The Eversio Experience Podcast

Eversio Wellness
  • 5.0 (6)
  • Alternative Health
  • Updated Weekly

Hosted by Brandi Garden, co-founder of Eversio Wellness, and Dr. Desiree Caruso, ND. In this podcast we talk all about the world of mushroom wellness because mushrooms are critical to the maintenance of our physical well-being and our collective mental health. We believe mushrooms are symbols of interconnectedness, and we’re so excited to connect you with the health, wellness, and wisdom that they have brought us on our journey to this moment. Eversio means change and it's our mission to change lives through fungi. There is a mushroom for every moment!

  1. 17h ago

    #60 - The PCOS Pivot: How Samantha March Healed Her Hormones Naturally

    For 15 years, the world saw Samantha March's creative output: nine novels, a product brand, a YouTube channel, a loyal audience who shows up because she makes you feel like a friend. What most people didn't see was what was happening inside her body at the same time. Episode 60 is the conversation she's finally ready to have. Samantha March is a lifestyle creator, published author of nine contemporary novels, and founder of By Samantha March, a brand of intentional living products including card decks, planners, and habit trackers. In this episode, Samantha shares the health journey she's kept mostly private until now: an adrenal PCOS diagnosis that took the better part of a year to get and four years of rebuilding her health from the ground up. We get into the symptoms that started appearing in October 2021, why multiple doctors dismissed everything she was experiencing, and what changed when she finally connected with a naturopathic doctor. Samantha also talks about the shame that kept her quiet early in her journey, what it looks like to keep creating when your brain is foggy and your body feels like a stranger, and why she's sharing this story publicly now that she has four years of results behind her. What You'll Learn: Why Samantha's symptoms were dismissed by her OBGYN, primary care doctor, internist, and endocrinologist, and what finally broke through What adrenal PCOS is and how it differs from other types, plus why the condition recently got a new name that actually fits better The brain fog moments that genuinely scared her, including a preheated oven she had no memory of turning on Why she pulled back from talking about her health publicly early on and what gave her the confidence to come back four years later How hormone labs gave her more answers in one appointment than years of guessing ever could The specific changes that made the biggest difference: an elimination diet, stress management, low-impact movement, and functional mushrooms Why Turkey Tail was recommended to Samantha by two completely separate practitioners at nearly the same time How Lion's Mane shifted her concentration and mental clarity within weeks What it looked like to keep writing novels and running a brand through a health crisis Why shame keeps women silent about their health and what shifts when they finally start talking Resources Mentioned: Samantha March on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marchbeautyword/ Samantha's website and novels: https://bysamanthamarch.com/ Your Next Steps: Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eversiowellness/ Shop Eversio Wellness and save 15% with code PODCAST15: https://www.eversiowellness.com/discount/PODCAST15?redirect=%2Fcollections%2Fall-products Take our wellness QUIZ to find the right mushroom for you: https://www.eversiowellness.com/pages/take-our-quiz

