It Took Years to Realize It Was Mold Toxicity

Over the last three years, the brain fog gradually worsened, as did the fatigue. With it came weight gain, dramatic increases in food and chemical sensitivities and dreadful insomnia, with months on end of three or four hours sleep.

Already gluten-, dairy-, soy- and GMO-free due to multiple autoimmune conditions and reactions to GMO foods, the next thing to go was corn.

Beware the “Corn Monster”

First, it was only GMO corn. I was already avoiding GMO foods, but with the encouragement of friends, I went on a hunt for sources of hidden GMO corn.

I found it in a supplement I was taking, calcium citrate. The company told me that yes, the citrate was derived from GMO corn. So out went the calcium citrate – replaced with an equivalent made by a company that was sourcing from non-GMO corn.

For a while I felt better. My digestion improved, the bloating in my gut disappeared, the fog lifted and my energy level improved. But it didn’t last and for a long while I was baffled.

With the help of an elimination diet, I discovered that when I stopped eating all corn, even organic and Non-GMO Project Verified corn chips, I started sleeping again. Seven hours, eight hours or more at a time and I thought I had it beat.

But the corn monster hides in places you would least expect and my euphoria soon evaporated as a new wave of sleep deprivation, fatigue and bloating took hold of my body.

Corn Derivatives a Nightmare

The corn sensitivity progressed to the point of not being able to drink chlorinated water because it’s processed with a corn derivative.

Corn derivatives became my new nightmare, including things like ascorbic acid, citric acid, xanthan gum… even organic apples because they might have been sprayed with a natural pesticide containing a corn derivative in the propellant.

As I became more and more tired, foggy and bloated, my food situation became more and more unmanageable.

“Wow, Diana, your body is remarkable. You’re more sensitive than a microscope. You’re reacting to corn on a homeopathic level!” remarked a business associate who happens to be a molecular biologist.

Mold Exposure Suspected

Luckily, a friend reached out and shared an article about the potential health impacts of mold exposure. Mold can exacerbate pre-existing health problems.

The more I thought about it, the basement had always smelled musty.

Around the same time, someone in a corn-allergy support group posted that they seemed to be less sensitive to corn since moving to a healthier house.

Coincidentally (or not), my health improved dramatically during a one-week vacation but relapsed upon returning home.

No Safe Level of Mold

We had the house tested for mold. We were lucky enough to find a national mold expert, who confirmed that my body could be going haywire from a moldy house. He teaches EPA staff, who, he explained, have trouble understanding that there is NO SAFE LEVEL, it’s about reactivity.

The suspicions grew and the test results confirmed it. There were two types of toxic mold in the house.

The mold was comfortably residing in the air handler in the basement, where the humidity level was 61%.

The air tests found that one type, which is associated with immune system disturbances, was blowing directly on my side of the bed in the master bedroom. The other type, found at a level 5 times lower, was blowing through our first floor.

I moved downstairs and tried sleeping on the couch. To my amazement, I slept. At the same time, I developed a wheezy cough. The mold blowing into the first floor of our house was linked to respiratory problems!

Mold Remediation Began

It took a few weeks, but we set up all the necessary steps for mold remediation and prevention. We had the air ducts cleaned throughout the house, permanent dehumidifiers installed, and lastly, the mold remediation.

Mold remediation is not only costly, but also very toxic when conventional fungicides are used. As luck would have it, I learned of a new, nontoxic mold treatment that includes air scrubbing and uses plant-based enzymes with no chemical fungicides. It’s safe for family and pets, and you don’t have to throw everything away!

The treatment is typically about 50% to 75% less expensive than the conventional mold removal services because you don’t have to replace carpet, drapes, furniture… and they don’t have to demolish most of your house.

It’s so safe that I was able to sleep in my bed within hours of having my mattress treated. And sleep I did.

The basement is no longer musty, the humidity level in the basement is below 50% to prevent mold growth, and the house is generally healthier.

As for my food and chemical sensitivities, I’m still working on detoxing the mold from my body, and it will take some time to recover. I’m hopeful that someday I may be able to eat organic and Non-GMO Project Verified corn again.

The fog is lifting, I’m sleeping more consistently, the extra weight and the digestive bloat are gone, no more wheezy cough, and I’m on the road back to health at last!

Being someone who is very sensitive to chemicals and who has problems with methylation and detoxification, I was very lucky to find an alternative to chemical fungicides.

If you suspect that your house has a mold problem, check out Green Home Solutions before you use a conventional chemical treatment. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised!

Yours in health,

Diana Reeves
Executive Director
GMO Free USA
GMO Free USA on Facebook

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