Top 50 in #FunctionalMedicine 1st Telehealth Clinic in š š§ The Art of Being Well š NYT Bestseller
Joined April 2011
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Iām so excited to have Emilie Toups back on the podcast so we could dive deep into the brand sheās built, and it all started with a moment at home...
Her daughter was digging through her makeup bag, Emilie realized she hadnāt swapped out a single product in it yet, and she decided to build something safer from scratch.
That decision grew into Toups & Co, the farm-to-face brand she runs in Alabama while homeschooling five kids. Since her last visit, it has expanded into full color cosmetics, and everything is still made in small batches, in-house, from natural ingredients she can trace back to the source.
Hereās the part that stopped me in my tracks...
The chemistry that makes a mascara waterproof comes from the same PFAS family used in nonstick Teflon pans, and your eyes and lips absorb far more than the rest of your skin. Imagine what thatās doing to your body when you wear it every day.
We also break down the science behind titanium dioxide, plus a PFAS risk hiding in how pressed powders are made that youād never spot on a label.
You can find this episode, Titanium Dioxide, Tallow, & The Truth About āCleanā Makeup & Skincare | Emilie Toups, on my podcast The Art of Being Well on all streaming platforms.
drwillcole.com/titanium-dioxā¦
#artofbeingwell #theartofbeingwell #drwillcole #cleanbeauty #toupsandco
Stem cell therapy is exciting. Itās also not where Iād start with anyone.
Stem cells can renew themselves and become other types of cells, which is why theyāre so central to repair. Your gut lining regenerates every few days thanks to them. Stem cell therapy collects, concentrates, and injects them where tissue is damaged. Research is ongoing for joint and orthopedic concerns, neurodegenerative disease, autoimmune conditions, heart tissue, skin and hair, and longevity.
Iāve seen some patients do really well with it when itās used at the right time and in the right way. It doesnāt work for everyone. Age, inflammation levels, and metabolic health all play a role in how you respond.
Many types of stem cell therapy arenāt FDA approved, so work with a provider whoās qualified and transparent. Common side effects are minor, like soreness, bruising, or swelling. Infection and nerve damage are rare but possible.
Itās a tool in the toolbox. It isnāt a first-line therapy, and it isnāt a substitute for nourishing food, sleep, exercise, community, and emotional awareness. Get those right first, and your body is more likely to respond.
I also covered PRP and prolotherapy in the article.
Where do you stand on regenerative therapies, curious or cautious? Drop it below.
Read the full article here: drwillcole.com/future-of-regā¦
#artofbeingwell #selfhealers #stemcells #regenerativemedicine #functionalmedicine
7 seconds wonāt fix your constipation. Hereās what might...
The trend comes from gastroenterologist Dr. Gina Sam, who shared a morning ritual for constipation. You drink a glass of warm or room-temperature water, do gentle stretches like cat-cow, forward bends, or wind-relieving pose, then practice deep diaphragmatic breathing.
Iām fully behind every step. Hydration, movement, and breathwork all support digestion. The ā7 secondsā part is marketing, though. If youāre dealing with chronic constipation, a few seconds of stretching before a stressful day isnāt going to cut it.
At my telehealth clinic, we see whatās underneath far more often. Dehydration, low fiber, gut dysbiosis including SIBO, IBS, a sedentary lifestyle, low vagal tone, hormone imbalances, and low stomach acid can all play a part.
Start simple. Water, a stretch, a few deep breaths. If that doesnāt move things, look deeper at fiber, magnesium, probiotics, and stress.
I shared more natural tips in the article.
Which of these surprised you most? Drop it below.
Full breakdown in the article: drwillcole.com/7-second-poopā¦
#artofbeingwell #selfhealers #constipation #guthealth #functionalmedicine
The 7-second poop method has taken over my feed, so letās talk about what it actually gets right...
It was popularized by gastroenterologist Dr. Gina Sam as a quick morning ritual.
