One of the wellness industry’s favourite tipples, DIRTEA is a unique range of mushroom-based powders and super blends. No ordinary powders, these products have been designed to harness the healing powers of mushrooms, adaptogens and ayurvedic herbs in order to offer greater energy, focus and sleep.
With more people than ever before struggling with fatigue and burnout, particularly as the seasons change, we sat down with co-founder Simon to find out more about his personal wellness journey, along with top wellbeing routines and tips for success.
What’s your go-to breakfast to keep you energised for the day ahead?
I’m quite varied on breakfast. I tend to fast a lot, breaking this around 2.00pm, however if I’m not fasting I start my day (with the guidance and support from the hydration queen Tracy Duhus) by downing a litre of structured water.
To ensure I can maximise the hydration of the body (or close to all trace elements in the ocean) I use Quinton. This purifies the water, allowing it to become a crystalline structure that can go into your cells and hydrate better than ‘average’ water.
I then ensure I get an array of plants and nutrition in the morning to support a clean gut. I believe that the most powerful medicine is what you put at the end of your fork!
Finally, I brew up a DIRTEA Chaga. This mushroom has the highest source of antioxidant compared to anything else in nature. By drinking this first thing, I can improve my immune system and ensure my body is in a ready state (sometimes the immune system can be compromised in the mornings) and it has a nice slow kick of energy.
What does your post-workout routine look like?
Post-workout is focused on muscle recovery. I do 25-30 mins in either a wood dry sauna or infrared. Each one is heated to 85 degrees. By doing so, the heat increases oxygen to the blood circulation, which increases recovery. It also aids the amplification of the feel good hormones endorphins.
I usually also take DIRTEA Lions Mane with me into the sauna (random I know!) but it helps activate something called BDNF (Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor) which is the proliferation of new brain cells. This can increase memory and focus, making it just as important as the physical recovery.
Tell us, as a busy CEO - are there any apps/tech you swear by that help you manage your day?
Whoop: This is the first app I check in the morning. Whoop monitors your sleep cycles of deep, light and REM sleep and assesses your heart rate, breathing and heart-rate variability to help determine your baseline fitness and recovery status. It can identify trends in these over time, so every morning I know if I am primed to hit the gym and swing the kettle bells, or just focus on rest and recovery.
Lumosity: This is like taking your brain to the gym and for me it’s a game changer. This app is a programme of games designed to improve memory, problem solving, flexibility and speed of processing.
Do you have any top tips for balancing work and a social life?
Personally I use the power of reduction. This means everything in my life is based on doing the things that allow me to get everything I want to achieve finished in a certain timeframe, so that by the end of the day, I’m content. This has meant minimizing my social life or avoiding going out too much.
I also don’t really drink much. I love the mornings too much and my tonic is the community I hang with. A quote that really resonates with me is “Getting drunk is like borrowing happiness from tomorrow”.
What inspired you to launch Dirtea?
My brother and I were running a successful marketing incubator, but what wasn’t running successfully, was our bodies. It’s so easy to keep the foot heavy on the pedal even against the stressors that present themselves to you. And in most cases that’s angst, fatigue, brain fog and low mood levels.
I have always been curious about integrated medicine and ancient principles of healing, but never invested heavily as it was always easier to reach for an energy drink when the pressure was on and I was tired.
It wasn’t until we met a mushroom tea master through a friend, who was badgering on about how healing this would be to our mind and body, that things took off. They insisted it would allow us to have greater energy, focus and sleep.
I took my brother and we sat with the tea master. In just two hours of sipping these mushroom teas, we felt our worlds shift. We felt great. We spent the next few weeks adopting these mushroom teas into our lives, and with the constant optimisation of sleep, focus, energy and health, we felt the unquestionable responsibility to bring these mushrooms to the masses. Hence DIRTEA began.
Do you have any words of wisdom for someone looking to start their own wellness business?
Passionately believe in the idea/brand/experience that absolutely positively affects the betterment of others wellbeing as much as yours. If the research and knowledge you adopt matches your passion, then go.
What excites you the most about your work?
Waking up to emails that DIRTEA is positively affecting our customers’ lives. This is the extra fuel that gets me into office and creates ways to ensure we are bringing the best mushroom experience to the world.
Do you have any advice for staying motivated?
Ensure your body is fully in check. Ensure you are invested into your body as much as your business. If you are fatigued, your business will be too. Find mentors and build goals, hold yourself accountable.
What does self-care mean to you?
Waking with gratitude to the day. That I wake every morning fully aligned both mentally and physically and that every day is a miracle.
Finally, what’s in your La Pochette?
The latest book (Meditation, Marcus Arrilious). A pocket size Premire Mattire (Perisan Musk). Some DIRTEA Mushroom Coffee. And last but not least, supplements.
Pack one yourself: Sweat Bag - Ink/White, £35
Find out more and shop the DIRTEA range via www.dirteaworld.com
