Different Symptoms of Mold Allergy
MOLD-FREE DIET
Molds can be avoided effectively, but not entirely. Many are harmless; others can be dangerous. Some molds enhance the flavor of foods, especially cheeses. Blue cheese owes its distinctive taste to Penicillium roqueforti; Camembert is ripened by Penicillium camemberti. If you're allergic to penicillin, be wary of these cheeses.
Molds are also useful in food processing. They produce amylase, an enzyme used to make breads, and play a strong role in the production of fermented products, from soy sauce and sake to sugar-cured hams.
If you're mold-sensitive, consider a few suggestions:
1. Don't smell foods to see if they're spoiled. Inhaling the spores can set off a reaction.
2. Discard all fresh foods that appear discolored, shriveled, or show signs of mold. Spit out anything, especially a nut, that tastes bitter.
3. Discard any of the following foods that show signs of mold: soft cheeses, sour cream, yogurt, bakery goods, flour, whole grains, corn and corn products, nuts and nut butters, dried peas and beans.
4. You needn't discard hard cheeses, hard fruits, and hard vegetables (such as carrots, celery, or cabbage). Cut away the moldy spot and a cubic inch around it.
5. With jams and jellies, spoon off the surface mold, then use a clean spoon to scoop out the area around it. If mold goes deeper, discard the jam.
6. Don't let mold-contaminated utensils touch any other food or cooking surface. Wash all utensils and cutting boards with hot soapy water.
Flulike symptoms are often the first indication of mold allergy. Headaches, gastric upset, joint pain, and muscle soreness may occur hours to days after exposure.
Yeast, one of the most widely occurring molds in foods, has no replacement as a leavening agent (causing baked goods to rise). Toasted 100 percent rye bread, cut horizontally into thin, crusty slices, helps make a passable sandwich. Fresh lemon juice can season salads instead of vinegar, but skip dried spices. They're loaded with molds.
If you're sensitive to any form of fungi, shop often, buy small amounts of fresh food, check date labels on packages and cartons, and don't leave leftovers sitting around the kitchen. Last night's dinner, refrigerated, is good for only twenty-four hours. Let your guests take home the chocolate cake. Molds thrive on the sugar in your body.
Some foods to exclude or use sparingly:
o Bakery goods made with yeast, or any "day old" bakery goods
o Cheese (all types, including cottage cheese)
o Chocolate
o Deep-fried foods (bread-crumb batter)
o Fermented drinks (beer, brandy, gin, ginger ale, root beer, rum, whiskey, wine, vodka)
o Foods containing citric acid
o Fruit (dried, candied, overripe)
o Fruit juices (all types except fresh-squeezed)
o Hamburger (unless fresh-frozen or freshly
o ground)
o Malt products (candy, cereals, malted milk)
o Melons, especially cantaloupe
o Multi-B vitamins
o Mushrooms, truffles
o Peanuts
o Pickles, pickled meats (pastrami, tongue),
o pickled vegetables, green olives, sauerkraut
o Smoked fish and meats Sour cream, buttermilk Soy sauce, tofu (soy curd) Teas
ˇ Tomato products (usually made from overripe tomatoes)
ˇ Vinegar, vinegar-containing foods (mayonnaise, catsup, mustard)
HINT: When in doubt, throw it out.
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