A glass of warm water. A few gentle stretches like cat-cow, a forward fold, or wind-relieving pose. Then some slow belly breathing.
Iām a fan of every step. Water wakes up your digestive system, movement helps move trapped gas and stimulates your bowels, and deep breathing shifts you into rest-and-digest mode.
But seven seconds is more marketing than medicine...
If youāre constipated now and then, this might be all you need. If itās chronic, a few seconds of breathing before a stressful day probably wonāt cut it.
In my telehealth clinic, constipation is usually a signal that something underneath needs attention, like dehydration, low fiber, gut dysbiosis or SIBO, low stomach acid, hormone imbalances, low vagal tone, or a buildup of biotoxins.
Iād add fiber-rich foods like avocados, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, artichokes, broccoli, and apples, plus plenty of filtered water and magnesium. Humming, singing, or gargling can stimulate your vagus nerve, and consistent movement throughout the day helps too.
If it keeps coming back, I'd stop guessing and start testing. Functional bloodwork can show your thyroid, blood sugar, inflammation, cortisol, and hormone patterns, which are some of the reasons your gut slows down. Itās the easiest way to see where to start instead of trying one fix after another.
And please donāt ignore it...
A bowel movement at least once a day is one of your bodyās main ways to clear toxins, so a backed-up gut is a backed-up detox pathway.
Click the link below and Iāll send you my brand new article, plus the details on the $97 at-home bloodwork through The Health Institute that I personally recommend as a great baseline to see whether your thyroid, blood sugar, inflammation, cortisol, or hormones are slowing your gut down.
Article Link: drwillcole.com/7-second-poopā¦
$97 Functional Bloodwork: orders.thehealthinstitute.coā¦
#artofbeingwell #selfhealers #guthealth #constipation #digestion
Some parasites may trigger autoimmunity. Some worms are being studied for the opposite.
Lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, IBD, Hashimotoās, and Gravesā have all been linked to parasites. Researchers point to a few ways it can happen. Molecular mimicry, where parasite proteins resemble your own tissue. Chronic immune activation that keeps your immune system on high alert. Leaky gut, where a damaged gut lining lets particles into the bloodstream.
Hereās what surprises people. Parasites are common, and not all of them cause harm. Blastocystis hominis shows up on stool tests all the time and often causes no symptoms. If a parasite doesnāt line up with your symptoms, it can be a red herring. The ones I see most in my telehealth clinic are microscopic protozoa, not worms.
Testing helps sort it out. I use comprehensive stool testing (multi-day collection catches more), blood tests for parasite antibodies, and organic acid testing, depending on the case.
Helminth therapy is still experimental and shouldnāt be self-administered. Itās a tool for people who feel like theyāve tried everything else.
I covered testing and holistic options in the article.
What symptom made you first suspect something deeper was going on? Drop it below.
I broke it all down here: drwillcole.com/parasites-andā¦
#artofbeingwell #selfhealers #autoimmune #parasites #guthealth
You flip your eggs in your favorite non-stick pan and think nothing of it. Meanwhile, one tiny scratch from last weekās spatula can release more than 9,000 plastic particles into your breakfast...
I wish I was kidding.
I sat down with Emily from my telehealth clinical team for a Deep Dive on environmental toxins, and this conversation got quite wild, and slightly controversial...
š§Ŗ Heavy metals can create what I call a leaky mitochondria, which spikes oxidative stress and inflammation right at the cellular level.
š§¾ That receipt crumpled in your purse can be hiding forever chemicals, along with anything labeled wrinkle-free or waterproof. Your body can barely clear them, and they blunt your hormone signaling until your cells start losing recognition of self.
ā³ Then we got to golf courses, and I canāt stop thinking about it. Theyāre sprayed 4 to 7 times MORE heavily than the average farm, so that picture-perfect house on the fairway could be a bigger exposure than the one next to the cornfield.
š¦ If a positive mold test has ever sent you spiraling, just pause first. It doesnāt automatically mean mold toxicity. It can mean your body is doing exactly what itās supposed to and clearing it out.
