Some people have asked me what I use or used during detox in place of milk.  Now some may not drink milk but for those who always "like me" believed the fluff about milk being good for me :)  I used milk all the time for cereal, baking, frostings, scrambled eggs, creamer etc.  Before mold I used to be a sucker for a bag of oreos and a tall glass of milk or my famous homemade chocolate chip cookies and that same milk.  

Those days have passed, "thank goodness" but some people still struggle with how to replace bad habits of using milk for everything.  I was on a mold diet for over 9 months so in those 9 months I didn't have much milk or dairy.  Now that I'm way past the mold detox diet phase of being strict on glucose consumption I am on a more steady Whole foods diet and basically now eat what is healthy for my body.

I wanted to recommend what I used to replace my "Milk habit" with.  I tried all of the milk sub's out there that everyone normally recommends like "Almond Milk", "Rice Milk" but I was never satisfied with the taste or some of the ingredients they used.  It wasn't until about January of this year that I recently saw a new type in my local health food store and decided to try it.  

It was "Hemp Milk": by Pacific 

They have 3 flavors. 

1. Original - No flavoring (No Carrageenan, Non GMO)
2. *Chocolate (Contains *Carrageenan, but Non GMO)
3. Vanilla - (No Carrageenan, Non GMO)

Not only did it taste good enough to drink right out of the bottle (which normally I NEVER do because things don't taste that great) but I was shocked to look at the nutritional information for Hemp Milk.

Here was what I found:

• It had a perfect balance of omega 3 and 6 fatty acids
• It was sweetened with brown rice syrup (which isn't that sugary)
• It has tons of vitamins and minerals like 190mg of potassium...almost as much a a banana.
• It had over 10 essential amino acids (crazy)
• Contains 3 grams of protein
• and I couldn't believe it has 50% of the RDA of calcium in just one serving
• It contains an excellent source of Vitamins D, B12 and riboflavin which most people argue about in saying that only Milk can provide this....well I found out that that was false information.

WHERE TO BUY IT

After recommending to a few friends I found out that it was not that readily available in most stores so I found an easy way to show others where to get it by buying it online.  What I found was that most of the sellers were offering FREE SHIPPING so it made it worth it to get it delivered to your home.  You can buy it HERE...make sure you bookmark this link so you can go back to it month after month and re-order like I now do. :)

Another alternative is a "SAFE" coconut milk option

You can make your own coconut milk by blending unsweetened organic coconut flakes with filtered water and strain it but when you are feeling sick most of the time it's just not an option.  This "ONE" coconut milk product is my coconut milk choice.  It's a safely canned BPA free option that does not contain any other harmful inredients that almost all of the other coconut milks have.  The brand is from Natural Grocers.

This producct is only coconut and water.  This means there are no thickeners or emulsifiers like guar gum, carrageenan, or gellan gum, which can cause digestive problems, alter healthy levels of intestinal bacteria, cause diarrhea, cause inflammation and bloating, lower immune function, and cause glucose intolerance/insulin sensitivity - just to name a few.  These are the last things you want to add to your detox and mold diet because your gut needs to heal. 

These thickeners/emulsifiers are in many products, including "natural" or "healthy" ones. Some of the most common ones are plant-based milks, ice cream, yogurt, and baby formulas...but they can also be found in all kinds of foods, cosmetics, body care products, toothpaste, and medications.

Including the topic of coconut milk in my blog post is simply bringing awareness to an ingredient I feel can really mess up your mold detox efforts and is most often in many of the things you consume daily, and if you have been exposed to toxic mold most likely you are going to be dealing with other symptoms of mold exposure like IBS, inflammatory bowel disorders, digestive issues, or unexplained food sensitivities, so this is definitely something you want to start looking at and eliminating.

If someone hasn't been exposed to mold, small doses probably won't hurt them...but since these things are in many products you're likely consuming - a "small dose" may not actually exist for many people.  If you have small children or babies that have been exposed to mold and they consume plant-based milks regularly these harmful ingredients can be really harmful to their guts. 

Taking the time to read food labels and learn what common ingredients are is really an important skill set to learn - especially if you have been exposed to mold or have any kind of chronic illness. Taking a little extra time to prepare your own food is beneficial for your health both physically and financially but when exposed to mold it can make someone so extremely weak and sick that they cannot physically prepare these foods.  However in saying that, you can buy a pound of organic coconut flakes for about $4 and easily make 10x (or more) the amount of coconut milk found in one can for the same price.

