Hola Mami!
Today, July 5th, 2022, I begun my 30 Day Jing Challenge. It was supposed to be July 1st, but baby steps…
I am used to having a sugary cup of coffee every morning along with some sort of pastry or toast with spread as my “first breakfast” and it’s time for a real change. I had previously tried changing my diet by joining a subscription that would deliver “healthy” food to my doorsteps and it ended up getting me really sick. Last year, I even had my gallbladder removed in an emergency situation. I am a foodie and love trying new foods and not necessarily the healthy options. Today I begin a journey with Superfeast, after listening to the podcast and joining some Instagram Live sessions where they answered some of my concerns, I was so excited to receive a few key items to begin my journey and I am grateful for the amazing gift they have shared with me.
My mornings begin at around 5 or 5:30am, that means that by 6am, I already had my “first breakfast” (I usually have my second breakfast at around 10am, during my first official “work-break”). Today, I decided to quit cold-turkey coffee. I have replaced my morning coffee with JING and in place of my usual Almond and Oat-milk Caramel Starbucks creamer, I used plain Oat-milk and no added sugar (I was going to opt for agave or honey but I held off and it was pretty delicious with just plain Oat-milk). Before adding the Oat-milk, I tried JING by adding 1/4 of a teaspoon to hot water and mixing. If you are a tea-drinker that doesn’t add a sweetener (or a black coffee drinker) then, you will probably find that JING by itself is pretty good. Considering my coffee ritual however, I decided to froth in some Oat-milk and it did the trick. Today, instead of my usual pastry, I had one that is Gluten-Free, KETO friendly with added fiber and protein. This was a much healthier option, though it still has sugar, I am willing to take baby steps to eliminate my elevated sugar consumption (I do have a sweet tooth and am a sucker for desserts).
Aside from my herbal extract blend, JING, I also received QI (herbal extract blend), REISHI (mushroom extract) and LION’S MANE (mushroom extract). I have decided to consume them in tonic form (hot water) and replace the drinks I would usually have for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. To accompany my breakfast, I will have JING. To accompany my lunch, I will have QI (herbal extract blend). To accompany my dinner, I will have LION’S MANE (mushroom extract). I also usually drink tea in the evenings, before bedtime as part of my wind-down routine, I will be drinking REISHI (mushroom extract). I will test this for a week and then make changes if it doesn’t work, otherwise, I will maintain this schedule for the next 30 days (as much as possible).
After reading a bit of what each blend and extract offers, the following is the reasoning behind my schedule:
JING – One of the main motivator is to replace my morning coffee and join the 30 day JING challenge (you can read all the details and join the challenge HERE). JING is an herbal extract blend containing: Eucommia (bark), Cordyceps CS-4 (Mycellium), Goji (berry), Rehmannia (root), Cistanche (Stem), Dendrobium (stem) extract powders. This tonic blend of herbs are meant to elevate the mind, body and spirit, best way to start my mornings. These blends are meant to cultivate energy in the kidneys and adrenals, support healthy hormone function, stamina and libido. It is suggested to stir into hot water or plant milk for an instant tonic tea, however, you can use it in cold water, broths and as part of your favorite mealtime recipes! For inspo and recipes, you can find them HERE!
QI – Herbal extract blend is meant for vitality and energy. It is said to tonify your metabolic fire to be able to feel greater energy and vitality. QI (Chi) is the energy that animates our body, mind, cells and organs and drives their functions (package details). For most of these blends, they can easily be mixed in with hot or cold water and it is recommend from 1/4 to 1 tbs daily. The Ingredients are astragalus root*, poria mushroom, codonopsis root, white atractylodes root, turkey tail mushroom, gynostemma leaf, jujube fruit. *dual-extract. Because it is meant to activate energy, I decided to take this during my lunch meal (or right after) to help give me that mid-day boost. I will report back if it is effective after a week of testing and then after the 30 days.
LION’S MANE- is a mushroom extract. I have always heard about mushrooms being used for thousands of years by herbalists to support the brain. Lion’s mane is meant to support the nervous system, improve cognitive function and boost digestive health, this is the reason I decided to follow my dinner with a LION’S MANE tonic tea. The ingredients are simply Semi-wild lion’s mane mushroom fruiting body water extract powder. I am very interested in the digestive health aspect of LION’S MANE, I will report back if it is effective after a week of testing and then after the 30 days.
REISHI- is also a mushroom extract. In ancient times, it was referred to as “mushroom of immortality” for its powerful adaptogenic qualities. REISHI is meant to relieve stress and anxiety, strengthen the spirit, calm the mind and promote peaceful sleep. I plan to drink this as part of my evening wind-down routine. I think most of us can really use something that is meant to strengthen our spirit, the last two years (and counting) have been heavy and draining, I am particularly interested in the stress and anxiety relief. I will report back with updates after a week and then after the 30 days.
Thank you for joining me on this 30 Day Challenge, I am taking this with an open heart and I hope you are too! If you are joining the challenge, send me a message, let’s be each-other’s accountability partners!
As always, please consult your healthcare practitioner before using or if pregnant or breastfeeding.
xoxo,
LA Mami,
Julie Lopez
