This is the smoothie we’re making all month long. Learn why!

Unless you read nutritional supplement reports, hang on every word of integrative medicine guru Dr. Andrew Weil, or slather his moisturizers for Origins all over your face, you might not have been formally introduced to reishi mushrooms. Let us make your acquaintance with this powerful little fungi—and explain why it’s going in this month’s smoothie.

We swear we haven’t gone off the deep end: Reishi mushrooms have been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for centuries and now have more healthy New Yorkers buzzing about its list of benefits.

What are they? Reishi can help with fatigue, high cholesterol, and allergies. But it’s best is known for boosting your overall picture of health by revving up your immunity and calming inflammation, the root of most diseases, which is why it’s featured in Dr. Weil’s 8 Weeks to Optimal Health.

In fact, study published in the International Journal of Cancer showed that just one mushroom a day (any kind) reduces breast cancer by 64%, and even Sloan Kettering links benefits of reishi.

So you see we haven’t gone crazy when suggesting you add reishi to your smoothie. We learned in our test runs of this creamy summer smoothie that you can’t even taste the reishi (you’ll add drops of reishi extract, not the whole mushroom).

It also calls for juicy, seasonal raspberries and frozen farmer’s market peaches. When combined with the nutty twist of almond milk and almond butter for protein, the ingredients make a seriously health-boosting end-of-summer beverage that’s fortifying as a breakfast or a meal. Try it and let us know what you think in the Comments, below! —Jennifer Kass

Reishi extract starts at $6.99.

Recipe: Peaches and Cream and Reishi Smoothie

Blend and enjoy!

1 c organic frozen peaches
1/2 c organic fresh raspberries
1/2 c organic plain yogurt
3/4 c unsweetened almond milk
1 tbs almond butter
30 drops of Reishi mushroom tincture