Diving into the Low Mold Diet: Guidelines and Steps for Success
Chances are, you’d never knowingly eat food covered in mold. But what you might not realize is that certain foods can contain hidden mold, or may contribute to issues related to mold exposure. On the other hand, there are foods that may support your body's natural detox processes and overall well-being.
The key to tapping into the potential benefits of food is to follow what’s known as a low-mold diet. But before we dive into the ins and outs of this dietary approach, let’s define what exactly a mold-related condition is in the first place.
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So, What Is Mold-Related Illness?
Exposure to certain strains of mold can be associated with a variety of health issues. Some conditions that may be linked to mold exposure include:1,2
- Asthma
- Autoimmunity
- Brain inflammation
- Cancer
- Mast cell activation disorder
- Mood and sleep disorders
- Respiratory infections
- And more
Mold-related conditions can be challenging to identify and address because symptoms can seem vague and unrelated at first – ranging from coughing to chronic headaches to persistent rashes and everything in between. So, how exactly are mold-related conditions managed once you’re able to identify mold as a potential factor behind your symptoms?
How Are Mold-Related Conditions Managed?
Addressing mold-related conditions requires a comprehensive approach that has two primary areas of focus. The first step is to reduce or eliminate exposure to mold. Whether that means temporarily or permanently moving to a new location or undergoing mold remediation, it’s important to minimize ongoing exposure.
Once you’ve reduced exposure, it’s time to move on to the second step – supporting your body’s natural recovery processes. One way to help support your body’s ability to manage mold exposure is by following a low-mold diet.
The Benefits of Adopting a Low-Mold Diet
The low-mold diet is designed to support your body in several ways:
- Limiting further exposure: Certain foods can contain mycotoxins (the tiny substances found in mold). By limiting your exposure to potentially contaminated food sources, the low-mold diet may help reduce the accumulation of these substances.
- Restoring nutrients: The low-mold diet can help provide your body with nutrients to support any deficiencies and address any imbalances related to mold exposure.
- Supporting immunity and managing inflammation: Following a low-mold diet may help support your body’s immune function and help manage inflammation – allowing your body to more effectively recover.
- Managing candida and yeast: Candida and yeast overgrowth can be a concern with mold-related conditions. The low-mold diet reduces exposure to refined carbohydrates that can contribute to these issues.
So let’s explore what a low-mold diet entails.
Foods to Avoid on the Low-Mold Diet?
When it comes to following a low-mold diet, you’ll want to avoid specific food groups for a period of time. These food groups can be broken down into the following three categories:
Foods High in Simple Sugars
Sugars are one of the primary sources of fuel for mold as well as other microbes that can exacerbate mold-related issues. Sugar, in particular, can be especially sneaky because it can be disguised under many different names and may be hidden in places you wouldn’t expect – even in foods you might consider “healthy”.
When following the low-mold diet, you may want to avoid:
- Baked goods
- Candy
- Fructose
- Glucose
- Honey
- Lactose
- Mannitol
- Maple syrup
- Molasses
- Sorbitol
- Table sugar
While fruit can certainly be a part of a healthy diet, when trying to manage mold exposure, you may want to avoid certain fruits that have a high sugar content. These include:
- Bananas
- Dried fruits and fruit juices
- Grapes
- Mangoes
- Melons
- Oranges
- Pineapples
While sugar is often a dietary factor that can contribute to mold growth, fast-absorbing carbohydrates and man-made additives can also encourage mold growth – which leads us to our next category of foods to avoid.
Heavily Processed and Pre-Packaged Foods
Heavily processed and pre-packaged foods often contain sugars, simple carbs, and/or additives that can contribute to mold growth. For that reason, you may want to avoid things like:
- Bottled condiments: Vinegar, mayonnaise, pickles, soy sauce, mustard, relish
- Canned foods: Baked beans, soups, ready-made sauces
- Pre-packaged meals: Ready-made meals, breakfast cereals, frozen foods
- Processed drinks: Soft drinks, fruit juices, flavored water, energy drinks
Try getting in the habit of reading the ingredient list of any product before you buy it. If it has more than five ingredients or is full of things you don’t recognize – it’s probably best to avoid it while on the low-mold diet.
Foods Containing Mold and Yeast
Some foods have a reputation for being contaminated with mold or fungal growth and should be avoided when adopting the low mold diet. Some examples are:
- Alcoholic beverages: Beer, wine, cider, liqueur, whiskey, gin, rum, tequila, etc.
- Cheese and sour milk products: Buttermilk, sour cream, cream cheese, aged cheese, sliced or block cheese
- Dried fruit: Raisins, apricots, prunes, figs, dates, etc.
- Edible fungi: Mushrooms, truffles
- Fermented foods: Kombucha, sauerkraut, kimchi, yogurt
- Grains: Wheat, rice, oats
- Nuts: Peanuts, cashews, walnuts, brazil nuts
- Packaged and smoked meats: Sausages, hot dogs, corned beef, pastrami, smoked fish, ham, bacon
While this list may seem restrictive at first glance, the good news is, there are still plenty of tasty foods permitted on the low-mold diet.
So, What Foods Are Allowed on the Low-Mold Diet?
