Sex With Emily - Eat Your Way to Better Sex w/ Dr. Will Cole

Episode Date: July 11, 2023

How do your meals affect your sex drive? Are your hormones interfering with your pleasure? And real talk…does alcohol make it harder for you to orgasm? Dr. Will Cole hosts the podcast The Art o...f Being Well, and on today’s show, he explains the connection between what you eat and how you feel – both in and out of the bedroom. We discuss sex-supportive nutrients and how to fill your plate for better sex, the real deal on HRT and hormone fluctuation, shame-flammation, and so much more. If you’ve ever wondered how certain foods help or hurt your sex life, this one’s for you.  Show Notes:How to Heat Up Your Temperature PlayORDER MY NEW BOOK! Smart Sex: How to Boost Your Sex IQ and Own Your PleasurePromescent.com/Emily (use this link to automatically save 15% at checkout)Sex With Emily: HomeMore Sex With Emily: Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | TikTokEmily on The Art of Being Well Podcast: Website | Apple Podcasts | SpotifyGut Feelings by Dr. Will ColeMore Dr. Will Cole: Website | Telehealth Consult | Instagram | Twitter | TikTok Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Starting point is 00:00:00 Many people settle for a sucky sex life and they think it's just their lot in life. Or it's just who they are. But I can't tell you when you look at data and you see extra chimpergestion thyroid cortisol, all these numbers off and you're like no wonder who could have a great sex life with numbers like that. It's like you have to optimize these things to have the sex life that you were created for. You're listening to Sex with Emily. I'm Dr. Emily and I'm here to help you prioritize your pleasure and liberate the conversation around sex. Can you eat your way to better sex? Today I talked to
Starting point is 00:00:38 Dr. Will Cole, host of the art of being well, to find out. We talk sex supportive nutrients, the real deal on HRT or hormone replacement therapy, how would you eat a Fecture sex drive and my personal vice sugar? Let's get into it. Please rate and review Sex with Family wherever you listen to this show, my new article, how to heat up your temperature play is up on sexwithemily.com. Art everyone, enjoy this episode. [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ OUT [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ OUT [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ OUTRO MUSIC he founded one of the first telehealth centers in the world and has provided insight into the root of physiological biochemical and hormonal causes of disease and chronic pain.
Starting point is 00:01:30 He previously co-hosted the Goop Fellows Podcast and his insights are frequently featured on Goop.com. His latest book, Gut Feelings is Out Now. Well, I just wanna say I'm so excited that you're here and to introduce you to my audience because I'm such a fan of your work and your books and how you've been so innovative in the field of functional medicine,
Starting point is 00:01:51 normalizing it for people. And in some cases, really introducing it to people, what it actually is. And I spend a lot of time on my show, talking about how people's Western medicine doctors, though they did the work and they work very hard, don't often have the answers for them to need today regarding their health around hormones
Starting point is 00:02:10 and around so many things. So I think it'd be so helpful to start out for my audience, just to explain what you do as a functional medicine doctor. Yeah, sure. So we started one of the first functional medicine telehealth centers 13 plus years ago. So this is all that I've done for the past 13 plus years.
Starting point is 00:02:28 It's from 80 and to 6 pm. I'm here. We have a brick and mortar telehealth clinic, but all our patients are remote. What we do differently in functional medicine. And first of all, I think defining in the sense of it doesn't have to be either or, right? I think the best of both worlds, both and not either or approach when it comes to healthcare is the best. And I think this tribalism within healthcare really doesn't serve anybody
Starting point is 00:02:54 where we're like throwing projoratives of like cracks or like whatever, corrupt, money, whatever. It's more of, well, what's the most effective tools that causes them the least amount of side effects? Can't we just operate from that? Like, really be data driven, but also be in favor of the patient and their health, and not just disease management? And that's why functional medicine is not anti-western medicine. It really is a part of it. And that's why leaders in conventional medicine, like the Cleveland Clinic, has a million, multi-million dollar functional medicine center. Hospitals like Cleveland Clinic are not spending millions of dollars on world-renowned functional medicine clinics off of woo-woo or quackery. They're doing it because the data speaks for itself.
Starting point is 00:03:43 And we have to have a both-and, not either-or approach to healthcare. So I think just bringing people up to date on that, because if you're really still throwing slurs at functional medicine, you're on the wrong side of history. The first thing is, we interpret labs using a thinner reference range. The labs largely, if you're looking at the conventional data and the basic biomarkers, the reference ranges are largely based on a statistical bell curve average of people who go to labs. People that go to labs aren't the healthiest bunch of people. So sadly, that's why they're going to the labs. So there's a lot of people that know intuitively
Starting point is 00:04:20 something's off here. Like my anxiety, my depression, my weight loss resistance, my digestive problem, my hormonal, whatever we're talking about. They want answers. And they go to the doctor, the doctor runs the basic labs because they're trained to diagnose the disease and match it with a medication. So they're running the basic biomarkers. But the basic biomarkers will come back as like, quote,
Starting point is 00:04:44 unquote, normal many times or mostly normal. And they're told, you know, you're just depressed, take this antidepressant, or you're just getting older, or you're just stressed, or you're just a new mom, all these well-intentioned reasons. But what they're unintentionally telling the person is that they're a lot like the other people with health problems that they're being compared with. Comparing yourself to people with health issues is no way for you to find out how you can feel your best. So we're looking at optimal, not average, in functional medicine. Like where does the body function the best?
