View this email in your browser

The wellness industry would love to have you believe it discovered the healing power of mushrooms. Maybe a maximalist packaging on your local grocery shelf (or in an Instagram ad) put medicinal mushrooms on the map for you, but they go way back.

Mushrooms like reishi, chaga, and cordyceps were traditionally used in Chinese medicine, as well as in Japan, to treat inflammation and cauterize wounds. There’s even some evidence that medicinal mushrooms were used in ancient Greek culture and by the first peoples of North America and in ancient Aztec traditions.

Fungi has the range: Chaga has anti-inflammatory benefits, turkey tail has antioxidants and prebiotics, lion’s mane may help regenerate damaged nerves, reishi may have anticancer properties, and cordyceps may improve kidney function.

It’s no wonder healthy coffee brands are dehydrating shrooms, grinding them up, and mixing them into their coffee. We reviewed nine of the more popular mushroom coffee products out there right now. Four Sigmatic instant coffee is our favorite, Laird Superfoods Organic Peruvian Mushroom Coffee Medium Roast is a close second, and you can see what we thought about the other seven.

What’s the first thing you drink in the morning?

Melanie, editor at Nessie Sightings

One of my favorite alternatives to just straight coffee is Acid League’s Coffee Chaga Maple. It’s a living tonic, so it’s got that acidic quality to it. If you’re looking for the benefits of mushrooms and the taste of coffee, this ain’t it. I’m into that astringent kick, though, and if you like kombucha and wanna spice up your mornings a little, I think it’s worth trying. (It comes in a pack of three, so I split it among me and two of my more adventurous friends.)

New year, new journal (this one is a complement to your therapy sessions)

Velty’s uncaffeinated (that is, it was crafted without caffeine, not that the caffeine was forcibly removed) instant coffee now comes in a spicy blend with notes of cinnamon and ginger

I got these smoked salmon bites at my local Sprouts market the other week and they’re my latest favorite snack

A cozy cotton cropped sweater and shorts set

Bestselling all-weather pants with pockets (I like the evergreen colorway)

I feel like we’re entering the year of rethinking your showerhead. It should be sustainable, have good water pressure, come in fun colors, and maybe even have a little aromatherapy feature

Just a fun bluetooth speaker for your shower

New Hoka hiking shoes! Very into the Blue Glass / Coastal Shade color

And a new forager collection from Allbirds with greens and taupes inspired by the forests of Big Sur

Sakara is the meal delivery service for anyone looking for flavorful, beautiful, plant-based foods dropped at your doorstep. New customers can get 20% off with the code PN_NESS20, and existing customers can use PN_NESS10 for 10% off all orders

People are networking and brainstorming during ice baths and IV infusions

“Real beauty isn’t about symmetry, or weight, or makeup. Real beauty is about looking life right in the face and seeing all its magnificence reflected in your own”

Fitness trackers for kids aren’t always healthy

This year I want to focus more on how things feel rather than how they look

My Emily in Paris (pronounced peh-ree) friends and dudes: Ashley Park’s full-body Pilates workout

…and our most clicked articles on The Nessie from 2022! Best water tracker apps, how to recover from burnout, the best mushroom coffee, best hyaluronic acid supplements, and the best treadmill apps for when you can’t run outside

Did a friend forward this to you? Subscribe to Nessie Sightings to get issues directly to your inbox!

We write for people looking for approachable health and wellness finds and insights. All products and services are independently selected to provide recommendations you can trust. We may receive commission on purchases made from some of our links, but that’s not why we’re here. We just want to help you find good stuff.