The Mush Room | Episode 9: Plants, Fungi, and the Healing Journey with KK of Flora Funga Podcast

Kaitlyn Kuehn also known as KK is a plant biologist with a thirst for mycology who couldn’t find the nerdy, science-forward fungi content she was looking for, so she built it herself. As the creator and host of Flora Funga Podcast, KK has spent years bridging the knowledge gap between plants, fungi, and humans. She’s also on a personal healing journey using medicinal mushrooms to manage rheumatoid arthritis, and she brings that lived experience into everything she shares. This episode covers plant physiology, the fake mushroom product epidemic, autoimmune disease, diet, hydration, sleep, and what it actually takes to build a passion-driven platform from scratch. KK shares her origin story from growing up with gardening parents in Ohio to discovering plant physiology at Mankato State, sneaking mycology into every class presentation she could, and eventually launching Flora Funga Podcast out of a lab job at Mayo Clinic where she had a lot of time to listen to podcasts and a clear gap to fill. She opens up about being diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis at 26 with no family history, and what it was like to have a doctor at one of the country’s top medical institutions Google her diet plan in front of her. She took her healing into her own hands through elimination diets, sleep optimization, movement, and mushrooms, with Reishi, turkey tail, and chaga becoming her core anti-inflammatory stack. Johnny and KK also dig into the fake mushroom supplement market, why big mushroom coffee brands accidentally educated the public while selling an underwhelming product, Tremella as the next breakout mushroom, spring water versus purified water, creatine for women, and why elephants in the wild don’t get arthritis but elephants in zoos do. **About KK:** Plant biologist, mycology educator, and creator of Flora Funga Podcast. KK travels to events worldwide covering cultivation, foraging, functional mushrooms, and psychedelics, and is on a personal healing journey using medicinal mushrooms to manage rheumatoid arthritis. **Connect with KK:** Website and all episodes: florafungapodcast.com Search Flora Funga Podcast on all platforms. **Mentioned in this episode:** Forgotten.life — Lion’s Mane tinctures, Cordyceps, Reishi, gummies, and elixirs. Tryptomics — lab testing for mushroom and cannabis products. Ojai Mushroom Summit — ohmscollective.com