Your body can’t make threonine. If it’s not in your food or a supplement, you don’t have it. It’s one of nine essential amino acids, and it does a lot of heavy lifting. Your body uses it to build glycine and serine, which are needed to make collagen and elastin. That’s your muscles, bones, skin, and connective tissue. Threonine also helps form the protective mucus layer that acts as a barrier in your digestive tract, supports liver function, helps with fat metabolism, and helps your immune system make T-cells. Deficiency is uncommon with a balanced diet. It’s more likely if you’re low on protein, or not getting enough complete protein or variety. Possible signs include digestive issues, slower wound healing, brain fog, fatigue, irritability, and muscle weakness. Those symptoms can come from lots of things, so explore before you assume. Good food sources include eggs, wild-caught fish, organic poultry and beef, cottage cheese, lentils, oats, and pumpkin and sesame seeds. The kind of protein you eat matters as much as the amount. I covered the benefits, the side effects, and who might consider a supplement in the article. If you take memantine (Namenda), skip threonine, since it may interfere with the medication. Which protein source do you rely on most? Drop it below. Read the full article here: drwillcole.com/threonine-ben… #artofbeingwell #selfhealers #aminoacids #protein #functionalmedicine

Drew Canole shares the tool he leans on most to release trauma, and it starts with a wall sit. I asked Drew about the single most needle-moving tool for healing from the trauma he went through in early childhood, and he went straight to TRE, or trauma release exercises. He walks through it step by step, starting with burning out your legs in a wall sit, holding it for five minutes, then lying on the floor with your legs in a butterfly position. Drew describes it as your nervous system taking a big exhale. He also says that sometimes a memory he doesn’t even remember flashes up as an image, and then it’s gone. Have you ever tried anything like this to help your body let go of stress? You can find this episode, Parasites, Shilajit, & AI Zombies: A Masterclass With Organifi’s Founder | Drew Canole, on my podcast The Art of Being Well on all streaming platforms. drwillcole.com/parasites-shi… #artofbeingwell #theartofbeingwell #drwillcole #traumahealing #nervoussystem

Drew Canole compares AI to something most of us did without a second thought in the ’80s and ’90s, which was microwaving our food. I asked Drew for his take on the endgame of AI since it makes life so convenient. He says we didn’t understand the repercussions of creating Frankenfood back then, and he sees AI heading down a similar path as it gets easier and easier for everybody to use. His biggest concern is that people are giving up their willpower and their minds to it. He even says you can’t have a conversation with someone anymore without them asking ChatGPT what to ask the person standing right in front of them. Where do you draw the line with AI in your own life? You can find this episode, Parasites, Shilajit, & AI Zombies: A Masterclass With Organifi’s Founder | Drew Canole, on my podcast The Art of Being Well on all streaming platforms. drwillcole.com/parasites-shi… #artofbeingwell #theartofbeingwell #drwillcole #ai #digitalwellness

My friend Drew Canole went heavy on one ingredient when he formulated his parasite cleanse, and he explains exactly why it’s his favorite. I asked Drew about the herbs and botanicals he leans on to support a healthy gut terrain. First up was Mimosa pudica, which he describes as a body bag for parasites that moves through the gut, scrapes along the way, and pulls them out of the body. His cleanse has 600 mg of it, and he says he hasn’t seen another cleanse go that heavy. It’s also organic and glyphosate-free, and it includes pumpkin seed since he’s a big believer in how powerful the pepitas are. Have you ever done a parasite cleanse, or is this brand new territory for you? You can find this episode, Parasites, Shilajit, & AI Zombies: A Masterclass With Organifi’s Founder | Drew Canole, on my podcast The Art of Being Well on all streaming platforms. drwillcole.com/parasites-shi… #artofbeingwell #theartofbeingwell #drwillcole #guthealth #parasitecleanse

Are millennials the most resilient generation, or the most stressed out? A listener asked, and it turned into one of the biggest conversations of the episode. The question really applies to everyone. Millennials, Gen Z, Gen X, Gen Alpha. Are we resilient because of what we’ve gone through together as a society, or are we dealing with a kind of collective nervous system dysregulation? My take is that humans have always gone through really hard things. What’s different now is our connection to other people, to nature, and to God. They had something grounding that helped them rebuild after the world knocked them down. Plus, there’s a giveaway that runs on every Ask Me Anything episode, and you’ll have to listen to find out how to enter. Which of those three connections feels hardest to find right now? You can find this episode, Calming Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS), Histamine Peptides, Ozempic Butt, Burnout & Creatine | Ask Me Anything, on my podcast The Art of Being Well on all streaming platforms. drwillcole.com/calming-mast-… #artofbeingwell #theartofbeingwell #drwillcole #resilience #nervoussystem