š And even wild-caught fish isnāt the gold standard it used to be. I know that one is going to ruffle some feathers...
Iām not here to scare you, and your body is far more resilient than the wellness internet makes it sound...
But you have so much more say in this than you think.
drwillcole.com/heavy-metals-ā¦
#artofbeingwell #theartofbeingwell #drwillcole #environmentaltoxins #detox
Your stress response runs on autopilot. Biofeedback lets you take the wheel.
Sensors track things that normally happen without thinking, like heart rate, breath, muscle tension, body temperature, and brainwave activity. The data comes right back to you in real time, so you can learn to shift it yourself.
That matters because so many people are living in chronic sympathetic overdrive. That looks like exhausted, wired, anxious, and inflamed. Biofeedback trains your nervous system to move toward a calmer, parasympathetic state where digestion, healing, and hormone regulation can happen.
Research has shown HRV biofeedback can reduce anxiety symptoms, neurofeedback can improve focus and attention in ADHD, and muscle tension biofeedback may reduce the frequency and severity of migraines. It may also help with IBS, insomnia, and high blood pressure.
In my telehealth clinic, I like to pair it with root-cause work, like balancing the gut microbiome. You can also try it at home with a wearable or app that gives you real-time feedback.
I shared how each type works in the article.
Have you tried biofeedback or an HRV tracker? Iād love to hear your experience.
Read the full article here: drwillcole.com/biofeedback-nā¦
#artofbeingwell #selfhealers #biofeedback #nervoussystem #stressmanagement
H. pylori can live in your stomach for years without a single symptom.
This bacteria is built for your stomach. It makes an enzyme called urease that neutralizes stomach acid, which creates the perfect home for it. Itās responsible for half of all bacterial infections in America, and left alone itās the main cause of chronic gastritis and a major cause of peptic ulcers. In severe cases it can raise the risk of certain stomach cancers.
In my telehealth clinic, gut issues are some of the most common things I see. When H. pylori is in the mix, testing comes first. A urea breath test, stool test, or blood antibody test can find it. Antibiotics, PPIs, and bismuth products can cause false negatives, so tell your doctor everything you take.
Hereās where I keep it honest. Thereās no clinical evidence that H. pylori can be cured without antibiotics. Natural tools can still support your gut while you heal. In one study, daily broccoli sprouts for 8 weeks lowered H. pylori levels and gastric inflammation. Probiotics, curcumin, berberine, deglycyrrhizinated licorice, and green tea also have research behind them.
I laid out 6 of my top strategies in the article.
Have you ever been tested for H. pylori? Drop it below.
I broke it all down here: drwillcole.com/h-pylori-natuā¦
#artofbeingwell #selfhealers #hpylori #guthealth #functionalmedicine
Thomas DeLauer avoids seed oils, but he still eats nuts and seeds every single day... so whatās the difference?
Thomas is the health and fitness educator with one of the most-watched nutrition science channels on YouTube, and he breaks it down for Dr. Cole.
Itās the adulterated, industrialized seed oils he limits as much as he possibly can, not whole nuts and seeds.
When Dr. Cole asks for the top arguments against seed oils, Thomas says the research really comes down to oxidation, but that part is very clear. Itās a big reason he doesnāt think they belong in your frying pan.
His go-to for frying is something like tallow, or at least avocado oil.
Where do you land on seed oils?
You can find this episode, Fake Avocado Oil Scandal, The Brands Sneaking Seed Oils, Quantum Consciousness & AI Making You Dumber | Thomas DeLauer, on The Art of Being Well podcast on all streaming platforms.
drwillcole.com/fake-avocado-ā¦
#artofbeingwell #theartofbeingwell #drwillcole #seedoils #nutrition
If youāve dealt with bloating, nausea, or a stomach that always feels full and nobody can tell you why...
