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IN THIS ISSUE:

1. Growing Gourmet and Medicinal Mushrooms
2. About Medicinal Mushroom Kits
3. A "Recap" on Mushroom Benefits
4. Book of the Month

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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!

Medicinal Mushroom Growing Kits

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 Mushroom Benefits

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.

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.

Until our next issue...

May you thrive, prosper and evolve in the best of ways!

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All information in this ezine is the personal view of the author and is for educational purposes only and not intended as medical advice, diagnosis or prescription. This information has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to cure or prevent any disease.