Mold Avoidance Paradigm

I’ve been watching reports on healing locations in Canada for ten years. Being Canadian myself, I have kept a keen eye out for anywhere that looks promising.

For a long time, there were not many extreme mold avoiders in Canada who were unmasked. So reports were conflicting, sparse, and hard to make sense of.

I now feel that I have a good grasp on the reports. We have more unmasked mold avoiders healing in Canada.

I myself have been to quite a few of these places, and many of us have met up in person, which helps me corroborate info and compare levels of environmental sensitivity.

I have followed the stories closely of those avoiding in Canada and through triangulation of reports I have put together my take on which locations have good outside air free of outdoor toxins, which are just OK, which ones went bad, and which ones are just no good at all.

If you are new to The Locations Effect, this is my main post explaining the topic of pursuing mold avoidance in locations free of outdoor toxins.

British Columbia

Vancouver Island

Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands have been healing locations for many folks over the years. Dave Asprey healed in Duncan BC, just down the road from where I first made major progress in my tiny house. A couple of other mold avoiders came to visit me and found the area to be good.

Others have reported Vancouver Island to be quite good before the fires in 2018. During that time a lot of flame retardant was dumped all throughout BC, creating widespread FRAT (flame retardant associated toxin).

The waters around Vancouver and Vancouver Island are also dodgy for the toxin known as Mystery Toxin (MT), creating really tricky plumes that can form on the breeze and even blanket Victoria during foggy days. This is very likely due to the sewage dumping into the water around Victoria.

Though a few mold avoiders have found some healing in Victoria and Sooke, it is a very tricky area due to FRAT and mystery toxins. Not for the beginner, unless you are only mildly affected by mold and environmental toxins.

Gulf Islands

We have had two good reports from the Gulf Islands. One was Saltspring Island from someone not extremely sensitive, and one was from another nearby island.

Caution to those very sensitive because the ocean water toxins around that area mean the smaller islands off Vancouver Island are not necessarily better locations.

FRAT in BC

My thoughts on escaping this devastation of FRAT we unleashed on the province was that it was likely necessary to escape to the Yukon to get very clear of this.

That has been confirmed by one of our most unmasked mold avoiders. Though the area is not 100% clear of FRAT, she reports, the area is much easier to navigate than BC.

BC Interior

The interior of BC has mostly bad reports from unmasked mold avoiders, with the Okanagan and Slocan valley usually getting bad reports.

Though we have one unmasked mold avoider citing that skilled avoiders could find good pockets in the Oakanagan.

Nelson has two OK reports from folks who are not as extreme, with one good report on Nakusp. Though reports do indicate the 2018 fires worsened this area, and it is not as good as it was.

Cranbrook, East Kootenay area, was reported surprisingly good – at least for the interior of BC.

The Rocky Mountains

The Rocky Mountains have for a long time been reported as an excellent area in Canada, both on the BC and AB side.

But more recently, since those same fires in 2018, the most unmasked, or most sensitive to the environment, have not found this to be a pristine environment anymore. Flame retardant associate toxin (FRAT) is reported all throughout this area. A big loss.

Those less sensitive may still do well here, but it’s not a world-class location anymore. It is still better for many folks compared to the south coast or interior of BC.

Northern BC and the Yukon

Alberta

The Rocky Mountains AB, as I mentioned, have the same reports as on the BC side.

Calgary and Edmonton, have gotten OK reports from some (and even good reports from those new to mold avoidance). This to me indicates the area is not that great or is patchy based on the area or time of year.

Lethbridge has mixed reports.

The one spot that comes recommended as “clear” in Alberta is Chain Lakes. Two people have had the same assessment of Chain Lakes.

Big Cities in Canada

Most of the big cities have been reported as at least semi problematic for those sensitive to outdoor toxins, with Ottawa usually reported as the worst (I agree!) But other big cities are fairly difficult as well.

It depends where you are in your healing, those not very sick or fully recovered can expect to go back to one of the major cities, as most are not absolutely terrible.

Certainly many less sensitive folks have done well (or well enough) in Edmonton, Calgary, Victoria, North Vancouver, and even Vancouver proper.

When highly unmasked I could always feel a dramatic improvement in North Van, especially near the tree line, compared to Vancouver. Though keep in mind Vancouver proper is my ground zero, where I got sick with CFS. That can skew things.

