How to Remove Toxins from our Foods, Products, and Bodies

Mark Hyman

Jan 22, 2024

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In today’s episode, I talk with Ken Cook, Dr. Elizabeth Boham, and Maggie Ward about toxin exposures all around us and how to remove toxins from our bodies.



Ken Cook is the president and co-founder of the Environmental Working Group (EWG). He is widely recognized as one of the environmental community’s most prominent and influential critics of industrial agriculture and the nation’s broken approach to protecting families and children from toxic substances. Under Cook’s leadership, the EWG has pioneered the use of digital technologies to empower American families with easy-to-use, science-driven tools to help reduce their exposure to potentially harmful ingredients in food, drinking water, cosmetics, and other household products. Capitol Hill’s closely read newspaper The Hill regularly lists Cook in its annual roster of Washington’s top lobbyists, writing that Cook’s “influence spans the country” and calling EWG “the tip of the green movement’s spear.”



Dr. Elizabeth Boham is a physician and nutritionist who practices Functional Medicine at The UltraWellness Center in Lenox, MA. Through her practice and lecturing she has helped thousands of people achieve their goals of optimum health and wellness. She witnesses the power of nutrition every day in her practice and is committed to training other physicians to utilize nutrition in healing.



Maggie Ward, MS, RD, LDN, is the Nutrition Director at The UltraWellness Center. Maggie holds a master’s degree in Nutrition from Bastyr University which focuses on using whole foods for holistic Nutrition Therapy. In addition, she completed her requirements to become a registered dietitian at Westchester Medical Center in NY. Prior to joining The UltraWellness Center team in 2008, Maggie worked at The Brooklyn Hospital Center in New York providing nutrition counseling to children and families dealing with HIV. She also taught at the Jewish Community Center in Manhattan and other sites throughout New York City, teaching nutritionally focused cooking classes for children and adults. Much of her focus is on food allergies, digestive disorders, inflammatory conditions, pediatrics, and sports nutrition.



This episode is brought to you by Rupa Health and ButcherBox.



Streamline your lab orders with Rupa Health. Access more than 3,000 specialty lab tests and register for a FREE live demo at

Episode description

View the Show Notes For This Episode



Get Free Weekly Health Tips from Dr. Hyman



Sign Up for Dr. Hyman’s Weekly Longevity Journal



Get Ad-free Episodes & Dr. Hyman+ Audio Exclusives



In today’s episode, I talk with Ken Cook, Dr. Elizabeth Boham, and Maggie Ward about toxin exposures all around us and how to remove toxins from our bodies.



Ken Cook is the president and co-founder of the Environmental Working Group (EWG). He is widely recognized as one of the environmental community’s most prominent and influential critics of industrial agriculture and the nation’s broken approach to protecting families and children from toxic substances. Under Cook’s leadership, the EWG has pioneered the use of digital technologies to empower American families with easy-to-use, science-driven tools to help reduce their exposure to potentially harmful ingredients in food, drinking water, cosmetics, and other household products. Capitol Hill’s closely read newspaper The Hill regularly lists Cook in its annual roster of Washington’s top lobbyists, writing that Cook’s “influence spans the country” and calling EWG “the tip of the green movement’s spear.”



Dr. Elizabeth Boham is a physician and nutritionist who practices Functional Medicine at The UltraWellness Center in Lenox, MA. Through her practice and lecturing she has helped thousands of people achieve their goals of optimum health and wellness. She witnesses the power of nutrition every day in her practice and is committed to training other physicians to utilize nutrition in healing.



Maggie Ward, MS, RD, LDN, is the Nutrition Director at The UltraWellness Center. Maggie holds a master’s degree in Nutrition from Bastyr University which focuses on using whole foods for holistic Nutrition Therapy. In addition, she completed her requirements to become a registered dietitian at Westchester Medical Center in NY. Prior to joining The UltraWellness Center team in 2008, Maggie worked at The Brooklyn Hospital Center in New York providing nutrition counseling to children and families dealing with HIV. She also taught at the Jewish Community Center in Manhattan and other sites throughout New York City, teaching nutritionally focused cooking classes for children and adults. Much of her focus is on food allergies, digestive disorders, inflammatory conditions, pediatrics, and sports nutrition.



This episode is brought to you by Rupa Health and ButcherBox.



Streamline your lab orders with Rupa Health. Access more than 3,000 specialty lab tests and register for a FREE live demo at

Mindsip insights from this episode:

Avoid lead exposure from crystal glassware

Crystal wine and water glasses can be a hidden source of lead exposure, as lead is sometimes used in their manufacturing to make them heavier and the wine taste "sweeter.".

Beware high glyphosate levels in hummus

One of the top products containing the highest amount of the weed killer glyphosate is hummus, due to the practice of spraying chickpeas late in the season.

Leverage consumer behavior to drive policy change

Consumer behavior, informed by tools like the Environmental Working Group's (EWG) databases, is now a primary force compelling companies to create safer products and support stricter government regulations.

Avoid mercury fillings for safer dental health

The FDA has officially stated that mercury dental fillings are not safe for vulnerable populations like pregnant women and children, questioning their safety for everyone else.

Test for stored heavy metals to assess total toxic burden

A provoked heavy metal challenge test, which uses a chelator to pull stored metals out of tissues, can reveal your body's total toxic burden, unlike a standard blood test which only shows recent exposure.

Reduce blood lead levels to lower heart disease risk

A study found that blood lead levels greater than 2, a level present in about 39% of the population, are more highly correlated with heart attacks and strokes than cholesterol.

Differentiate between dietary and dental mercury with Tri-Mercury test

The Tri-Mercury test can differentiate between methylmercury from environmental sources like fish and inorganic mercury off-gassing from dental amalgam fillings.

Choose organic foods for higher phytonutrient content

Organic foods contain more protective phytonutrients because the plants have to work harder to defend themselves from pests, creating beneficial compounds that are good for human health.

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