When I was a child growing up in the country in upstate New York (no, not Buffalo or the Catskills. I’m talking about 30 minutes south of the Canadian border, cows and farms, one mall within 100 miles, small town USA where everybody knows everybody upstate New York) I had this obsession with mushroom soup.
Being raised vegetarian, I LOVED fruits and vegetables more than anything. And if I loved something, I wanted it. ALL the damn time. Immediately. Zero patience for waiting. Some things really never change 😉
So my mom used to make this fabulous mushroom soup. I was so obsessed with it that I deemed it “My Favorite Soup” and would demand (no, not ask. DEMAND) “My Favorite Soup” at every meal pretty much every single day for a solid year.
What can I say? I’ve loved mushrooms since day one. I love mushrooms now. ALL kinds of them. Portobello, Oyster, Crimini, Shiitake, and yes, the REALLY magical ones that can have some SERIOUS mega ultra super positive effects on one’s mental health when used properly (I’ll save that for another post).
Mushrooms are truly spectacular and one of my favorite foods ever, still. I am officially a shroom head.
Now let’s rewind to two years ago, when I decided to make a massive overhaul on my lifestyle. I stopped partying, I stopped eating meat and dairy and went fully plant-based, I started meditating and doing yoga daily…basically, I did a complete 180 on the way I was living my life and taking care of myself.
I closed one chapter of my life and opened another bigger, better, shinier one where self care is QUEEN, where I say no to 95% of requests I get without a single ounce of guilt, where I don’t feel the need to respond to every text or email I get.
I therefore preserve my precious time and energy only for what’s most important to me.
I want to live a LONG, healthy, prosperous, vibrant, joyful and overall absolutely fabulous life creating, traveling, and working for myself. There is absolutely no way in HELL I am able to bring my A-Game to the table in all areas of my life if my health is not in tip top condition at all times.
Without my health, nothing else matters!
Ever since I began this brand new lifestyle journey, I have become beyond obsessed with finding the best of the best products that can help me be the best, most WELL version of myself on the day to day.
Part of the whole reason as to why I created this blog in the first place is so I can share these hidden treasures with you.
I believe that EVERYONE deserves to live a long, fulfilled and fabulous life. I also believe that education is KEY! Many people simply don’t know how to properly take care of themselves, and I’m here to do my part in helping to spread the good word on how to do so.
Now, enter Four Sigmatic.
I stumbled across this dope AF company a few months ago while browsing the web for tasty new superfoods and instantly fell in love with their vibe. Like me, Four Sigmatic is superfood-OBSESSED.
They set the bar HIGH and only qualify 50 foods in the ENTIRE WORLD as being good enough to be foundational in the products they create. I’m ALL about high standards and pickiness with, well, everything…so of course I had to learn more about what made this company so elite and see for myself what all the hype was about.
So naturally, I snagged me a few of their products that caught my eye. And let me tell you, I was NOT disappointed. Here are all the dirty details:
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SUPERFOOD PROTEIN.
Not only does this protein come in THE most convenient single-serve packets (HELLO, perfect for taking to work and packing in my bag for a plane ride) – it’s also completely plant-based in the most superfood-y blend I’ve ever seen.
Pea, hemp, chia, pumpkin and coconut are all components that make up the 18G of protein in these convenient packets. Talk about a punch!
Along with this powerful blend of good-for-you proteins is an equally small but OH SO mighty blend of 7 different superfood mushrooms like Chaga, Cordyceps and Reishi.
It’s organic, gluten-free, vegan, stevia-free and no fillers whatsoever. This is the REAL shit. This blend is unflavored but creamy and has the perfect hint of sweetness to it.
My favorite trick is to pour a packet into my bowl of steel cut oats every morning, mix in some fresh berries and toss in a handful of walnuts and goji berries for some serious fuel that keeps me energized and full for 5 hours.
And IDK about you, but I turn into a monster when I’m hungry. Seriously. It’s NOT pretty.
So keeping easy-to-travel-with treats like this with me at all times is a MUST.
I’ll also blend it with unsweetened vanilla almond milk, a banana, and a spoonful of organic peanut butter into a post-lifting shake for maximum muscle recovery. This stuff is just, like, the ultimate immunity, brain health booster and overall EPIC CONCOCTION OF TOP-TIER HEALTH and I am HERE FOR IT.
2. COFFEE MIX WITH LION’S MANE.
If you know me at all, you know that I am an absolute fanatic for a stellar cup of coffee. I love coffee ALMOST as much as I love shrooms.
