I am honored to connect with Dr. Aly Cohen today. She is a board-certified rheumatologist, an integrative medicine physician, and one of the country's leading medical and legal experts in environmental health.  We began our conversation today exploring the role of federal agencies, including the EPA and FDA, in regulating environmental toxins and their impact on public safety. Dr. Cohen discusses her rheumatology training and explains how our environments affect our immune systems, clarifying why tap water is problematic, how water treatment plants fail to filter out most contaminants, and how pregnancy, childhood, teen years, perimenopause, and menopause are critical stages for toxin exposure. She reveals how many of the laws for processed foods are outdated and ineffective, and how the concept of GRAS (generally regarded as safe) has no real value, and also dives into changes in nutritional value and soil quality, how medications impact our gut microbiome and disease susceptibility, why iodine is essential for detoxifying the lymphatic and glymphatic systems, and how noise pollution affects our health.  This conversation with Dr. Aly Cohen is invaluable, and her book, resources, and works are particularly significant for this community. IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN: How the gaps in federal protections outweigh the measures currently in place The cumulative effects of toxin exposure on the immune system, particularly for women in perimenopause and menopause Why tap water is unsafe for drinking Why reverse osmosis filtration is the best option  Why young people should learn about toxin exposure before becoming pregnant How estrogen loss during menopause impacts the immune system  The poor nutritional value of processed foods and the lack of effective regulation surrounding them How medications affect the gut microbiome and immune function The benefits of iodine for detoxification and thyroid health Why noise pollution is problematic for our mental health Connect with Cynthia Thurlow   Follow on Twitter, Instagram & LinkedIn Check out Cynthia’s website Submit your questions to [email protected] Connect with Dr. Aly Cohen  On her website TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn Dr. Cohen’s new book, Detoxify, is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and from most local booksellers.