Starting point is 00:05:16 That's where we get our name. It's a functional range. Where does longevity, vibrant wellness reside, which typically that optimal range is a thinner, interval of numbers within that larger reference range. The second thing is we run more comprehensive labs. It's based off of health history, so we're looking at more advanced labs like underlying gut issues or chronic infections or nutrient deficiencies or hormonal imbalances or advanced lipid panels, whatever is needed from a data standpoint to get the pieces to the puzzle. And then we realize we're all different.
Starting point is 00:05:48 And I think that's the third difference, is that we're really taking to account bio-individuality, which you really can't have a cookie cutter one size fits all approach to getting healthy when it comes to these complex, nuanced health issues. And we realize that health and health problems exist on a spectrum. By the time somebody is diagnosed with a chronic health problem like an autoimmune problem or chronic cardiometabolic issue, research resistimates, it's about four to ten years prior to that diagnosis when things were brewing on this inflammation spectrum, this continuum
Starting point is 00:06:20 between health and health problems or function and dysfunction. So that's really what functional medicine is. It is a both end approach, it's evidence-based. We're using food as medicine. We're using natural medicines, herbs, botanicals, all science-based to support health. Medications when needed, mind-body techniques, trauma work, therapy, lots of advanced biohacking
Starting point is 00:06:43 to really be tailored to the individual. What is their most effective option that causes the least amount of side effects? So just to clarify for you because I've had this experience where we might go to a lab and get tested. Like if I go to Questor, one of the labs that your doctor sends you to go get blood work. And then I'd look at them over the last year and each lab had a different normal range of what my testosterone should be or what my estrogen should be.
Starting point is 00:07:09 And it was so confusing. And so most people are just like, well, you're in a normal range, but that doesn't mean anything. There's so many other factors like, you know what your gender, what your health history is. You have much more specific tests. Like I know the Dutch test, which measures like you're in
Starting point is 00:07:24 and then there's stool tests. And I just think Dutch test, which means there's like, you're in and then there's stool tests. And I just think that those, you are getting a lot more information about what you can kind of hone in and what's going on, right, with people. Rather than just standard means of tests. Your latest book, I know you've written best sellers, and you've done so many great books in this field. I have all of your books.
Starting point is 00:07:41 And your recent book is Gut Feelings, which take a moment. It's brilliant A brilliant title, but also in your book you talk about the connection between what you eat and the way you feel Let's talk about the connection between what you eat and the way you feel Anything that I write is about it's really born out of my work with our patients and seeing so many stories and Read a lot of clinical experience a lot of looking at labs and Seeing the science and art of wellness of how really to use data and the latest research But then what's the heart of all of it? Like what's the space in between the words and the data and and getting somebody well and having this translate to real life for real people So that's what gut feelings is about.
Starting point is 00:08:25 I mean, the name of the book, it has many layers from a writing author standpoint, is that we have this phrase that's in the human lexicon of gut instinct and gut feelings, and I just feel it in my gut, or butterflies in my stomach. Somehow, this is part of human existence and our vernacular. But what are the origins of it that throughout human history, our ancestors knew somehow and expliquably, ineffably, that our gut was the seat of the soul somehow, that our gut and brain were somehow connected. They didn't have randomized control trials. They didn't have all the science that we have, but they knew from experience and experiencing people,
Starting point is 00:09:07 observation that there was some connection there. If it's known in traditional Chinese medicine, it's known in Ayurvedic medicine, and it's known throughout all traditional medicines, this connection. And now research is catching up with antiquity, that the majority of human health, at least to some degree, begins in the gut.
Starting point is 00:09:24 I mean, there's layers to that. I mean, 95% of ser some degree, begins in the gut. I mean, there's layers to that. I mean, 95% of serotonin is made in the gut. That's our happy neurotransmitter. 50% of dopamine is made in the gut. Our pleasure neurotransmitter, these things work upon the vagus nerve. The neurotransmitters are made in the gut. They don't necessarily pass through the blood brain barrier as we understand it, but they work upon the vagus nerve,
Starting point is 00:09:43 which is the largest crananiotneurv in the body. It's responsible for the resting, digesting state. It's when people talk about a dysregulated nervous system, what they're typically talking about as an overactive sympathetic fight or flight stress state and an underactive parasympathetic or a poor vagal tone or weak vagal tone. So a lot of what I work with my patients and what I'm talking about in gut feelings is a dysregulation of the neuro-amino-endocrine access or the connection between our nervous
Starting point is 00:10:14 system, other just mention our immune system, chronic inflammation to product of that, and the endocrine system, our hormones, sort of cross-talk bi-directional communication line between those three systems. So the vagus nerve is what's innovating the gut brain access mainly. It's essential part to many people that are struggling with mental health issues, autoimmune problems, metabolic issues,
Starting point is 00:10:36 digestive problems, hormonal problems, it's a major factor. And it's a lot of gut-centric components to that. But the book is really this conversation around the bi-directional relationship between mental health and physical health, that both gut and feelings, the physiological and the psychological
Starting point is 00:10:54 are both interplayed. Don't go away because after Quick Break, Dr. Will Cole is breaking down the four plus one thing as we should avoid to take care of our bodies. Most of our patients are dealing with these neuroimmunotentocrine-access issues. There are physiological things that will impact the system, like underlying gut problems, environmental toxins, biotoxins, like mold, bacteria, viruses, issues, will impact our physical health, will impact our mood, will impact our awareness
Starting point is 00:11:33 systems regulated, will impact inflammation levels. But then, conversely, the feelings side of gut feelings, the mental emotional spiritual factors, like stress and unresolved trauma, how those feeling things will impact our physical health and the research around that is just wild. These things are literally stored in our body just as much as a food that doesn't love us back. Our body is a cellular library and really talking about thoughts, words, emotions, and experiences will influence our biochemistry just as much as a food does. And these things that we're not just feeding our body with breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but what are we feeding our head and our heart on a daily basis, which is a lot more nonlinear. I mean, it's like easier and more prescriptive for me to say, okay, these foods, these nutrients, do X, Y, and Z, it's a lot more abstract and complex to talk about big, heavy topics
Starting point is 00:12:23 like stress and trauma. How do we clear those and start serving our mind with things that love us back and retraining that? It's important. When you're dealing with autoimmune issues and digestive and hormonal problems, it's important to talk about both sides of this coin. Yeah. And I love that you do that so well in your book.
