My Journey to Mama Shrooms
- Brainz Magazine
- Aug 27, 2025
- 3 min read
Gemma Ogston is a chef, author, and wellness advocate passionate about nourishing food, mental health, and community. Founder of Mama Shrooms and Gem’s Community Kitchen, she blends plant-based recipes, recovery, and self-care into everything she creates.
I’m Gem, and Mama Shrooms is truly a piece of my heart. It was born out of my own struggles, my healing, and my passion for helping women feel supported in their bodies and minds.
Before Mama Shrooms, I spent 10 years running Gem’s Wholesome Kitchen, a plant-based food business I started from my flat in Barcelona. Cooking has always been my number one passion, and I honestly believe I healed myself with food and plants.
But it hasn’t always been that way. In my teens and most of my 20s, I was partying, disconnected from myself, and not taking care of my health. Everything shifted when I began a healing journey. I discovered how food could be medicine.
When I was trying for a baby and went through recurrent miscarriages, nourishing foods and plants became my lifeline. They soothed my anxiety and depression, helped me recover, and gave me hope. I deep-dived into holistic living during this time and realised that choosing natural foods and supplements didn’t just change my body, it transformed my mental health and my sense of self. It’s also when I first learned what real self-care meant.
Later, working as an addiction counsellor in rehab centres and women’s projects, I saw how powerfully food affects mood. It was clear: what we put in our bodies impacts not just our health, but also our emotions, energy, and resilience. That insight pushed me to train as a plant-based chef and to make healing foods accessible and delicious for everyone.
And then I discovered functional mushrooms. It was like finding the missing piece of my own wellness puzzle. From the very first time I began taking them, I felt more grounded, more focused, calmer, and more energised. I knew straight away: this is my plant, my medicine.
Why mushrooms?
Mushrooms are some of the most intelligent life forms on our planet. They’ve been used for thousands of years in traditional medicine, from Ancient China to Indigenous cultures worldwide, to restore balance, build resilience, and protect both body and mind.
What makes them so powerful are their compounds: beta-glucans that strengthen immunity, triterpenes that calm inflammation, and unique neuro-protective compounds that even support the growth of new brain cells. They’re adaptogens, which means they help the body adapt to stress, whether physical, emotional, or hormonal.
Each mushroom has its own gift
Reishi calms the nervous system, lowers stress hormones, and supports deep sleep.
Lion’s Mane boosts focus, memory, and mood by supporting brain health and easing anxiety.
Cordyceps enhances energy, stamina, and vitality naturally.
Chaga & Maitake are antioxidant powerhouses, strengthening immunity and protecting against daily stress.
Tremella hydrates skin and supports healthy ageing from the inside out.
What I love most is that mushrooms don’t just support physical wellbeing, they nurture mental and emotional health too. They bring calm to anxious minds, focus to foggy days, and resilience when life feels heavy.
Why Mama Shrooms?
After experiencing the difference myself, I knew I had to share this. Mama Shrooms was the natural next step in my journey, a way to bring the ancient wisdom of mushrooms into modern women’s lives. They’ve carried me through hormonal shifts, stress, loss, and transformation, and I know they can do the same for others.
For me, food will always be medicine, from meals to potions to tonics. And mushrooms are at the heart of that medicine. I’m still learning every day about their power, but what I know for certain is this: they’ve changed my life. And I created Mama Shrooms because I believe, with all my heart, that they can help change yours, too.
Because thriving in body, mind, and spirit is not just possible, it’s what we all deserve.
Read more from Gemma Ogston
Gemma Ogston, Chef, Author, and Wellness Advocate
Gemma Ogston is a chef, author, and founder of Mama Shrooms, a wellness brand focused on women’s health and recovery. A former addiction counsellor, she’s now a recipe developer, community advocate, and bestselling author of The Self-Care Cookbook and The Healing Cookbook. Gemma regularly appears on BBC and ITV, works with brands like Soho House and Witch, and leads local projects promoting affordable, nourishing food. She’s also an ambassador for Young Minds UK and FareShare.
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