Abnormal or excessive fat accumulation is becoming a big problem worldwide, as we’re surrounded by incredible amounts of questionable, processed foods and beverages that disrupt the normal functions of our body. The only healthy way to shed excess weight is by changing your habits and incorporating more natural foods into your diet. Instead of resorting to dangerous pills and potions, Chaga tea might be all you need to support your healthy weight loss journey.
Chaga can support your weight loss by suppressing hunger, reducing cortisol production, and keeping your cravings under control by providing your body with essential vitamins and minerals.
Chaga mushroom looks like nothing else, it is not your average mushroom. Unlike many other fungi, Chaga starts growing from the inside of a tree, instead of developing on the surface. As it grows and matures, it protrudes from the tree. You’ll be able to recognize Chaga by its dark, almost black exterior. From the inside, it’s a rich orange-brown color with a corky texture. Despite its unique appearance, the mushroom is more popular than ever, thanks to its powerful health-supporting benefits.
Chaga for weight loss
The scientific name of the Chaga mushroom is Inonotus obliquus. Chaga is not a new discovery early eastern Slavic populations in Europe used it to treat a variety of internal and external issues. They used the fungi for stomachaches, kidney issues, lung problems, inflammation of the joints, and treating tumors. Chaga was also popular as a topical application for skin diseases. It was ingested as a tea to increase overall vigor, immunity, and health.
When trying to lose weight, it’s essential to take in fewer calories than one uses throughout the day. Loss of appetite is a known effect of consuming Chaga tea, therefore by suppressing the appetite, less food consumption is easier to attain. Chaga also aids weight management by reducing stress, hence helping to prevent excessive production of cortisol. Experts often link stress and cortisol to weight gain.
Food cravings are another factor often difficult to control, and can often cause a diet to derail. Besides helping to suppress the appetite, Chaga tea is also high in vitamins and minerals. Which makes it a good drink, maintaining balance in the body which results in fewer cravings.
What does Chaga contain?
Chaga contains a large number of polysaccharides in the form of β glucans, which have a strong antioxidant activity inside your body. These compounds help fight off free radicals, maintaining a normal cell cycle. They also act as prebiotics to stimulate the growth of healthy gut microbiota.
On the Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) scale, Chaga is an ultra-potent source of antioxidants and is naturally rich in betulinic acid. The fungus benefits your health by supporting normal vital functions on a cellular level.
Other things found in the fungus are trace minerals like antimony, boron, chromium, copper, germanium, manganese, selenium, and zinc. As well as macro minerals like calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus.
How to consume Chaga?
Chaga shouldn’t be eaten raw or cooked like other types of mushrooms. It is a hard, dense polypore mass, that’s properties need to be extracted. The extraction requires prolonged simmering or soaking. This process makes the beneficial components bioavailable to the human body – meaning the body is able to absorb the nutrients.
The simplest way to consume Chaga at home is by brewing your own tea. Just remember not to let the water come to a boil, and let the tea simmer for as long as possible. For the easiest use, we recommend using Chaga chunks, whether store-bought or harvested and dried yourself. It’s important to leave the black outer layer of the fungus. There’s the melanin, with your antioxidants!
Chaga tinctures and teas are extremely popular nowadays. Making a Chaga infusion in the form of tea or tincture is relatively easy, as long as you have the fungus available.
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How often to consume Chaga for weight loss?
When talking about liver support two of Chaga tea in a day is great for boosting your health. When dealing with a more serious health concern, we’ve heard of people drinking six to eight cups of tea daily. If you don’t suffer from any side effects, we encourage you to keep the dosage high. Make sure to test out how your body reacts to Chaga.
The truth is you won’t feel any immediate effects from consuming the fungus. The benefits accumulate over time, with long-term use. So it’s best to get into a habit of incorporating the superfood into your diet through various products and recipes.
If you don’t have access to the raw fungus, there are quite a few companies nowadays selling Chaga powder, tinctures, coffees, teas, and supplements. Most health food stores have super-fungus available in some form. Before making your purchase at a store or online, be sure you trust the company and its harvesting practices.
Where to get chaga?
Chaga thrives in cold, damp conditions, and has a great tolerance for surviving hard winters. You can find the mushrooms in abundance in the northern hemisphere where it has higher forest altitude, like the northern deciduous forests.
Unlike many other fungi, Chaga starts growing from inside the tree, instead of developing on the surface of the tree. As it matures, it protrudes from the tree.
Harvesting chaga
Ultimately the best time to harvest Chaga is during fall or winter when the visibility is better, due to fallen leaves and the temperature is below 5 degrees Celsius. That is when the sap starts to run. The sap is the fluid that is found in the fungi, containing dissolved mineral salts and nutrients.
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Buying chaga
Nowadays you`ll be able to find various different companies, products, and suppliers of the mushroom. The is between teas, coffee powders, extracts, supplements, and a lot more.
Three product groups you’ll find most, are the following:
1. Powder
Chaga powder is the chunks of the fungus grounded, that are used to make tea, broth, tincture, and more. For more inspiration, check out our recipes.
2. Dual extract
Dual extract stands for the double extraction method. When done right, this is the most potent Chaga product available, taking quite a bit of time and effort to make (which reflects in the price).
3. Dried chunks
By that, we mean raw harvested Chaga that has been cut into pieces and dried. You’ll be able to grind the chunks in a food processor or a coffee grinder yourself. The benefit of dried chunks to purchasing a powder is the quality assurance. Like being able to check if the outer layer – sclerotium is still intact to support your melanin levels and cells. Dried Chaga chunks can also be reused up to 5/6 times before losing their potency.