H. pylori is one trigger I always want to rule out. It can sit in your stomach for years. Some people feel nothing, while others write off the gas, burping, and stomach pain as just how their gut is.
Hereās what I wish more people knew. H. pylori is notorious for resisting multiple antibiotics, especially if youāve taken a lot of them over the years. Thatās why your history matters. In functional medicine, my goal is the most effective treatment with the fewest side effects, and sometimes that means antibiotics.
The catch is that antibiotics donāt only take out the bad bacteria. They take out some of the good too, so Iām big on adding a probiotic with strains like Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. Research shows they can improve eradication rates and ease the side effects.
Food helps your gut recover from the damage too. No single food kills H. pylori, but fiber-rich veggies, fruit, sauerkraut, wild-caught fish, and nuts and seeds support a healthy microbiome. Brussels sprouts and cauliflower are rich in sulforaphane like broccoli sprouts are, and green tea with a little raw honey and ginger is an easy add.
Left unaddressed, H. pylori can lead to bigger problems, including a higher risk of certain stomach cancers in severe cases. So if something feels off, donāt guess. Get tested.
Click this link below and Iāll send you my full article on H. pylori, where I break down 6 natural strategies to support your gut, plus supplements that I recommend to support your body:
Article: drwillcole.com/h-pylori-natuā¦
Supplements: shop.drwillcole.com/collectiā¦
Have you ever been tested for H. pylori?
#artofbeingwell #selfhealers #hpylori #guthealth #functionalmedicine
ALT A classical painting depicts two cherubs in a garden, with a serene sky in the background. In the foreground, a lush garden scene includes a draped figure. Superimposed text reads: "Thereās a bacteria that can live in your stomach for years without a single symptom. It makes its own shield against stomach acid, and the way to deal with it isnāt what youād expect..." At the top, "DR. WILL COLE / THE ART OF BEING WELL" is printed.
ALT The image features a classic painting with cherubs in the background. Overlaid on the painting is a torn paper effect with text. The text begins with "DR. WILL COLE / THE ART OF BEING WELL" at the top. The main text discusses the strength of stomach acid, its interaction with H. pylori, and how it can lead to chronic gastritis and peptic ulcers.
ALT The image features a classical painting depicting cherubs amidst clouds and greenery, with the text overlay discussing testing and treatment for H. pylori. It highlights the importance of a urea breath test, stool test, or blood antibody test, and cautions that certain medications may cause false negatives. In the background, a serene landscape is partially visible.
I donāt use the word cheating when it comes to food, and hereās why...
āCheatingā turns a meal into a moral test. Thatās the opposite of sustainable wellness.
Hereās what Iād rather you do. If you choose to eat something that doesnāt love you back, make that choice calmly and neutrally. Notice how it makes you feel. Learn from it. Move on.
If it wasnāt worth it, youāve grown in awareness for next time. You love feeling great more than you wanted that thing that left you feeling like š©. Thatās not failure. Itās an essential part of Food Peace.
The shame is the part that does the damage. Itās worse than any food that didnāt love you back.
Meals can be medicine, and they can be a meditation.
Click this link if you want me to send you how my telehealth team and I work with people around the world to find out which foods love your body back and which donāt: drwillcole.com/consultation/ā¦
#artofbeingwell #selfhealers #foodpeace #wellness #jomo
ALT Text from Dr. Will Cole's "The Art of Being Well" reads: "If you choose to eat something that doesnāt make you feel great... Notice how it makes you feel. Learn from it. Move on. The shame does more damage than the food ever did. Meals can be medicine. Meals can be a meditation.
Many people with type 1 diabetes are told thereās nothing to do but take insulin.
Insulin is necessary. Iām never going to say otherwise. Still, Iāve seen lots of patients in my telehealth clinic keep stable blood sugar on minimal insulin doses with a functional medicine approach, and that approach can also help prevent further autoimmunity.
