Hello there my Fellow Foodie!
Courtesy of Four Sigmatic - today I give you my "food for thought" on two of their delicious products; Mushroom Ground Coffee & Plant-Based Protein Powder!
Disclaimer: this is a NON-PAID sponsored review. In exchange for 'free samples' received directly from Four Sigmatic, I, The Posh Pear, give you my reader an honest review.
Now, before I begin my review, there are some 'dietary' notes I'd like to make that might be of some interest to you!
For starters, ALL Four Sigmatic products (including the ones in this review) contain mushrooms!
And for those of you, my fellow foodie friends, who aren't familiar with the terms; Adaptogens, Lion's Maine (an ingredient) or Superfoods, let me break it down for you...
Terms to Know:
(definitions according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary & Healthline)
Adaptogens =
Def: a nontoxic substance and especially a plant extract that is held to increase the body's ability to resist the damaging effects of stress and promote or restore normal physiological functioning.
Lion's Maine =
Def: also known ashou tou guoryamabushitake, are large, white, shaggy mushrooms that resemble a lion’s mane as they grow. Lion’s mane mushrooms contain bioactive substances that have beneficial effects on the body, especially the brain, heart and gut.
Superfoods =
Def: nutrient-rich food considered to be especially beneficial for health and well-being. Food (such as salmon, broccoli, or blueberries) that is rich in compounds (such as antioxidants, fiber, or fatty acids) considered beneficial to a person's health.
Intrigued?! Now onto the Review!
In order to best explain my overall thoughts on each Four Sigmatic product, below, I invite you to take a look at my "review rating menu"... aka. The system I use to base all my opinions off, so that you, my fellow friend, can make an informed decision as to whether or not you'd like to try this healthy trend!
So without further adieu, I give to you my point of view...
Review Rating Menu
Company: Four Sigmatic
Product(s) Tried: Mushroom Ground Coffee & Cocoa Plant Based Protein Powder
Price per Item: $19.20 (per bag of ground coffee) & $32 (for a box of cocoa protein powder with 10 packets inside).
Sold Online or In-Stores: Both
Best Eaten When: Breakfast or Mid-Afternoon (for the coffee) & Breakfast / Light Snack or Meal Replacement addition (for the protein powder).
The Posh Pear Opinion: Call me crazy, but I LOVE drinking Four Sigmatic mushrooms! I know that may sound off-putting to some, but I promise my fellow foodie friend, you can't even tell the difference - combined with the many health properties / calming effects of the product adaptogens, as a 'special purchase' (considering they're quite expensive), I'm happy to buy Four Sigmatic again!
Four Sigmatic - Mushroom Ground Coffee
(Note: I tried the ground coffee that required a coffee pot,
but it's also available in "instant packet" form)
Nutrition: 5 CAL, 0cal (0g) FAT, 1g CARBS, 0g SUGAR, 0g FIBER, 0g PROTEIN
Serving Size = 4 tbsp ground coffee (per cups brewed)
Do you LOVE coffee, but perhaps are looking to cut down on your caffeine jitters a bit?
If so, this is a GREAT product for someone looking to cut back on their regular coffee intake/caffeine in general, as Four Sigmatic has less caffeine per cup than a standard cup of coffee... warning, for those first starting off, you might want to try it on a weekend so you don't fall asleep at work if you're that used to drinking coffee.
To give you some background, a standard cup of regular (non-mushroom) ground coffee clocks in at about 95mg caffeine (per 8 oz cup). Compared to Four Sigmatic Mushroom Coffee, which clocks in at about almost half... 50mg caffeine (per 8 oz cup).
As an avid coffee drinker myself (side note: check out my 'Scotland coffee bar crawl' review, on my fellow travel blog, The Platinum Passport, just to show you how much I love actual coffee), my decision to try Four Sigmatic Ground Mushroom Coffee came from the pure basis that I simply thought perhaps my mind & body could use a new healthy habit... & now, I'm hooked!
Now I know what you're probably thinking my fellow foodie friend... yes, from the photo above, I do indeed drink my coffee straight up black (ie. no cream or sugar). With that being the case, I will warn you, while I'm a huge fan of the 'shroom coffee, it DOES have a TASTE difference... if you were to put milk or sugar in it, I suppose one wouldn't taste the "definitely not real coffee" notes so strong... but that didn't stop me... I will admit, it probably took me about 3-4 days of drinking the mushroom coffee straight before I got used to it on my pallet.
Upon opening the bag of Four Sigmatic Mushroom Ground Coffee, I will admit, I didn't know what to expect in terms of smell (never mind taste). However, once I opened it, I was pleasantly shocked... it smelt just like regular ground coffee - so I filled up my pot of water, added 4 tbsp ground mushroom coffee mix to the filter (per 8 oz of water) & immediately started brewing!
In terms of smell, again, you know how when you make regular coffee (aka. not mushroom), whether it be in a pot, k-cup or the scent you get from walking into a coffee shop... well, based off the smell of the bag, I half expected my pot brewing to smell similar to real coffee... rather, instead it didn't really have an aroma at all... perhaps just a slight coffee musk, but nothing more or less than that.
Once my pot fully brewed, along side my breakfast, I poured myself a cup, sat down, closed my eyes & took my first sip!
Again, as mentioned before that the taste can take some getting used to, I drank the full cup in no time (as I usually need coffee to wake up regardless)!