    1h 11m

  2. Jul 3

    #59 - Here's Why Most Mushroom Supplements Don't Actually Work

    You paid good money for a mushroom supplement. You took it every single day. And you felt absolutely nothing. Before you write off functional mushrooms entirely, there's something you need to know. In this episode, we pull back the curtain on the three categories of mushroom products on the market right now, and why the one most people are buying is the one least likely to do anything at all. Brandi shares the story she's never told on the podcast before, the one that led to Eversio existing the way it does today. It starts with a white plastic bottle, organic brown rice, and a very expensive lesson. Dr. Desiree walks through the biology behind what actually makes mushrooms work, and together they hand you a checklist so you can evaluate any mushroom supplement in 90 seconds flat. If you've ever bought a mushroom product and wondered why you felt nothing, this episode is the answer. What You'll Learn: The three distinct categories of mushroom products on the market and why most of what you'll find falls into the least effective one What mycelium on grain actually is, what's inside that capsule, and why the label is allowed to say "mushroom" anyway Why "polysaccharides" on a label is not the same thing as beta glucans, and what that difference means in your body The real reason Brandi felt nothing from the first mushroom supplement she ever took (and why it wasn't her fault) How to read a mushroom supplement label in 90 seconds with eight specific questions to ask before you buy What extraction method tells you about a product's potency and why "mushroom powder" is not the same as "mushroom extract" Why a certificate of analysis from an independent lab is non-negotiable, and what it means when a brand won't give you one The caffeine problem hiding in "mushroom" products that makes people think they're feeling the mushrooms when they're not What USDA organic certification actually means, how to verify it, and how to spot the fake version Resources Mentioned: Episode 2 (Brain Health): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_064s35G0qs Mushroom Math Episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbAh8iTyK7w&t=15s USDA Organic Integrity Database: https://ams.usda.gov/organic-integrity Your Next Steps: Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eversiowellness/ Shop Eversio Wellness and save 15% with code PODCAST15: https://www.eversiowellness.com/discount/PODCAST15?redirect=%2Fcollections%2Fall-products Take our wellness QUIZ to find the right mushroom for you: https://www.eversiowellness.com/pages/take-our-quiz

    35 min

  3. Jun 28

    #58 - The Root Cause of Your Health Problems Might Be in Your Mouth with Dr. Laura Caylor

    Your dentist has never grabbed your tongue, checked your nose, and asked you about your sleep but maybe they should. In this episode, we're sitting down with Dr. Laura Caylor, a dentist in Chilliwack, BC who has built her practice around a root cause approach to oral health. Dr. Laura didn't set out to become the practitioner who looks at your airway, your tongue tie, your jaw posture, and your nervous system in a single appointment. She got there through her own lived experience as a parent, breastfeeding struggles, chronic congestion in her kids, and a magazine article that changed everything. What she discovered is that the mouth is not a separate system. It's the beginning of the whole story. Dr. Desiree found Dr. Laura while recovering from mold-related health concerns, looking for a dentist who understood airway health at a root cause level. And after that first appointment? She called Brandi on the way home. That's the kind of practitioner Dr. Laura is. What you'll learn: Why the mouth is for eating and the nose is for breathing and what happens when we mix those up chronically The connection between mouth breathing and your oral microbiome (yes, your mouth has one too) How nitric oxide production from the nose affects your blood flow, immune function, and cardiovascular health and how mouth breathing bypasses all of it What snoring is actually telling you and why it's never the starting point for treatment The role of tongue position in guiding jaw development, airway patency, and your midface structure Why a tongue tie isn't just a newborn breastfeeding problem and the signs to watch for at every age How the trigeminal nerve connects jaw instability to nervous system dysregulation and compensation patterns through the whole body The fascial line that runs from the tongue all the way to the toes and what happens when it's restricted Dr. Laura's family's nasal hygiene routine, including the xylitol nasal spray that changed her son's chronic congestion The truth about mouthwash, fluoride, hydroxyapatite toothpaste, and when to brush relative to coffee and lemon water Resources Mentioned: Nelson's Naturals hydroxyapatite toothpaste (BC-based): https://nelsonsnaturals.com Dr. Laura Caylor on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.lauracaylor/ Dr. Laura's clinic: Vedder Dental, Chilliwack, BC https://vedderdental.ca/ Tongue Tie Course for Parents: https://www.thetonguetiecourse.com Dr. Laura Caylor's website: https://drlauracaylor.com/ Your Next Steps: Follow Eversio Wellness on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eversiowellness/ Shop Eversio Wellness and save 15% with code PODCAST15: https://www.eversiowellness.com/discount/PODCAST15?redirect=%2Fcollections%2Fall-products Take our wellness QUIZ to find the right mushroom for you: https://www.eversiowellness.com/pages/take-our-quiz

    1h 10m

  4. Jun 19

    The Eversio Experience Podcast | #57 - What If Functional Mushrooms Could Lift Your Mood?

