A bizarre healing ritual called kambo has been sweeping the globe. This traditional Amazonian medicine produces nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and other unpleasant symptoms. Despite the discomfort, thousands of people swear by it as a panacea for physical, emotional and spiritual health benefits. Oh, and did we mention it comes from a frog?   Once practiced in the jungles...

Apitherapy is a type of alternative therapy that uses products that come directly from honeybees. It’s used to treat illnesses and their symptoms as well as pain from acute and chronic injuries. Illnesses that apitherapy may treat include: multiple sclerosis arthritis infections shingles Injuries that apitherapy can treat include: wounds pain burns tendonitis During apitherapy...

11 Benefits of Reishi Mushrooms    Sometimes referred to as the “mushroom of immortality,” reishi has been used for thousands of years to promote vitality, support immune function, maintain stress resilience, deepen mental clarity and more.  Once rare and mostly reserved for the Chinese emperor and his court, these days it’s widely cultivated and...

Lion’s mane (Hericeum erinaceus) has been a time-tested mainstay in Traditional Chinese Medicine for hundreds of years. It’s known by a few other whimsical names that refer to its quirky appearance: such as deer’s tail, satyr’s beard, and even the “pom pom” mushroom. While its health properties have been known about and used as medicine for such a long time,...

Before the world of modern medicine—including pharmaceuticals, pills, surgeries, and more—all we had was the natural world to turn to for health and healing. Over the centuries, this has made the general state of our health and wellness around the globe launch to a much better, higher level. Today, however, we know that modern medicine has left some important priorities behind. We...

The Health Benefits of Caterpillar Fungus: A Unique Natural Remedy Caterpillar fungus, also known as Cordyceps sinensis, is a unique medicinal mushroom that has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries. This fungus is a combination of a fungus and a caterpillar, which makes it a unique and interesting natural remedy. In recent years, it has gained...

WHAT IS CHAGA FUNGUS? Chaga (Inonotus obliquus) is a sterile conk fungus that grows primarily on birch trees. It is also referred to as the King of Medicinal Mushrooms (though it is a mycelium mass and not technically a mushroom), clinker fungus, and tinder conk (for its high flammability and long, slow smolder). The fungus forms a parasitic relationship with the birch tree that can...

by John Staughton (BASc, BFA) last updated - September 15, 2020  People have been cultivating shiitake mushrooms for more than 800 years, to use them in various dishes for their unique flavor and impressive health benefits. What are Shiitake Mushrooms? Shiitake mushrooms (Lentinula edodes) are a popular fungal variety native to East Asia. The...

 exploring the world of mushrooms can yield some extraordinary similarities, too. Fungi consumed for health purposes for thousands of years have their own representatives with similar benefits. These include chaga mushroom, reishi mushroom, and even the multi-colored, multi-faceted turkey tail mushroom. Yet there’s one up-and-comer that is showing some strong promise...

Wood Ear (Auricularia Auricula-Judae) Where does this weird mushroom grow? Wood ear mushrooms grow in temperate forests around the world. They usually pop up on older trees in groups, and grow on dead and living ash, spindle, and beech trees. What’s unique about this mushroom? As the name suggests, wood ear mushrooms look shockingly similar to human ears. Their color ranges from...