Mold, health, sugar, stress: Trying to put the pieces together, and some links relevant (perchance?) thereto:

I'm also in the process of dealing with some serious mold issues in my living space (6 months of solid rain and cold + insanely expensive heating costs + single-pane windows in badly insulated walls covered up all this time with heavy fleece & blankets to keep the heat in = massive quantitites of gross, disgusting, horrible black mold.)

I was re-watching the movie Safe, which was maybe made in the 90s or so? Anyway, it's about a woman (played by Julianne Moore) who develops severe chemical sensitivity as a reaction to her chemically and emotionally toxic living situation.

At one point in the film, the lady narrating (not Moore) lists a bunch of foods that are said to aggravate immune system response - i.e., allergic response. I forget the word she used to describe this category of foods, but it was something to do with mold, and it included: Cheese, chocolate, beer, bread.

Now, beer and bread I can more or less do without, but cheese and chocolate have always been staples, and I've suddenly (in the last few months) noticed that my already fairly restricted diet (from sensitivities/intolerances) was getting even *more* narrowly confined because I seemed to be reacting to things like banana peels and citrus. Then, in the last few days, or a week, or so? Even things like *chocolate*, and cheese, which almost *never* bothers me, were becoming intolerable. I realized I *had* to do *something* - increase the uptake of fish (Omega 3s, baby!) for one, which, even though it's *insanely* expensive, especially halibut (which is my current favorite, I'm guessing because it provides both vit D [essential in a cold, dark, depressing {literally!} climate]), as well as minimizing sugar, and being more aware of these various foods that 'aggravate' the situation.

And then that line came up in the movie, along with a reference to citrus being an 'aggravator', and the light clicked on - I'd once, long ago, wondered if there was some yeast/bread/beer/cheese link that was making me sensitive to all those foods, and couldn't find anything at the time - I also was suffering, at the time, from chronic yeast infections, and wondered if *that* had any connection to the food thing. I'd been tested several times for a systemic yeast, but came to the conclusion it was more a side-effect of my body trying to 'exhaust' the byproducts of the copious quantities of sugar I'd been consuming in my ongoing attempts to deal single-handedly with the overwhelming stressors of life - school, men, lack of family support, no friends, etc.

So there was no help there (as usual), from either the 'medical establishment' or my usual sources of so-called 'information', such as Google, etc.

So I kept trying to put the pieces together, but forgot, after a while, after some other things changed in my life and, for a while, I was dealing with a slightly lower level of stress, and was able to cope a little better.

But now my toxic load level (financial, emotional, physical) is once again just narrowly exceeding my capacities to cope, so I've thrown out my life-lines to all those who might be willing to help (and, yay! There ARE some of those folks in my life now, at long last! :-)

The mold is one of the problems that I've had lurking at the back of my mind, to be dealt with on the first sunny, warm day that lasts long enough to take the curtains down, air things out and clean those freaking, nasty, horrible, single-pane ancient wood windows. Yuck!

Anyway. So, the movie tickled some old thoughts, and to help 'support' myself, diet-wise, during this transition time 'til I can get the windows cleaned (Friday, two days from now, looks like it may actually break 60 degrees, and I have that day free - look out, mold!) I'm trying to figure out what the whole food/mold connection is again.

To that end, a couple of links about foods that contain mold themselves and/or potentially contribute to the whole mold-reaction/aggravation thing:

Yeast-containing foods:
http://www.allergy-details.com/yeast-allergy/foods-contain-yeast/

The Mold Help Diet:
http://www.mold-survivor.com/dietcopyright.html

One of the links points out that leftovers get moldy pretty fast - maybe that's why I've always had an aversion to anything that's been left in the fridge for more than a day?

I also asked my mom if she'd eaten anything special while pregnant with me, and she said, "Huge quantities of brewer's yeast."

Several thoughts occurred when I heard that: I wondered if the yeast could have 'sensitized' my newly forming system to yeast? And, also, if it could have kind of 'pre-set' my body chemistry to need a higher than 'normal' level of nutrients than are available in brewer's yeast? Because, as far as I know, I didn't eat in brewer's yeast *after* that (after being born, I mean), and I've always absolutely *hated* the smell (and taste) of the stuff. And yet, at the same time, I seem to have a *terrible* time getting whatever it is I need out of the foods I'm eating and/or craving. Conundrum.

Hm. Curious :-)