 How about the three best mushrooms to eat or to take as a compound? Shitake. I'm going to talk about mushrooms that you probably can find in your grocery store, either fresh or in dried forms. And the good news is it doesn't matter whether they're dried or fresh. They both have the same properties. You'll obviously going to have to soak the dried mushrooms before you use them. But we're seeing even in plain old everyday grocery stores a lot of these mushrooms appearing. Shitake are rich in minerals and vitamins. They're full of vitamin E. Interestingly enough, Shitake mushrooms when they're exposed to ultraviolet light, which they are with sunlight, produce vitamin D. So mushrooms in general are actually one of the only foods that you can eat that do deliver vitamin D to you. Now, the nice thing about Shitake mushrooms and mushrooms in general, mushrooms are full of what are called polysaccharides. Now, polysaccharides, as the name implies, is many sugar molecules. And we're beginning to learn that these chains of sugar molecules are nearly impossible for us to digest with our digestive enzymes, which means that these long chain sugar molecules are delivered to our gut bacteria who happen to think they're the best thing since excuse the expression slice bread. So sliced mushrooms are food for your good gut bacteria. So what? Well, the happier your gut bacteria are, the more immune promoting compounds that they produce. And we're beginning to realize that our immune system is fortified by the information that it's given by our gut bacteria. And I go into this extensively in the new book, Gut Check. So giving our good gut bacteria, these long chain polysaccharides means that the immune boosting properties of mushrooms weren't so much from the magical mystical compounds in the mushrooms themselves, but it was these long chain sugar molecules that were feeding the good gut bacteria that in turn improved the immune system. The great thing about shiitake mushrooms is they have a very meat like texture and flavor. So if you're trying to reduce your animal protein for multiple reasons that I go into in all my books, shiitake mushrooms are a great place to start to add to stir fries, to add to preparations, even other vegetables to give you that kind of meaty mouth feel that you want. Look for them in the store, use them, try them out, your gut buddies will love you, and so will your immune system. All right, number two, lion's mane. Now lion's mane is kind of a newcomer to the grocery store, but it's been known about for a very long time for its neuro and brain boosting properties. Lion's mane consumption has been associated with producing BDNF, brain neurotrophic factor that actually stimulates neurons to grow and divide and descend out dendritic processes. And lion's mane is rich in BDNF. So that in itself is a great reason to add lion's mane into your diet. And if you can't find it, it's really readily available in capsule form. And again, it's one of the few really good ways to stimulate neurotrophic support and cognition. If you're interested in improving your cognitive abilities or maintaining them as you get older, lion's mane is right up there. Now there's also, as many of you know, a coffee cherry. Coffee cherry is actually the fruit of the coffee bean that in good old days was thrown away. Coffee cherry also promotes BDNF production. Same way with shiitake mushrooms, lion's mane produces gastrointestinal health, because like all mushrooms, lion's mane is rich in these polysaccharides. And the more polysaccharides I can get into your diet, the better. And so lion's mane is just another piece of the puzzle. Plus, lion's mane has a really interesting fun texture. If you've never seen lion's mane, it's so named because it looks like a bushy lion's mane. And sometimes you see them, they're going to stark white. Sometimes they're a little yellow golden. But again, we're finding this more and more in grocery stores, certainly in farmers market. And that texture has got a great mouthfeel that makes them really great stir fried even on their own. They are absolutely delicious with some olive oil and herbs thrown in. So look for lion's mane and do your brain a favor. All right, number three, turkey tail. Now, turkey tail mushrooms have been known for their potent immune boosting properties. They're loaded with flavonoids and terpenes. Flavonoids are part of the polyphenol family that I talk so much about. If you remember, these compounds by themselves are not readily absorbed, but we now know that polyphenols in general are essential for the health of our gut bacteria. They're actually pre biotics. And the good news is that gut bacteria eat these compounds, eat these phenolic compounds and produce the active forms that improve our mitochondrial health. And the more improvement in our mitochondrial health, the more improvement in our immune system health. Plus, you get actually an added benefit. If you've read unlocking the keto code or read the energy paradox, or the upcoming gut check, you know that phenolic compounds in general, flavonoids in general, polyphenols in general, are important compounds to uncouple mitochondria. And it's the uncoupling of mitochondria that not only improves mitochondrial biogenesis, mitochondrial health, but also allows you to, if you will, waste a few calories. So if you're looking to drop a few pounds, consider adding mushrooms, including lion's mane, shiitake, and turkey tail into your diet. Once again, we're beginning to see these in most stores. Oftentimes, they're loose. You sometimes see them in culinary packages. Another great way to incorporate all these mushrooms into your diet is to make soups. It's time of the year to make soups. And once again, you can add kind of a meaty texture to your soups by throwing these mushrooms into the pot. You'll get a benefit of taste. You'll get a benefit of your gut buddies enjoying them. Your immune system will improve and you might get a little smarter. More amazing episodes just like this one. Watch now. Ometallic acid can benefit hair, skin, and nails. So all of my female listeners and male listeners who want great nail, hair, and skin, macadamia nuts are one of the best ways to get it.