Starting point is 00:12:40 I heard you say, like, you can't heal a body that you hate. When I always say you can't have can't heal a body that you hate. When I always say you can't have great sex in a body that you hate. And you also say you can't shame your way into good health and you can't shame your way into good sex. Because as you know, we talked about it. Everyone check out your wonderful podcast that I was on as well, the art of being well. It's sort of the same thing. People like Emily, give me a great sex position. What toy should I use? Tell me about this blue, but how have you dealt with shame and trauma? And I know you talk about shameflamation,
Starting point is 00:13:08 which is just brilliant. Can you sort of explain a little bit about shameflamation, which is sort of the more like mental psychological part of this health picture? Yeah, so it's that side of how does shame and things that cause shame, how does that impact our biochemistry, how does that influence that neuro-aminoendocrine axis, and it will influence it just as much as food or
Starting point is 00:13:31 nutrients or drink, something you drink, something physiological, psychological impacts the physiological. So the reality is shame and the research around shame things that cause shame which the big Areas that I talk about in the book and that I see with telehealth patients is unresolved trauma and Chronic stress and someone feeling inadequate. There are eating foods that don't let them back as they're busy and stressed There's a lot of shame inflammation with that and then of course with unresolved trauma Most people can understand that there's a lot of shame around that. But also the health-related shame and orthorexia, which is just order to eating around healthy foods and shame around people's bodies,
Starting point is 00:14:13 like you said, or shame around food and their relationship with food. These are complex things, but all will contribute to shame inflammation, like stressing and shaming yourself about healthy food or health and wellness isn't good for your health. But yet this is the complex conversations that we need to have with people, even within good topics like wellness or health and nutrition, all this good stuff. If it's not put into context, used in a way that serves you, it can be abused. Good things can be used in a way that's not right
Starting point is 00:14:45 for you. I think that really educating people with this, not for them to then stress about the same information, but to really be empowered to say, look, let's create a greater awareness on what I'm feeding myself on a daily basis with as far as my head and my heart. Like, what are the things I'm taking in online or what are my boundaries with myself, what are my boundaries with technology, what are my boundaries with health and wellness, and what's serving me and more isn't always better. I talk about in the book the research around self-compassion, which self-compassion in many ways is the ultimate antidote to shameflammation because there is one setting that I talk about in the book of how the researchers had people do a stressful event, the two activities.
Starting point is 00:15:28 It was math and public speaking, which apparently stresses a lot about a lot of us out. So there could be a lot of shame. Like, oh my gosh, I'm not good enough. I'm inadequate. I'm overwhelmed. I'm never going to be successful at this. So they measured these interleukin six inflammation levels, I.O. I'm never going to be successful at this. So they measured these interleukin six inflammation levels I.O.6 people at higher inflammation levels that had stress and shame around these things
Starting point is 00:15:54 embarrassment around these things But the people that practice the most self-compassion, which it's really hard to have a lot of shame when they're self-compassion It sort of buffers and you to it and heals it and like a salve on it. People that practice the most self-compassion had the lowest inflammation levels. So these aren't just some theoretical woo-woo things. These are measurable practices that we can integrate in our life and retrain our neuroimmune endocrine access by practicing things like self-compassion and gratitude and talk about many other tools that have like very maybe esoteric connotations, but actually have
Starting point is 00:16:33 very physiological implications when we consistently practice them. I love that you tie that it's a book and show people that everything that we are thinking and feeling and doing is living in our body, impacting our mental health, our physical health, and our sexual health. So, I love the studies around self-compassion. It truly is the antidote to all of this shame. It really is. Like, yes, you might not feel great about what you're eating or about how you handle the certain tasks. Whether it was math or public speaking,
Starting point is 00:16:59 but in that moment, how do you say like, I did the best I could? Today, I did the best that I could do for myself, loving yourself. And that's what we're talking about here is really the more self-compassion and self-love we can have, easier it's going to be to get healthy overall. And I think too, to your point, loving yourself where you're at now doesn't necessarily mean you're accepting where you're at. Like sometimes it's knowing, okay, this is where I'm at right now, being almost compelled to want more for yourself and not beating yourself up for being inadequate,
Starting point is 00:17:28 but saying, how can I lean into things that love me back? And a lot of this has to do with retraining the nervous system. We have deeply ingrained things, self-sabotaging behaviors, many of us do, from early on that we kind of learn, and we need to unlearn that and retrain it. But these are the things that we work on with patients and from a book standpoint, these are accessible. Like most of the tools on the feeling stuff are free or low cost for people to really, if they're consistent with it, they really can see amazing changes to start to shift their
Starting point is 00:18:00 biochemistry through retraining that neuro-emunicant response. Let's say people have an unhealthy relationship with food or they keep eating things that don't make them feel good and they're like, why do I have to have chocolate three times a day? Don't really understand it. And I love that you have a great way of reframing it that it's like literally these foods are not loving you back and it's not that you're giving up something and it's going to be horrible.