    You're not depressed. You're not in crisis. You're functioning, showing up, holding it all together. But something is still off, and you can't quite name it. This episode is for that person. Brandi and Dr. Desiree Caruso, ND sit down to break down the real biology behind low-grade mood dysregulation — the kind that doesn't show up in standard bloodwork but is absolutely happening in your body. We're talking about two specific functional mushrooms, lion's mane and reishi, and going straight into the mechanisms: the actual compounds, the actual pathways, and the actual research that explains why these mushrooms have a genuine relationship with how you feel. This is not a vibe episode. This is the science. We've been asked over and over again whether functional mushrooms can do something for mood, and if so, how. Today we answer that question properly. If you've ever walked out of a doctor's appointment feeling dismissed — told everything looks normal, maybe it's stress, maybe it's your age — this episode is what comes next. What you'll learn: Why mood is a physiological state, not just a feeling, and what that means for how you address it The specific terpenoid compounds in lion's mane (hericenones) that can cross the blood-brain barrier and what they do once they get there Why BDNF is the mechanism most antidepressants are thought to work through, and how lion's mane stimulates it directly How 90% of your serotonin is produced in your gut, and exactly how lion's mane supports that pathway The three-directional approach lion's mane takes: blood-brain barrier, neuroinflammation, and gut-brain axis simultaneously What the HPA axis is, why chronic stress dysregulates it, and how reishi's ganoderic acids help restore the natural cortisol rhythm Reishi's relationship with GABA, the brain's calming neurotransmitter, and why that explains the felt sense of settling down The 2026 randomized controlled trial showing measurable reductions in anxiety, cortisol, and inflammation at 12 weeks How disrupted sleep literally changes how your brain processes emotional information, and the two specific mechanisms reishi addresses to help with that How to self-diagnose which mushroom fits your experience right now, and what to track over four weeks to know whether it's working Resources Mentioned: Dr. Andrew Huberman episode on adenosine and coffee: https://www.hubermanlab.com/episode/using-caffeine-to-optimize-mental-and-physical-performance Vigna, L. et al. (2019). "Hericium erinaceus Improves Mood and Sleep Disorders in the Elderly." Journal of Medicinal Food, 22(5). Contato, A.G. & Conte-Junior, C.A. (2025). "Lion's Mane Mushroom (Hericium erinaceus): A Neuroprotective Fungus with Antioxidant, Anti-Inflammatory, and Antimicrobial Potential — A Narrative Review." Nutrients, 17(8), 1307. Frontiers in Nutrition (2025). "Benefits, side effects, and uses of Hericium erinaceus as a supplement: a systematic review." Frontiers in Nutrition, 12, 1641246. Ratto, D. et al. (2023). "Hericium erinaceus: Acute and Chronic Effects on Cognitive Function, Stress, and Mood in Young Adults." Nutrients, 15(22), 4842. Cui, X.Y. et al. (2012). "Extract of Ganoderma lucidum prolongs sleep time in rats." Journal of Ethnopharmacology / Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior. PMID: 22297086. Yong, V.K.J. et al. (2026). "A blend of medicinal mushrooms including Reishi reduces anxiety, cortisol and CRP in a 12-week randomized controlled trial." Brain and Behavior. Your Next Steps: Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eversiowellness/ Shop Eversio Wellness and save 15% with code PODCAST15: https://www.eversiowellness.com/discount/PODCAST15?redirect=%2Fcollections%2Fall-products Take our wellness quiz to find the right mushroom for you: https://www.eversiowellness.com/pages/take-our-quiz

    59 min

  5. Jun 12

    The Eversio Experience Podcast | - #56 Same Life, Better Choices: The Healthy Swap Episode