Drew Canole lost 22 pounds in a single week from a Giardia infection, and the weight loss was only the beginning of what his body went through. I’ve known Drew since the FitLife TV days, so finally sitting down with him after all these years felt long overdue. We started with fatherhood and how it changed the way he reads labels, then somehow ended up talking about what AI might be doing to our minds. Then he told me the Giardia story. The brain fog, skin issues, and chronic fatigue that followed are what pushed him to formulate his own parasite cleanse. He also explained why he sees the gut as the foundation for so much of how we feel, including the fact that about 90% of serotonin is made there and how that ties into willpower and motivation. The part I want people to sit with is how openly Drew shared the trauma he lived through as a child and the daily practices that have helped him heal. Have you ever had a health scare that completely changed the way you take care of your body? You can find this episode, Parasites, Shilajit, & AI Zombies: A Masterclass With Organifi’s Founder | Drew Canole, on my podcast The Art of Being Well on all streaming platforms. drwillcole.com/parasites-shi… #artofbeingwell #theartofbeingwell #drwillcole #guthealth #nervoussystem

Someone on our patient experience team saw a TikTok claiming that creatine keeps your butt from shrinking while you’re on a GLP-1, and she wanted to know if there was any truth to it. Creatine can help you preserve lean muscle, but I wouldn’t call it butt specific. The real solution is squats plus creatine. Lower body workouts, picking up heavy things with good form, and creatine together. We advise anyone on a GLP-1 to lift heavy. Lean muscle can make up 15 to 40% of the weight lost on a GLP-1, which is why protecting it matters so much. Plus, there’s a giveaway that runs on every Ask Me Anything episode, and you’ll have to listen to find out how to enter. Are you lifting heavy right now, or thinking about starting? You can find this episode, Calming Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS), Histamine Peptides, Ozempic Butt, Burnout & Creatine | Ask Me Anything, on my podcast The Art of Being Well on all streaming platforms. drwillcole.com/calming-mast-… #artofbeingwell #theartofbeingwell #drwillcole #creatine #glp1

drwillcole.com/can-hypothyro… Conventional medicine says hypothyroidism can't be reversed. In my telehealth clinic, we see many patients heal. The standard approach is to diagnose the disease and match a medication to it. That can manage symptoms, but it doesn't ask what caused the problem. Around 90% of hypothyroidism cases come from Hashimoto's, and the next question is what's driving the immune attack. Chronic stress and high cortisol can inhibit the conversion of T4 to T3. Selenium, iron, vitamin D, copper, and vitamin A deficiencies matter. So do toxins like PFAS, hormone imbalances, gut issues like SIBO and leaky gut, and liver stress, since most T4 to T3 conversion happens in the liver. Medication is often necessary until root causes are addressed. I'm not saying there's a cure. I'm saying a comprehensive approach can reverse the condition in many cases. I laid out the testing, diet, lifestyle, and supplement steps in the article. What was the first sign that something was off with your thyroid? Full details in the article: drwillcole.com/can-hypothyro… #artofbeingwell #selfhealers #hypothyroidism #hashimotos #thyroidhealth #functionalmedicine

If you have MCAS or histamine intolerance, you’ve probably wondered whether peptides are completely off the table. Here’s the thing I keep coming back to. The peptide may not be what’s causing the reaction. Preservatives, fillers, and even the dose can be the real trigger. In this episode I get into the science and what we see clinically, so you can think about peptides without panicking about a flare. Plus, there’s a giveaway that runs on every Ask Me Anything episode, and you’ll have to listen to find out how to enter. Have you ever reacted to a supplement and wondered what was really behind it? You can find this episode, Calming Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS), Histamine Peptides, Ozempic Butt, Burnout & Creatine | Ask Me Anything, on my podcast The Art of Being Well on all streaming platforms. drwillcole.com/calming-mast-… #artofbeingwell #theartofbeingwell #drwillcole #mcas #peptides

A 2025 case series followed 47 people with MCAS who were put on a GLP-1, and 89% of them saw their symptoms go into remission… That stat caught even me off guard, and it came up while I was answering a question from someone with MCAS who’s been dying to try peptides but is terrified of setting off a flare. Here’s what I told her: it’s rarely the peptide itself. Let me explain… The fillers, the sourcing, and the dose are usually what sets off a reaction, and I walk through how we approach it clinically. Then our patient experience team asked whether creatine can save you from Ozempic butt. The answer has a lot more to do with squats than with any single supplement… We also tackled a question that really stuck with me: are millennials, or really anyone alive today, actually resilient, or are we all running on collective nervous system dysregulation? Plus, there’s a giveaway that runs on every Ask Me Anything episode, and you’ll have to listen to find out how to enter. 👀 drwillcole.com/calming-mast-… #artofbeingwell #theartofbeingwell #drwillcole #mcas #askmeanything

drwillcole.com/marshmallow-r… One slippery herb has been used for over 2,800 years to soothe the gut. Marshmallow root is rich in mucilage, a thick, slippery compound that swells in water and forms a soft, soothing coating on mucous membranes. That matters for leaky gut. It supports the mucus layer, the middle layer of your gut's natural defense, along with your microbiome and intestinal lining. It may also help with acid reflux, indigestion, and NSAID-related ulcers. In my telehealth clinic, I use it as part of a broader gut-repair strategy, and it's usually well tolerated, even by people who tend to react to supplements. It's one of the herbs in my Gut Feelings supplement. Most of the research so far has been lab and animal studies, so I hope more human trials are coming. It may affect blood sugar, and it could interact with diuretics, lithium, and diabetes medications, so check with your healthcare provider first. I covered the whole-body benefits and how to use it in the article. Have you tried marshmallow root? What did you notice? I broke it all down here: drwillcole.com/marshmallow-r… #artofbeingwell #selfhealers #marshmallowroot #guthealth #leakygut #functionalmedicine