Starting point is 00:18:19 You can't eat chocolate, but look at what you can do and it's sort of a brilliant reframe if you can kind of talk about those exercises of, yeah. It's hugely important. That's why the subtitle of the book is healing the shame-fueled relationship between how you feel. So part of that conversation that I wanted to have in the book is this, I think, toxic tribalism within
Starting point is 00:18:40 diaculture, what people would call toxic diaculture. And then I would say, equally toxic anti-diaculture, that it may be the phrase, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. I think that the rebound opposite, polar opposite response, but ends up being the different side of the same coin, is this equally toxic anti-diaculture,
Starting point is 00:19:02 which the diet culture is all about, eat less, work out more, restriction, obsession, shaming your way into health. As you mentioned, like the back of the book, I've got feelings that say, you can't heal a body you hate. Sustainable wellness has to be born out of self-respect and loving your body enough to nourish it with things that love you back. But then the flip side is this phenomenon on social media
Starting point is 00:19:25 and within certain areas of wellness or nutrition that there's quote unquote no such thing as a bad food and eat whatever you want. And it's not gonna impact your health. And it can create a lot of disordered heating around that too because it kind of removes all basic logic when it comes to nutrition and you look at the majority of the human race right now, the vast majority of people have
Starting point is 00:19:50 a metabolic issue and have things that food directly feeds, food feeds disease and you can't ignore that. So I think that you have to have a both-and approach even with this, is that, yes, shaming your way into health is not sustainable. Menor is ignoring basic nutrition facts either. I got excited because you were getting to the point of you talk about the big four plus one, which I've heard you talk about, like that we should be pointing. And I love the plus one. I got a lot to say about that, but just basic information because people are like, oh, you get a little bit of pizza, but what are the four?
Starting point is 00:20:22 What should we be of great gain? Sure. So these are the foods that are most likely not to love people back, right? And this is not about restriction. This is about the person being curious, just like you teach us to have sex IQ and be highly intelligent from a sex intelligence standpoint, I want people to have that same body intelligence for themselves. And this isn't about all I can't have that. Like I say to patients and I say it in the book, eat whatever you want, but use meals as a meditation and as a medicine. And you may find that it's
Starting point is 00:20:54 different. Like you're going to be different than somebody else. And that's okay. There's a lot of bioindividuality. And this isn't about weight loss. Like if we all ate and worked out the same, we'd still would all look different. And that's okay. There's a lot of bio-individuality. But I want people to really be intuitive and mindful about what foods love them and what foods don't love them back.
Starting point is 00:21:14 And I think we have to have these conversations around healthy boundaries when it comes to other people and everything is like gas lighting. But the reality is, no, the ultimate relationship when it comes to healthy boundaries is with ourselves. And having self-respect when it comes to things that don't love us back. And look, there is legitimate, like when we talk about medical gas lighting around on
Starting point is 00:21:34 my patients and auto-mini, it's legitimate. But I think it's so flippant with anybody that disagrees with you. It's automatic, the gas lighting. It's not always gas lighting. Sometimes they just don't agree with you. And that's okay to have different opinions about things. But anyways, the foods that don't love people back most likely. And I can get granular with the exceptions and the nuance. But the inflammatory core for plus one, because it's a drink, liquids, would be gluten-containing grains.
Starting point is 00:22:02 That's wheat, rye, barley, spelt, oats can be cross-contaminated. They are mainly wheat, but it's the hybridization. It's the glyphosate, spring of the grains. Humans would have consumed a different grain for thousands of years. So looking at gluten-containing grains as disrupting the microbiome and raising inflammation, it doesn't love a lot of people back. It can love some people back, and the least likely to be inflammatory would be things like ancient grains.
Starting point is 00:22:31 That still has gluten in it, but just more ancestral and sourdough bread and sourdough grains, because it forments the grain proteins, making it more digestible, and it's going to love more people back because it's less inflammatory. Second thing is added sugar, and being mindful of the labels, even nicer sounding euphemisms for sugar, like agave nectar, like higher fructose added sugar, in absence of fiber, can be problematic for many people, because of the amount of metabolic issues and blood sugar issues that we face as a society, which feeds mood issues and hormonal problems that will wreck people's sex drives.
Starting point is 00:23:08 Like all of these things that I'm talking about will decimate some people's sex drives. So they think, oh, I'm broken or oh, I just just me and we talked about this on my pod. Like they think, oh, I just have a low sex drive, but it's not. It's their settling for something that is overcomable, unhealable, and optimizable.
Starting point is 00:23:28 These foods will impact estrogen and progesterone and cortisol and thyroid hormones, which impacts libido. Looking at dairy, sugar, grains, dairy would be the third one. The better versions would be fermented dairy, like cheeses, kefirs, yogurts, because the fermentation just like the sourdough with the bread breaks down the casing dairy protein making it less inflammatory. And the fourth would be industrial seed oils like canola oil vegetable oil, soybean oil. My opinion is it's more of the overconsumption of it and not so much that those oils are
Starting point is 00:24:02 the devil, but that Americans don't eat enough long chain omega-3 fatty acids from whole foods and they eat too much packaged foods with high omega-6 industrial seed oils. So it's more of the ratios of omega-3, 6, and 9 more than just demonizing this oil by in and of themselves. That's the context around it. And the plus one is alcohol. So it's really, I mean, I hate to sound like
Starting point is 00:24:26 a puritanical tea toddler because I'm not, but I really want people to take a really good look at does this love them back or not. And the research is pretty clear. It's a neurotoxin. It's gonna increase intestinal permeability. We all have different bio-individual thresholds to tolerate these things,
Starting point is 00:24:44 but we should at least look at how much this is, let me back or not. The caveat for all of this is what research is referred to as an evolutionary mismatch, an epigenetic genetic mismatch that humans would have not consumed these things in copious amounts. And our genetics haven't changed in 10,000 years. Our microbiome hasn't changed in 10,000 beyond years. So we are eating out of alignment with what we have evolved with in its triggering genetic predispositions and triggering problems like low sex drives and other hormonal problems, other neuroamina endocrine access issues because we're eating out of alignment.
Starting point is 00:25:18 I kind of want to turn the focus into our libido and our sex drive. Are there foods we should void? Like, what do we need to know about what we're putting in our body and how it's impacting our libido, our sex drive? What have you seen in your patients when they start to avoid certain things or add certain things? What can we do right now to start impacting
Starting point is 00:25:37 our sex drive for good? Yeah, all of us, the core four plus one, like get the better for you versions. Like, if you really want to keep them in and if they work for you, the better for you versions that I mentioned, then get them. And I'm not saying it's absolute or it's all or nothing. Again, this is about using your meals as a meditation
Starting point is 00:25:56 and medicine. Eat it mindfully. Does it love you back or not? And avoiding those things if it doesn't love you back, it'll be like a bad trade off. And that's the paradigm shift that I want people to have. I call it food piece in the book. And with patience, it's like, my patients don't care
Starting point is 00:26:10 about not having things that don't love them back. They love feeling great. More than they want something that's gonna mess up how they feel. I know that I've taken out gluten. I feel so much better, but for a lot of people, it seems like it's a lot of work. They're like, okay, so how do you know?
Starting point is 00:26:24 I took out gluten, but I left in the oils, or I mean, do they have to do it all at once? Like, what have you seen in order of events? Most people to mitigate variables as much as possible when we be their own end of one experiment, it would be to do what's known as an elimination diet, which it doesn't, like I hate that term. Like it sounds so punitive, elimination and diet,
Starting point is 00:26:46 like both. But it's just how are we mitigating variables, statistically off of things that are most likely to disrupt the microbiome and not love most humans back. So yeah, going off of those for a while, it's not about calorie restriction. It's about switching how you're fueling your body eating foods that love you back nourishing calorie rich nutrient dense foods and then bring one in at a time Reintroduction is just as much as taking a break off of those foods because you want to see it Does it love me back or doesn't not love me back? I talk about it in the book if they people want I detailed Experiment for themselves read my second book, it's called the inflammation spectrum, which is based off of questions that I ask patients and can kind of see how we do this with reintroduction. But I talk
Starting point is 00:27:34 about it and got feelings more basic because that book is less about the nitty-gritty granular nutrition stuff and more about the relationship with food. It's more of the heart and soul of it and healing your relationship with food. But the, I mean, it's all of this stuff is inextricably linked to our sex drive and hormones. It really is. And it's not just about the things you're not having. Look at the foods that don't love you back
Starting point is 00:27:59 because the body is amazingly resilient. And when you give it a reprieve, it can start functioning the way it wants to function. And it's not having these things that are dampening its function. It's amazing what the body can do when it has a break. And it's not working so hard. It just digesting things that don't love you back. And then it's all about like nourishing your body with delicious things that do love you back. Like what are things that can build strong hormones and can build proper signaling between all of your sex hormones?
Starting point is 00:28:27 What are those foods then? So what are the people who are like, Emily, is there an aphrodisiac? Are there supplements? What can I take? What's going to make me feel the most chardon tonight? Like, I don't know that I believe in aphrodisiac. I'm like, if oysters turn you on, they are kind of sexy and look like, you know, female genitalia in some ways, and they feel good and they're sexy to eat because there's a few steps
Starting point is 00:28:47 and watermelon to, what's your take on like the foods that are going to impact that? Your libido or sex drive? If there's anything you could say, and I know you're like me, we can't say, everybody go run out and buy oysters or go out and take Maka, although that might help, is there any kind of general rules or thing that you know? Oh yeah. although that might help, is there any kind of general rules or thing that you know? Yeah. Some of it is the unsexy stuff that actually will make you feel sexy. So and it's starting with the most unsexy word ever.
Starting point is 00:29:13 Not ever. It's in at least the top 100 macro nutrients. It's like, oh yeah, it gives a macro nutrient. But the protein fats and carbs, like really looking at, are am I optimizing my protein fats and carbs, like really looking at, are I am I optimizing my protein fats and carbs? Because that is the raw material you need for proper hormonal production, blood sugar regulation, and communication within your body. So optimizing carbs, fiber rich carbs,
Starting point is 00:29:38 help with hormone detox, and gut health, and we're 20% of your thyroid hormone is converted and you're gut. But also, those fruits and vegetables are polyphenol rich, which our antioxidants was really helpful for cellular health and hormonal communication. And they have vitamins and minerals too, protein, making sure you have enough adequate, complete protein throughout the day, like around, depending on your height and weight and activity level, and age, around 30 grams of complete protein throughout the day, like around, depending on your height and weight and activity level,
Starting point is 00:30:12 and age around 30 grams of complete protein per meal. Most people are not strategizing. Now it will help with satiety signaling. You'll feel less hangry. Your blood sugar will be more balanced, which is like a insulin signaling is a hormonal balance, but beyond that it will help your other hormones, as far as your estrogen, progesterone, cortisol levels, and thyroid hormones to be properly regulated. It's kind of a firm foundation glucose control for other hormones and brain function. And healthy fats, your hormones are made from fats. So you need fats like olives and albacados, and wild cut fish and grass-fed beef and these Mono unsaturated, poly unsaturated, omega fats and saturated fats to have proper hypethylene But pituitary ovarian
Starting point is 00:30:55 Testicular communication lines. So Yeah, it's that's the Unsexy stuff and then if you want to get like granul I mean look I think oysters, these like cliched, ask for these, they act mainly because they're mineral rich, I think is really what it is. Like zinc and copper can help with hormonal production.
