Mold toxicity is no joke. It also is something that can go on undiagnosed for a long time. Whether you are concerned you have mold toxicity or not, there are specific foods that are generally high in mold. Here I am sharing the top 3 foods high in mold, and either why they are foods to avoid or delicious replacements for them.
The top 3 foods high in mold to avoid if you are concerned or dealing with mold toxicity are:
- Conventional coffee beans
- Meat and dairy from grain-fed animals
- Grains
Other foods high in mold for you to consider:
- Wine and beer
- Dried fruits
- Peanuts
- Chocolate
- Dried spices
- Black tea
There is one huge caveat to this list of top 3 foods high in mold. I am focusing on the foods that mostly impacted my personal lifestyle. There might be items in the other list of foods high in mold that impact your diet and lifestyle choices more so. You have to review your own diet and lifestyle choices to determine which foods will impact you most.
A little back-story on my personal journey with mold toxicity
*NOTE: feel free to skip this section to dive right into these top 3 foods high in mold
Now, I am sure you can guess why I became so aware of mold and foods to avoid when trying to become mold free. I was diagnosed with mold toxicity after a year of unresolved health issues.
If you are struggling with mold toxicity, or have just discovered you or a loved one have mold toxicity, and haven’t watched my Mold Toxicity videos, I recommend starting by watching them HERE. I have put together a playlist of all the vlogs I made that relate to mold toxicity.
When I first got tested for mold toxicity I was completely overwhelmed. For starters, it’s not like one is able to go completely mold free; as much as I wish it would be possible. The reality is there are far too many environmental factors. Secondly, removing mold for ones life can be a highly costly!
It took months of searching to find a functional medicine doctor to support my healing journey. I did start my search for a doctor within my health insurance network. Unfortunately, I was left without any help and many tears. The first few months I felt defeated. I met with 3 doctors all that were unwilling or uninformed on how to go about a fully comprehensive health test.
As a certified functional medicine health coach, I know how to implement a healing protocol with the support of a doctor. However, finding a doctor to work with was the issue. This resulted in me eventually finding a doctor who was out of network. I know this is not necessarily an option for many. Out of network means paying out of pocket for health services. But to save you a very long explanation of all of this, I created vlogs where I talk more in depth and take you through my whole healing journey.
The most cost-effective and first step I took in my healing mold toxicity journey began with diet changes.
Pegs and I have an extensive knowledge on how to support our body’s natural detoxifying process. We founded Curry Girls Kitchen on using food as medicine, a healing tool, and leading cleansing programs. Our 21 Day Cleanse Course literally changed my life the first time I did it in 2011, and is the best tool in my healing kit!
Many of these foods listed are ones we eliminate in our 21 Day Cleanse Course. By eliminating these foods it allows the body to optimally function for its natural healing capabilities.
Now, lets talk about the top 3 foods high in mold
As I mentioned before, these main 3 foods I chose were the foods that mainly impacted *my* diet and lifestyle. Look at both lists and see which foods will impact you the most.
Conventional Coffee Beans
Dr Kresser shared that coffee is one the most mold-contaminated food in a persons diet. Coffee beans are highly contaminated with mold. Like most foods with a shelf life, coffee beans expire and turn rancid. Although the roasting process kills mold spores, it doesn’t remove mycotoxins. Coffee beans are grown in warm and humid climates, which mold thrives in.
Eliminating coffee is ideal on a low mold diet. Coffee can impact our body’s ability to optimally detox; it also is acidic and dehydrating.
We understand that coffee is a daily ritual, and brings many people joy. We have found an amazing coffee company, Purity Coffee, which goes to extreme lengths to make mold free coffee. Read here to learn more about Purity Coffee. They make multiple roasts, coffee pods, individual sachets, and decaffeinated coffee – all are absolutely delicious and a great replacement for your daily cup of coffee on a mold free diet
Meat and dairy from grain-fed animals
I am sure you could’ve guessed about dairy, especially cheese. Cheese literally consists of mold. The whole process of making cheese increases the amount of mycotoxins in cheese. As for cured meats, like salami, they are made with mold cultures.
