A buzz that doesn't hijack your tiredness.

INSIGHT

This is the one that makes most people shut down: the idea of giving up coffee. I’m not advocating a total replacement, for caffeine is a helpful stimulant for a healthy constitution when used moderately. But most of us would admit to an excess of espressos to keep us going; so why not build up a habit of incorporating replacement stimulants that will produce compound positive effects on your health without the crash?

Adaptogens are benefit-rich pharmaceutical herbs that have stimulant properties to counteract the harmful effects of stress on our internal systems (glandular, endocrine, neurological, immune…). They include common use herbs like ginger, garlic, and green tea to more abstract power drugs like ashwagandha, cordyceps, and rhodiola. I used to be fascinated as a child walking into Chinese Medicine apothecaries and getting a boost from the whiff of pungent herbs as pharmacists opened old wooden drawers to pile up, what looked like a mound of dead leaves you’d rake up on an autumn afternoon, onto a piece of paper that would get wrapped up in large pouches for home-brewing. These concentrations of Nature’s medicine work like a tonic over time in the body, “adapting” not only to the stressor but also the stressee! They are non-toxic and non-specific (which is why you get that long list of benefits but no real curative description) and support your overall well-being by normalizing homeostasis.

The innovations of how to farm, package and deliver these powerful plant drugs into our bodies as daily jolts will be an exciting horizon to watch. Particularly since humans are also designed to desire the most easily obtainable energy boost (often from addiction) that tastes good as opposed to the tough stuff of habit formation and slow growth required for adaptogens to work their magic on our systems. Patience truly is a virtue in this camp. And then you can have your coffee and drink it too.

INSPIRATION

Four Sigmatic

The team at Four Sigmatic have been making mushroom magic for the rest of us since 2012; creating awesome combinations of adaptogenic mushrooms and superfoods as coffee replacements (and some with coffee-enhanced for those who can’t go cold turkey). Delicious, creative and healthy, these guys really created a category smasher and are pioneering the way towards creative and convenient ways to incorporate more adaptogens in our daily lives. All without taking away our favorite drug altogether with their mushroom coffee blends.

They make drinking mushrooms (yup, drinking mushrooms) delicious and easy-to-do with a wide variety of superfood (and super-good-for-you) beverages. From Mushroom Coffees, to Matchas to Hot Cacao and multi-mushroom Blends… they have it all.
Chaga Mushroom Elixirs / Mushroom Cacao Mix / Lion's Mane Mushroom Mix / Reishi Mushroom Mix / Cordyceps Mushroom Mix / Mushroom Coffee Mix

INNOVATION

“Herbresso”

Small Nespresso machine compatible capsules of TCM-based superfoods and functional herbs to support one's health as a dietary adjunct or for nutritional fortification.

• Nourishing benefits to build/strengthen immunity or activate specific bodily systems via TCM/Naturopathic model of preventative health.

• Working on different levels: Nutritive (fortification), Sedating (calming), Cleansing (detoxing) to help normalize over or under activity of qi in the body.

• Cross-blend of functional foods/herbs with specific adaptogens (roots, bark, leaves, berries, mushrooms with highly potent effects on the body) to increase the mind-body adaptability to overthrow daily stress on one's system.

• Cumulative effect of adaptogens create a long-term effect or "build up" of a strengthened body; creating a system that is able to better self-regulate.

• For those hesitant about the polluting effects of Nespresso pods: new research looking at the whole life-cycle of our coffee addictions are now realizing these little aluminum packages are more sustainable than once thought.