SuperFeast is an Australian brand creating powdered extracts of tonic herbs and medicinal mushrooms that are super beneficial to your health. This quote pretty much sums them up! “We really love tonic herbs and medicinal mushrooms. We take them every day. We think they’re awesome. We fell in love with them, they transformed us and we decided we needed to share them with the world. “
We interviewed the ever inspirational Mason Taylor, creator and founder of SuperFeast & asked him all of our burning questions about medicinal mushrooms.
What inspired you to create Superfeast?
My journey started pretty simply, I was suffering from my own health issues. I had gnarly and deep-rooted candida issues, brain fog and exhaustion, to name a few. I decided to take these issues into my own hands since I wasn’t seeing any solutions emerging from the Western medical model. I quickly fell in love with medicinal mushrooms, especially reishi and chaga as I felt these were the two that helped restore my immune health and remove the excess candida from my system. I then went on to fall in love with Taoist tonic herbalism (a form of traditional Chinese medicine). Very, very quickly, I realised I needed to share the ancient wisdom of these herbs with anyone who was wishing to access their magic. My mum actually really pushed me to start SuperFeast (she named the company) and since 2011, we haven’t looked back.
Who inspires you?
Stephen Harrod Buhner- A beautiful earth poet who can ride the wild waves of natural wonder in word and consciousness as well as being a very successful clinical herbalist teacher. He creates a great bridge between natural healing and what modern data is showing us
Could you please explain what exactly medicinal mushrooms are and how they can help our health?
Tonic herbs (this includes medicinal mushrooms) fall into the “superior herb” category. These are the herbs that are collectively known to be safe, gentle, well-tolerated and effective. Tonic herbs do not force the body to change, but rather work with it to adapt, allowing a measured, nourishing and normalising effect to unfold within the body and its systems. Traditionally consumed daily to promote longevity and prevent illness, these remedies offer nourishment to the vital organs, strengthen essential functions and improve quality of life, without negative side effects. Tonic herbs are further categorised as Yin, Yang, Qi and Blood tonics. Tonic herbs are not a trend. They are grounded in thousands of years of empirical evidence. Their safety has been verified in modern times with scientific research, confirming the effects the ancient herbal scientists monitored over thousands of years of practice.
How can you find out which blend is right for you?
When people are starting out in tonic herbalism common complaints with their herbal and healthcare specialists describe adrenal exhaustion and depletion of sex hormone function with our hectic Western lifestyle being a contributor. Jing herbs from the JING blend enter the kidney system and may replenish its innate capacity to function. From here the adrenal glands are potentially able to become revitalised. The herbs come in as a supportive measure to assist the smooth flow of Qi within the organ systems, and the body as a whole in its day to day functioning.
Mason’s Mushrooms covers two other aspects that people are craving in this Western world – restoring immunity and aiding gut function. Medicinal mushrooms (there are 8 in this blend) are specialists at getting deep into our immune system and turning on the lights where the lights weren’t on As seen from the nutritional benefits of mushrooms alone. Essentially this means that the sophistication and the intelligence of your immune system to rid your body of pathogens and keep your energy vitalised may be thoroughly enhanced. What many people don’t realise is the compounds in medicinal mushrooms can potentiate and promote intestinal immunity which is necessary, for us to absolutely thrive. People are discovering that when they get onto the JING and Mason’s Mushrooms blends they feel they are able to deeply restore their bodies on more levels than one. The potency of the tonic herbs may assist the body to return to its innate rhythm and flow, encouraging vibrancy and lightness within all the major systems and across the mental, physical and spiritual landscapes.
We like to think of these two unique formulas as our bread and butter blends, great inclusions to the daily diet that offer support to the kidneys, adrenals, gut and immune system and that’s why they’re my absolute favourite combo.
What supplement would you recommend coming into the colder months?
Definitely the QI blend – Keeping the spleen nurtured and the energy flowing around the body to keep the surface immunity strong.
Qi is the energy that animates our body, mind, cells and organs, and drives their functions. The QI blend is a beautifully crafted formula using the most revered Qi tonics of the Taoist tradition. These herbs are traditionally used to tonify our metabolic fire so we can feel greater energy and vitality.
The herbs in the QI blend are prized for their ability to amplify the usual conversion of these elements and processes to deliver more Qi to the body system daily. Through the tonification of Spleen Qi and Lung Qi in particular, the herbs in the Qi blend may assist and contribute deeply on the body’s digestive and respiratory power. We cultivate Qi with the intention to increase the body’s capacity to build and move Blood, eliminate stagnation and regulate temperature and Fluid level.
What is a quote that you live by?
“First you take a drink, then the drink takes a drink, then the drink takes you” – F Scott Fitzgerald
What is your favourite recipe that incorporates a Superfeast product?
What is the harvesting process for the herbs and mushrooms?
Our herbs are grown in their natural wild environments and harvested as per the Di Tao, a practice deeply rooted in tradition and respect for the herb and the land on which it grows. This means we source our herbs from the pristine mountain regions of China and India; this practice ensures that the rhythm of the herbs wild environment is captured and retained so the strength and adaptability it has cultivated through the growing process can be passed on to the consumer. This results in the most potent and robust product that is both full spectrum and beyond organic. We invite families and practitioners alike to try these well tolerated yet powerful tonic herbs, to elevate mind, body and spirit. In order to achieve a true full-spectrum extract that meets our personal standards you need folks working with the extracts who are highly trained in both the equipment we use and the herbs and so these recommendations should be made under the care of practicing herbalist, naturopath or health care professional. The herbs are processed in a fully GMP accredited facility, operated by a team including tonic herbalists who are classically trained in herbalism, and thus they share the intent of SuperFeast. Rather than following industry standards and automation procedures for extracting the herbs, we sought a team who understood the unique characteristics of each herb and were able to extract upon these as the Taoists did.
The name for this practice used by herbalists in antiquity is Hou Hou (火候). This is the art of decocting / extracting a herb specifically through adjusted heat, pressure, menstruum and length of time required to extract each herb fully and without denaturing it. This term roughly translates to heat control; crucial moment; maturity.
Each herb or mushroom goes through a 2-3 stage high pressure extraction process. This is where we ensure that every ounce of medicine within the herb is carefully transferred into the extraction medium to eventually become the extract powder we all love. The temperature and timing are unique to each herb and are strictly controlled in order to ensure it is not heated too much, nor for too long. This Hou Hou practice is a never-ending, dynamic process that means you will have the intention that is poured into every SuperFeast herb.
What is your favourite Superfeast product and why?
My two blend babies, JING and Mason’s Mushrooms are so simple as an entry point, yet I’ve also seen this combination transform people’s health and general wellbeing, almost more than any other. We like to see people start off using a Jing herb and a medicinal mushroom when beginning their journey with tonic herbalism. Jing is the primordial essence in Traditional Chinese Medicine, which resides in the kidneys and it gives us our core energy and stamina allowing us to optimise our health and wellbeing.
Have you got anything exciting in the works that you can give us a teaser on?
I’ve got some herbal concoctions always in the mix, and I’ve got something sexual and something sleepy brewing up.
Additionally, I’ve got a pretty extensive online course about to drop that has been in the works for AGES. Really excited about that one, I’ll be sharing the full array of my health foundations.