We also have quite a few bad reports from all those areas – controversial areas indicate it’s not that great of an area, usually. There are also differences in which toxin exactly knock folks out.

One very experienced avoider can dodge MT areas in Vancouver and Victoria. Many others get slammed. Toxins in these areas can be inconsistent – dependant on season, weather, wind, fog, snow etc.

I found the Toronto area to be OK when I was less sick, but not a place for recovery after major mold injury.

There is some consensus that the Vancouver area is better than Toronto, however, that was before the fires of 2018. Toronto is full of MT and BC is now more FRAT.

Quebec

The area north of Montreal has been reported good by a couple of very reliable mold avoiders – Sainte-Adèle and Laurentian Mountains.

And although it’s an old report, I have seen another big improvement even further north, camping in Quebec.

In terms of finding good areas north of Quebec, it’s not a straight line of better and better further from the city. Sainte-Adèle appears to be a bubble of a clear area. And, just like almost every location on earth, the Laurentian Mountains have pockets of good air and not so great air.

Though it’s great that we have more than one really good report here, this area is of course very cold in the winter.

Ontario

I lived in southern Ontario for 10 years in the middle of my illness. I was not unmasked at the time but I personally did not find any relief from “cottage country” north of Toronto or anywhere within in a few hours of Toronto.

I have seen someone do well north of Toronto, but she was not unmasked.

There are many areas like this that are good enough for those in the early stages. If you are right out of a moldy house and into the wilderness you can often feel a lot of improvement, even if the area is not considered pristine.

This is not where I would head if I had a choice.

The Maritimes

I don’t have any good reports from the Atlantic coast of Canada. I did go to PEI, but it was a long time ago and I don’t consider that report to be very accurate anymore. I didn’t do well there.

More on – What is a Mold Sabbatical and what you need to bring with you.

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Recently many folks have set out on a Locations Effect sabbatical without enough information on the risks or challenges in developing nations. They have run into many unexpected problems that I’m going to outline in this post.

If you have health challenges or environmental sensitivities and you take off unprepared to a developing country this can lead to very difficult and risky experiences.

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A number of folks recently have set out for locations known to have good outdoor air to experience the Locations Effect.

There are many developing countries (the Global South, also known as third world countries) that have great outdoor air and might also be appealing in terms of cost savings.

But there are a number of really important things to know before you take off if you are someone that has health challenges or mold and chemical sensitivities.

If you haven’t traveled to a developing country before, or you haven’t traveled while sensitive, it’s essential that you know what you are going into.

My Background

I have a 5-year degree in International Development Studies, and my area of expertise is Latin America. I also had to study development factors – poverty, disease, access to health care – in all other regions of the developing world.

I worked for a year in Ghana and have backpacked through Morocco, Ghana, and Togo. In Latin America, I have spent about 7 months total in Cuba, Mexico, and Costa Rica, outside of tourist areas.

I have traveled recently with very high environmental sensitivities to mold and chemicals. I am also immunocompromised and physically limited.

What you MUST consider before doing a Locations Effect Sabbatical In a Developing Country

1.Much higher disease potential

Almost all of the developing world has high disease potential. All topical areas, other than very high elevations and a few other exceptions, have very risky mosquito-borne illnesses.

Denge and Chik V are the most concerning for those already sick. Malaria and Zika are the next most concerning. There are a couple of others that you should research as well. Vaccines are not available for most mosquito-borne illnesses.

Parasites are rampant in developing nations. They are mostly in food and water, but can also be caught by walking barefoot or swimming in freshwater.

There are many other illnesses transmitted through food and water: viruses, ecoli, hepatitis, etc. Many of us get sick very easily and it is almost a guarantee if you are immunocompromised.

I cook all my food and take pretty extreme precautions with water after a few really rough experiences.

2. Unexpected MCS (chemical sensitivity) triggers

Possible unexpected MCS triggers include: way more potent (less regulated) car exhaust, more cigarette and cigar smoke in public, burning garbage smoke, scented cleaning products, more cologne or perfume use, increased pesticide spraying both inside for pests and outside for mosquitos.

Other unexpected triggers might include, charcoal burning, wood-burning, exhaust from boats, other people’s mosquito repellant and sunscreen, and widely used incense (including in restaurants) or smudging.

These differ by country.

You may not find any unscented personal care or cleaning products in stores.

3. Unexpected level of mold in buildings

In general, in both developing nations (due to poor building standards), and tropical locations (where mold grows faster), buildings are more likely to be moldy.