I have only found a few name brands that DO NOT include these dangerous fillers in them and here they are below: 

In a previous post I had made a few months back,  "  I talked about the connection between a mycotoxin called patulin and the symptoms of low potassium. 

In this post I had found a powerful discovery linking mycotoxins to a potassium deficiency.  Mind you, I am not a scientist nor did I make the scientific discovery but I did make the research study finding that applies to us "moldies" as a whole that I think could be of significant value to our healing processes.

If you are not sure what potassium is or does in the body, potassium is an essential nutrient used to maintain fluid and electrolyte balance in the body. When you have a deficiency in potassium it causes:

• muscle spasms
• muscle weakness,
• muscle aches,
• muscle cramps
• Heart Palpitations (irregular heartbeats).
• fatigue
• irritability
• hypertension (increased blood pressure).

Unless you are on dialysis, or have a special condition involving potassium, overdose of potassium from natural sources is nearly impossible; however, it is possible to consume too much potassium via potassium salts which can lead to nausea, vomiting, and even cardiac arrest. Potassium from natural food sources is the best possible way to deliver potassium to the body.

Hidden grains (that contain mycotoxins and fuel mold/yeast growth in the body) in your eggs that can slow down detox

Eggs are loaded with high-quality proteins, vitamins, minerals, good fats and various trace nutrients.

A large egg contains:

• Only 77 calories, with 5 grams of fat and 6 grams of protein with all 9 essential amino acids.
• Rich in iron, phosphorous, selenium and vitamins A, B12, B2 and B5 (among others).
• One egg contains 113 mg of Choline – a very important nutrient for the brain, among other things.

It is a wise choice to include eggs in your mold detox diet, however

Eating store-bought eggs could be "feeding your mold problem" and here's how:

YOU ARE WHAT YOUR CHICKEN EATS

What do "HEALTHY" chickens naturally eat?

Chickens, if left on their own naturally feed primarily on insects.  Science has proven through "laboratory dissection and testing" that half or more of their diet are insects and other invertebrates (especially termites.)  The other half or less is made up of various plant matter like fruits, berries, bamboo seeds, nuts, and young leaves.

So what is this telling us?  Basically it's telling us that if chickens are eating corn, wheat and soy their diets are being manipulated by man.  Why would we manipulate the diets of chickens?

It's pretty simple.  A chicken that is naturally healthy and left to feed on it's own will weigh a lot less than a chicken that is fed fatty, carbohydrate corn, wheat or soy.  Farmers, meat and egg producers know this so in order for them to make as much money as possible (because chicken meat is sold by the pound), they want their chickens fattened up for maximum profits.  DID YOU HEAR THAT?   This is all about making money.....NOT raising healthy chickens...and NOT looking out for the health of humans who will be eating it.

Store bought eggs contain grains and grains have carbohydrates and mycotoxins

The main purpose of the mold detox diet is to eliminate sources of fuel for mold, yeast and mycotoxins in the body.  As we already know, removing sugars, grains and yeasts is our number one priority while maintaining a balanced nutritional diet.

To do this we MUST recognize and be aware of where the hidden sugars, grains and carbohydrates are so that we can speed up the "Mold dying" process within our bodies.

Ok so I hear this all time.  "I eat healthy eggs".  Or do you?  Most people, (I'd say 95%) do not understand what the heck it is they are eating when they eat their eggs.  I've put together this little blog post to explain the truth and pitfalls about what is in your eggs

Myth: Cheap eggs are fine..eggs are eggs.

NO way!!
First let's start with the worst kind you can buy: Conventional/Store-bought/No healthy labeling

All I can say here is stay as far away from these as you possibly can. 

The birds that lay these eggs are sickly, abused, starving, don't eat what they should naturally eat to produce a healthy egg for you and I and especially for someone who has a health concern like those suffering from mold exposure.

What kind of eggs should I buy that DON'T have grains or mycotoxins in them?

You should ONLY eat pastured eggs on the mold detox diet.   They are 3 times as nutritious and WILL NOT contain sugary grains that contain mold and mycotoxins like eggs from factory-raised chickens.

