How to Detox the Body & Heal From Toxic Mold

Part Three in Our Mold Toxicity & Chronic Illness Series

Healing from toxic mold is truly a journey. There are numerous steps that must be completed in order to remediate mold and mycotoxins from our homes, vehicles, and workplaces — and there’s even more work to be done when it comes to detoxing the body after months, years, or decades of mold exposure. But before we can safely and effectively detox the body from mold and other biotoxins, we need to make sure our detoxification pathways are open. This means we’re sweating, excreting waste, breathing deeply, sleeping well, and keeping hydrated each day. 

Once we’re doing each of these things, we can begin detoxing the body. Read on as we share some of our favorite ways to detox the body from mold toxins and stay tuned as we bring our Mold Toxicity & Chronic Illness Series to a close next month!

Are Your Detox Pathways Open?

When we’ve been struggling with our health for so long, we want nothing more than to dive in headfirst and do whatever it takes to get better as quickly as possible. But when our pots are already overflowing — which is often the case when we’re battling complex chronic illnesses like mold toxicity, mast cell activation syndrome, thyroid dysfunction, and Lyme disease — detoxing too quickly could do more harm than good. Especially when our detox pathways aren’t open (our six detox/drainage pathways include the skin, liver, kidneys, lungs, colon, and lymphatic system). 

The Three Phases of Detoxification

Because there are multiple phases of detoxification (phase one, phase two, and phase three), we need to support each drainage/detox pathway daily to assist our bodies in the elimination of toxins. If we aren’t supporting our drainage pathways, the toxins we’re working so hard to eliminate will end up recirculating in the body and making us sicker. 

For example, if there’s an imbalance between our phase one and phase two detox pathways — which can happen when we increase phase one detoxification without also increasing phase two — toxins recirculate in the body faster than we can expel them. This adds to our already high toxic load and tends to worsen our symptoms (we call this a detox/Herxheimer/Herx reaction). 

Here are a few things we can do to open our drainage pathways, prevent die-off reactions, and support our bodies during detoxification:

• Know the signs of blocked detox pathways (e.g. infrequent bowel movements, urination, and sweating; poor quality sleep; brain fog; bloating and gas; shallow breathing or under-breathing; and lack of movement).
• Eat lots of gut-friendly spices and colorful plant foods like cruciferous vegetables and alliums (e.g. broccoli, onions, and garlic).
• Eat a variety of healthy fats (e.g. avocado, olive oil, fish, eggs, and seeds).
• Drink green tea and water with lemon.
• Drink plenty of spring water throughout the day (aim to drink half of your body weight in ounces daily). 
• Practice good eating hygiene. 
• Supplement with liposomal glutathione, milk thistle, N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), and alpha-lipoic acid (ALA).
• Incorporate gentle movement into each day (e.g. yoga, foam rolling, rebounding, and walking).
• Soak in an Epsom salt bath (simply add two cups of Epsom salts to a hot bath).

When all your fundamentals are in place (for example, you’re hydrating, urinating, sleeping, breathing, sweating, and having daily bowel movements), you’ll be ready to detox the body from mold. Below are a few of our favorite detoxification strategies for mold illness.

1. Heat Therapy

Heat therapy is one of the best ways to detox the body from mold, as sweating helps us to release toxins through the skin. Just remember to rehydrate before, during, and after each sweat session; the kidneys need plenty of liquids in order to flush toxins from the body (we love  LMNT Electrolyte Drink Mix).

Different types of heat therapies include:

• Far-infrared saunas (125 to 130 degrees Fahrenheit is best).
• Dry-heat saunas (150 to 175 degrees Fahrenheit is best).
• Hot tubs.
• Epsom salt baths. 

2. Detox Baths

Similar to other heat therapies, detox baths are super helpful when healing the body from toxic mold exposure. Hot baths induce sweating while Epsom salts relieve pain, relax the muscles, and promote stress reduction and sleep. Likewise, peat mud baths induce sweating and help the body to detox mold through the skin. 

Several types of detox baths include:

• Epsom salt baths.
• Epsom salt foot baths. 
• Peloid therapy (bathing in peat mud).

3. Lymphatic Drainage

Improving lymphatic drainage is essential when healing from toxic mold, as the lymph system is responsible for draining waste products from the body. Many individuals with mold illness, however, have poor lymphatic circulation that must be improved in order to detox the body. 

Some ways to improve lymphatic drainage include:

• Lymphatic drainage massage.
• Dry brushing.
• Rebounding (jumping on a mini-trampoline).
• Gentle exercise.
• Walking.
• Flexing the hands and feet.
• Oil pulling (starting at three to five minutes daily).
• Castor oil packs.

4. Bile Binders & Movers

Bile binders help us eliminate mold and other environmental toxins via our stool before these toxins can be recirculated in the body. They are absolutely essential to any mold detox!

Some examples of binders for toxic mold include:

• Activated charcoal and bentonite clay.
• Pharmaceutical-grade binders like Cholestyramine and Welchol.
• Fibers like flax seed, chia, and oat bran.

In some cases (for example, you’re not having regular bowel movements), bile movers may also be necessary. Some examples of bile movers include organic bile salts (such as ox bile), bitter greens, digestive bitters, and cholagogue herbs. 

We’ll talk more about bile binders in part four of our Mold Toxicity & Chronic Illness Series.

Detoxing the Body From Toxic Mold Takes Time

Healing from toxic mold can feel much like an uphill battle with no end in sight. There are so many layers to peel back before true healing can begin, and the whole process can be incredibly overwhelming. But this is why it’s so important to have mold-literate functional medicine practitioners by your side: Dr. Fox and I will help you to navigate each step as you heal from toxic mold and regain your health. 

Are you ready to detox your body from mold exposure or mold illness? Schedule your Vital You Consult, book a call for the Vital Basics Method™, or visit our website to learn how Dr. Fox and I can help you heal from complex chronic illness. 

References:

• Danner, B. (2022). The ultimate toxic mold recovery guide: Take back your home, health, and life. Self-published.
• Crista, J. (2018). Break the mold: 5 tools to conquer mold and take back your health. Wellness Ink Publishing. 
• Nathan, N. (2018). Toxic: Heal your body from  mold toxicity, lyme disease, multiple chemical sensitivities, and chronic environmental illness. Victory Belt Publishing, Inc.