    You could be eating well, supplementing intentionally, and doing all the "right" things and still be quietly working against yourself every single day. Not because of what you're not doing, but because of what you're putting in and on your body without realizing it. Nobody told us either, until someone who loved us did. Now we're telling you. This episode is a swap episode. Six things, three from Brandi and three from Dr. Desiree, that we have personally changed in our own lives. Not from a place of panic, but from a place of having the information and making the obvious next move. The science on what's in conventional cookware, makeup, lotion, and coffee isn't obscure. The product industry just hasn't had much incentive to share it. We do. Brandi walks through her swaps from body butter to wooden kitchen utensils to a blood-sugar-stable chocolate bar that actually tastes like a chocolate bar. Dr. Desiree covers the research on non-stick cookware and forever chemicals, the fragrance loophole hiding in your makeup bag, and what's really in most commercial coffee. None of these swaps require blowing up your life. Most of them cost the same or less than what you're already using. What You'll Learn: Why the first ingredient on most conventional lotions is water and what that means for your skin barrier What Chaga's ORAC value actually is and why applying antioxidants topically to inflamed or psoriatic skin has a real mechanism behind it What happens when a plastic or silicone spatula sits in a hot pan (and why "BPA-free" didn't solve the problem) Why monk fruit has a glycemic index of zero and how that changes what happens to your energy an hour after a sweet snack The PFAS "forever chemicals" in conventional non-stick cookware, what temperature matters, and the simple technique that makes stainless steel actually work The fragrance loophole in US and Canadian cosmetic labeling that lets one word hide dozens to hundreds of undisclosed compounds Why coffee is one of the most heavily pesticide-sprayed crops in the world and how mycotoxins get in before the bag ever reaches your kitchen How L-theanine in matcha changes the quality of caffeine in the body and why it may matter more for perimenopausal women managing cortisol Four free apps and databases you can use right now to check what's actually in your makeup before you repurchase it Resources Mentioned: EWG Skin Deep database (free ingredient safety ratings): https://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ Yuka app (scan product barcodes in-store for ingredient scores): https://yuka.io/en/ SkinSafe (developed with Mayo Clinic, helpful for sensitive skin): https://www.skinsafe.com/ Merit makeup: https://www.meritbeauty.com/ Your Next Steps: Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eversiowellness/ Shop Eversio Wellness and save 15% with code PODCAST15: https://www.eversiowellness.com/discount/PODCAST15?redirect=%2Fcollections%2Fall-products Not sure which mushroom is right for you? Take our free quiz: https://www.eversiowellness.com/pages/take-our-quiz

    59 min

  6. Jun 4

    The Eversio Experience Podcast | #55 - Can Mushrooms Help with Perimenopause?

