mushrooms, they’re not just for omelettes anymore. You might have heard that the medicinal mushrooms trend is on the rise. If you’re a hard-core Chalkboard reader, you’ve been popping back the healing shrooms for years.

To refresh ourselves on our shroomy knowledge, we’re throwing it back to this micropanel from last fall between mushroom guru, Tero Isokauppila of Four Sigmatic and our EIC, Suzanne Hall to wring every last drop out of Tero’s insights on one of the weirdest plant trends your parents will probably try this year. Take a deep dive with Tero’s new book here.

Watch the chat here, part of a series of events we hosted last year at Free People’s experiential pop-up shop in Santa Monica. Here’s the best of what we learned from Tero…

Chaga : Morning Pick Me Up | Known as the “king of mushrooms”, chaga is an incredible immunity-booster. Tetro referred to this mushroom as an “antioxidant” bomb, specifically calling it out as a top source of melanin — an antioxidant that most people know of as it related to the skin. Our skin is the largest organ in our bodies and the first barrier against pathogens. As such, taking chaga regularly serves as a “body guard” for our inner and outer wellbeing. It is traditionally made into an earthy tea that can be used as a coffee substitute. Tero recommends sipping on some chaga to start the day. LEARN MORE

Lion’s Mane: Brain Food | Lion’s mane is a match made in heaven for morning coffee. These medicinal mushrooms are considered “nootropics” — also known as “smart drugs” — which are taken to improve alertness, focus, and overall cognitive ability. According to Tero, ingesting a little lion’s mane daily (it’s totally safe!) gives your nervous system and brain a boost to make you “more of what you already are.” Curious about nootropics? LEARN MORE

cordyceps: Pre-Workout Boost | Discovered by ancients and beloved by athletes, cordyceps is known to provide energy without extra stimulation. This mushroom helps increase oxygen intake up to 20% which naturally boosts mental and physical energy. Cordyceps help us breathe more, making it perfect for a pre-workout boost or general energy jolt throughout the day without draining adrenals or b-lining to a crash later. LEARN MORE

Reishi: Stress-Busting Nightcap | Chaga may be known as the king of medicinal mushrooms, but reishi is the queen. With a unique ability to bust stress without causing sedation, this nearly motherly medicinal mushroom is powerfully nourishing and perfect for daily use. Tero loves sipping some down in a cup of hot cocoa before bed — it helps us relax and melt into a deeper delta state so that we can sleep the same amount we normally would but with a heightened quality that lets us wake up feeling better on every level. LEARN MORE