Trend Perspectives With Cynthia Maxwell
While you’re reading this quick trend callout and most likely enjoying your pumpkin flavored anything and everything, let’s take a moment and ponder mushrooms.
Oh yes, this fungus, which grows year round but most prevalent in the fall, is showing up in everything from your local restaurant to décor trends. After reading a few of its new uses you might consider making mushrooms a part of your every season life.
Health and Wellness
Called out by the Global Wellness Summit as one of the top trends of 2018, they named the lions mane’s ability to regrow nerve cells and prevent dementia, and turkey tail’s to help our immune system fight cancer. Stellar universities like Johns Hopkins are researching the effects these fungus have on PTSD, OCD, headaches, depression, anxiety and a variety of addictions often with a single dose and the positive effects lasting for months.
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Some varieties of mushrooms are adaptagens-which has a complex meaning, but mostly known as a naturally occurring substance in plant and herbs that help the body to resist stress and handle the effects that stress has on the adrenals, digestion, the mind etc. The reishi, chaga, lions mane and shitake are some of the top adaptagenic mushrooms used in health and beauty at retail right now. 
Maybe you have seen Four Stigmatics Mushroom Coffee Mix in the wellness section of your local grocery store with less caffeine than regular coffee it gives you a boost of energy and helps with focus. They also have several mushroom hot cocoa mixes that have way less sugar than standard mixes and provide a load of health benefits including better sleep.
Choice Organic Teas have five mushroom varieties with metabolism, energy and stamina boosting call outs. These are just a few of the mushroom wellness products at retail right now. Just have a walk through the vitamin isles to get an idea of the large shroom presence.
Mushrooms In Beauty
The shitake is high in anti-oxidants, vitamin D and mineral selenium which all help to reduce inflammation. They also hydrate and firm skin, that is why you will find them in Murad’s Age Reform Invisiblur Perfection Shield.
The reishi mushroom is also a favorite in skin care lines Shiseido, Youth to the People, and Moon Juice. The reishi is known for skin firming, soothing, balancing and help skin to increase the ability to defend against stress.
Other mushrooms showing up in face and hair care are the snow mushroom for hydration, smaller pore size and skin hydration, the chaga to calm and hydrate sensitive skin. Of course these mushrooms are combined with other ingredients, but skin companies are calling out the mushroom as the star.
Mushrooms In Food
Regardless if you like the taste of any mushroom, in appearance they look like works of art. Farmers markets boast many varieties and beg the customer to be curious-especially when you pass a lions mane or maitake. “Exactly what is that?” might be the first thing asked of a vendor who might also be selling mushroom powders for health benefits.
Chefs are going beyond just sautéing and roasting. They are braising, smoking, pickling and brining –just to name a few.
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You may also see mushrooms in some vodka, beers and with the long-standing craft cocktail trend there have been many mushroom cocktails created and served.
Mushrooms In Décor
I had to throw in My Domaine’s Fall/Winter 2018/2019 Home Décor trend-outing traditional lampshades and exposed bulbs to be replaced with the domed lampshade –“which give lamps that well-known mushroom look.”
With that, I predict we will see a whole lot more of the mushroom in the next few years
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Image credits:
greenwoodherbals.com
fourstigmatic.com
choiceorganicteas.com
aplusrstore.com