When first trying to resolve any mold related illnesses, like chronic fatigue or brain fog, it is best to eliminate these foods.
Grains
Being gluten free, I am already extremely conscious of and limited to what grains I consume daily. Rice is one of the main grains I eat and love. Rice also happens to be one of the grains that are susceptible to mold.
The main gluten free grains that are most susceptible to mold are corn, rice, sorghum, and oats. Finding fermented or sprouted organic options are best replacements. However, organic does not mean these grains are in the clear.
Eliminating grains all together is an extreme method. I never fully removed all grains, but I limited the grains I ate and made sure to use sprouted grains when possible.
Other foods contaminated with mold
As shared with the process of making cheese, both the process of making wine and beer leave them susceptible to mold growth. Similarly the way coffee beans can be contaminated with mold, is the same with cacao beans for chocolate, tea, and dried spices.
There are wonderful alternatives for mold-free wine and chocolate you can find! Dry Farm Wines is a great mold free option. As for tea, Pique tea has wonderful mold free options
Peanuts are notoriously contaminated with mold and best to be avoided during a healing process. A better option would be tree nuts like almonds or walnuts.
Dried fruits are also best to be avoided since mold loves sugar. A great replacement for dried fruits is fresh organic berries, like raspberries blackberries and blueberries, that are high in polypheols. Polyphenols are phytochemicals in plants, like antioxidants, that help protect the body against mycotoxins. Extra virgin olive oil, sweet potatoes and green tea are more foods rich in polyphenols that are great to consume to protect the body from mold toxins.
Antifungal Foods
Antifungal literally means foods (or medicines) that stop or kill the growth of fungus. Molds are fungus. These are great foods to include into your diet to support you treat mold illness.
- Coconut oil
- Raw honey
- Ceylon cinnamon
- Turmeric
- Garlic
Adding one serving of these into your diet each day will support your immune system to lifestyle and environmental mold exposure.
Where to begin your own healing journey
When I was initially began researching how to treat mold illness, I looked to Dr. Mark Hyman, Dr. Chris Kresser, and Dr. Josh Axe. All of these functional medicine doctors and their websites are loaded with amazing free information.
Even as a certified functional health coach, I myself became overwhelmed by all the information I was researching. It is why I am so passionate about sharing my healing journy and love to work with 1-on-1 clients. Getting support during the healing process, especially one that involves change your lifestyle is invaluable.
The first thing I did to treat mold illness was our 21 Day Cleanse Course. Our Cleanse Course is a guided elimination diet. The biggest takeaway I learned in my functional medicine coaching program was that almost every functional doctor will start a healing protocol by eliminating foods that are highly inflammatory or are potential allergens. With that being said, our 21 Day Cleanse Course is exactly that and a great place to start.
I always recommend consulting with a doctor throughout this process because a professional should monitor someone as they detox their body, especially of mold toxicity. Coaches are a great asset in supporting the doctor’s recommendations and how to make their recommendations work for your particular lifestyle.
Getting all the blood work and tests done at the beginning to refer back to, know where your body needs more support and how you are progressing is extremely important in my opinion. Every body is SO different. What supplements and protocols worked for me, might not be the ones that work best for you. In short, find a doctor to get the tests done (you can even ask your in-network doctor to give you the tests I did which you can find in my YouTube videos).
If you have any questions or are interested in working with me in 1-on-1 coaching, please reach out to me here.
I will be writing a follow up blog posts on my Mold Detox Protocol, Mold Free Detox Foods, and share vlogs on what I eat in a day with mold free foods.
Thank you for taking the time to read this! I am always so grateful for you support. And if you have been following along my mold toxicity healing journey for the past few years – thank you for all the comments and conversations that have lead me to creating more content on this topic. Mold toxicity has become much more common and I am happy to be able to share the knowledge I learned throughout my healing journey with you.
Love you all! xox