Almost.
I do limit my intake to one or two cups a day, but I do NOT go without my coffee. EVER. I bet you didn’t know that coffee beans themselves are a superfood and jam packed with antioxidants!
Coffee is NOT “bad for you” unless you’re loading it with sugar and creamer and/or drinking, like, 6 cups a day.
On that note, I was a little bit skeptical of this one at first. For anyone who’s a coffee connoisseur like me, the words “instant coffee” likely sends bone-shuddering chills up your spine.
Usually when I hear “instant coffee,” I mentally categorize it in the same area of “things you couldn’t pay me enough to even think about ingesting,” right next to McDonalds and mayonnaise.
But, given the stellar reviews, I decided to give it a shot.
This is not your cheap-o Folger’s instant coffee that tastes like water and dirt from the backyard pond.
This. Shit. SLAPS.
First of all, it’s organic. Second of all, it’s infused with some serious good-for-you superfoods, like:
- Lion’s Mane extract, which supports memory, concentration, cognitive function and reduces inflammation and oxidative stress on the nervous system.
- Chaga extract, aka the “King of Mushrooms,” which is chock FULL of antioxidants to support your immune system. Your hair, nails and skin will thank you!
- Rhodiola Rosea extract, which helps regulate stress levels, combats fatigue and depression, and promotes healthy brain function.
You know how sometimes in the afternoon you just want a TINY boost? Like, not a “let me drink 3 shots of espresso and you can scrape me off the ceiling later, cracked the f out and I am DEFINITELY not going to sleep well tonight” kind of boost.
Just a little ZING to perk you up without making you anxious or jittery? This, my friends, is the SAUCE.
It’s like coffee 2.0. It tastes like coffee (not mushrooms), perks you up AND helps you focus. I like to drink this a couple hours after lunch (especially if it’s a long day in front of my laptop) right when my brain starts to slowly feel like it’s starting to power walk rather than continue at a steady jog.
You feel?
It’s vegan, it’s organic, it’s keto-friendly AND it’s zero-sugar.
I like to mix mine with a splash of unsweetened vanilla almond milk. If you’re bigger on consistency, try it with a splash of oat milk for a creamier taste. Sprinkle on a dash of organic cinnamon, and you’ve got a full tank to power you through the rest of your work.
Without being a crackhead.
3. CACAO MIX WITH REISHI.
I saved this one for last because this is my favorite nightcap! Growing up, I used to LOVE drinking hot chocolate every night before bed. Back then I would drink Swiss Miss with skim milk which would completely put me into a sugar induced coma and royally fuck up my stomach if I were to drink it now.
But it was SO good, especially during those absolutely brutal winters where it’s literally -10 outside and you have to shovel your car out of the snow for 30 minutes before going anywhere. Good times!
Anyways, I haven’t had hot chocolate in YEARS and nostalgia was calling, so I had to give this one a whirl.
And let me tell you, I AM OFFICIALLY A FOREVER FAN.
Not only does this chocolate superfood extravaganza come in convenient, pre-portioned packets that are perfect for my on the go lifestyle (they’re especially handy when I get those occasional monstrous chocolate cravings and want to eat an entire sheet cake in one sitting), it actually TASTES chocolatey, cinnamon-ey and the perfect amount of “subtly sweet” without tasting like liquid diabetes.
Reishi, deemed the “mushroom of immortality,” is an adaptogen, which means it helps your body adapt to stress. Other benefits include boosting your immune system and fighting depression.
It’s made of cacao powder, Reishi extract and superfood sweeteners like cinnamon and coconut palm sugar (only 2g of sugar in each packet, ps)!
I like to make this every night after dinner with a little steamed unsweetened vanilla almond milk to satisfy my sweet tooth while I watch Netflix and wind down for the day.
It’s also organic, vegan and gluten free. Plus, 25 just calories a cup! MUSIC TO MY EARS!
If you want to crank up the heat on your immunity and health without compromising quality (or, like, stop spending your days gnawing on chalky protein bars or drinking chemical bomb energy drinks), Four Sigmatic is your holy grail.
When it comes to self care, I’m ALL about the baby steps. I like to do things like sloooowly substitute better-for-me concoctions into my daily rituals. Like swapping out the sugar and calorie bomb hot chocolate for this cacao mix instead. You get it.
Click here to shop Four Sigmatic and use promo code “ALIX” at checkout for 10% off your order 🙂
Stay safe, stay well and happy shrooming! And if you do try any of these magical treats, be sure to let me know what you think!
xo al