If the type of construction is different than where you are coming from, you will not be able to predict which buildings might be OK if you haven’t been there before.

There are exceptions, for some people the general mustiness (or even visible mold growth) in concrete buildings in tropical areas is not enough to affect them. Many can still improve, but those already unmasked probably won’t.

On the other hand, there may be simpler structures available that are even better than buildings in the US, Canada and Western Europe.

If you are aiming to stay in a building, this has to be carefully considered.

I also prepare for the possibility of musty or otherwise contaminated beds and bedding by bringing bedding and tarps to sequester beds.

4. Exasperation of symptoms from heat

If you haven’t traveled anywhere hot for a while, this might be an unpleasant surprise.

You also should look at whether taxis, buses and hotels often have AC (likely many or most don’t).

High-end hotels usually have AC almost anywhere in the world, but even then, not always! Some areas are prone to power outages.

If you are reliant on AC in hot weather you have to think this through carefully.

There are tropical countries that are not that hot and there are developing countries that are not hot at all.

Plan ahead if you know this will be a problem.

5. The safety profile of the area

While many people do assume that some developing nations are more dangerous, do not go based on news reports. Look up actual statistics. I look at whether crime is isolated to certain areas or certain groups of people.

What are the real risks and will they be likely to affect you in the area you plan to go to and the activities you plan to take part in?

There are many guides to safety for travelers out there. Look at those and then look at special circumstances (like is it safe to camp where camping is not the norm).

Driving is often the biggest risk to personal safety. I consider myself an excellent driver and would never drive in a developing country, at least not until being there for a long time and getting used to the norms.

The Lonely Planet outlines things you need to know like which cities are not safe to walk in after dark and whether you should use a money belt or not. This is always my first resource. They have a book for each country.

6. Do they have the foods you need

The foods you are used to might not be available in many developing countries. There may not be organic food stores or no distinction made between organic and conventional produce.

You may not find the types of foods you need or expect. Expect less variety and a different variety of foods. It’s possible that imported foods are extremely expensive.

There are some places that don’t have grocery stores (or the grocery stores are just small stores for canned goods). You may find it hard or almost impossible to gather groceries yourself from all the places they are sold.

It might not be realistic to go gluten-free or vegan.

In Cuba it was prohibited to cook in a casa particular (a bnb).

7. Do they have supplements you need or are you able to order them

The availability of supplements is limited, sometimes severely limited (possibly nonexistent) in most developing countries.

Some countries have high tariffs on imported goods and it may be extremely expensive for the shipping cost as well.

In some countries like Mexico, it is not legal to order supplements from abroad. In Ghana, it was difficult and very expensive to send anything there by Fedex.

8. Is good medical care available

If you are on any medication you will want to check if that medication exists in the country you want to go to, and how easy is it to get.

You will also want to look at the quality of medical care, both clinics and hospitals. What kind of ailments (including emergencies) can they address? Which ones are not treated there?

How far away are you from a good hospital if something did happen.

How common is it that doctors and nurses speak your language (or do you speak theirs).

Don’t expect alternative health care – look up whether they have the practitioners you need.

Make sure you have travel medical insurance!

9. Is camping allowed or viable

Camping is mostly a first world activity. If you plan on camping as your primary option or backup option, be sure to research the feasibility thoroughly.

If camping outside of a proper campground, check on the legality, safety and general acceptance of doing this.

If camping is non-existent there, it’s most likely there are no stores in which to buy camping gear that may need to be replaced.

10. Are vaccines necessary

There are a few countries that have vaccine requirements, but not that many. If that is the case I would suggest looking at whether whether the vaccines are tolerated by you.

Many vaccines are likely recommended (though not required). The first thing I do is check on what the transmission routes of those diseases are. If they are food and waterborne, you may be able to avoid them by cooking your own food.

Some depend on the area you will be in and the likelihood of your exposure. I always look at the Lonely Planet books for everywhere I have ever traveled to as they have very good overviews of disease profiles and vaccine requirements.

11. Noise levels!

It’s possible and likely that developing countries will be noisier than Western countries – whether it’s traffic, roosters, howler monkeys, people who get up very early, or a culture of playing music in public places – this is another thing to know about.

If your sleep is highly affected by noise then plan your strategy accordingly. I like a three-step approach to earplugs for worst-case scenarios. Foam, silicone, and noise protection gear. (And note, don’t count on being able to buy these locally).