Starting point is 00:31:15 So that maybe, I mean, I guess it does look like- We could have a lot of oysters. You have to have like a little oysters baby, to get that. Stick around because when we're back, Dr. Will Colony and I are shedding light on the complex world of hormones. What's up? What's up?
Starting point is 00:31:31 What's up? What's up? What's up? What's up? What's up? What's up? What's up? What's up?
Starting point is 00:31:39 What's up? What's up? What's up? What's up? What's up? What's up? What's up? What's up? What's up? What's up? What's up? into hormones a little bit because I know we actually even asked our listeners for some questions about hormones and a lot of them were like, can you just explain testosterone? What foods help?
Starting point is 00:31:51 I'm just going to like list like what came in, like what foods can help boost estrogen? Do hormone sprays work was one of them? Do hormone fluctuations affect men also? I just think that hormones is still so confusing for many people and even the way you get tested for hormones and again I know this is a big topic but being on a show where you know we're talking about sex we talk a lot about testosterone hormone replacement that women also could benefit from it. So I guess my first question is maybe we could either start with like running down the hormones and how they infect our sex drive like
Starting point is 00:32:25 you could either start with running down the hormones and how they infect our sex drive, like testosterone, estrogen, and then maybe if there are specific foods that you do actually believe could help aid in hormone production. Yeah, the main hormones when you're talking about sex drive libido, which I would then open that up to mood, it's very much still mood and energy too. So it's not just about sex. It's about zest for life is how many people explain it to me. I have a lack of zest for life, which includes sex drive. The main hormones are going to be estrogen, of course, and all its metabolites, so estrone,
Starting point is 00:33:01 estradiol, estriol, progesterone, and all that's metabolites, and testosterone, and all of its metabolites, like DHT and other antigens. And then I would add thyroid hormones to that too, because low thyroid hormone will really rectilabito and energy levels and mood. So I would add that, and cortisol very much a part of that as well. The point is these are biochemical emails, and you need all the emails being sent appropriately because they are communicating within the systems of the body. So yeah, those sex hormones like estrogen progesterone testosterone are the most common ones you associate with
Starting point is 00:33:35 libido, but it really is all the other ones. It's insulin with blood sugar regulation and it's thyroid hormone and cortisol. They're all intercommunicating that are influencing each other. So you really have to have a holistic view of this. So go back to what I said about macronutrients because that is foundational. You cannot supplement your way out of a poor diet. You have to start with that.
Starting point is 00:33:58 But then if you're looking at specific, different like let's say herbs or science back to natural supportive tools to support hormone health. I think an easy area to talk about here would be adaptogens, which I do talk about in gut feelings at length. We use them in telehealth patient protocols as well. You mentioned Maka. Maka is one that has some decent studies around it. Other adaptogens like Ashraganda, holy basil or Tulsi has been used, both of those have been used in our medicine for thousands of years.
Starting point is 00:34:33 Hoshai Wu, like the traditional Chinese medicine adaptogens can be helpful. Shishandra is another adaptogen. Even medicinal mushrooms can be beneficial here like lion's mane and chaga and turkey tail. Not that people need all of those things but I am just saying these weird words for the only reason I'm just cool to like educate themselves on and like maybe I'm bringing something like this and maybe adding some of this into my smoothie or taking some capsules I had these in. They all have their own therapeutic doses
Starting point is 00:35:05 as far as the research is concerned. But start off low and slow, experiment with them, but they can be great at supporting the hypophilmic pituitary ovarian or chasticular axis. So people are dealing with hormonal fluctuations. The great thing about adaptingins in the science around them is that they have a regulating effect. So hormones are high or hormones are low or
Starting point is 00:35:31 You know kind of erratic. They have a stabilizing modulating effect adaptogens do. So it's a good starting place You know, and then there are specific ones like I we use a lot of with low progesterone which can impact A lot of things when it comes to mood and sex drive and fertility we Look at things like chased berry or vi text that can be really helpful other adaptions can be really helpful wild Yam can be helpful for a progesterone estrogen we look at as estrogen dominance will typically see we want to help with methylation and detox or something like dim and these sulfuricane compounds that can help with clearing
Starting point is 00:36:10 out estrogen. Dong Kwa is a traditional Chinese medicine herb that can help with supporting healthy estrogen levels. So those are some herbs and botanicals for people to learn about and educate themselves. Again, it's not about adding in the supplement graveyard for you to take all of those. It's just about maybe one or two of those can be a supportive tool after you deal with food.
Starting point is 00:36:33 You have to start with it. Yeah, okay. Well, I have a supplement graveyard. I love that term because I literally have one and it's growing, it's massive. Well, I don't know what to do with it because I believe all these things, I need Ashwagandha, I need Dim, I need E.
