Tero Isokauppila is a Finnish foraging expert, founder of medicinal mushroom company Four Sigmatic, and the author of Santa Sold Shrooms.
What you'll learn from this episode:
Where the real St. Nicholas—aka Santa Claus—originated, and the circuitous route he took to become a global phenomenon revered across cultures.
Why our ancestors who lived more in step with nature held certain seasons sacred—and the benefits of a seasonal diet versus one that remains the same all year round.
The role of the Amanita muscaria mushroom in popular culture—from Santa to Snow White to the Super Mario Brothers.
How pine trees, ornaments, reindeer, stockings over the fireplace, gift-giving, and elves became associated with Santa and Christmas traditions.
What even Frank Zappa might not have known about the yellow snow...
And much more!
This podcast is sponsored by my friends at Four Sigmatic (check out my interview with founder Tero Isokauppila in episode 12), who make a wide range of coffees, elixirs, and teas using mushrooms like chaga, reishi, lion's mane, and more. Go to foursigmatic.com/max to save 15 percent off of everything!
Resources from this episode:
Santa Sold Shrooms by Tero Isokauppila and Juho Heinola
Four Sigmatic (15% off discount code automatically applied!)
Healing Mushrooms: A Practical and Culinary Guide to Using Mushrooms for Whole Body Health by Tero Isokauppila and Four Sigmatic
The Genius Life 12: How to Use Mushrooms for Better Health | Tero Isokauppila
Why the Godfather, Part II Is the Best of the Trilogy by Gerardo Valero, RogerEbert.com
St. Nicholas of Myra by Burak Sansal, All About Turkey
Santa Is a Psychedelic Mushroom by Matthew Salton, The New York Times
The Sami People of Lapland by Guilia Vincenzi, Globe Trekker
How to Safely Eat Amanita Muscaria by Hank Shaw, Hunter Angler Gardener Cook
Sinterklaas! An Old Dutch Tradition in the Hudson Valley
Don't Eat The Yellow Snow by Frank Zappa
The Old Norse Yule Celebration—Myth and Ritual by Maria Kvilhaug, Freyia Volundarhusins
Does Coca-Cola Contain Cocaine? by Elizabeth Palermo, LiveScience
When Heroin Was Available to Housewives and Aspirin Was Bad for the Heart by Mark Borigini M.D., Psychology Today
Could Ancient Remedies Hold the Answer to the Looming Antibiotics Crisis? by Ferris Jabr, The New York Times
3 Reasons Why Social Events Should Have Food by Kateryna Yaroshenko, GEVME
Mona Lisa—Portrait of Lisa Gherardini, wife of Francesco del Giocondo, The Louvre
Cacao: 5 Little Known Benefits of This Amazonian Superfood by Buffy Ellen, Be Good Organics
The Sacred Mushroom and the Cross: A Study of the Nature and Origins of Christianity Within the Fertility Cults of the Ancient Near East by John M. Allegro
Slavic Winter Solstice Festival—Koliada! by Gwiddon Harveston, Wiccan Rede
How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence by Michael Pollan
The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS)
Wild Mushrooms: What to Eat, What to Avoid by Tom Oder, Mother Nature Network
The Year Of Albert Einstein by Richard Panek, Smithsonian Magazine
Genius Foods: Become Smarter, Happier, and More Productive While Protecting Your Brain for Life by Max Lugavere and Paul Grewal M.D.
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