As you know I try to keep things simple in this blog. However, this post contains an actual scientific article which may be hard for some to follow. You are always welcome to ask questions. The study/science of mold (mycology) is an ever evolving, advancing knowledge every year. We know mold can be beneficial in basic ways such as the fermentation of libations and cheese. However, most of us don't think of mold being beneficial in any way in regards to our health. That mindset is changing. What if we can make beneficial drugs using mold. One of the leaders in drug research is Netherlands based Hubrecht Institute.  From Their Article Zebrafish Researchers from the group of Jeroen den Hertog at the Hubrecht Institute, in collaboration with researchers from the Westerdijk Institute and Utrecht University, have set up this library and screened it for biologically active compounds. They tested the biological activity of these fungal products first using zebrafish embryos. The resea...

  But, but, but..... I am often asked by people if they should avoid certain foods when they have or believe they may have mold-related health issues. Most of the time I get push-back on my suggestions due to their own food misconceptions. Often these misconceptions are based on learned information taken from mainstream consumer media. Want to have your cake and eat it to, you can't. Don't feed the monster inside of you!  If you do not believe in the phrase "you are what you eat", you should not read any further. If you do not think your diet directly reflects in your health status, you should not read any further.  I'm not going to get technical with this post and cite studies. Processed / Refined Sugars - If you go to the supermarket you will find aisle after aisle of products containing sugar in some variation (refined, corn syrup). Sugar manufacturing sales are over 10 billion dollars a year. Every year more studies are published linking health issues relate...

  Back in May I posted information about the hazards of chlorine in our drinking water and swimming water. I would like to revisit the water topic with the following post. Although the other posts relay more to health issues related to chlorine, this post includes other contaminants and our aging water system.     In a time when we scrutinize the ingredients of our food and insist on pesticide-free fruit, why are we still mixing carcinogens into our children’s lemonade?     The Environmental Protection Agency has set standards for only a handful of different chemicals, specifying how much should be allowed in our drinking water. However, no regulations exist for the thousands of other contaminants in our drinking water.    Unregulated contaminants include cleaning products and solvents, industrial byproducts, pesticides, pharmaceutical drugs and even most of the toxic compounds that are formed when we add chlorine for disinfection. Unfortunately, the ...

    I know I'm going to catch some flack for this statement, but here it goes.  Is it possible mold is behind some of our food cravings? There, I wrote it... I've had this idea for a while and even posed my hypothesis to a medical doctor in my cycling group back in 2017. So why say something now in a public forum? Why not? Given everything I have seen, read and experienced over the last 20 years of dealing with mold issues has lead me to this point. I could be right, I could be wrong, I could have mold on the brain. Let me break it down. We know mold and humans have lived together since day one.  We know these relationships can be situational, parasitic or coexistent.  Examples of each: Situational - We use mold/yeast to make beer, cheese and wine. Parasitic - Yeast infections left untreated can become invasive. Invasive candidiasis occurs                               wh...

 Is Neti Pot Use Dangerous?  How about Navage system or the NeilMed Sinus Rinse or Any Nasal Irrigation System?  The original post was written back in 2008 which only addressed Neti Pots. At the time Neti Pots were gaining in popularity. I was prompted to write the post when I noticed a client's neti pot on the kitchen counter next to a bowl of fruit and a dish of wet cat food. The bowl of fruit had a few overripe bananas which in turn attracted flies. I'm sure the wet cat food also attributed to the fly population. I promptly addressed my concerns with my client, now I'll share them with you. Anytime you put anything up into your sinus cavity there are potentially health risks, mainly the risk of an infection. When used properly, these products can be relatively safe. I know people that swear by their neti pots. Some of these products definitely have a higher potential for risks. Let's go over a few things. Why use them? Most nasal irrigation systems use a saline solut...

    If you want mold to go away, you must kill it! Mold requires oxygen, moisture and organic material in order to be active. If you take away one of those three, after time mold will enter a state of dormancy. This is why we typically notice the associated "musty" odor of mold subsides in the winter when the humidity is lower. This is the opposite in the summer when it is more humid. So, if you thought your mold problem went away in the winter....you were wrong.  AMAZING! Microbes can survive trapped inside ice crystals, under 3 kilometres of snow, for more than 100,000 years, a new study suggests! The study bolsters the case that life may exist on distant, icy worlds in our own solar system. Living bacteria have been found in ice cores sampled at depths of 4 kilometres in Antarctica, though some scientists have argued that those microbes were contaminants from the drilling and testing of the samples in labs.    And in 2005, researchers revived a bacterium that...

The information below is just scratching the surface of the topic of biofilms and how they play a roll in our world and in our personal health. The study of biofilms is an ever evolving science. Biofilms are directly related to our health on many different levels. I have another biofilm post as it relates to our water supply.  What are Biofilms? You may not be familiar with the term “biofilm” but you have certainly encountered biofilm on a regular basis. The plaque that forms on your teeth and causes tooth decay is one type of bacterial biofilm. The buildup that clogs your drains is also biofilm. If you have ever walked in a stream or river, you may have slipped on biofilm-coated rocks. Biofilm forms when bacteria adhere to surfaces in moist environments by excreting a slimy, glue-like substance. Sites for biofilm formation include natural materials above and below ground, metals, plastics, medical implant materials, even plant and body tissue.  Wherever you find a combination...