How Reishi Mushrooms can help with the Back-to-School Transition

As summer fades away each year, it’s time for students of all ages to return to school. However, this transition can be challenging and stressful. Whether you are a student or a parent helping your child, addressing the stress and lack of energy that come with this time of year is crucial. Fortunately, red reishi mushrooms can help the entire family, offering up a host of health benefits to get you through this school season.

Red reishi mushrooms are known as the “mushroom of immortality,” and they have been used for their medicinal properties for thousands of years in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Reishi have been found to contain powerful active compounds that provide a wide range of health benefits for the human body, and they offer specific benefits when it comes to managing the challenges of returning to school.

Managing Stress

Returning to school can be stressful for both students and parents. Stress can manifest in different ways, including depression, poor concentration, anxiety, difficulty with coping, digestive issues, or changes in appetite.

Reishi mushrooms are an excellent choice for managing stress, as they are adaptogenic herbs. This, in part, means they are neither sedatives, nor stimulants, but they can help the body manage a wide range of stressors. Red reishi contains compounds, such as ganoderic acid, that help to regulate and reduce stress while promoting relaxation. Reishi mushrooms increase the production of calming neurochemicals, which leads to a significant reduction in anxiety levels and cognitive disturbances.

And one of its primary uses in TCM has been for calming the nervous system. For centuries, both Buddhist and Daoist monks have used reishi to support their meditation practices. Using reishi mushrooms in a supplement form can effectively reduce stress levels and promote feelings of calmness, making the back-to-school transition much easier.

Improving Sleep

Getting enough sleep is critical for students returning to school. Sufficient restful sleep is essential to concentration, focus, learning new material, and retaining and recalling information quickly. Sleep is also needed to help reduce stress and support the immune system. Because the change from summer routine to a school schedule can lead to sleep disturbances and insomnia, incorporating reishi mushrooms is an effective way to make this transition.

The active compounds in reishi mushrooms will help balance the body’s hormones, leading to better quality sleep. Research has demonstrated that reishi mushroom extracts improve sleep quality by reducing the time needed to fall asleep, increasing the amount of slow-wave sleep, and reducing the frequency of waking up during the night. Using a reishi supplement before bed can lead to a more restful and rejuvenating night’s sleep.

Supporting the Immune System

Students often spend long hours in the classroom. This close and enclosed exposure to many others means more potential for contact with viruses and bacteria. Returning to school can expose students to a variety of infections, so ensuring optimal immune system function is paramount.

Reishi mushrooms contain beta-glucans that help to stimulate the immune system to respond when needed, promoting defensive action against harmful pathogens. Beta-glucans are immune system modulators. This means that the immune system will increase white blood cell production when under attack but calm the overly sensitive immune response for those with allergies and autoimmune disorders.

Taking red reishi supplements daily may help reduce the frequency, duration, and severity of colds and flus by supporting a healthy immune response.

Feeling More Energized

While feeling tired or needing caffeine has become a society norm, it’s not normal. Feeling drained and low on energy can make it difficult for students to focus, leading to poor academic performance. If students have been able to sleep in more often during the summer months, then the return to early morning school schedules may exacerbate feelings of fatigue.

Reishi mushrooms are recognized in TCM as Qi tonics. This means they can help boost energy levels, but they are not stimulants and won’t leave you feeling jittery. They do this in part by regulating cortisol, one of the body’s stress hormones. When cortisol levels are too high, it can lead to fatigue, mental fog, and irritability. Additionally, when stress is chronic and cortisol levels remain elevated for too long, you may experience adrenal fatigue.

Reishi mushrooms contain triterpenes, which have been found to support and strengthen the adrenal glands. The adrenal glands are responsible for producing cortisol and other hormones that regulate energy, mood, and mental clarity. Supporting healthy adrenal gland function with reishi mushroom supplements will help to mitigate fatigue and promote energy.

How to Take Reishi

Reishi mushrooms have a hard, chitinous shell, meaning they are not easily cooked and consumed like some of their fellow mushrooms. Additionally, the triterpene compounds are very bitter in flavour, so capsule supplements are the easiest way to be consistent with daily reishi intake.

