Dr. Will Cole, IFMCP, DNM, DC, a functional medicine practitioner, sheds light on the gut-brain connection and the correlation between our physical and emotional health in his latest book, “Gut Feelings: Healing the Shame-Fueled Relationship Between What You Eat and How You Feel.” Based on his patients’ experiences and research, he shares insights with me on Passion Struck on how to nurture the nervous system, the benefits of consuming gut-calming foods for mental well-being, and the techniques he employs to help his patients tame shameflammation, regain body awareness, and intuition.
These metaphysical meals that we feed ourselves on a daily basis, in the form of unkind thoughts to ourselves, chronic stress, lacking healthy boundaries with our job or family members, or unresolved trauma from our past. All will contribute to this dysregulated nervous system and inflammatory response just as much as that fast food meal will.
Dr. Will Cole
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Enjoy!
In This Episode, Dr. Will Cole And I Discuss His Book: “Gut Feelings” and Shameflammation
Dr. Cole, a functional medicine expert with over a decade of experience, has identified a phenomenon he calls “Shameflammation,” where shame can lead to gut inflammation and negatively impact overall wellness. When the brain receives signals of being overwhelmed, overworked, or overtired, the body reacts, which can result in chronic health conditions such as autoimmune disorders, depression, and IBS.
In our interview, Dr. Cole explains how the connection between the head and the gut microbiome can become disrupted and severely damaged and offers solutions to repair it. He discusses how chronic stress, excessive sugar consumption, toxic productivity, and unresolved trauma can all negatively impact gut health.
To help listeners restore their gut health, Dr. Cole provides a 21-day wellness journey that includes 50 nutrient-dense recipes to aid in gut restoration. Each day, he offers an intention, a teaching, a challenge, a moment of contemplation, or an action step to guide readers toward a nourishing lifestyle.
Listen and learn as Dr. Will Cole and I cover the following subjects:
- What exactly is the connection between the gut and the brain?
- Why is food so crucial to establishing and maintaining the gut-brain connection?
- What are the main physiological factors that can disrupt the gut-brain connection?
- What is the autonomic nervous system, and what is dysautonomia?
- What are the most common signs of an individual with a dysregulated nervous system?
- How does inflammation affect our mood and brain function?
- Can you explain the concept of “Shameflammation” and how individuals can deal with it?
- How do you define “medical gaslighting”?
- How does unresolved trauma present itself in physical form?
- Why is chronic stress often referred to as the “ultimate junk food”?
- You mention intergenerational trauma – can you explain what this is?
- What is “food peace,” and how can individuals achieve it?
- How does the Gut-Feelings plan address the negative aspects of diet culture?
- How do hormones function as the internal communication system for our bodies?
- Can you walk us through the 21-Day-Gut-Feeling Plan and what it’s designed to heal?
- And much, much more!
- Have any questions, comments, or stories you’d like to share? Drop us a line at [email protected]m!
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More From My Interview With Dr. Will Cole
During our interview, I asked Dr. Cole why crying is healthy.
Dr. Cole explains, “So I laugh because it’s not like a sad crime per se. But it’s a catharsis. It could be sad at the moment to release it. But I quote Glennon Doyle, in the book, how she calls it crying an organic baptism because you submerge and reemerge again anew. And there’s a Japanese practice called rui-katsu, which translates to English as tear seeking. So it’s these communal institutions within certain communities of Japan that come together to cry together as a community.
It impacts our endorphins and our opiates in the body to support that parasympathetic to lower inflammation levels back to that whole modulating of the nervous system into more of a parasympathetic state. And supporting lowered inflammation levels was part of that. So yeah, it’s how we can use crying to metabolize stored trauma. And I think of going back to the somatic practices of yoga. I think of all the yoga teachers that talk about the hip openers of class, and I’ve heard so many yoga teachers talk about the hip openers; people start crying. Why are they crying?
Well, that can be stored trauma, just like crying can be for some people. There are many different somatic ways we can release our trauma. It doesn’t have to be crying. It can be. But there are many ways to release these things that keep us unwell.
Thanks, Dr. Will Cole
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Resources From The Show With Dr. Will Cole
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- Website: https://drwillcole.com/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/drwillcole
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drwillcole/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drwillcole/
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/DrWillCole
My solo episode on why you need to stop chasing perfection: https://passionstruck.com/stop-chasing-perfection/
Want to catch my best interviews from 2022? Check out episode 233 on intentional greatness and episode 234 on intentional behavior change.
Watch my interview with Dr. Mark Hyman on how to defy aging: https://passionstruck.com/dr-mark-hyman-secrets-to-living-young-forever/
Catch my interview with Dr. Amy Shah on how you can control your food cravings: https://passionstruck.com/dr-amy-shah-you-can-control-your-food-cravings/
My solo episode on why micro choices matter: https://passionstruck.com/why-your-micro-choices-determine-your-life/
About Today’s Guest, Dr. Will Cole
Dr. Will Cole is a prominent practitioner of functional medicine who offers remote consultations to clients worldwide via webcam. He established one of the first functional medicine telehealth centers globally and has been recognized as one of the top 50 integrative and functional physicians in the United States. Cole’s expertise lies in conducting clinical investigations into the underlying causes of chronic diseases and tailoring functional medicine techniques to address thyroid problems, autoimmune disorders, hormonal imbalances, digestive issues, and brain disorders.
In addition to his clinical work, Cole hosts the highly regarded podcast The Art of Being Well and has authored several bestselling books, including Ketotarian, The Inflammation Spectrum, and the New York Times bestseller Intuitive Fasting.
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John is the host of the top-ranked Passion Struck Podcast. The show focused on exploring the mindset and philosophy of the world’s most inspiring people to learn their lessons to living intentionally. Passion Struck aspires to speak to the humanity of people in a way that makes them want to live better, be better, and impact.