Pre-class stack
I’m going to fill you in on a little secret about me. I don’t read text books. I’d say out of my (almost) two years in school I have probably done less than 10% of all the readings assigned. There have been stretches of a week here and there that I will do the readings and I admit that I do see a benefit. So, I’m not going to completely shit on reading the texts for class. And I know some people probably get a lot of value out of doing the readings. But for me, at the end of the day, the ROI just isn’t there in the long run. Both in finances and in time. Books are fucking expensive and it takes a long time to read dense, dry textbooks. Just not something I’m willing to allocate time to. I have other things I would rather be doing.
** I should add – this goes for MOST textbooks and assigned readings. There are always exceptions.
So, what this means for me is that I need to get the most out of class/lecture that I can. I need to make sure I am really dialed in to what our teachers are saying and that I am understanding the key concepts they are covering. Knowing that and being that I personally love the pursuit of optimizing performance, I am always looking for ways to perform even better. Recently I have found something that has really been working well, so I want to share it.
Every morning I take 2 things:
- 2 capsules Lion’s Mane
- 1 can sugar free monster
The big one here is the Lion’s Mane supplement. This is actually a species of mushroom. I was first introduced to this by Paul Stamets when he was on the Joe Rogan Experience (JRE shout-out 2 blogs in a row). He explained there was this particular species of mushroom that appears to improve memory and cognitive function, reduce fatigue, reduce anxiety, and have a positive effect on the nervous system (specifically nerve regeneration) among other things. It’s called Hericium erinaceus. Or Lion’s Mane.
So, I finally order it over winter break and I have to say I’m a believer.
I will also say I have tried quite a few different supplements of all kinds over the years. From celltech (smh) and N.O. explode to waxy maize, highly branched cylic dextrin and hydrolyzed caseinate protein powder. Even individual vitamins and minerals at specified doses to create a certain desired effect. So, I know from experience a lot of supplements are pure horse shit…cough cell tech cough…and a lot of other supplements probably aren’t really needed. And most LEGAL supplements you aren’t going to FEEL a major difference from even if they are helping.
But Lion’s Mane is one of the few supplements I have taken that I actually notice working. Something I can actually FEEL. It’s hard to describe exactly. But, my focus is really on another level. My ability to keep up with lectures and be “in the zone” actively listening to what is said is better than its been in the past. I’m not drifting off in my head thinking about other random stuff. I don’t become mentally useless during the last half hour of class. Obviously, the monster helps too. But, I know what a pure caffeine buzz/focus feels like. Your boy has dabbled quite extensively in the caffeine game. But this is not the typical caffeine buzz. It’s a different type of mental focus and energy (that I think I’m just enhancing by adding caffeine into the mix).
Anyways…this has been my go-to this semester and something I don’t foresee myself stopping any time soon. Maybe it will help you too.
And if nothing else, check out some of Paul Stamets’ materials online if you have an hour or two to kill and want to hear some interesting ideas. He is incredibly smart and some of his ideas relating to the use of different mushroom species for various health and performance benefits are very intriguing.
To get you started…
The Lion’s Mane supplement that I take: http://www.fungi.com/product-detail/product/host-defense-lions-mane-capsules-30ct.html (can be found other places also)
There are a ton of articles you can find on google if you search “Lion’s Mane mushroom health benefits”
Paul’s website: http://www.fungi.com
A TED Talk Paul did: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mjv8Zj1ABAc
Paul’s JRE episode: #1035 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPqWstVnRjQ
DPTreality 