I bring a borderline insane amount of things with me, including earplugs and any supplement or medication I think I might need, emergency snacks and scent-free products. Here is my packing list.

You may also want to plan carefully where you stay – whether it’s a rental or campground. Find out what it’s close to. Find out when the holidays are.

I got stuck in Cuba’s week-long New Year’s celebration, woken by howler monkeys in Costa Rica, and was right by the community well in Ghana where everyone pulled water at 5 am.

What else!? A lot…

There many other things that could be different in your destination country.

Rocky roads can be painful for many to drive down, they may not be conducive at all to wheelchairs. There may be very different cultural norms that influence clothing you wear. They may not be tolerant of LGBTQ. There may be limited access to ATMs. Credit cards may not work there. There may be many safety precautions you need to take that you would not think of in your home country. Etc etc etc…..

Most of that you can find in regular travel guides and blogs.

Again, I recommend the Lonely Planet as the first place to look. I’ve never gone anywhere where I didn’t carry the local guide book everywhere.

This post will be a short detour from building material to talk about my healing from MCS.

It can be much easier to bring down sensitivities than to try and avoid all toxins. Even if you are not extremely sensitive you may want to build more resiliency and do more out there in the real world.

This is my journey through bringing down MCS from severe to moderate then to mild and finally gone.

At the most severe I reacted to the tiniest amount of 3rd hand smoke, scent-free detergent, and lightly scented natural lavender deodorant on other people. I could not stay in regular buildings due to the offgassing and cleaning products, nor in regular tents.

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STAGE ONE, THE TINY HOUSE

The main foundation for bringing down MCS is certainly mold avoidance. Many or most of these methods I have found are not effective when in mold.

Soon after leaving my moldy apartment in Toronto I was able to move into my tiny house and start mold avoidance protocols.

I also chose an environment where there was good outdoor air, so it was the perfect environment to detox in when severely ill.

I didn’t do anything but mold avoidance for the first few months.

One of the first things I did, other than some good nutrition, was to remove my amalgams at a biological dentist.

I then started a full Shoemaker course of Cholestyramine (CSM). Which was intense but immediately brought down brain fog and increased my energy.

My sensitivities came down by the end of the course. CSM was life-changing for me, that’s what got me back to work. That was the most effected binder but I did try some other binders for mold after that.

I then brought in Alpha Lipoic Acid which helped my sleep quite a bit. I tried the Andy Cutler approach to ALA which is the most cautious approach.

The next addition was Bulletproof Glutathione Force which brought down my sensitivities some more.

Next, I added Liposomal Vitamin C, Molybdenum and my sensitivities to chemicals continued to come down.

That is what worked for me, in the first stage of detox when I was in my tiny house.

Being in a non-toxic house and doing proper mold avoidance first was very important before starting any of the more intense detoxification methods.

STAGE TWO, TINY HOUSE FAILS, I START TRAVELING

To get to the next stage, after my tiny house failed (went moldy) I went more extreme with mold avoidance.

I spend time traveling the world for the Locations Effect. My MCS went down dramatically during this time.

I traveled to Cuba where I have the most notable Locations Effect. I also camped out in a tent, cargo trailer, and shelter in Canada.

I spent two years living in tents, shelters, and simple trailers (with a few BnBs and hotels in there too).

The most important part of this journey is the mold avoidance which including avoiding indoor molds and outdoor toxins.

STAGE THREE, HELL TOXIN ERA

During this time of camping I started to dump metals (according to test results). MCS continued to drop, and I also noticed my sweat became very toxic.

I became sensitive to the substance known as hell toxin (HT). This was incredibly difficult, but breaking from this toxin was the moment I was able to make the leap into regular housing for the first time in almost a decade.

My MCS and mold sensitivity came down dramatically (again) and quickly when breaking from HT.

In order to heal from this sensitivity, I used minerals, mineral balancing, lots of nutritional support, Zeobind, FIJI water, ALA and The Root Cause Protocol.

I barely feel HT now at all and it’s a minor annoyance at it’s worst.

STAGE FOUR BRAIN RETRAINING

I watched a few friends fully heal with brain retraining and many others make huge improvements.

Even once one is in a non-toxic environment, and detox has been added, the brain can still overreact to very small amounts of toxins.

I am doing The Gupta programme and the last of my sensitivities is gone after only a few months of really committing to the program.