Why I Stopped Drinking Coffee — And What's In My Echidna Mug Now

Johanna shares why she made the switch from regular coffee to Ryze mushroom coffee — specifically the Bright and Smooth blend — and why her body is significantly happier for it — the stomach issues, the heart palpitations, the afternoon crash, all of it. She breaks down the six functional mushrooms, what each one actually does, the full Ryze product range, and how she makes hers every morning, echidna mug and all.

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Transcript

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Midlands called an honey or nobody's falls. Women just do a changes.

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Comment sing along. Hello my friends and welcome back to Not Your Mother's Midlife. I'm your host, Joanna, and today I want to talk about my morning cover, because it has changed, and it has changed my mornings along with it. I was a coffee drinker for years, not in a complicated way like my husband is. So many steps involved in his morning cup of coffee, just in a regular way that most of us are. It was the first thing I reached for every single day without question. The reason I decided to switch wasn't just one thing. It was a few things adding up all at the same time. The stomach was first. It was getting harder and harder just to brush off. My digestive system was off. I just knew it. And not in a good way. I didn't need that help. Because I know some people like that. But um, no, I did not like it at all. And it was just making me feel nauseous, to be honest. And then there was the caffeine. I was drinking enough coffee to give myself heart palpitations and the jitters, and that wired but not actually like functionally focused feeling. And then in the afternoon, I would crash that slump around three or four where your body just was done. And so I kept reaching for more caffeine, more coffee to get through it. And that was the problem. I was reaching for the thing that was actually causing me the problem. So I switched to tea for a while, which helped. I like a cup of tea with a little bit of milk and honey in it, which helped. It was great, but it just it didn't really fill the gap. I missed having that feeling like I had a proper morning drink, which was what you get with a cup of coffee, I think. And then I found rise spelled R-Y-Z-E. And I have not looked back. And that's why I wanted to share this. Because if anyone else is out there having problems with coffee, might be a good time to switch. Now, first I want to talk about my mug situation because I am a creature of habit. And the mug matters as much as what's in the mug. And I have a very specific set of requirements. The rim has to feel just right. The size has to be just right and has to have a good feel in my hands. And right now I'm using my echidna mug that I picked up on my last trip back to Australia, and it is perfect. Little echidna on one side, exactly the right size, exactly the right rim. That mug comes out every single morning without fail. His name is JR, and I could share why he has that name, but that's a whole other story. And we want to know about my new favorite drink. But if you want to see what he looks like, go over to my YouTube and there's a video there of me sharing what he looks like, and he's very cute. In case you don't know what an echidna is, it's an Australian marsupial. Um looks kind of like an anteater, I guess, or a porcupine or something, but you know, they're their own special little thing. So into that mug goes rise. Specifically the bright and smooth blend, which is their medium roast. It has half the caffeine of a regular coffee, which means I don't get any jitters, I get no crash, just a steady, calm energy that actually carries me through the morning and into my afternoon and evening. And it tastes like coffee. It doesn't taste like mushrooms, it tastes like coffee, not like an espresso, more like I don't know, like a good instant coffee, which I mean is a compliment. It's smooth, warm. And I make mine um with pouring cream and milk, which I guess I could just buy half and half, but I like to control the cream to milk ratio, and I don't get that if I just buy half and half. And if you're from Australia, half and half, it is cream and milk mixed together in a container. But I just make my own. You can make your own too. It's really delicious. Um, and then after that, I add a spoonful of manuka honey from New Zealand. Before I get what's into the coffee, let me run through what Rise actually offers because there's more than just the one that I drink. Their coffee rangers, they have the bright and smooth medium roast. That's my one. They also have a dark roast for anyone who wants something bolder, and they also do these little coffee sticks, like little sachets in both of the roasts, if you want them portable. I bought these with me when I went to Australia recently, and they worked out great for traveling. They also have a mushroom matcha or matcha, I don't know how you pronounce that, which blends ceremonial grade