I feel confident in reporting that I felt great! Aka. have you ever experienced your heart beating perhaps a little too strong or that you anxiety goes up for just a couple seconds after drinking a full cup of coffee? Well, if so (both those things are completely typical/normal), but after drinking Four Sigmatic, I experienced neither of those sensations... rather, I felt awake, alert & ready to start my day without a single hint of internal anxiety or jitters as the mushrooms Lion's Maine gave me positive power instead of boosting my heart rate to infinity!
While for the first 3-4 days I felt a bit more tired than usual (in the afternoon around 2pm) solely from just the lack of AM caffeine I'd had, after those first few days, up until I finished the whole bag, I noticed my overall daily mood improve, my cravings for real coffee decrease (even though I've gone back to drinking it now) & somehow felt more focused on tasks throughout the day, leading me into a nice wind-down routine at night... it's safe to say, my first round of drinking mushroom coffee was a high success & I can't believe I'm saying this... while I'll never fully give up regular coffee, I can't wait to start drinking Four Sigmatic Mushroom Coffee again!
Overall Score: 8/10 (The only reason I give this coffee an 8 is because honestly, as an avid regular coffee drinker, this did take mu taste-buds about 3 cups to get used to... now that's not to say others won't love the taste right off the bat when combined with milk or sugar... I drink my coffee black so for me the taste was prominent, but you get used to it).
Four Sigmatic - Plant-Based Protein Powder, Cocoa
(Note: I tried the protein powder in packets, but it's also available in a scoop-container)
Nutrition: 150 CAL, 146cal (6g) FAT, 13g CARBS, 3g SUGAR, 2g FIBER, 18g PROTEIN
Serving Size = 1 packet (10 servings per box)
When you were little, did your parents ever tell you not to each too much chocolate because it wasn't good for you?
If so, (I'm sorry), but then you're in luck my foodie friend, because not only is Four Sigmatic's Cocoa Protein Powder AMAZING, filled with a full chocolaty, fuggy pallet each time you take a sip (seriously, it tastes like a mocha) but it's also SUPER good for you, filled with 1500 mg mushrooms + adaptogens!
Not only is the powder 'plant based' but it's also gluten free, soy free AND contains no gums or fillers! As a health nut, it really doesn't get any better than this!
Before opening the box of packets, to describe the "size", I would say the box was no bigger than a standard tissue box, with each packet inside measuring to about the size of an iPhone plus design.
Immediately taken by the pouches description, "creamy cacao", my taste buds were already thriving! I pulled out my blender & filled it with...
Smoothie Recipe
1 handful of ice cubes (about 6-7 large ice-cubes).
1/3 cup serving of silken tofu (YES, tofu, I promise putting tofu in your smoothie not only makes it extra creamy but it also adds an extra small boost of protein).
1/2 a small frozen banana (pre-frozen... you can use a fresh banana but it just won't come out as creamy).
Last but not least, the Four Sigmatic Cacao Protein Powder Packet (1-packet).
Then hit BLEND!
(note: feel free to swap for your own favorite frozen fruit over of the banana)
Upon opening the packet, while the powder itself had a slight chocolaty aroma, it wasn't over powering (& honestly I didn't expect it to be... I would say it smelt perfect, like real chocolate waiting to be paired with the other ingredients in my blender). Within seconds my smoothie was made - I pulled out a glass (see photo above), poured myself a cup, closed my eyes & took a big sip...
Remember when I asked if your parent's never let you have much chocolate as a kid? Well, let me tell you my foodie friends, follow my recipe above & I promise you won't be disappointed (maybe even make an extra glass for your parents & surprise them by telling them after just how healthy it is)!
Overall, seeing as how adaptogens are meant to help with "stress / a sense of calmness & well-being", I'm pleased to say that I certainly felt a small difference in my anxiety levels after having a smoothie!
Not to say I lead a stressful life, but to give you some background, after the recent loss of my job due to COVID-19, the power these little magic mushrooms, I will note didn't make a huge difference, but enough of one to make say I would absolutely buy Four Sigmatic again... perhaps (like most vitamins & supplements) one needs to take the adaptogens longer in order to feel the effects... seeing as how there were only 10 packets & I didn't drink them for 10-days straight, it's worth arguing that one might feel the calming/well-being effects faster by staying constant.
Overall Score: 9.5/10 (the onlyyyyy reason why I don't give a 10 is because I'm just being a stickler... when I think of protein powder, often I would prefer it to be just protein... aka. minimal carbs... & with this powder's 13g carbohydrates, depending on my workout goals for the day, I might be careful about choosing it over other pure protein powders... otherwise, I'd drink it all the time).
Where Can You Buy Four Sigmatic?
Grocery Store(s): While I received all my products for free in the mail, while out & about shopping, I've noticed them at local health food grocery stores in NYC called A Matter of Health & Health Nut. As well as in Connecticut at local health food stores called Thyme & Season. If you don't live in NYC or CT, no worries, try checking your local health food store (or perhaps regular grocery store), but if it turns out they don't sell them, just ask a sales rep to see if you can fill out a product form / request to have them brought into the inventory!
Four Sigmatic Website: https://us.foursigmatic.com/categories/all-products, here you can buy the products straight off the companies website!
Amazon: Four Sigmatic Amazon Page, lucky for those who are Amazon Prime members, you can have Four Sigmatic Coffee, Protein Powder or anything your heart desires, delivered to your door in as little as two days!
Still hungry? Until my next review, let me leave you with this 'food for thought'...
"Life Happens, Coffee Helps." - Said; Everybody
Wishing you much health, happiness & success!
Hungry for more reviews?
Check out my other blog - The Platinum Passport - to visit my travel world!
Cheers,
The Posh Pear
Meghan Chayka
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