 large onion, peeled and quartered
• 4 slices of dried seaweed, such as Kombu, Dulse, Bladderwrack, etc.
• A dash of salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Place all the ingredients in a slow cooker or a large stockpot. Cover with water and bring to a simmer. Simmer for at least four hours on low heat, but this stock is even better if you let it cook overnight.
2. Let cool, strain, and pour into jars, leaving ½ inch of space at the top if you plan to freeze the stock. Refrigerate for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.​

Add Mushroom Powder to Any Dish to Give it a Super Boost!*

Another way to cook with Reishi is in its powdered form. When it is processed correctly and finely powdered, it unlocks the mushroom’s active components for our bodies to access.* As a powder, it is super simple to add to any recipe. Try incorporating it in your breakfast smoothie, Buddha bowl at lunch, or veggie sauté in the evening. 

How to Use Reishi Mushroom Extract Daily

Taking a Reishi Mushroom Extract is another way to concentrate the properties of this wonderful mushroom into an easy to use, bioavailable source.* Incorporating Reishi tincture daily—on the tongue, in a glass of water, tea, juice, or in a smoothie—is a great way to access the support of this mushroom throughout the day.* Keeping a bottle around all the time is easy, too! Stash one in your bag, at home, and at work, so you never have to go without it. Check out our double-extracted, Certified Organic Reishi CALM Tincture!

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