The first few minutes after you wake up might be shaping your whole day, and most of us hand them over to our phones. My friend Shawn Stevenson, the creator of The Model Health Show, explains that your brain is extra susceptible to inputs right after waking because of something called sleep inertia. The average person grabs their phone in that window, and everything they see affects their brain. Shawn stays off his until after his morning routine, about nine times out of ten. Do you check your phone first thing, or do you wait? You can find this episode, The Poison of Isolation, Water Wonders, Sleep Secrets & The #1 Predictor Of How Long You’ll Live | Shawn Stevenson, on my podcast The Art of Being Well on all streaming platforms. drwillcole.com/the-poison-of… #artofbeingwell #theartofbeingwell #drwillcole #shawnstevenson #morningroutine

Five minutes of walking might be one of the easiest ways to unstick your brain. My friend Shawn Stevenson, the creator of The Model Health Show, shares that movement is the last main part of his day, and he points to Stanford research behind it. Researchers compared walking and sitting during cognitive tasks, including creative ones. Walking for as little as 5 minutes, and up to about 15 or 16, raised divergent thinking by roughly 60%. When we hit a problem, we tend to stay stuck on it. Divergent thinking helps you see it in new and different ways. When you’re stuck, do you push through or step away for a walk? You can find this episode, The Poison of Isolation, Water Wonders, Sleep Secrets & The #1 Predictor Of How Long You’ll Live | Shawn Stevenson, on my podcast The Art of Being Well on all streaming platforms. drwillcole.com/the-poison-of… #artofbeingwell #theartofbeingwell #drwillcole #shawnstevenson #walking

drwillcole.com/ozempic-eye-c… Can Ozempic affect your eyesight? Two new studies say the risk is worth paying attention to. The condition is called NAION. It's a lack of blood flow to the optic nerve that can cause sudden vision loss, usually in one eye and often noticed on waking. In a JAMA Ophthalmology study of more than 16,000 patient records, 8.9% of people with diabetes taking semaglutide developed NAION, compared with 1.8% of those on other medications. In the overweight or obese group, it was 6.7% compared with 0.8%. There are limits. It's an observational study, so it shows association, not causation. It came from a single center, and the number of events was low. A Danish-Norwegian study also found a greater relative risk, though the absolute risk was much lower. Researchers have hypothesized that the rapid drop in blood sugar may play a role. That's why I generally recommend only low and slow doses of semaglutide, while looking into the root cause of metabolic dysfunction. Talk with your healthcare provider before making any changes. Where do you land on GLP-1 drugs? Drop your thoughts below. The full research breakdown is here: drwillcole.com/ozempic-eye-c… #artofbeingwell #selfhealers #ozempic #semaglutide #metabolichealth #functionalmedicine

A simple hello to a neighbor might be doing more for your health than you’d think. My friend Shawn Stevenson, the creator of The Model Health Show, talks about stepping outside your comfort zone with the people around you. It can be as small as a smile or eye contact with someone you pass. His point is that a quick acknowledgement lets someone know they’ve been seen, and you never know what that person is going through. It ties back to the Harvard Study of Adult Development, which found that relationship quality is the strongest predictor of how long and how well we live. What’s one small way you could connect with someone near you this week? You can find this episode, The Poison of Isolation, Water Wonders, Sleep Secrets & The #1 Predictor Of How Long You’ll Live | Shawn Stevenson, on my podcast The Art of Being Well on all streaming platforms - drwillcole.com/the-poison-of… #artofbeingwell #theartofbeingwell #drwillcole #shawnstevenson #humanconnection

In a world drowning in fake, twisted, vapid stuff, Gen Z and Millennials (and everyone else) are craving what's real, whole, and holy, showing up to church nearly twice as often as a few years ago. Research backs this up. Regular faith practices support nervous system regulation, helping lower chronic inflammation markers like CRP while supporting healthy hormone balance and even adding years to your life. Think about what a faith practice often includes. Quiet. Prayer. Community. Gratitude. Rest. These are the same things that calm a stressed nervous system and tell the body it's safe. Clinically I see these same connections every day. When the spiritual side is nourished, the physical, mental, and emotional pieces get stronger. And when we address the physical side, their light isn't dimmed as much by dysregulation, imbalances, deficiencies, or inflammation. That frees them to step more fully into what God has put on their heart. Both/and. ☀️ Click this link below and I'll send you a deep dive on this faith awakening we're seeing today, despite (or because of) a lot of negativity and emptiness out there, and how it connects to your health: drwillcole.com/raising-kids-… What has your faith done for your body and your peace? #artofbeingwell #selfhealers #faith #wholehealth