Starting point is 00:36:45 I have them all and then I stay on them and then I go off them. So for the last five or six years, I've started to look at my hormones and paramanopause and fluctuation, I've been to different doctors and it took me a long time to figure out what would actually work. I told you I would do a few clinics
Starting point is 00:37:03 and then the range was different. And I hear this all the time for my listeners. She's like, I got my hormones checked and I was fine. Do we send them to you, Will? Do we just blow up your lines right now? You have your telehealth clinic? Because even for me, to be honest, I'm still figuring it out.
Starting point is 00:37:17 Like, did that work? Did it not? How do I know? And I am taking HRT right now. I do take progesterone at night when I remember. I take estrogen, testosterone, and I play with them all and it's kind of hard to know and then you run out of one and like, and then all my friends, all we talk about,
Starting point is 00:37:33 do you take the patch? Do you insert it inside of you? Like, it's freaking overwhelming. Take the pellets, yeah, which I do do the pellets. I like the pellets because for me, I can just set it and forget it. I know that that's controversial for some doctors because you can't tweak it. But for me I've got just jars of creams that if I fall asleep don't forget to do it. It's a
Starting point is 00:37:52 problem. And I have been in this and I'm paying out a pocket and it's been really overwhelming and I'm just wondering what would you recommend? Would it be a certain book of yours? Would it literally be calling your clinic and getting into or finding a functional medicine doctor? I always say go to find a hormone specialist or someone who specializes in this. It might not be your gynecologist. It might not be where you live. So like, what do we do here? Because I know that you have the most up to date cutting edge information. And I know that you share the passion. You share the same passion about food and health and hormones that I do about like sex sexual intelligence.
Starting point is 00:38:25 So like, I want to help the people. Like, what do you mean? Yeah, and I think it's, but right. And I think that's why I, another word for functional medicines, integrative medicine, because we deal, we refer a lot of people to people in your space to deal with that with the sex, sex therapy. We deal with the physiological things and they often deal with the practical things,
Starting point is 00:38:48 with the mind body things and the trauma work. We deal with a lot of trauma specialists too and integrate with those when they're needed because all of this comes together, right? So, I mean, yeah, this is our day job. 10 hours a day, people can reach out to us to drrollcold.com. We have many Nut telehealth patient options,
Starting point is 00:39:07 like group models, we have one on one, we have people that just run labs. I mean, that aren't even in a care plan. They're just doing labs to get some insight and answers. And we can coordinate with any local doctor that needs to be. Amazing. Yeah, so if they want someone locally
Starting point is 00:39:24 and they don't want someone telehealth like us, go to functionalmedicine.org. That's the Institute for Functional Medicine, the Cleveland Clinic's Functional Medicine Center. There are all, all of the physicians there are trained through IFM. That's who's trained me and my team. So you can go to a directory there and if you want someone locally in your city, you can do functional medicine.org too.
Starting point is 00:39:44 Okay. You want someone locally in your city, you can do functional medicine that work too. And then yeah, I think labs, health history, for someone that's been in their wheels, I would say tests, not guests, because I think that you can kind of shoot in the dark and become, it can become kind of erratic, where you're just like experimenting and guessing and you don't really know, it's like based off of just what? There's like no concrete follow through and systematic plan. And I like organization and I like spreadsheets and I like data. So if I can see where these hormones, for example, are at and we bring in an intervention and then retest also correlating that with how you're feeling, we can narrow down granularly
Starting point is 00:40:21 what is the most significant needle move? So we, part of our job typically is weeding and editing down that supplement graveyard or whatever that graveyard is. So you aren't taking it crap ton of stuff and you know, like these are my needle movers. Like, what do I need? And it's based off of how I feel and data and there's no like second guessing about it.
Starting point is 00:40:42 Okay, that's great. We're gonna put that in the show notes because you're gonna be getting a lot of phone calls. They know I hear, for example, from a lot of mail, listeners, you know, after our audience, our men, and they'll say like, oh, they got into a certain age, and I know I often say like testosterone can drop after the age of 40.
Starting point is 00:40:55 And so your penis stops working. That's when we get men's attention, right? They're like, what can I start doing? Would you say that that's true? And then would you say that you see that more and more, that there is a testosterone thing? But then some guys I know have gone to maybe a regular clinic and I test like my testosterone is fine.
Starting point is 00:41:10 Is it true that well number one that some men are fine or are they maybe not getting the right kind of tests if they are having some symptoms of low testosterone? Yeah. Well, they're having low sex drive low libido erectile dysfunction any other sexual or mood energy weight loss resistance I mean all the stuff's tied into it and this is the caveat for a lot of hormonal problems no matter who you are Just because something's common doesn't necessarily make it normal like chronic health problems hormonal dysfunction, certainly ubiquitous, but we settle for it. Like this is all a sign of accelerated aging. Like there's nothing wrong with aging,
Starting point is 00:41:52 but accelerated aging and guys in their 40s and 50s, settling for things that used to be their 70s and 80s and 90s. That's the problem. Yes testosterone decreases over time, That's the problem. Yes, testosterone decreases over time, but people are having tank to test testosterone way too soon. And even beyond the number of their free or total testosterone, what's the signaling of those hormones? Because many people, it's not a production issue. It's a, is my body even utilizing it? And look, we have the vast majority of guys and just people in general having insulin resistance, which is just one problem, but it's a big problem of things that will impart over-aromatized testosterone
Starting point is 00:42:36 into estrogen. So you'll see at higher estrogen levels in biological males, and they feel like crap, and they think, oh, it's just because I'm getting older. No, it's because you're insulin resistant, and it's completely reversible. Or largely optimizable, let's just say that, to be conservative.