You are probably wondering where to get them or what they look like? 

What are pastured eggs?
Grass-fed/pastured hens are raised on pasture, as opposed to being kept in confinement and fed primarily grains. Eggs from pastured hens contain up to 20 times more healthy omega-3 fatty acids than confined/grain fed hens.

Pastured hens' diets are naturally fed with bugs, earthworms, and other bugs that give their eggs it's pureness and nutritional value. Pastured hens are much healthier and happier than their space-restricted and antibiotic-pumped counterparts.

Pasturing is the traditional method of raising egg-laying hens and other poultry. It is ecologically sustainable, humane, and produces the tastiest, most nutritious eggs.

Pastured eggs also have 10 percent less fat, 40 percent more vitamin A, and 34 percent less cholesterol than eggs obtained from factory farms. Most importantly for those exposed to mold and mycotoxins, pastured eggs contain NO traces of grains or beans which naturally feed mold, yeast and other fungi in the body.  This makes it a PERFECT CHOICE for the mold detox diet.

Dave Asprey explains why you should be eating "Pastured" eggs

Where can I get pastured eggs?

Our favorite site to locate pastured eggs is http://www.EatWild.com they have a directory for US and Canada of all suppliers providing pastured meat and eggs. 

Wily Blackmore, TakePart's Food editor over at http://www.takepart.com has created this nice little infographic that breaks down egg labeling even further.  This is a nice little chart that can be saved on your phone for the next time you go shopping for eggs.

SOURCE: http://www.takepart.com/article/2014/04/03/understanding-egg-labels
(CLICK THE LINK ABOVE to enlarge)

Links to Studies on the presence of mycotoxin in eggs fed a conventional diet of grains and other fillers. 

• Mycotoxin Residue in Hen eggs: https://www.wageningenacademic.com/doi/pdf/10.3920/978-90-8686-804-9_21 
• Detection of mycotoxins in eggs: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5018505/
• Effect of Mycotoxins on egg production: https://nutriad.com/2015/01/effect-of-mycotoxins-on-egg-quality/
• Aflatoxin Mycotoxin in eggs: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02652030050034037
• Mycotoxin and long storage times in eggs: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6651/10/7/293/htm
• Eggs classified as a "moldy food" in study and their effects: https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/bb9e/a8ec0b222a52df26e73f9d2035b4ef291747.pdf
• Deoxyn and Zear. mycotoxins detected in high amounts in eggs: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jf040039d
• How your sick chickens can make you sick too: https://www.biomin.net/en/articles/how-to-protect-your-layers-and-breeders-from-trichothecene-mycotoxins/
• The presence of mycotoxin in the "feed" used to feed conventional chickens: https://www.hindawi.com/journals/tswj/2014/968215/

Speaking clean. 

Months and months went by before I learned the concept of speaking positively about my illness...now I don't just mean to others, I mean to myself as well.  I would tell myself that this was not easy, this wasn't fun, I am sick, I am ill, I'm never going to heal, I'm going to die, why me?, I'm too young for this....I didn't realize that by telling myself these things I was creating the "reality" and also creating a permanent state of "chronic illness" in my body.

I would get quite aggravated by others telling me not to be so negative.  I focused so much on battling others opinions of myself and my situation that I stayed in a negative state of mind...for 3 looooooooooong years. 

It wasn't until someone brought to my attention that "speaking clean" is actually a method of healing and can literally change the chemistry in your body to prepare itself to heal and the immune system can kick into overdrive.  WOW!  I had no idea these two were related. 

Negative thoughts and talking produce dangerous levels of "Cortisol" in the body
As I moved through my research and study I found out that thinking negative thoughts and saying negative things to myself and others actually increases the amount of cortisol production in the body. 

In case you don't know what cortisol is, it is hormone that is naturally produced by the body. Normal levels of Cortisol are supposed to convert proteins into energy, releasing glycogen and counteract inflammation.

On the other end of the spectrum having continuous high cortisol levels in the body destroy healthy muscle and bone, slow down healing and normal cell regeneration, biochemicals needed to make other vital hormones, impair digestion, metabolism and mental function, interfere with healthy endocrine function; and weaken your immune system. (Wow sounds like I am adding more fuel to my "toxic mold" fire? you think?).
 

