Another day another blueberry muffin recipe. I purchased dried reishi from my go to herbal store in Oakland, Five Flavors Herbs. Reishi is an amazing mushroom / adaptogen with sooo many benefits! Everyone should be enjoying medicinal mushrooms every day to boost health. Reishi can taste very bitter so I used the bare minimum in this recipe.
Benefits of Reishi:
With popular names such as “king of herbs” and the “10,000-year old mushroom”, reishi mushrooms have been highly praised in herbal medicine for thousands of years for their effects on longevity. Reishi boosts the immune system and has tons of antioxidants.
Reishi mushrooms are adaptogenic herbs. This means they help your body deal with the negative effects of stress, such as increased inflammation, depleted energy levels, damaged blood vessels and various types of hormonal imbalances.
Reishis are also immune modulating. This means they work to restore balance to your body, bringing you back to homeostasis. They normalize various activity in your body ranging from cellular activity, digestion, and help balance your endocrine system (hormones).
Anti-Cancer Potential: Most people consume reishi mushrooms due to their anti-cancer properties. According to Xingzhong Jin, Julieta Ruiz Beguerie, Daniel Man-yuen Sze Et Al’s report on reishi mushrooms published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, the triterpenoids found in this type of fungus has the ability to reduce the metastasis of cancerous cells and slow the progression of tumor growth. Furthermore, a second study found that the active ingredients of reishi mushroom extract can seek out and neutralize cancerous cells within the body.
Liver Support: Studies have linked reishi mushroom extracts to faster regeneration of healthy liver cells and a release of free radicals that have built up in the organ, thereby promoting overall health and wellness.
Cognitive Function: Research has shown that the extracts of reishi mushrooms can stimulate cognitive activity and display certain neuroprotective effects, particularly in the stimulation of nerve growth factor, which is a key part of a healthy cognitive function.
Allergies: For those suffering from asthma, bronchitis or other chronic respiratory conditions, reishi mushroom extract can have a strong effect on reducing irritation and eliminating the allergic reactions from the body. By preventing the release of histamine from mast cells in the body, reishi mushrooms prevent allergic reactions.
Reishi also boosts energy! Many people are replacing their morning coffee with reishi and other mushroom powder blends. I like this one by Foursigmatic.
As for the calendula in this recipe...
Calendula, or Marigold, is a beautiful yellow flower. You can't help but improve your mood when looking at this beautiful flower. Beside the flower boasting amazing medicinal benefits, I utilized these flowers for the edible petals.
Calendula flowers are edible, just make sure you wash them first. They can be plucked straight from the flower and thrown into salads, sweets, or drinks. It adds a beautiful touch to any meal they decorate.
Recipe In a bowl mix the following 3 cups gf flour 1 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/4 tsp salt
¼ tsp reishi powder Then add the following 1/4 cup melted vegan butter or coconut oil 1 cup almond milk 1 cup maple syrup 1/2 cup lemon juice 2 tsp vanilla Once batter is well mixed, fold in 1 cup of blueberries! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Line a muffin tray with cupcake wrappers and pour the batter into each one. Bake on 350 for about an hour until completely cooked through (some ovens might take a little longer!)
Remove the muffins from the oven, and lovingly decorate the tops of them with calendula flowers.
Enjoy!
