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Interview from The Toxic Mold Solution

Updated: Jun 6, 2024


Sally Sauvignon and her two kids

1. Personal story. What brought you into this line of work?


To be totally honest, I didn't know that the education I received from becoming a Certified Integrative Health Practitioner would lead to me starting a second business. I got started with this program a year ago, after moving out of my home after 2 years of a frustrating health journey where mold was the surprise star culprit! Test after test turned up "normal" and yet I felt terrible, my gut was a mess, I had major histamine intolerance, my hormones were imbalanced, I had major brain fog and I kept getting sinus infections . I was looking for a way to further understand how this toxic exposure was connected to all the health problems I had been dealing with. It felt ironic and downright unfair that my own home was making me sick because for the past 5 years I had been a clean living educator.v


I never suspected mold in our home, although looking back now there were all the signs pointing us there. I had a pretty good understanding that within the presence of our daily environment are hundreds of health compromising toxins. While many are outside of our control, I'd been educating hundreds of women on ways to reduce exposures to these known toxins, primarily through safer skincare and makeup as well as other household products.


Through my personal health struggle with mold and the education that I gained as a Certified Integrative Health Practitioner, I learned how interconnected toxic exposures over time can deeply impact health. Our body only becomes sick or imbalanced in 2 ways: deficiencies to vital nutrients and accumulation of toxins internally, and from the environment. Overtime, the body begins to show the first signs of dis-ease. I feel fortunate to have learned about this healing process from my Integrative Health Practitioner program at a time when I really needed it and experienced the benefits of this myself. It was no accident, and honestly I can look back at the experience now with gratitude for the lessons and tools I've gained from it. After implementing these techniques myself and seeing how effective they are, I felt called to start my new business to help others do the same with A Healthier Life. 


2. You say in your newsletter, “ I take a holistic approach to health by integrating state of the art Functional Medicine with the ancient healing of Eastern Medicine and philosophies into one comprehensive client centered practice.”


What is functional medicine and why is that important for a persons health?


Functional medicine is a systems biology–based approach that focuses on identifying and addressing the root cause of disease. Take for example my personal health journey where I had a number of symptoms, yet every conventional test result showed within normal range (blood work, ultra sound, CT scan, all came back in normal range). Thanks to functional medicine tests, I was able to uncover my root cause and the systems that were out of balance in order to determine my way to healing. As an Integrative Health Practitioner, my philosophy is one of balance and discovery while incorporating the best of functional medicine with Ayurvedic medicine. In bringing together western and eastern health, I offer a client centered practice in support of truly living a healthier life.


3. Being a longtime dear friend, I know you have experience with mold toxicity. Can you share how you found out that you had it and what you did to treat it?


I got a really bad sinus infection 1 1/2 years into an unsuccessful protocol to eliminate bacterial overgrowth in my gut. Chronic sinus infections can be an indication of mold toxicity (among a number of other symptoms) so I took an at home functional medicine mold test to see if that was at the root cause. After this test confirmed high levels of toxic mold in my body, I then tested my home. The results showed high levels of mold in both bathrooms, our master bedroom, and in one of my son's bedroom. Not knowing what to do next, I called you and you calmly provided me with the number to a reputable local mold consultant who helped us determine our next steps for remediation and repair.


Getting out of the moldy environment was first on my list, because any form of detox while living in the moldy house would have a net zero impact. Think of it like pouring out the bucket of water that is placed under a leaking roof. The goal is to empty the bucket but that can only happen when you stop the roof leak. The process of re-establishing balance in the body after mold takes time because of the number of systems it impacts and also the duration of exposure. I had been living in our home for 9 years before finding it had mold between walls and under the floor, where we couldn't see it.


Once I moved out of the mold, I followed a protocol to bind and remove the mold from my body which included supplements such as charcoal & clay. I worked on opening up my detox pathways, including sweating, supported by purchasing a Therasage Infrared Sauna to use at home and completing a functional medicine detox. I went on daily 15 min walks after lunch or dinner to support my nervous system and improve digestion. I did impactful mindset work and began to understand the role of toxic emotions and learned how to challenge my negative thoughts. And I began a protocol to balance hormones and balance stress. It was far more work than taking a pill or switching the foods I ate. But I learned so much about our bodies incredible ability and desire to heal and it has inspired me to help heal others who are in the same position I was.


4. Why would someone who has been exposed to mold want to treat their home and body? How do you help someone do that in your work?


The mycotoxins of mold can lead to a total toxin load on the body that results in disease. Mold toxicity can lead to gut imbalance, hormonal dysregulation, inflammation, and imbalanced nervous system which can present in the short term as: indigestion, abdominal pain, sinus infections, itchy eyes, histamine reaction, skin rashes, headaches, difficulty focusing, brain fog, mood disorders, anxiety, and depression. It's quite predictable and the good news is if we know how you began to increase your total toxin load, we also know how to decrease it and begin the healing process. As a certified Integrative Health Practitioner I have a thorough intake process which includes the topic of toxicity so that I can identify if you are presenting any of the signs that mold may be impacting your health. From there I recommend the simple at home functional medicine tests to confirm the root cause of your imbalances and then upon receiving the results develop a personalized 12 week wellness plan that supports the multiple systems impacted through safe toxin removal, whole foods, safe supplements, nervous system support, movement, and mindset development. If you or anyone you know would like my support in healing from mold toxicity, book a 20 min consultation here.


Laura Lin Knight

About Laura


I’m Laura, a parenting educator and mom of two, and I provide practical tools for parents and their children to foster more calm and create less chaos in their home.


Let’s build confidence in your parenting and make joy and harmony the heart of your family.


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Written by Sally K. Sauvignon, IHP and Laura Lin Knight


Originally Published On The Toxic Mold Solution Blog



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