Type 1 is autoimmune, so we look for root causes. Gut dysbiosis, leaky gut, viral triggers like Coxsackie B, and low vitamin D are some of the most common. Research shows keto diets can reduce blood glucose variability, HbA1c, and the need for insulin. High-dose, multi-strain probiotics have reduced insulin needs and improved HbA1c in new-onset type 1.
The newest research is the most exciting. A small clinical trial from Vancouver General Hospital and UBC, published in Nature Biotechnology, found that several participants with no natural insulin production began making their own with a stem-cell based device. Itās early, but itās real.
I covered the full toolbox in the article.
Which of these surprised you most? Drop it below.
Full details in the article: drwillcole.com/natural-treatā¦
#artofbeingwell #selfhealers #type1diabetes #autoimmune #functionalmedicine
UC Davis tested 53 or 54 products made with avocado oil, and 47 of them didnāt have any avocado oil in them... yes, you read that right.
Thomas DeLauer, the health and fitness educator whoās made a name for himself breaking down complicated studies on YouTube, walks Dr. Cole through the study that came out in July.
Weāre talking potato chips, tortilla chips, mayo, and salad dressings that were all labeled 100% avocado oil.
The full episode gets into how researchers caught it using sterols, which work like a plant oilās DNA, and why thatās so hard to fake.
How many of these are sitting in your pantry right now?
You can find this episode, Fake Avocado Oil Scandal, The Brands Sneaking Seed Oils, Quantum Consciousness & AI Making You Dumber | Thomas DeLauer, on The Art of Being Well podcast on all streaming platforms!
drwillcole.com/fake-avocado-ā¦
#artofbeingwell #theartofbeingwell #drwillcole #avocadooil #foodfraud
I love technology and progress, and we live in a blessed, privileged time in a lot of ways. But when we look up from our phones, it's fair to ask whether we're headed in the right direction.
We're lonelier, more anxious, more depressed, and sicker with chronic disease than ever, and we've never been more "connected."
When do we admit we're outsourcing our sovereignty, expecting AI to fix what common sense and nature could? Data centers are already straining our health and the planet. It doesn't have to be either-or. We can have both-and, a "slow AI" with real checks and balances that thinks through the long-term effect on our health, our minds, our society, and nature.
The accelerationist worldview treats the destruction of nature and our well-being as collateral damage while it races toward the singularity, the moment AI supposedly surpasses human intelligence.
If that's where this is going... just give me dial-up internet.
Give me the late 90s. Nature, a Friday night movie, the mall, simplicity, and balance, because a little is good, but more isn't always better.
Nature is a somatic baptism for a dysregulated nervous system, stress hormones, and a burnt out brain, and a forest really is a place for rest.
Who's with me?
#artofbeingwell #selfhealers #nature #slowliving
A UC Davis study tested dozens of products labeled 100% avocado oil, and 47 of them came back with little to no avocado oil in them. Some were nearly straight soybean oil.
Fatty acids are easy to fudge, and heat can change them too. Sterols are the one thing that doesnāt budge, because they work like a plant oilās DNA.
So what did the sterols in those products show?
Thread below...š§µ
Sterols are a fingerprint, and you canāt fake a fingerprint.
Itās like running blood work on a dog and finding mostly cat DNA. Somewhere along the way, someone put cat in the dog.
Same thing here, except the cat in the scenario is seed oil.
Click the link below and Iāll send you this full episode, where we talk about:
- How a UC Davis study caught seed oil hiding in avocado oil
- Which brands got flagged, and why it may be a supply chain problem
- Why fatty acids can be fudged but sterols canāt
And so much more!
drwillcole.com/fake-avocado-ā¦
More than half of people with POTS had an infection before they were diagnosed...
That includes EBV, COVID, and Lyme disease. In my telehealth clinic, I see it all the time. Racing heart, dizziness, brain fog, and fatigue get dismissed, and underneath thereās a nervous system that never fully recovered from an infection.
