Beneath every forest lies a silent network that is demonstrates energy efficiency.
Mycelium (the fine, branching threads of fungi) connects trees, plants, and soil in a living web that moves nutrients and information with minimal waste.
It’s nature’s most sophisticated logistics system, and it runs without a brain, without blueprints, and without fossil fuels. Just energy flow, perfectly optimised.
And surprisingly, the same principles that make mycelium so efficient also apply to us. The human body is another energy network. And the more smoothly that energy moves through the network, the healthier and more alive we feel.
Nature’s Energy Algorithm
When a fungus explores new ground, it doesn’t spread randomly. It grows where conditions are optimal (towards moisture, minerals, nutrients) and avoids where energy would be wasted. Over time, the network reorganises itself into the most energy-efficient pattern possible.
Researchers have found that fungal networks actually compute the best routes between resources, much like how your GPS finds the shortest path across a city. Except fungi have been doing it for billions of years, long before humans built roads or power grids.
Their secret is simple: flow over force. Energy moves where resistance is lowest. That same rule governs everything from rivers and weather patterns to neural activity and blood flow. As well as metabolism itself.
Energy Efficiency and Human Health
Inside your body, mitochondria play the same role mycelium plays in the forest. They are constantly converting, transporting, and balancing energy.
When they work efficiently, energy flows freely. And you feel focused, clear, and resilient.
When they become blocked or overloaded (through stress, poor sleep, or nutrient loss), energy stagnates. That’s when fatigue, brain fog, and inflammation start to creep in.
Just like a fungal network under stress, your metabolism slows down when it encounters resistance. So the key is not to push harder, but to reduce friction in order to allow energy flow easier.
Metabolism explained
Metabolism is basically how your body manages energy. It’s the sum of every chemical reaction happening inside you, from converting food into fuel, to repairing cells, to clearing waste.
At its core, metabolism isn’t just about “burning calories.” It’s about energy flow and regulation. Your mitochondria (the tiny power stations inside cells) take nutrients and oxygen and turn them into ATP, the molecule that powers almost everything you do.
A healthy metabolism is flexible. It can switch between energy sources (like glucose and fat) depending on what’s available, and it adjusts output based on demand. When metabolism becomes rigid or inefficient (from stress, poor sleep, nutrient loss, or chronic inflammation) energy doesn’t move smoothly. You feel it as fatigue, brain fog, or low mood.
So metabolism isn’t a number or a diet trick. It’s the underlying rhythm of life. It's the speed, coordination, and intelligence with which your body turns energy into experience.
What Fungi Can Teach Us About Metabolism
Functional mushrooms are essentially energy teachers.
-
Cordyceps increases ATP production (the molecule that powers every cell in your body), helping energy move more freely through your system.
-
Reishi reduces metabolic stress by calming the nervous system and lowering cortisol, allowing the body to operate in a steady, efficient rhythm.
-
Lion’s Mane supports neuronal growth and communication, improving how efficiently the brain itself distributes energy.
Together, they support what we might call metabolic intelligence - the ability of the body to adapt, regulate, and flow like a living ecosystem.
Unlike modern pharmaceuticals that aim to suppress symptoms and force the body into balance, mushrooms work by restoring harmony and helping the body remember how to heal itself.
Practical Health Lessons From Fungi
In practical terms, the lesson from fungi is to stop forcing energy and start improving its flow. Just as mycelium grows where resistance is lowest, our health improves when we reduce friction in the body. We can do that through
- good sleep
- balanced nutrition
- hydration
- sunlight
- regular movement
- managing stress
The Bigger Lesson
Fungal networks show us that intelligence isn’t always about thinking harder. Rather, it's about energy efficiency. They don’t waste energy trying to dominate their environment. They collaborate with it.
If we treated our metabolism the same way - by reducing waste, managing stress, resting properly, eating with purpose - we’d stop chasing energy and start conducting it.
That’s the real wisdom of fungi: energy is meant to move, not be hoarded. Keep the flow open, and focus, vitality and balance follow naturally.
At Mushies, we make functional mushrooms that help your energy flow like mycelium, steady, intelligent, and deeply connected to life. 🌱
Explore the collection here.
More reading:
