February 13, 2024 | by EASTON GILOWSKI
Experience a delicious and romantic treat with Valentine's Peanut Butter Heart Chocolates, enriched with a specially crafted blend of smooth peanut butter and rich chocolate. This blend is a carefully chosen combination aimed at capturing the essence of Valentine's Day and delivering a taste as comforting as it is luxurious. These chocolates are designed to be the perfect treat for Valentine's Day, symbolizing love and affection in every bite. They promise to satisfy your sweet tooth and enhance your special moments, making them unforgettable.
Reishi for Sleep and Digestion
Including Reishi mushrooms in Valentine's treats, such as the indulgent peanut butter heart chocolates, is crucial in enhancing the romantic experience with their remarkable health benefits. Renowned for their calming effects, Reishi mushrooms can significantly improve sleep quality, making them an excellent addition to ensure a peaceful and restful Valentine's night. Their ability to achieve deeper sleep and improve overall well-being aligns perfectly with the spirit of relaxation and love on Valentine's Day [1].
Reishi mushrooms benefit the gut-brain axis, extending total sleep time and deepening non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep, which leads to more restorative sleep cycles [1,2]. This effect helps reduce stress and sets the stage for a more intimate and serene Valentine's evening. By regulating sleep-inducing neurotransmitters and cytokines, Reishi mushrooms support NREM sleep, enhancing the quality of rest and reducing stress, which is particularly beneficial on a day dedicated to expressing love and affection.
Furthermore, the polysaccharides in Reishi, especially beta-glucans, are known for their prebiotic properties, promoting a balanced gut microbiome [3]. This balance is essential for overall health, impacting nutrient absorption, lipid metabolism, and immune system function. A healthy gut contributes to a feeling of well-being, making the Valentine's Day experience even more enjoyable. The anti-inflammatory properties of these polysaccharides also support immune function and may contribute to long-term health benefits, including reducing the risk of certain chronic diseases. Incorporating Reishi into Valentine's Day treats adds a touch of wellness to the celebration and supports a night of peaceful sleep and digestive health, enhancing the romantic experience.
Lion’s Mane for Brain Health
Lion's Mane mushroom, a key ingredient in our Valentine's Day special blend, is celebrated for its brain health benefits, making it an excellent choice for a Valentine's gift focused on caring and thoughtfulness. It contains hericenones and erinacines, compounds essential for neurogenesis and enhancing mental sharpness, particularly in memory retention [4].
Studies suggest these compounds can help reverse memory decline by encouraging new cell growth in the hippocampus, supporting the notion that Lion’s Mane can enhance nerve growth factor (NGF) production, which is vital for nerve cell health and cognitive functions [4,5,6]. This makes our Valentine's Day offering a gesture of love and mindful health, aiming to boost cognitive well-being and memory for you and your loved one.
Maitake and Shiitake Antioxidants
The Balance Blend, enriched with Maitake and Shiitake mushrooms, brings a unique touch to Valentine's Day with its potent antioxidant properties. These mushrooms are symbols of longevity and health in many cultures. They also contain ergothioneine, an essential antioxidant for cellular health, crucial in combating oxidative stress [7]. Oxidative stress is linked to various health issues, including those that can impact heart health and metabolic conditions such as diabetes.
Recent research highlights the benefits of Maitake-derived polysaccharides, particularly GFP-N, for influencing gut microbiota in a beneficial way for managing diabetes [8]. This research, leveraging SMRT technology, has shown that GFP-N can enhance the presence of beneficial bacteria like Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bacteroides acidifaciens [8]. These bacteria are instrumental in slowing the progression of diabetes and combating metabolic diseases. They are an excellent dietary addition for maintaining overall well-being, which is especially important when celebrating love and connection on Valentine's Day.
Furthermore, human clinical trials on Shiitake mushrooms have revealed their potential to boost immune response significantly. In a study involving healthy adults, Shiitake consumption was linked to increased activity of γδ-T and NK-T cells, crucial for a robust immune system, and higher levels of secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) in saliva, indicating stronger gut immunity [9]. Additionally, these mushrooms were associated with lower levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker of inflammation, suggesting that their consumption supports immune enhancements in a less inflammatory environment.
Integrating these mushrooms into your Valentine's Day diet could offer a unique, healthful twist to your celebrations and contribute to the overall well-being of you and your loved one, making your day not just about emotional connection but also about mutual care and health.
