There I was, curled up on the couch with my fifth cup of tea, sipping slowly and hoping this latest mix might soothe the waves of internal heat menopause had brought into my life. I’d tried all sorts of natural remedies, but today, I was putting my faith in mushrooms. Yes, mushrooms. Not the kind you’d toss in a stir-fry but rather a lineup of earthy superheroes that promised to help tame my symptoms.

The hot flashes? Reishi was my new best friend. Known as the “mushroom of immortality,” reishi claimed it could help balance hormones, reduce stress, and, hopefully, bring down my body temperature from “overheated oven” to “manageable warmth.” Every morning, I added a scoop of reishi powder to my tea, taking a deep breath, and letting its earthy taste remind me that I was fighting fire with fungi.

And oh, the exhaustion. My energy levels had dropped somewhere near “I need a nap just for reading emails,” so I brought in the big guns: cordyceps. Known to boost energy and, as an added bonus, support libido, cordyceps made it into my daily mix. I noticed a slight spring in my step on walks, enough to make me wonder if I could power through more than my usual loop around the block.

Then there was my brain fog—ah, the wonderful feeling of walking into a room and completely forgetting why. For that, I turned to Lion’s Mane. With its reputation for supporting brain health, I’d read it could help sharpen my focus and memory. I added it to my daily smoothie, crossing my fingers that it would help me remember where I’d left my keys (and maybe even why I’d walked into the kitchen).

Chaga and maitake were next in my new mushroom lineup. Chaga, loaded with antioxidants, seemed like a good defense against oxidative stress and even promised some skin support, which, in menopause, I’d take any help I could get. Maitake, on the other hand, was supposedly great for hormonal balance, specifically estrogen. And after feeling like I was on a hormonal roller coaster, I welcomed any mushroom willing to steady the ride.

By the end of the week, I’d incorporated these mushrooms into my diet in some form or another. There were powder blends in my smoothies, capsules in my vitamin tray, and even the occasional chaga tea in the evenings. I knew it might take time to see real results, but I felt a little lighter, a little more energized, and maybe even a bit sharper. Between the reishi, cordyceps, Lion’s Mane, chaga, and maitake, I’d built myself a small team of mushroom allies, all determined to help me fight the hot flashes, brain fog, and fatigue.

Menopause was relentless, but with a little humor, some cooling pillows, and the unexpected magic of mushrooms, I felt like I just might have the upper hand—at least until the next hot flash.