    If you've ever woken up at 3 a.m. for no reason, walked into a room and completely blanked on why, or felt like your brain was wrapped in cotton wool... this episode is for you. These are not random complaints. They are among the most common early signs of perimenopause, and most women have no idea that's what's happening. I took a perimenopause symptom assessment through my Oura Ring recently and my results came back as mild across the cognitive and sleep categories. My first thought was, "mild doesn't sound that bad." Then I read what actually falls under "mild," and I recognized myself immediately. That was enough to make me sit down with our naturopathic physician, Dr. Desiree Caruso, ND, and record this episode. Dr. Desiree breaks down exactly what is happening in the brain and body during perimenopause, why the symptoms are real and measurable, and what the research says about how functional mushrooms can support women through this transition. We cover lion's mane, reishi, cordyceps, maitake, and tremella, and I share why all five of them ended up in Eversio's Five Mushroom Blend. If you have a woman in your life who is in her late 30s, 40s, or early 50s, this episode is worth a listen even if perimenopause isn't on your own radar yet. What You'll Learn: What perimenopause actually is (and the clinical definition that finally makes it clear), and why it is not a disease or a dysfunction Why the brain feels hormonal fluctuation so directly, including which brain regions have estrogen receptors and what that means for memory and decision-making How lion's mane supports the same nerve growth factor pathway that estrogen was protecting, through a completely different mechanism that does not require estrogen The research behind lion's mane and cognition, including a placebo-controlled study done specifically in menopausal women showing improved focus and reduced anxiety after four weeks Why reishi does not sedate you the way a pharmaceutical does, and how it works through the gut-brain axis to support your body's own melatonin production The GABA connection: how declining progesterone disrupts sleep and how reishi's triterpene compounds appear to support that same calming pathway What cordyceps does for energy and adrenal function during perimenopause, and why adrenal health becomes increasingly important as the ovaries step back How maitake supports metabolic health and glucose regulation as estrogen declines, and why that matters more than most women realize Why tremella earned its place in the blend, and how its polysaccharides support skin hydration from within as estrogen drops What "standardized to 35% beta-D-glucans" actually means and why that number on the label makes a real difference in whether a mushroom product works How Dr. Desiree thinks about functional mushrooms in relation to other perimenopause support options, including hormone replacement therapy, with an honest look at what the research does and does not yet show Resources Mentioned: Eversio Five Mushroom Blend: https://www.eversiowellness.com/products/5-mushroom-blend-organic-extracts?variant=45340200599751 Oura Ring perimenopause symptom assessment feature: https://ouraring.com/womens-health Atomic Habits by James Clear: https://jamesclear.com/atomic-habits Your Next Steps: Shop Eversio Wellness: https://www.eversiowellness.com/collections/all-products Follow Eversio on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eversiowellness/ Try the Eversio Five Mushroom Blend: https://www.eversiowellness.com/products/5-mushroom-blend-organic-extracts?variant=45340200599751 -- use code PODCAST15 at checkout for 15% off your entire order

    53 min

  7. May 29

    The Eversio Experience Podcast | #54 - How To Become A Conscious Creator with Mike Prince

    We have been looking forward to this conversation for a long time, and it did not disappoint. Mike Prince is a friend of the Eversio family, founder of the Conscious Man Project, and a coach who helps men stop performing their lives and start actually living them. He is the kind of guest that makes you put your phone down and just listen. And if you have a man in your life who you love and quietly worry about, this one is especially for you. Mike walked away from the identity he had spent decades building: high-achieving athlete, corporate leader, husband, father, the guy with everything. At the peak of it, he felt completely empty. A Lyme disease diagnosis became the forced pause that changed everything. What he built in that stillness, he now helps other men find. He calls it conscious creation. This conversation went deep, fast, and it did not stay in the lane of men only. We talked about masculine and feminine energy, what women unknowingly do that makes it harder for their partners to heal, and what it actually looks like to design a day with intention rather than obligation. Whether you showed up today as a woman, a partner, a mother, or someone in the middle of your own reckoning, this episode will give you something real to work with. What You Will Learn In This Episode What it actually means to be an unconscious creator and the one habit that keeps most people there without realizing it What men are almost never able to name in a first coaching session and why naming it changes everything The physical toll of living out of alignment and why the body starts speaking when nothing else will What well-meaning partners do that feels supportive but actually makes it harder for men to find their way Why congratulating your man for grinding might be the thing quietly costing you the relationship The difference between masculine and feminine energy that has nothing to do with gender, and why both of you need both How Mike's Lyme disease shifted from purely physical to something he now calls his greatest gift What a consciously designed day actually looks like for someone who is not a monk and has three kids and a full life The one thing Mike's male clients resist the most, and then cannot stop talking about after they try it What Mike wants his three boys to understand about being a man that took him far too long to learn himself Resources Mentioned: The Conscious Man Retreat: www.consciouscreator.world Eversio Wellness Chaga mushroom: https://www.eversiowellness.com/products/chaga-mushroom-extract?variant=42490371211463 Shop all Eversio Wellness mushrooms: https://www.eversiowellness.com/collections/all-products Connect with Mike: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theconsciouscreatorcoach Website: https://www.consciouscreator.world Your Next Steps: Shop Eversio Wellness: https://www.eversiowellness.com/en-us/collections/all-products Use code PODCAST15 for 15% off your order: https://www.eversiowellness.com/discount/PODCAST15 Follow us on Instagram @eversiowellness: https://www.instagram.com/eversiowellness/