INGREDIENTS
1 cup creamy 100% natural peanut butter
2 tbsp maple syrup
2 tsp Eversio Balance Blend
3 tbsp coconut flour
CHOCOLATE COATING:
1 cup dark chocolate chips
1 tbsp coconut oil
DIRECTIONS
1. In a large bowl mix your peanut butter and maple syrup together.
2. Add in your eversio mushroom blend and your coconut flour and mix again – if it still seems too sticky, add a small amount of coconut flour.
3. Form your peanut butter mixture into a ball and place it on a piece of parchment paper rolling it out using a rolling pin.
4. Cut out mini hearts and place them in the freezer for about 20 minutes.
5. Melt your chocolate & coconut oil together.
6. Dip your hearts into the chocolate and place them back into the freezer – you can also use heart molds as well placing the peanut butter hearts inside your molds and pouring chocolate over top! Store these heart cuties in the fridge or freezer.
References
[1] Yao C, Wang Z, Jiang H, Yan R, Huang Q, Wang Y, Xie H, Zou Y, Yu Y, Lv L. Ganoderma lucidum promotes sleep through a gut microbiota-dependent and serotonin-involved pathway in mice. Sci Rep. 2021 Jul 1;11(1):13660. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-92913-6. PMID: 34211003; PMCID: PMC8249598.
[2] Cui XY, Cui SY, Zhang J, Wang ZJ, Yu B, Sheng ZF, Zhang XQ, Zhang YH. Extract of Ganoderma lucidum prolongs sleep time in rats. J Ethnopharmacol. 2012 Feb 15;139(3):796-800. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2011.12.020. Epub 2011 Dec 21. PMID: 22207209.
[3] Xie, J. L., Liu, Y. X., Chen, B. H., Zhang, G. W., Ou, S. Y., Luo, J. M., et al. (2019). Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharide improves rat DSS-induced colitis by altering cecal microbiota and gene expression of colonic epithelial cells. Food Nutr. Res. 63, 1559. doi:10.29219/fnr.v63.1559
[4] Ratto D, Corana F, Mannucci B, Priori EC, Cobelli F, Roda E, Ferrari B, Occhinegro A, Di Iorio C, De Luca F, Cesaroni V, Girometta C, Bottone MG, Savino E, Kawagishi H, Rossi P. Hericium erinaceus Improves Recognition Memory and Induces Hippocampal and Cerebellar Neurogenesis in Frail Mice during Aging.Nutrients. 2019 Mar 27;11(4):715. doi: 10.3390/nu11040715. PMID: 30934760; PMCID: PMC6521003.
[5] Ryu SH, Hong SM, Khan Z, Lee SK, Vishwanath M, Turk A, Yeon SW, Jo YH, Lee DH, Lee JK, Hwang BY, Jung JK, Kim SY, Lee MK. Neurotrophic isoindolinones from the fruiting bodies of Hericium erinaceus. Bioorg Med Chem Lett. 2021 Jan 1;31:127714. doi: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2020.127714. Epub 2020 Nov 25. PMID: 33246107.
[6] Conner JM, Franks KM, Titterness AK, Russell K, Merrill DA, Christie BR, Sejnowski TJ, Tuszynski MH. NGF is essential for hippocampal plasticity and learning. J Neurosci. 2009 Sep 2;29(35):10883-9. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2594-09.2009. PMID: 19726646; PMCID: PMC2765804.
[7] Fu TT, Shen L. Ergothioneine as a Natural Antioxidant Against Oxidative Stress-Related Diseases. Front Pharmacol. 2022 Mar 18;13:850813. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2022.850813. PMID: 35370675; PMCID: PMC8971627.
[8] Wu JY, Siu KC, Geng P. Bioactive Ingredients and Medicinal Values of Grifola frondosa (Maitake). Foods. 2021 Jan 5;10(1):95. doi: 10.3390/foods10010095. PMID: 33466429; PMCID: PMC7824844.
[9] Dai X, Stanilka JM, Rowe CA, Esteves EA, Nieves C Jr, Spaiser SJ, Christman MC, Langkamp-Henken B, Percival SS. Consuming Lentinula edodes (Shiitake) Mushrooms Daily Improves Human Immunity: A Randomized Dietary Intervention in Healthy Young Adults. J Am Coll Nutr. 2015;34(6):478-87. doi: 10.1080/07315724.2014.950391. Epub 2015 Apr 11. PMID: 25866155.
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