This post is written in partnership with Four Sigmatic. We’re honored to work with them—they make drinking mushrooms and superfoods delicious and easy-to-do, and besides, they’re pretty fun guys. ~ ed.

I have a confession. I am was addicted to coffee.

My daily cuppa started in college as a once-in-a-while crutch to finish papers. It was only a matter of months before my caffeine consumption spiraled out of control.

If I just have one more coffee, I’ll be able to finish so much more of my to-do list ruled my everyday life.

This logic got me through college until my adrenals crashed. Coffee was no longer an occasional energy lift but it became the only way I could get out of bed and out of the house.

I was in deep—and stuck there—in a vicious cycle of caffeine feeding stimulation, and then quickly crashing in a desperate feeling of lethargy. I trained myself to look to coffee to correct my lethargy (and productivity).

>> Drink ‘shrooms: “no bitter taste or post-coffee jitters” <<

Five years out of college, symptoms of chronic exhaustion and adrenal fatigue began to affect my ability to get through a work day. Coffee was in control of my life and my energy levels. My body was in a stress response 24/7; I couldn’t settle because I was so high on caffeine. My emotions were hijacked because my nervous system was in high alert.

Why didn’t I quit coffee as a desperate hail mary move? Because coffee was my one and only godsend. It got me out of bed every morning. My large mug with abundant cream became a ritual.

Through meditation, yoga, and healthy food, I was able to break through this initial slump of weakened adrenals. Sadly, earlier this year I realized my adrenal fatigue was back with a vengeance to wreak havoc on any ability to feel healthy.

Friends were quick to tell me their advice: cut coffee cold turkey and become a tea drinker were among the most popular tips. Well, my friends don’t know my body and my love affair with holding a hot cup of coffee in my hands to sip on. Completely cutting coffee wasn’t in the cards. I’m a working professional who spends 40 hours a week on a computer so I need something to sip on while I work, something to keep me awake and stimulated.

Enter Four Sigmatic—coffee done healthily.

Four Sigmatic combines functional mushrooms, adaptogens, and superfoods to create the tastiest concoctions that your body will love you for.

Adaptogens are members of the herb family that work to stabilize your body’s natural processes. Superfoods are naturally-found and nutritionally-dense. Straight coffee was debilitating me and I wanted to experiment with results from this supercharged alternative.

So, I tried a Week on Shrooms*.

* Elephant readers get 15% off when you try ‘shrooms via this article, or use the code, “elephant”

>> Try a week on ‘shrooms for yourself* <<

For morning drinking I had: Mushroom Coffee with Lion’s Mane & Chaga. Chaga boosts immune function and Lion’s Mane is your brain’s best buddy. Buddhist monks looked to it for focus during meditation. It still has caffeine, but only about half the caffeine of a regular cup of coffee. This is why it helps cut back on the caffeine, but also, with the addition of the mushrooms, it helps reduce acidity and jitters.

And, surprisingly, it doesn’t taste like mushrooms at all. Instead, it’s got a really smooth, regular coffee flavor. You wouldn’t even know there’s a fungus among us.

For afternoon drinking I had: Chaga Mushroom Elixir, which supports whole-body health and immunity.

For evening drinking I had: Mushroom Hot Cacao with Reishi, which supports your body’s stress response and restfulness.

And after a week of drinking only hot beverages at breakfast, lunch, and dinner that are part of the fungi family, I am feeling…good!

The test was convincing enough for me to incorporate ‘shrooms into my weekly beverage lineup.

I was skeptical at first but my body really does feel supercharged. I don’t feel sluggish or experience a caffeine crash after a cup of mushroom coffee. It’s the equivalent of clean fuel for my body—it burns cleanly and gives me sustained and sustainable energy.

I feel calmer and more equalized.

They say it takes a minimum of 21 days to form a new habit, so I’m not out of the woods yet. But life is a helluva lot better without having to reach for a cup of coffee every time I feel like I need to be productive.

‘Shroom drinking has brought the joy and health back into the hot beverage for me.

>> Switch to ‘shrooms: your body will thank you* <<

* Elephant readers get 15% off when you try ‘shrooms via this article, or use the code, “elephant”