Because high-quality reishi is key if you want health benefits that you’ll notice, look for capsules that include the fruiting body (the stem and cap that you would identify as looking like a mushroom). The fruiting body contains the triterpene compounds needed for calming the nervous system, supporting feelings of calm energy, and for helping with the health of the lungs, heart, liver, kidneys, and adrenal glands.

For adults, Mikei offers an easy one-a-day concentrated dose capsule, but it’s safe to take more than one on days when more than one is needed or as directed by a healthcare provider. Take it with something high in vitamin C for better absorption of reishi’s medicinal compounds.

For kids who can’t swallow capsules, consider opening the reishi capsule and adding a bit of it to their food. Because high-quality fruiting body reishi is very bitter in flavour, chocolate (hot chocolate, chocolate milk, chocolate pudding), smoothies, and shakes make for a good hiding place. I’ve also found it hides well in no-bake protein balls made with dates.

Ultimately, reishi mushrooms are a great addition to any back-to-school routine. From managing stress and improving sleep to supporting the immune system and boosting energy levels, red reishi mushrooms can make the transition back to school much easier. Make the most of your or your kids’ time at school by starting with a solid foundation of health and energy with reishi mushrooms.

Sleep Disorders: 4 Common Types and How to Improve them

Did you know that approximately 35% of Canadians suffer from a sleep disorder? Sleep is one of the most important aspects of life, and your overall health is directly related to how well you sleep. Understanding what sleep disorders are and how they can be treated will help you get better quality sleep every night.

Why do we need sleep?

Sleep is important for overall health and wellbeing. Lack of sleep can lead to impaired alertness, reduced attention span, and poor memory. It can also affect mood, causing irritability and anxiety. Sleep deprivation can make it harder to think clearly and make decisions.

Insufficient sleep can also diminish our ability to heal from injury and disease, slow our repair processes, and leave us more susceptible to illnesses as it weakens our immune system. And, if that weren’t bad enough, it also accelerates the aging process.

How much sleep is necessary?

According to the National Sleep Foundation, the average adult needs between 7 and 9 hours of sleep each night. If you’re not getting the recommended amount of shut eye, it can affect both your health and quality of life.

What causes sleep disorders?

Sleep disorders include insomnia, problems not feeling rested despite number of sleep hours, sleep walking or talking, narcolepsy, sleep apnea, and restless leg syndrome. Sleep disorders can have a variety of causes, but they generally fall into two categories: primary and secondary.

Primary sleep disorders are those that have no known cause. They may be genetic, but they’re not associated with any other medical or mental health conditions. Examples of this could be sleep apnea and restless leg syndrome if there is no known associated condition.

Secondary sleep disorders are caused by another condition or factor. An example of this is insomnia caused by an underlying issue like stress or anxiety.

What are the types of common sleep disorders?

1. Insomnia

Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder, and it is a broad category covering a wide range of issues. It affects about one in three adults and can cause poor quality of life, increased risk of heart disease and diabetes, and increased work absenteeism.

Common types of insomnia include:

  • Transient insomnia: This type of insomnia usually lasts less than one week and occurs in response to an event like a work deadline, upcoming exam, flu, or time change.
  • Short-term insomnia: This type of insomnia lasts up to three months and may be caused by stress or injury. It’s also common in people who are adjusting to new medication or changes in their environment like moving homes or jobs.
  • Long-term or chronic insomnia: This type of insomnia lasts more than three months and can occur if you experience stress, anxiety, or depression on a regular basis.

2. Sleep apnea

This condition occurs when someone’s breathing is interrupted by their airway collapsing or becoming blocked while they are sleeping. It may occur because of excess weight, narrowed airway, older age, congestive heart failure disease, smoking, nasal congestion, alcohol, sedatives, and opioid pain medications.

If you have sleep apnea, it will make you snort, gasp, or choke as your airways narrow or close, causing you to not get in enough air. When your brain senses the lowered oxygen levels, it wakes you briefly—sometimes as frequently as 30 times per hour—but usually so briefly that you don’t remember it. This can leave you feeling tired during the day. But, worse, it can increase your risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and liver issues. Furthermore, if you have a sleep partner, they may also be impacted as your loud snoring, snorting, and ceasing to breathe cause them to be sleep deprived.

3. Restless legs syndrome (RLS)

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a neurological disorder that causes unpleasant sensations in your legs and an uncontrollable urge to move them. These sensations may occur when you’re sitting still or lying down. RLS can disrupt the quality of your sleep so that it’s not restful at all for both you and your sleep partner.