Following the low mold-diet is not entirely cut-and-dried. There are some foods you should avoid entirely, some you can have in moderation, and some you can eat freely. Now that you know which foods you should avoid, let’s get to the fun part – the foods you are actually allowed to eat on the low-mold diet.
Foods to Eat in Moderation:
Foods you can incorporate into the low-mold diet in moderation include:
- Gluten-free grains: Brown rice, quinoa, buckwheat, millet, teff, certified gluten-free oats
- Starchy vegetables and legumes: Sweet corn, potatoes, beans, peas, lentils, sweet potatoes, squashes, turnips, parsnips
- Low-sugar fruits: Berries, apples, pears, peaches, avocados
These foods are fine to add in occasionally, but the bulk of your meals should be centered around the foods in the next category.
Foods to Eat Freely:
When it comes to the food you eat, quality is the name of the game. This is true always, but is especially important when following a low-mold diet. So when purchasing meat, try to opt for organic, pasture-raised, and grass-fed options. If you’re buying fish and seafood, wild-caught is always a superior option. And when it comes to any kind of produce, opt for organic as often as possible.
Now that we got that out of the way, let’s go over the foods you can enjoy freely while following a low-mold diet:
- Beverages: Filtered water, mineral water, non-fruity herbal teas, fresh vegetable juice
- Fish (wild-caught only): Salmon, tuna, anchovy, sardines, flounder, catfish, caviar
- Gourd vegetables: pumpkins, squash, eggplants, zucchini
- Healthy fats: Extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, coconut milk, ghee, organic butter
- Herbs: Parsley, cilantro, basil, chives, mint, oregano, rosemary, sage, thyme, tarragon, etc.
- Leafy greens: Romaine, kale, collard greens, spinach, turnip greens, green and red cabbage
- Meats (grass-fed only): Beef, goat, lamb, buffalo, wild game, rabbit
- Other vegetables: Cucumbers, Brussels sprouts, asparagus, artichokes, broccoli, cauliflower, bell peppers
- Poultry (pasture-raised, organic only): Chicken, eggs, turkey, quail, pheasant
- Raw nuts and seeds: Sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, chia seeds, almonds, pecans, sesame seeds
- Root vegetables: Carrots, onions, radishes, garlic
- Spices: Pure vanilla, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, pink Himalayan salt, wasabi, horseradish
Centering your meals around these whole, nutrient-dense foods may help support your body and give it the building blocks it needs to function optimally.
Getting Rid of Moldy Foods
It’s also important to thoroughly inspect any food you’re going to eat and assess for any signs of mold growth. If you do happen to discover mold on any of your foods, immediately discard it and make sure to follow these guidelines:3
- Do not sniff the item. This can cause respiratory issues.
- If it’s covered and unsalvageable, wrap it up in plastic and discard it in a covered trash can.
- Thoroughly clean the area where the moldy food was.
- Check the nearby food items to see if the mold has spread. Remember, it can spread quickly in fruits and vegetables.
Your diet is undoubtedly one of the important factors when it comes to managing mold exposure. But the low-mold diet works especially well when paired with some other strategies.
Additional Ways to Support Mold Management
In addition to following the low-mold diet, you can support your body's natural processes by also considering some or all of the following strategies.
Consider Detox Binders:
Detox binders are molecules that may help support the body's natural elimination processes by binding to certain substances.
Explore Detox-Enhancing Supplements:
Certain supplements contain nutrients that may support detoxification. Some of these supplements include:
- Glutathione
- Milk Thistle Extract
- N-Acetylcysteine
- Quercetin
- R-Lipoic Acid
Combining detox binders and detox-enhancing supplements may support your natural detoxification pathways.
Incorporate A Mold Management Protocol
A mold management protocol combines lifestyle adjustments with a strategic blend of nutrients to support the body's response to mold exposure. By completing a short-term mold management protocol – like that found within my 30-day Miracle Mold Detox Box – you can give your body the support it needs to:
- Support the mobilization and elimination of accumulated substances
- Enhance your body’s natural detoxification pathways
- Support cellular energy and recovery
- Help manage inflammation
Incorporating a mold management protocol can be a helpful tool in supporting your body after exposure to mold. Click here to learn more about the Miracle Mold Detox Box.
So, How Long Does It Take to Recover From Mold-Related Conditions?
How long it takes to manage mold-related conditions depends on three main factors:4
- Length of exposure: In general, the longer the exposure, the longer the recovery time. If you’ve been exposed for long periods of time, such as years, you’re likely to have mold buildup in your body – hence why reducing any sources of mold exposure is the very first step in managing mold-related conditions.
- Type of exposure: Nearly 90% of all molds don’t affect the majority of the population due to them being nonpoisonous. However, the remaining 10% of molds contain metabolites known as mycotoxins that can accumulate in your body over time.
- Your level of sensitivity: Some level of mold exposure is inevitable – we’re all exposed to mold on a daily basis. And for many, that’s not a problem. But if you’re particularly sensitive to mold exposure, it can impact just how long it takes your body to recover.
Everyone’s road to recovery will look a little different and take a different amount of time. But with persistence and the right strategies, it’s possible to manage mold-related conditions.
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Summary
Dealing with mold-related conditions can feel challenging and sometimes discouraging – especially when it takes time to begin seeing improvements. But with the right approach and lifestyle modifications (like following a low-mold diet), it’s possible to support your body in managing mold exposure.
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