Functional Medicine for Vibrant Wellness, Not Average Health with Dr. Will Cole

Today’s guest is Dr. Will Cole, a pioneer in the field of functional medicine. Named one of the top 50 functional medicine and integrative doctors in the United States, Dr. Cole specializes in clinically investigating the underlying factors of chronic disease and taking a unique approach that incorporates food, lifestyle factors, supplements, medications, and more. Dr. Cole is also the author of several bestselling books, including Ketotarian, The Inflammation Spectrum, and Intuitive Fasting, in which he shows how to use the powerful benefits of nutrition to gain metabolic flexibility and find food peace. Today, we sit down with Dr. Cole to discuss a spectrum of things, from knowing your body and the danger of normalizing physiological issues to the incredible importance of physical activity and strength training for optimal health. As you’ll learn in this episode, functional medicine provides a natural and completely customizable way to address the epidemic of chronic disease that we face in the 21st century. To find out more, tune in.

Key Points From This Episode:

How functional medicine differs from conventional Western medicine.
Insight into why Dr. Cole focuses on “vibrant wellness,” not average health.
Some of the most common ailments he encounters and treats.
What you can do to check in with your body, including taking one of Dr. Cole’s quizzes!
The role of lab tests in quantifying and giving context to your body’s needs.
Early signs of autoimmune disorders like Hashimoto’s or Graves disease.
Why Dr. Cole believes that medications are only one tool in your toolbox.
A look at how food affects our hormones and why we really are what we eat!
The critical importance of physical activity, particularly strength training.
Food first: why you’re probably not getting enough bioavailable protein.
Why you have to look at the data first in order to use food as medicine.
When to take antibiotics (and why you need to learn to advocate for yourself).
Dr. Cole unpacks his belief that healthcare should be collaborative.
Ways that functional medicine can be more accessible and affordable.
Functional medicine versus holistic medicine versus naturopathic medicine.

Tweetables:

“We use food as medicine. We use natural medicines. We use medications when needed. We use lifestyle changes. We use mind/body techniques to deal with trauma and stress. It's really a confluence of factors. This is how we get people better.” — @drwillcole [0:06:56]

“Just because something is common, doesn't necessarily mean it's normal.” — @drwillcole [0:10:15]

“When we [say that] you are what you eat, that old phrase, it's really true. We need nutrient density to make the things that make us feel good.” — @drwillcole [0:22:34]

“To use food as medicine, to really dial it in, you have to look at the data.” — @drwillcole [0:32:08]