Positive thoughts and talking produce high levels of "Oxytocin" in the body

After realizing that negative actions were a part of my illness I then decided to research what happens to the body when I say positive things, believe positive things and speak "clean" around me.

Thinking positively, speaking positively and speaking to ones self positively produce high levels of Oxytocin in the body.  If you are not sure what Oxytocin is, it is hormone that is naturally produced by the body. Normal levels of Cortisol are supposed to convert proteins into energy, releasing glycogen and counteract inflammation.

On the other end of the spectrum having continuous high cortisol levels in the body destroy healthy muscle and bone, slow down healing and normal cell regeneration, biochemicals needed to make other vital hormones, impair digestion, metabolism and mental function, interfere with healthy endocrine function; and weaken your immune system. (Wow sounds like I am adding more fuel to my "toxic mold" fire? you think?).

After realizing that negative actions were a part of my illness I decided to research what happens to the body when I say positive things, believe positive things and speak "clean" around me.

Speak healing and positive words to others about your illness and to yourself even when the symptoms seem unbearable. 

Here are some positive things you can say instead of the things above: 

1. Today is a new day
2. I love myself
3. _____________ makes me happy
4. This is going to get easier
5. I can still have fun...let me go watch something funny so I can laugh
6. I won't be ill for that long
7. I'm going to heal very soon
8. I still have my whole life ahead of me...I just need some downtime right now..it's good for me.
    

• Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.   ~ Proverbs 12:18
• A cheerful heart is good medicine…   ~ Proverbs 17:22
• A cheerful look brings joy to the heart, and good news gives health to the bones.  ~ Proverbs 15:30
• Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.     ~ Ephesians 4:29

Jennifer is the founder of Surviving Toxic Mold and was exposed to toxic mold from 2010-2012 in a rental home.  You can read her story HERE

Sources: The Destructive Effects of High Cortisol Levels, by Marcelle Pick, OB-GYN NP, This Bliss Hormone Can Heal Your Body: The Many Benefits of Oxytocin. , What is Oxytocin?

Today's post is sponsored by Fix.com

Ever wondered how to grow a successful garden muchless grow one indoors?

Keeping mold and mycotoxins out of your body starts with eating a "clean" diet.  Many fruits and vegetables sold in stores today contain mold, mycotoxins, bacteria and worse: Pesticides.  Start taking control of your health and detox your body with your own homegrown vegetable garden, indoors.

Check out this awesome infographic from Fix.com  They've taken the guesswork out of how to make it successful by  creating this awesome chart you can print out and put in your garage or garden shed.

Happy Gardening!!

Source: Fix.com

When I was super sick for over a year it became difficult and almost impossible for me to go shopping and buy the very things I needed just to get well.

Although I had two teenagers that helped me tremendously I still felt that trying to get in a car and go to a store more than once a week became almost impossible.

As you know, running out of products or supplements don't always time perfectly and it seems that you need to leave your home on multiple occasions throughout the week.

Being very ill with mold, epstein-barr virus and Lyme Disease did not allow me to leave the home but once....to get my meat and vegetables for my MOLD DETOX DIET.  Because this put such a phycial strain on me I researched ways I could possibly get items to my house without me having to leave home.  The only problem I saw was I ended up spending SO MUCH money on shipping costs..........until I found "Amazon Prime". 

Here are some of the ways I used Prime in 2013 and 2014:

• To buy my household cleaning supplies to keep my home "mold free" (baking soda, borax, vinegar, ammonia)
• To buy my Vitamins
• To buy detox supplements
• To buy personal products (toilet paper, non toxic shampoos, non toxic soaps)
• To buy birthday presents for my family and kids when I could not go shopping
• To buy all of my Christmas gifts because during Christmas I could not leave the home
• To buy more comfortable clothes while I was so sick
• To buy things my kids needed when I was not able to take them shopping
• and much more...................

With the cost of Prime I saved on 11 months of shipping.  Each month I was buying so many products and supplements that I was spending through various websites well over $100 in shipping fees.  I was releaved to pay Amazon a one time $99 fee so that for the rest of the year I could order "ANYTHING" at "ANYTIME" .........WITHOUT any shipping costs.