4. Narcolepsy

Narcolepsy is a neurological disorder that causes excessive daytime sleepiness. People with narcolepsy experience sudden and uncontrollable sleep attacks during the day. Type 1 narcolepsy involves both excessive daytime sleepiness and cataplexy, a sudden muscle weakness that is triggered by strong emotions. This can cause slurred speech, head drooping, or falling down, and it can last for a few seconds or a few minutes. Type 2 narcolepsy does not involve cataplexy.

What are some tips for getting a good night’s sleep?

Sleep is essential for your health and wellbeing. If you are having trouble sleeping, it can affect your mood, energy level, and overall quality of life, so here are some tips for getting a good night’s sleep:

  • Create a regular wind-down routine, turning of backlit screens and doing something relaxing like reading a book, stretching, meditating, or practicing breathwork before bedtime.
  • Don’t exercise too close to bedtime. You may have trouble falling asleep after exercising.
  • Make sure your bedroom is dark, quiet, and cool enough.
  • Don’t eat or drink anything with caffeine in it for six to ten hours before bedtime, depending on how sensitive your body is to this stimulant.
  • Don’t eat a large meal within a few hours of bedtime.

Take Reishi Mushrooms

Reishi is one of the most powerful medicinal mushrooms available, and they have been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for thousands of years. In fact, reishi has been shown to help with a wide range of conditions and ailments, including sleep disorders. The reishi mushroom contains polysaccharides and triterpenes that can help you fall asleep faster and sleep longer. While it is not a sedative—meaning you can take it during the daytime, and it won’t make you drowsy—TCM practitioners have long classified reishi in a grouping of herbs that calm the mind.

Reishi contains polysaccharides, which are complex carbohydrates that are very high in antioxidants. Reishi mushrooms also contain triterpenoids that have been found to have calming and anti-inflammatory properties that can help reduce anxiety and improve sleep quality.

Because sleep disorders are often caused by or aggravated by stress or anxiety, taking an herbal remedy that helps calm the nervous system can promote deep restorative sleep. Additionally, as an adaptogen, it can help restore the body’s ability to heal underlying conditions contributing to or caused by sleep issues. And, as an energy tonic that is not a stimulant, it can help during the daytime, when you need to be alert and attentive.

If you’re looking for a way to address both the causes of and the results of sleep disorders, the powerful adaptogenic reishi mushroom is an excellent option as part of your health plan.

Will Reishi Keep Me Awake?

Who doesn’t want a great night’s sleep? We spend one-third of our lives sleeping, and that is what keeps us healthy throughout the day! On average, adults need between 7 and 9 hours of sleep per day. This is the time during which important processes happen, including detoxification, tissue repair, new cell production, and healthy cognitive processing.

Missing restorative sleep can result in more susceptibility to infection, poorer recovery from injury, and increased risk of illness and disease. It can also mean that we make more mistakes, perform worse at our work, and respond badly to challenging situations and people. We all know how much more difficult it is to take the high ground when we are exhausted.

With busy schedules and endless to-do lists, it is harder than ever to truly recharge your batteries. Despite your best intentions, you might end up staying up later than anticipated. Worse yet, you lie there wide-eyed, unable to sleep despite the fact that you are exhausted. “Tired but wired” seems ever more common.

Our bodies need sleep to work properly. So, if you have heard that mushrooms can improve your energy but worry that they might interfere with your sleep pattern, fret not. Mushroom supplements have played a critical role in the support of natural sleep cycles for centuries. Truth be told, medicinal mushrooms have a long list of benefits, including increased energy, longer life, and improved immune function.

Read on to learn why reishi is the perfect nighttime elixir to help you sleep like a baby and bring balancing energy to your mind and body.

Nature’s answer to a better night’s sleep

While many of us think that a substance can either be stimulating or sedating, but not both, welcome to the world of adaptogens. Adaptogens are natural substances that help the body find homeostasis, a self-regulating process that maintains internal conditions necessary for survival.

Reishi mushrooms can help provide of a feeling of energy during your waking hours, while their active compounds can assist in sleep when it’s bedtime, helping you recharge and rejuvenate and be better prepared for another full day. Unlike prescription or over-the-counter sleeping pills or even some natural sleep remedies, reishi mushrooms won’t cause you to feel drowsy the next day.

