NLS 113: Which Magic Mushrooms Are Healing & Which Are Dangerous with Tero Isokauppila

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Tero Isokauppila, the founder of Four Sigmatic, is on a mission to make medicinal mushrooms, some of the world’s most researched superfoods, more accessible to everyone. Born in Finland to an agronomist father and nursing teacher mother, Tero grew up on a farm his family has owned since 1619. There, he foraged for mushrooms and other wild foods while learning about the natural food space at an early age. Following his early education on the farm, Tero later completed a Degree in Chemistry and a Certificate in Plant-Based Nutrition from Cornell University. In 2006, he won a Finnish innovation award for discovering that the sought-after Japanese culinary matsutake mushrooms also grow in Finland. Tero has lived in eight countries on three continents. He has a strong personal interest in health and wellness, which includes activities like making raw chocolate and practicing yin yoga. He has also recently taken up a unique practice of napping on a nail mat, which is a modern form of acupressure and helps to energize his busy life. Tero founded Four Sigmatic in 2012 and its products are now sold in over 25 countries. In 2015, the company launched in the U.S. and relocated its headquarters to Los Angeles, California. Four Sigmatic’s functional mushroom coffees, hot cacaos and elixirs are sold at retailers nationwide, including Whole Foods and other natural grocers, as well as online at FourSigmatic.com and through online health websites like Thrive Market. Tero is a reputable source on superfoods, an expert on natural health and has been a featured speaker for example at Summit Series, Wanderlust, Further Future, Culinary Nutrition Conference, and WME-IMG. Tero was also chosen as one of the world’s TOP 50 Food Activists by the Academy of Culinary Nutrition. Tero and Four Sigmatic have been featured in prominent media outlets, including Vogue, Time, Forbes, W Magazine, Harper’s Bazaar, BuzzFeed, Bon Appétit, Goop, Well+Good, MindBodyGreen and many others. His new book is: Healing Adaptogens: The Definitive Guide to Using Super Herbs and Mushrooms for Your Body's Restoration, Defense, and Performance Boost your body's internal ability to defend, perform, and restore with this guide to the 21 most common adaptogens and their healing properties from the team behind Four Sigmatic. Are you suffering from chronic fatigue, anxiety, digestive, or autoimmune issues? Or are you seeking a simple way to bring whole-body health into your life with a food that is easy to integrate into your everyday routine with no muss, no fuss? Welcome to the world of adaptogens: nutrient-dense, calorie-sparse superfoods that have been clinically proven to help your body: defend your immunity and gut health, perform through your cardiovascular and respiratory systems, and restore balance through your neuroendocrine system. By definition, adaptogens are nontoxic, nonspecific (meaning they build adaptive energy rather than exerting a specific effect), and normalizing (meaning there's a balancing bidirectional effect on physiological function). Tero Isokauppila, founder of Four Sigmatic, and registered herbalist Danielle Ryan Broida guide you through the scientific mechanisms and health benefits of the 21 most powerful species of adaptogens, from ashwagandha to chaga to turmeric. Complete with client case studies and a shopping guide, Healing Adaptogens will educate, inform, inspire, and delight, giving you the tools you need to elevate your daily routine with adaptogens. Please enjoy my conversation with Tero Isokauppila.