Hereās the connection. POTS is a form of dysautonomia, a dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system that controls your heart rate and blood pressure. Lyme and other tick-borne infections can trigger immune and inflammatory changes that may affect that system. Up to 20% of people treated for Lyme develop lingering symptoms, and more than half of those have POTS-like symptoms. To be clear, Lyme isnāt proven to directly cause POTS, and not everyone with Lyme will develop it. But the research is finally catching up to what weāve seen clinically for years.
It also gets complicated because Lyme is only one of 19 known tick-borne illnesses. Co-infections like Babesia, Bartonella, Ehrlichia, and Anaplasma ride along on the same tick, and thereās no single test for all of them.
Hereās where I start...
Labs to see whatās still going on, gut and genetic testing, nervous system practices like breathwork and vagus nerve work, and quality electrolytes, since people with dysautonomia often need much more sodium than they think.
If you want a baseline, thereās a $97 at-home bloodwork kit through The Health Institute that I personally recommend to see where youāre at and where you need to go. Itās not a Lyme diagnosis, but it gives us a picture of your inflammation and immune stress, and you get a free 60 minute review of your results with our team. Depending on what we find, working further with our team may be an option.
Click the link below and Iāll send you my article on the Lyme and POTS connection, plus the link to bloodwork and supplements.
Article link: drwillcole.com/the-lyme-diseā¦
$97 Functional Bloodwork: orders.thehealthinstitute.coā¦
Supplements: shop.drwillcole.com/collectiā¦
#artofbeingwell #selfhealers #pots #lymedisease #dysautonomia
ALT Artwork depicting a seated person in flowing attire, looking upward. In the background, a mythical creature holds a stick, with another creature nearby. Text over the image explains connections between POTS, past infections, and tick bites. At the bottom, the image credits read "Dr. Will Cole / The Art of Being Well.
ALT This image features a classical painting style with a person in ornate clothing sitting in the foreground. In the background, another figure is depicted near a large creature. Overlaid text explains that POTS is a type of dysautonomia affecting heart rate, blood pressure, and digestion, leading to symptoms like dizziness and fatigue. The image credits "DR. WILL COLE / THE ART OF BEING WELL.
ALT A historical painting background features a person in a colorful robe. A torn paper overlay contains text about Lyme disease, noting it as one of 19 tick-borne illnesses and mentioning Babesia, Bartonella, Ehrlichia, and Anaplasma. It highlights that 20% of treated individuals experience ongoing symptoms, often similar to POTS. The image credits Dr. Will Cole / The Art of Being Well.
ALT Image of a torn paper note over a classic-style painting. The note reads: "Here is where I always start: First, I run labs to see if the infection was ever fully dealt with, and I look at your gut and your genes. Then I add nervous system work like breathwork, vagus nerve practices, and journaling, because stress and POTS feed each other. And donāt skip sodium. People with dysautonomia often need 2 to 3 times more than theyād guess, so ask your provider about electrolytes." At the bottom, it says "Dr. Will Cole / The Art of Being Well.
Itās easy to go weeks without touching the earth. Your nervous system notices.
Between screens, commutes, and miles of concrete, a lot of us run on constant stimulation. That kind of load feeds stress, burnout, and inflammation, and leaves you feeling disconnected from your own body.
Grounding, also called earthing, is direct contact with the Earthās surface. The research is limited, but one study in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine found it significantly reduced cortisol and improved mood in people with chronic stress. Research also suggests it may help with sleep and with inflammation markers like C-reactive protein.
You can start with 5 to 15 minutes a day. Walk barefoot in your yard, a park, or on a trail (check the ground for anything harmful first). Stuck inside? Deep breathing and tuning in to your five senses count as mental grounding. Grounding mats exist, but you donāt need one.
I shared the benefits and simple methods in the article. Notice how you feel when you do it, since your experience is what matters most.
Where would you ground first, your backyard, a park, or a trail? Drop it below.
Full breakdown in the article: drwillcole.com/grounding-benā¦
#artofbeingwell #selfhealers #grounding #earthing #stressrelief
