The two first steps in healing from mold exposure

Where to begin when healing from mold exposure? 

The crucial and most helpful first steps to take are: breathe clean air & eat clean food. Let’s look into each of these a bit more. Dangerous mold and partner toxins primarily enter the body through the nose and mouth. 

When these pathogens come in through the air we breathe, they can accumulate when our system is unable to process them. 

When the toxins enter our bodies through the act of eating, the digestive system processes them differently from the pathogens entering through breath. 

The terms: “Mold Illness”, “mold sickness”, “CIRS”, “biotoxin illness”, “immunologic disease”, “mold toxicity”, and “environmentally acquired illness” are often used interchangeably. Many times, the term “mycotoxin” is associated with mold illness, even though it is different. The first two steps listed below are the most important to establish as soon as possible when illness is suspected. 

1. Know what you’re inhaling every day; test the places you spend the most time (sleeping, working) for toxic mold and remove yourself from dangerous contaminant levels.

2. Know what foods are inflammatory for your body right now (both subjective irritants like allergens or intolerances & foods that complicate mold illness) and eliminate them from your diet now.

Immediately follow up these two first steps by locating a professional that specializes in mold illness (also known as CIRS or Biotoxin Associated Illness specialists). 

The basic plan to recover from mold illness is this: 

1. Determine and remove yourself from the toxic mold exposure
2. Support yourself by consuming the right foods & beverages, including CIRS approved foods
3. Work with a professional that specializes in mold illness recovery to draft a custom protocol. 
4. Be patient and diligent

For more information – testing, finding a healthcare professional, and generally learning more about this condition, and how to help yourself or a loved one- see our resources page after reading this post. We’ll link again to the resources at the bottom.

 No time to read this post right now? Click here for a printable list of over 80 foods to either eat or avoid. Save it on your phone, print a copy for the fridge, or send a link to someone who needs the list. 

When considering toxins we might be breathing in- here are a few tips to get started:

How do you know if toxic mold is in the air of my home, workplace, or school? 

• The obvious signs are: if there are water leaks, previous floods, or maybe you smell something “off” in the air when you first enter the space after being in the fresh outdoors. Perhaps the mold is visible – it can take many shapes and colors, not just “balck mold”. (see Resources page “How to identify toxic mold?”)
• If you see something or smell something that is suspicious, it’s a very good idea to order a test kit or call a professional testing company. And if you don’t see it or smell it- but the place has a history of water damage (even if it has been repaired)- at the very least do a preliminary test with one of the simple test kits. See Resources tab “Testing your home or office”. 

Now, while you are waiting for test results to return, it’s time to find out what you are eating that contributes to inflammation and focus on a low amylose diet. We all know that sugar and processed foods are not part of the food pyramid and do not positively contribute nutrients to our bodies. So remove them from your diet for the time being.

 But what about the delicious salad you had with lunch? Or the healthy snack bar you ate on the way to work? Innocent ingredients could secretly be aggravating your immune system (this aggravation often takes the shape of ‘leaky gut”, autoimmune disorders, thyroid imbalances etc.) and you really must determine what the foods are, then eliminate them until you are healed from your mold exposure. 

This blogpost will focus on two main topics:

1. Foods specific to YOU that are inflammatory (allergies, sensitivities, intolerances) 

2. Foods that contain high amounts of amylose and undermine healing from mold illness/CIRS

Lets begin right away discovering what you are reacting to right now. These are causing additional inflammation on top of the inflammation already associated with CIRS. Here are two common tools and methods to help you discover your inflammatory foods:

1. Follow a brief  elimination diet. 

Pros: very affordable, thorough

Cons: can be time consuming

2. Lab testing 

Pros: many tests available for purchase online without paying for or needing to make a doctor appointment, little effort on your part to receive results for food sensitivity testing and food allergy testing.

Cons: occasionally false results, might be expensive.

Personally, when I first suspected mold illness as the root cause of my lengthy symptoms list, including a plethora of digestive issues –  I made an appointment with my primary care physician. The doctor referred me to a gastroenterologist. The gastroenterologist team suggested I sign up for about $6k of endoscopy & colonoscopy and in the same breath said “I doubt we will find anything”. 

So I passed on the six thousand dollars worth of tests and reached out to an incredible nutritionist that recently wrote a book on digestive system healing. 

Since I was feeling so truly awful both physically and psychologically, working full time was impossible, as it is for many who suffer from CIRS. 

My budget could not bear the costs of extensive lab testing for food sensitivities, and endoscopy procedures. 

Following the Revitalize Digestion’s book guidelines for the elimination diet was very affordable, thorough, and extremely worthwhile. For under $40, it will help you determine what foods your body is reacting to right now. These reactions are real time evidence of an inflammatory experience. If you take the foods away that cause the reaction, you will reduce the burden on your immune system. Which will help you heal from biotoxin illness/CIRS faster. 

Taking this step toward healing from mold illness requires a little effort and a few weeks of your time, but the information you will have when it is complete is invaluable. 

In case you have never experienced the process of an elimination diet- don’t dread the outcome yet. I’ll share a personal example:

When reintroducing eggs on my first elimination diet- I was shocked to have a reaction.

 “I have been eating and enjoying eggs all my life- and NOW a reaction!?? I can’t imagine a life without eggs. No more quiche, stir fry, or breakfast sandwiches… forget this.”

 Kindly, the nutritionist soothed my disenchantment by explaining that food reactions are not always permanent. If your body reacts to eggs for example- it does not necessarily mean that you’ll never be able to eat eggs again. It just means that right now eggs are a burden to your system and should not be consumed.

Whatever foods you absolutely love right now that cause a reaction of any kind really should be eliminated for the term of recovery. Learning what causes even the slightest reaction (list of possible reactions) – and then eliminate it from your diet completely until you challenge it again with another round of the elimination diet. Usually in about six months. 

Though Dr. Shoemaker’s “no amylose” diet is of the utmost importance, eliminating commonly inflammatory foods like these listed below will likely be very helpful. You will find many similarities to the AIP (Autoimmune Protocol or Autoimmune Paleo diet).

If you choose not to undergo the elimination diet or food sensitivity testing, at least take out the most common inflammation triggers listed here:

“Not now” foods

1. Dairy
2. Gluten
3. Sugar and all sweeteners
4. Naturally moldy foods: fermented, fungi etc.
5. Alcohol (yes, even your favorite red wine… for now.)

To summarize, 

The two critical first steps to putting mold illness/CIRS behind you are clean air & clean foods. And we’re not talking about a little dirt. Print the list of acceptable foods, buy a book on how to start an elimination diet, examine the places you spend most of your day, and order your test kits. Starting now- take a full break from the short list of “not now” foods & beverages above. This sickness is a multi system and multi symptom. Find the root cause of your discomfort -take control of your health and start on your recovery path today. 

A low amylose diet is beneficial for CIRS recovery according to Dr. Shoemaker. Elevated MMP9 levels can often be reduced by following a strict low or no amylose diet. Ask your health professional to monitor your bloodwork details. 

The information we provide at Moldfreemenu.com is intended to provide information to better understand how a healthy diet is part of healing from biotoxin illness and not intended to replace consultation with a qualified medical professional.Specific medical advice including diagnosis and treatment will not be provided. This diet does not cure mold illness but does help reduce inflammation- thus reduce symptoms triggered by inflammation.