matcha with lion's mane, L thionine, and blue spirinella. Good for anyone who doesn't drink coffee. And there's a mushroom hot cocoa with rishi or richi and melatonin, which is designed as a nighttime drink for winding down and supporting sleep. Has a mushroom chicory blend and it's naturally decaf and a nice option for evenings or if you're a caffeine-sensitive person. Um, they also have a mushroom coffee creamer with probiotics and the full mushroom blend for adding to your existing coffee. So there's something in the range for whatever your morning looks like and whatever you need. Um, and I know I keep mentioning mushrooms, and everyone's probably thinking, ew, this sounds disgusting. It is not. Trust me, it tastes like coffee. It's delicious and it's smooth. Oh god, I just love it. Now to the mushrooms, because this is the part that makes rice interesting rather than just a coffee alternative. Every version contains their super six blend. It's six functional mushrooms, 2,000 milligrams per serving. Lion's mane, cordyceps, raishi, turkey tail, shiitake, and king trumpet. Each one does something different. I'm gonna break that down, just in case. Probably like most people, you don't know much about mushrooms. Lion's mane is the brain one. It contains compounds called herons and erinocines that stimulate production of nerve growth factor, a protein that supports the growth and maintenance of neurons. Research has linked it to improved focus, memory, and mental clarity. If you've noticed that you just feel like your your thoughts are slower or foggy than it used to be, this is the mushroom the research keeps pointing back to to help with that. Quarticeps is for energy, but not in a caffeine way. It supports the body's production of ATP, which is the molecule your cells use for fuel, and improves how efficiently the body uses oxygen. The effect is more like a sustained underlying energy than a big hit. So you don't feel it arriving, you just feel better, you feel sustained when you have it. RICHI is one of the most well-researched adaptogens in existence. It's been used in Eastern medicine for thousands of years, and the modern research holds up. It contains tritopins and better glucans that support immune function, help regulate the stress response, and have been studied for their effects on sleep quality, specifically improving deep sleep. Turkey tail is primarily an immune mushroom. It contains two compounds, PSK and PSP, that have been studied extensively for immune modulating effects. It also feeds beneficial bacteria in the gut. And because so much of immune function starts in the gut, that connection matters more than it might sound. There is also serious ongoing research looking at turkey tail in the context of supporting the immune system during cancer treatment, not as a treatment itself, but as something that may help the body hold up better during conventional therapy. Shiitake mushrooms. Shiitakis contain a compound called lentinin, which has well-documented immune support and anti-inflammatory properties. It also contains erytodenine, which has been researched for its effect on cholesterol metabolism and cardiovascular health, plus vitamins B and zinc for energy production and immune response. King trumpet is the antioxidant one. It's high in ergothionine, a powerful antioxidant the body cannot produce on its own. It has to come from food. Ergothionine has been linked to cellular production, reduced oxidative stress, and there's emerging research connecting it to longevity. It also has prebiotic properties that support gut health. The manuka honey that I add, I want to mention this because it's not just about sweetness, although it does that job beautifully. Manuka honey has its own well-documented properties: antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and it's good for gut health. The MGO rating on the jar tells you how potent it is. Methylglyoxal is the compound responsible for most of its active properties. So the higher the rating, the stronger the effect. I get mine from Costco. They carry that, carry it now, but you can find it everywhere. My stomach has settled nosebly since making the switch. Regular coffee is acidic, and over time that acidity becomes harder to deal with. And RISE is low in acid, plus the prebiotic fiber blend and the gut-supporting mushrooms. This combination has just made a really big difference for me. I'll link the RISE website in the show notes. And if you want 15% off your order, just use my promo code JoannaHart515. And thank you for listening. And if you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend who'd love it too. Drop your thoughts or ideas for future episodes. I'd love to hear from you. Subscribe to the podcast and to my YouTube channel. Go over there and have a look, see what JR looks like on my mug. And you'll never miss an episode if you subscribe. And please leave me a five-star review to help others find me easier. It really does help, and I really do appreciate it. And until next week, I'm Joanna Hart, and this is not your mother's midlife. Bye bye.