For hundreds of years, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has classified reishi mushrooms—called “ling zhi”—under the category of “calm the mind” herbs. Though the stressors of centuries or even decades ago may be quite different than today, we are wired for survival and have always had to deal with stresses, whether from illness and disease or worries about potential issues in the days to come. In TCM, it is the fruiting body (stem and cap) that is used to soothe the nervous system, creating a feeling of calm. It’s thus important to make sure that you choose a reishi supplement that includes the fruiting body and not just the mycelium. The medicinal mushroom compounds will not only improve tranquility, but also support healthy liver, heart, and kidney function, helping you deal with the body’s physical stresses, providing a better night’s sleep.

Modern day research has found the reishi mushroom to have promising results as a sedative. In an animal study, supplementation with reishi demonstrated that the mushroom increased the duration of sleep in rats.

How to use reishi mushrooms for optimal sleep

In TCM, herbal formulas are generally prescribed by someone skilled in assessing an individual’s constitution and current health situation. A variety of chosen herbs are mixed together and taken for a specified duration of time. It is rare that individual herbs are recommended.

Reishi mushroom is unique in this regard. Because of its adaptogenic properties, safety, and wide range of applications, it may be recommended to take on its own. If you suffer with insomnia, or simply want to enhance your sleep routine, reishi mushroom supplements should be taken every evening before bedtime. As a mushroom with sleep-enhancing properties, it can help you maintain your natural biorhythm. You will fall into a deeper sleep and wake up feeling refreshed. Simply add the reishi mushroom supplement to your favourite drink or recipe or consume it in capsule form.

Coping With the Daylight Saving Time

Like it or not, autumn is here. While it’s only an hour difference, the switch out of Daylight Saving Time can disrupt your daily routine and alter your body clock, affecting your mood, energy, and sleep patterns.

It’s particularly difficult for those who already have sleep issues, and for those with children or animals that don’t understand the change of time. And if you are not getting enough proper sleep, you can put your memory, productivity, emotional stability, and physical health at risk.

While there is much talk in some regions about doing away with Daylight Saving Time changes, for many of us, we still have to do this for at least another year.

Fortunately, there are some sleep-better tips you can do to ease yourself back to the fall time jump.

​Start preparing early

Believe it or not, even just one hour can wreak havoc on your sleep pattern if you are not prepared for it. Attempting to acclimate to the fall time change all at once can be tough for many people. A more effective plan? Ease into the fall time schedule by staying up a little later and getting up a bit later too for a few days prior to the new time change.

If you have young children, you may want to start this routine even a bit earlier, with gradual adjustments to the bedtime and waketime routine.

​Avoid alcohol and caffeine

Stimulants like alcohol and caffeine can disrupt your body’s internal clock, especially when you’re are trying to adjust to the time change. Caffeine can stay in your system for a long time, so stop with the caffeine at least four to six hours before you plan to wind down for bed. While you may think that alcohol can help you sleep, the truth is, that it reduces rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, resulting in a less restful and restorative sleep.

Instead, drink an herbal tea like chamomile. It will not only help you unwind after a long day, but also help you get a good night’s sleep.

​Get some exercise

The fall time change means earlier morning sun. So, why not make the most of it with some exercise? Getting the body moving early in the day causes your brain to release serotonin, a feel-good hormone that can help your body better adjust to the time change.

​Use Japanese reishi mushrooms

Known as ling zhi in Traditional Chinese Medicine (or “divine mushroom” for the English speakers), Japanese reishi mushrooms have been used for centuries as a super sleep aid. This incredible herb has been shown to calm the mind, reduce anxiety, manage stress, and treat insomnia.

Though it sounds paradoxical, reishi can help you both relax enough to sink into a restful sleep and support your energy through the daytime. It is neither a sedative nor a stimulant.

And, it’s not just seasonal Daylight Saving Time changes that this can help. The same benefits apply for shift workers and time-zone-changing travelers.

Japanese reishi mushrooms also boost the immune system, helping you stay healthy when time changes can throw your body’s internal clock for a loop. Don’t let the fall time change get the better of you this year. With reishi to the rescue, you will be fully prepared for this annual autumn switch in time.