Dr. Will Cole has been eating kale and drinking health tonics since long before it was trendy on Instagram. The functional medicine practitioner and man behind the Ketotarian diet, has long understood the power of food as medicine and now works with patients from all over the world. His approach to wellness is simple: meet everyone where the are at. “There should be a grace and lightness to wellness,” says Dr. Cole. “There’s often a lot of shame with dieting and wellness. It's about finding ways to make these lifestyle changes easy and sustainable for your life.” With functional medicine, Dr. Cole focuses on finding the root reasons why someone is going through a health problem, instead of just helping them cover up or manage symptoms. We caught up with Dr. Cole, our newest contributor to learn more about this holistic approach and his upcoming book.

Your Big Break:

Ketotarian really brought my work to a more visible level, but ultimately my patients have been my biggest break. Helping people make long-term, sustainable change in their health have made them my biggest advocates for what I do and have helped spread the word for my practice.

Currently Working On:

Right now I am putting the finishing touches on my second book, The Inflammation Spectrum. It's currently on pre-order and set to be released on October 15th. The concept of this book is to find out what your body loves, hates and needs to thrive to discover food freedom. We are also working on releasing some different components to The Inflammation Spectrum experience to help you really translate the concepts in the book to even more actionable steps for your health.

Wellness Philosophy/Mantra:

You can't heal a body you hate.

Morning Routine:

I start every morning with a cup of earl grey tea with bergamot and I intermittent fast until noon, when I eat lunch. Intermittent fasting and earl grey tea have separately been shown to increase autophagy (your cells self-cleaning process) which keeps you looking and feeling youthful and vibrant. Combined, they make an unstoppable team.

Bedtime Routine:

My neck can often get tense so I like to unwind, detox, and relax at the end of the day with an epsom salt bath. Then when it’s time for sleep, I'll diffuse some calming essential oils like lavender while I lay under my weighted blanket to help ease my mind and body.

Fuel:

I like to stick with the principles of Ketotarian and mostly eat plant-based healthy fats. Avocados, canned wild-caught tuna, and nut butter packets are great plant-based keto staples that I make sure to always have on hand to ensure I always have a healthy option if I am short on time or traveling somewhere where my options are limited.

Strength Training:

I love my Peloton bike. I try to workout a few mornings a week before I leave for work. I also like circuit and HIIT training.

Product Obsessions:

While food should be your foundation, quality supplements can be beneficial to fill in any gaps and give your health that extra boost. I created The Collection that contains eight essential supplements with the basics that can benefit almost anyone. I take these every day to ensure I am getting in all the nutrients I need. I also love my oceanic adaptogen collab with Agent Nateur. It has holy basil, pearl, spirulina, and marine collagen for a clean boost of nutrients to keep my skin vibrant.

Best Advice You Ever Received:

Stay in your own lane. Keep your head down and focused on your calling and be a channel for light.

Future Goals:

Continuing to make functional medicine more affordable and accessible for everyday people around the world through our just-launched group classes, and continuing one-on-one webcam consultations.

Dr. Will Cole is a leading functional medicine expert, IFMCP, DC, and author of Ketotarian and the upcoming book The Inflammation Spectrum.