Here are the main features of the Amazon Prime program:  You pay ONLY $99.00 for a One Year Prime membership

• THE FIRST 30 DAYS ARE FREE - $99 doesn't hit your card until after the first month so enjoy all the FREE shipping you want.
• Free - 2 day shipping on online orders
• You can order one product or one hundred products and still get FREE 2 day shipping
• FREE Prime Instant Video - This is very similar to Netflix.  (Netflix costs $96.00 per year)
• FREE Prime music
• FREE Prime Kindle owners lender library

I have struggled and am struggling more than ever with inflammation.  This can be inflammation of the brain, your gut and even your skin or muscles.  Since I started having issues with this I've been doing some research that can help me.

Obviously one of the biggest problems is with what we are putting into our bodies: Foods, drinks and even our environment.  First off, make sure you are eating a MOLD DETOX DIET in order to keep inflammatory foods away from your body. 

I am by no means an expert when it comes to healing my gut or keeping inflammation under control, but I do a lot of research so that I can better help myself and others at the same time.

In my research I've compiled a list of some great inflammatory foods that I have added to my diet:

• Oily fish, like salmon, mackerel, tuna and sardines, are high in omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shown to help reduce inflammation. To get the benefits, however, you need to eat fish several times a week, and it should be cooked in healthy ways.
• Cherries (Caution: Do not eat fruit if you are detoxing on the strict one month or two month mold detox diet period)
• Nuts like Almonds and Walnuts
• Spinach
• Kale
• Broccoli
• Collard greens
• Sweet Peppers
• Beets
• Ginger (See our anti-inflammatory juicing recipe for mold illness)
• Garlic (See our anti-inflammatory juicing recipe for mold illness)
• Turmeric
• Onions
• Olive Oil
• Raspberries (Caution: Do not eat fruit if you are detoxing on the strict one month or two month mold detox diet period)
• Blueberries (Caution: Do not eat fruit if you are detoxing on the strict one month or two month mold detox diet period)
• Strawberries (Caution: Do not eat fruit if you are detoxing on the strict one month or two month mold detox diet period)

Awesome Anti-Inflammatory plant: 

Aloe Vera

Here is where I order mine from
Because I'm not feeling well most days I like to order things online and have them sent to my home

Carrots and their amazing "Anti-Fungal" properties

Are Carrots friend or foe for a person exposed to Mold?

When I first found out my symptoms were related to being exposed to Toxic Mold I knew that diet was going to be at the forefront of my recovery.

However, not everyone who is dealing with Candida was directly exposed to toxic mold in their home or environment.  But I encourage anyone who is interested in solving their Candida issues read this article as it was "life changing" for me.

I was given diets and protocols by many mold sufferers as well as even mold doctors.

One of the things that seemed to be a common debate was that of the "Carrot".  I was told by 50% of the sources that carrot was NOT something I should consume because it was considered a root vegetable.  After all root vegetables have a bad rap for harboring mold & fungus under the ground correct?  Then the other 50% were telling me that no it was actually quite the opposite...that carrots had a natural anti-fungal property that prevents mold from getting into the carrot.

So I decided to do my own research and here is what I found:

Doug Kaufmann of "Know the Cause" has an ever-popular book called "The Fungus Link".  Since then he's written a few other extensions of the book. He has been a pioneer in the field of relating molds and fungus to almost every known disease humans are currently facing.  One of the conditions he focuses on quite a bit is that of "Candida". In his books he even talks about the benefits of Carrots as anti-fungal.

I began to research the subject more in depth by applying it straight to mold exposure and to my surprise I found a book by Kurt & LeAnn Billings called "MOLD: The War Within".  In the book they referenced that they had used carrots in their juicing protocol to fight Candida. 

My next step was to find the real scientific data to back it up.  Being skeptical by nature I needed more proof as I didn't want to put something into my body that was going to keep me sick, Lord knows I had suffered enough already.

I ran across a surprisingly "AWESOME" research and laboratory test that gave me all the confidence I needed to move forward. 

Aren't Carrots High in Sugar? 

This might shock you and be something hard to wrap your head around, but carrots are NOT HIGH IN SUGAR.  What?? "But I've been told this my whole life!!"  Well, guess what...you've been told wrong.  One carrot only contains 2.9 grams of sugar.  This is slightly a tick above your average lemon.  Remember, lemons and limes are the lowest sugar content of any fruit.  One lemon contains approximately 1.5 grams of sugar.