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January/February 2007 Alternative Health
This Mold House: Pacific Northwest Environmental Molds

by Caroline Sutherland

Caroline Sutherland

Here in the Pacific Northwest, we deal with a special environmental issue -- mold.

Molds are a natural part of the life cycle of all decaying plant and food materials. They thrive in dark and damp areas. Mildew is sometimes incorrectly called mold. Mold spores are prevalent in the air in damp climates. Most common foods, fresh and prepared, contain a variety of molds.

There are many well-known effects from exposures to molds including breathing problems, puffy eyes and facial tissue, runny nose, postnasal drip, headaches, anxiety and depression.

People who live in moldy climates and who are frequently exposed to molds due to rainy weather or dampness are especially affected. During certain times of the year when the weather is drier and the air less foggy, their symptoms often improve.

Molds can also accumulate in feather pillows and damp bedding. Molds are found in the soil of house plants as well. For people with breathing problems, it is wise to remove the plants from the bedroom. When these plants are watered, the molds can rise into the air and contaminate the space where the person is sleeping. Be careful of moldy, damp crawl spaces or basements in which children's playrooms, computer rooms, sewing rooms and laundry rooms are created.

Believe it or not, a person's personality can change and they can become violent, anxious, or very sad, just because of exposures to molds. If you are depressed, check out exposures to mold before you research anti-depressants.

Investigate the possibilities of molds in your home. Clean up and dry out your basement. If your basement is slightly moldy, purchase a dehumidifier, which will help to remove the moisture in the air. Never work or allow a child to sleep in such a place. Go into these places with the nose of a bloodhound and use your instincts to correct problems.

If you suspect that your home is moldy and you have a child or family member who suffers from anxiety or depression, there may be a connection.

Ideally, if you are purchasing a home or an apartment, look for a dwelling that is built well above the ground, has good air circulation around it and comes with a dry basement or crawl space.

Not only is mold a factor on the outside, investigate your exposures to mold on the inside of your body.

If you currently live in a moldy climate, limit your intake of mold through your food. Avoid eating mushrooms, vinegar, pickles, soy sauce, aged cheeses, wine and beer -- which are all fermented items -- until your mold sensitivities subside.

After you have avoided these items for 30 days, reintroduce these items and watch for symptoms. Is your nose runny? Do you feel the onset of a mild headache?

During this process you are developing your intuition, use your own body as a laboratory to see the effects of the environment on your system.

As well, Candida albicans yeast is a mold, a spore, which lives in the body. In an overgrowth state in the digestive tract, it thrives on starches and sugars. It also thrives on fermented foods such as beer, wine, mushrooms, pickles, aged cheeses and fermented condiments.

Candida albicans yeast lives on all the mucous membranes of the human body - namely the lungs, where dark, moist passages offer it a welcome home. Many people are battling mold on the inside as well as on the outside.

A Candida albicans yeast eradication program available through your alternative health care practitioner or your health food store, as well as a major reduction in sugars, starches and ferments should bring relief.

The key to dealing with mold as well as any other environmental factor is to do your best to remove the cause, and build up your immune system with supplementation, proper diet and a positive attitude.

Caroline Sutherland is a medical intuitive and author of The Body Knows. Visit www.carolinesutherland.com.