Tonya Papanikolov

Tell us a little about yourself and the journey behind Rainbo.

I'm a creative, a nature lover, a holistic nutritionist by training, and the founder of Rainbo. Rainbo really stemmed from my own healing journey and exploration of the Canadian forests. I first began foraging mushrooms and making mushroom teas in 2015. Shortly after, I began working with a practitioner who used muscle testing. The whole idea with that is that the practitioner doesn't guess what you need; they allow your body's intelligence to express what it needs to heal. So when we tested Reishi, my body was off the charts in love with Reishi and wanted it in really high doses!! So I took a very high dose of Reishi for 8 weeks, and my whole mind-body-spirit was transformed. I'm not exaggerating! My immune system (and therefore my gut) and my liver (and therefore my hormones) went through this big healing and rebalancing. That experience cracked something open in me. I fell into a deep reverence for the intelligence of mushrooms, and I knew I wanted to share that with other people who were struggling with chronic health challenges the way I understood so well. Soon after, Rainbo was born.

You speak beautifully about mushrooms as allies for modern life. What first drew you to the world of functional fungi?

Even before my own healing experience, what first drew me in was this massive awakening and reckoning with nature itself, which happened in the forest. That's where I came to understand that the forest is a living pharmacy, that fungi are the connective intelligence beneath it all, the mycelial network linking every tree and plant, responsible for the forest's immune system and really the health of the whole planet. And they do the same thing in us: they connect and rebalance everything, bringing the body back into its natural order. Imagine going from not knowing that to really knowing it in your body!! It was monumental, a total shift in how I understood nature and my place in it. That, to me, is the beauty of returning to natural medicine. You start to see the natural order of things again. So many of my biggest breakthroughs have been informed by fungi. They really helped rearrange how I see everything.

The phrase "food as medicine" means many things to different people. What does it mean to you personally?

Food as medicine always reminds me of the quote, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." To me, that ounce is what we eat every single day. When food is natural, as close to its whole state as possible, it's imbued with the intelligence of the sun, the soil, and nature. The more processed it gets, the more that intelligence is stripped away. So food as medicine means making real, natural food our primary form of preventative healthcare. It's the most basic building block of our health, and the most powerful one.

How do functional mushrooms fit into your daily life?

I work with mushrooms based on how I'm feeling, which is exactly why I love having all of our Rainbo tinctures on hand; that way, I can reach for whatever I need in the moment. One of my morning rituals is a matcha with 11:11 in it. It was the first blend I ever created, and it's become this little moment of presence for me—a chance to set an intention, to remember I'm inviting synchronicities, flow, and connection to my day. In the afternoons, I love having a Fungki. From there, it depends: Lion's Mane before I meditate or head into a big meeting when I want to be sharp, Chaga and Turkey Tail as my cold-and-flu-season allies, and Reishi before bed for deep sleep and calm.

What are your non-negotiable pantry or wellness staples?

My pantry and food staples are seasonal as much as possible. Lately I'm loving:

French lentils - I always love getting my fibre in
Seaweed/Nori snacks
Good spring water, always
Carrots - I have this hormone-balancing carrot salad I could eat all day
Kefir full-fat yogurt from the Topanga farmers market
Bee pollen
Mānuka!!
All the seasonal fresh fruits - strawberries, peaches, stone fruit - mmm, I'm planning to make a galette later :)
Mushroom marshmallows - I've been obsessed with these lately and can't seem to keep them around; my friends and husband eat them all! Made from a few simple ingredients, including honey.

What daily ritual helps you feel most grounded and nourished?

Lately, solo walks with no phone. Journalling. And my kundalini yoga meditations and practice are always a beautiful combination of grounding and spacey. I always go into deep meditative states where I get a lot of ideas, clarity, and just get to connect to the vastness of being.

What's one recipe you're loving right now?

Carrot salad because it's zesty and crunchy and just such a delicious, simple snack!

1 carrot, ribboned
1 tbsp EVOO or coconut oil
1–2 tsp apple cider vinegar
Pinch of sea salt

What's your favorite way to enjoy ACTIVIST?

A little Mānuka stirred into my Fungki. I do 2 tsp of Fungki with some steamed homemade almond milk and a little bit of Mānuka. It's so grounding and nourishing.

And sometimes, when I need a little pick-me-up, I'll just have a spoonful straight, and that is just divine.