If I told you that I'd found a delightful summer sipping beverage that could make you live forever, would you believe me?

Reishi: The Immune-Enhancing Mushroom of Longevity

Perhaps immortality is a stretch - though reishi (Ganoderma tsugae/lucidum) is well known as the 'mushroom of immortality' in Chinese tradition - indicating that it is an effective longevity promoting tonic herb that may increase the human lifespan. To enjoy the many benefits of reishi mushroom decoction or tea, I usually cook the dried mushroom in broths, soups, or stews, or boil it into a strong tea.

While these are fantastic ways to access the beneficial components of reishi, none of them sounds particularly appealing in the heat of summer. That's where Long Life Lemonade - a cooling, nourishing, sweet, and nutritive beverage - comes in. It takes less than five minutes to make a batch and will last in the refrigerator for a few days. 

Everything about this recipe is in-exact, as any good kitchen witch knows, so play around with it. Throw in some cardamom pods or cloves, use limes instead of lemons...experiment!

Long Life Reishi Lemonade Recipe

1/2 - 1 oz dried reishi slices

6 cups water

1 - 2 cinnamon sticks

2 - 4 tbsp lemon juice

stevia, sugar, maple syrup, or honey to taste

Place your dried reishi slices and cinnamon sticks in the water and bring to a boil. Simmer this mixture on low heat for one hour to even up to half a day or longer. The longer you simmer the mixture, the stronger the reishi will become and the more of its beneficial components - including polysaccharides, triterpenes, and flavonoids - will be imparted to the water.

Strain the liquid off from the herbs, and mix in your lemon juice and sweetener while it is still warm. Refrigerate several hours or until cold. Serve over ice with a lemon or lime wedge to garnish.

This Long Life Lemonade was a hit with my 10-month-old (I only let him have a few sips because it was quite sweet, but he would have happily chugged it all down).

Not into the lemonade idea? We also offer reishi as a simple, potent dual extract, as part of our Long Life formula (along with astragalus and burdock), and in our Mushroom Elixir (along with chaga, turkey tail, and maitake). 

Here's to endless summers, long life, and good health!