Are you doing mushrooms? I only ask because some middle-class mums I know have traded their usual stress reliever (Chardonnay) for microdosing the fungi.
"They take the edge off and give you a buzz," says one frazzled friend, who wants to remain anonymous. "And you don’t get the hangover or the empty calories you get from wine."
Okayyy… But for those of us who want a legal high, there are lots of wellness companies claiming to harness the power of mushrooms to boost mental and physical wellbeing.
Case in point? OTO, the beauty brand famous for extracting non-psychoactive cannabidiol from the cannabis plant and making stress-relieving, sleep-inducing products from it, has now turned its attention to mushrooms.
"We use a similar extraction process," says founder Gemma Colao. "You don't get high, but they are great for the mind, helping with clarity and with gut health."
The brand has a new mushroom-based treatment called Kinoko Ki which I recently tried at fancy hotel Chewton Glen. It included body brushing, lymphatic drainage and a dreamy application of a new fungi-loaded oil. I felt very relaxed afterwards but would be hard-pressed to say if it was the mushrooms or the masseurs' hands.
© Giada AlineOTO also has a new supplement, 'Mushroom Complex', which includes five types of functional fungi extracts including Maitake, Reishi, Shitake, Lion’s Mane and Chaga. OTO claim it will sharpen cognitive function and improve immunity.
There's scepticism amongst scientists about the effectiveness of mushroom supplements, but the ever-increasing popularity of them shows more and more people are convinced of their benefits.
© Bowonpat SakaewLion's Mane mushrooms are particularly popular. Rhian Stephenson, a respected nutritionist, naturopath and founder of wellness brand Artah believes it it is one of the hot ingredients to watch and it can help with depression, anxiety, fatigue, plus improve longevity. (You can find it in their 'Biome Restore' supplements. Use code SEPTEMBER20 for 20% off.)
Dirtea's Lion's Mane Powder (add it to your coffee) is a favourite of the fashion set. The brand reckons its drinks and gummies harness the "transformative power of functional mushrooms" to improve "sleep, energy and focus."
And that they are "calming, energising, mood-boosting and libido-lifting." Big claims.
If you don’t want to take it then, you could use mushroom extracts on your hair instead.
Dyson, who broke the beauty mould with the Supersonic hairdryer, has a new haircare range, 'Chitosan', that uses a complex macromolecule derived from oyster mushrooms. "Delicate yet strong", it is responsible for "giving fungi its shape."
They have used it in their 'Pre-Style Cream' and 'Post-Style Serum' that promise to deliver hold "without crunch" and provide "long-lasting frizz protection.
So whether you swallow them, wear them or have them on toast is up to you. Just don't forage for them unless you know what you are doing. Renal failure is the opposite of wellbeing, right?
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