    50 min

  8. May 22

    The Eversio Experience Podcast | #53 Healing My Autoimmune Disease With The Perfect Day

    This is not a morning routine episode. This is a therapeutic system built from years of trial, error, and paying very close attention to a body with autoimmune disease. Brandi takes you through her full day, from 6:30 AM to lights out at 11, and Dr. Desiree breaks down the biology behind every single piece of it. Not because it looks good on paper, but because the research backs it and the Oura ring data confirms it. If you are living with an autoimmune condition, or you know something is off and you cannot name it yet, this episode is the one to send to every woman in your life who needs to hear it. What You'll Learn: Why the first five minutes after you wake up are the most neuroplastic window of your entire day and how to use that on purpose What Brandi puts in her morning mason jar and the specific reason each ingredient is in there (lemon, apple cider vinegar, mushroom extract and why order and timing matter) The three-legged stool model of autoimmunity and how every element of Brandi's day maps directly to one of those three legs Why meditation is not a wellness extra for someone managing autoimmune disease, and what the epigenetics research actually says about it The difference between morning coffee and matcha for your cortisol levels, your gut lining, and your immune regulation What "back pocket thoughts" are and how a 10-15 minute journaling practice is physically building new neural pathways in your prefrontal cortex Why morning light in your eyes (without sunglasses, without a window) sets your circadian rhythm for the entire day and directly affects sleep quality 14-16 hours later The one thing that is independently associated with increased inflammation regardless of what else you are doing (and it is not your diet) Why Brandi takes Reishi and magnesium bisglycinate every single night and what her Oura ring data shows about sleep quality when she does How a hot shower before bed is triggering the same nervous system wind-down signal as your evening supplements What the glymphatic system does while you sleep and why no supplement or practice can replace the repair work that only happens in those hours The single strongest predictor of microbiome diversity, and how to hit 30 plant foods a week without overhauling your entire kitchen Resources Mentioned: Eversio Wellness 5 Mushroom Blend (Metabolic / Hormone Balancing): https://www.eversiowellness.com/ Eversio Wellness Lion's Mane: https://www.eversiowellness.com/ Eversio Wellness Reishi: https://www.eversiowellness.com/ Soar Organics Matcha (Vancouver-based, USDA and Canada Organic certified): https://www.soarorganics.com/ EWG Clean 15 and Dirty Dozen (annual pesticide guide for produce): https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/ Oura Ring: https://ouraring.com/ The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk (referenced in context of trauma and autoimmune disease) Brandi's Book: https://www.eversiowellness.com/products/healing-your-body-mind-and-soul Take the Eversio Wellness Quiz: https://www.eversiowellness.com/pages/take-our-quiz Your Next Steps: Take the Wellness Quiz to find the right mushroom for you: https://www.eversiowellness.com/pages/take-our-quiz Shop Eversio Wellness and save 15% with code PODCAST15: https://www.eversiowellness.com/ Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eversiowellness/ Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCSZdEq_Qk0SYCKCeAwuuiw Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0cNGNkTVcgpS2an1IFy1HJ?si=673791bd190e4c33

    1h 5m
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

Hosted by Brandi Garden, co-founder of Eversio Wellness, and Dr. Desiree Caruso, ND. In this podcast we talk all about the world of mushroom wellness because mushrooms are critical to the maintenance of our physical well-being and our collective mental health. We believe mushrooms are symbols of interconnectedness, and we’re so excited to connect you with the health, wellness, and wisdom that they have brought us on our journey to this moment. Eversio means change and it's our mission to change lives through fungi. There is a mushroom for every moment!

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