Starting point is 00:42:53 Many people settle for it because they think, that's the thing, and they hear these commercials and they think, I just have to take a testosterone, cream, or whatever. And that's more of a bandaid, when you say, if you're calling 1-800-LOTE, you might just right? I know really like then you're getting a testosterone and for women we can talk about this too. I've learned so much about how
Starting point is 00:43:11 progesterone and your estrogen are also impacting each other and the testosterone. Like they're all playing together in a dance. That's all freaking related. And it's hard to believe it. What would you tell women women about testosterone and estrogen and progesterone need to be all-meatable? Yeah. We all need, yeah. Men, women, no matter who you are, estrogen, progesterone,
Starting point is 00:43:32 testosterone are all needed in different amounts. So for women testosterone is very much needed for sex drive and energy and muscle building and fat burning. So it is absolutely important. It's going to have a different, the optimal zone than burning. So it is absolutely important. It's gonna have a different optimal zone than men, but it is certainly important. And it's one thing that we have to optimize if we're dealing with these fatigue, weight loss resistance,
Starting point is 00:43:54 slow sex drive, if we're putting that under an umbrella. So we have to optimize that. That's why data is so important, because you can see these numbers improve. And there's a place for hormone replacement therapy. But we should start with asking the question, why do I have this problem in the first place and get our body to produce it on its own. And when you reverse insulin resistance or support insulin sensitivity and decrease inflammation, and support these
Starting point is 00:44:25 hormonal pathways. It's amazing when you do that. Hormones can actually be produced endogenously, naturally, and get your body to do it. Now, look, once you do that, here's a great example. Someone's way better when they've done these important things that we do with patients, but then their hormones are better, but not exactly optimal. So at that point, you could talk about precursors like prognetalone or DHEA or herbs that can
Starting point is 00:44:54 help with supporting hormonal synthesis and production and signaling, or sometimes hormone replenishment is appropriate, like low doses of extra dial or progesterone or testosterone. There is a time and place for it, but it should be based on data and it should be a later option once you've done the foundational work. Because even if you need hormone replacement therapy, when you get the proper signaling and the body working appropriately, you're going to typically need less of that hormone placement there because the body is going to be better utilizing what you give it versus the people that are like just overdosing on these, you know what I mean, I mean, I they're just hoping as amounts of hormone exogenous hormones, when they don't necessarily need all that stuff because that can actually be problematic and cause hormone or resistance patterns because you're just flooding yourselves with all of this extra hormones, not based on that, just based off of whatever a doctor telling you to do it. I did see a functional medicine doctor probably five years ago and it was very overwhelming. I left with a million supplements, there were so many problems.
Starting point is 00:46:02 He wasn't that into the hormone replacement therapy at that time, but I think we just tried to say is you need to build things up. But then over time, I got busy, the pandemic, I started taking hormones. So now I'm wondering if like what you're saying is that maybe I need to scale back and there's some more things I could do
Starting point is 00:46:17 with my nutrition and supplements, because I'm hearing that maybe I'm leaning on it too much or many people do. That's not your first line of- No, it's not my first line of defense and it should be based on labs. Look, I think you should be judicious about all of those things, right?
Starting point is 00:46:32 Start with food, be judicious with supplements, and be judicious with HRT. And I think that starting off low and slow building up allows you to not get that supplement graveyard or these things that you like, ah, you're not even sure. So many people are like, I don't know what's working. Like, I think I'm a little bit better maybe,
Starting point is 00:46:50 but taking the edge off, but I don't really know what is the needle mover, and we wanna do the best job we can to see you know, okay, these handful of things are helpful for you. Normally, HRT happens after the other stuff to see what the body can do on its own. And then after you've gotten to a better place, but maybe you needed some like a little
Starting point is 00:47:09 bit of a boost, then the HRT can be that boost for some people. Now I think I have to call your clinical. We hang up. The reason why I'm having you on, Dr. Will Pohl, is you really were, have been an innovator in this space. The fact that you've had this telehealth clinic for 13 years, and you've written all these best selling books, I feel like you really are somebody who can help people understand, you know, their bodies in a way that they might not be able to where they're living now
Starting point is 00:47:34 or they can't find the doctors. I really appreciate the work that you do. I love what I do, and that thanks for giving me the opportunity to talk about it. I'm going to ask you like the quicky questions that we ask all of our guests. We have there just five quick questions, but is there anything else here? Let me just think that we really wanted to get to because I think you just you really helped us a lot here and even myself because I think that looking at the foods we're eating, understanding that, seeing what we can do, make sure we're moving our body, we're dealing
Starting point is 00:48:02 with unhilled trauma, we're in therapy, we're understanding all the factors that are contributing to it is just important. One thing I was going to say, that I forgot to say earlier, our nutrient efficiency is just real fast about sex, drive, and energy that I wanted to just mention real fast. And then we'll get to the cookie questions, is that I'd be beating myself up if I didn't mention this. And I'm like, oh man, I didn't tell the people. But iron is another major one. When you're talking about low libido, looking at iron, iron tetrasion,
Starting point is 00:48:31 and ferritin, which is stored iron, when you're talking about fatigue, brain fog, low libido, low hormone issues, I see that a lot. But vitamin C and copper, the mineral copper, can help with iron, bioavailability, and absorption. So that's one thing. It's a very common deficiency that I think everybody should get their laps tested in addition to the other ones I mentioned when it comes to hormone health.
Starting point is 00:48:55 It's about the nutrients that make the hormones, too. Now that may be one more thing that I actually talked about in your podcast was what have you been seeing about birth control pills and women who have been on it and then they go off it or maybe they're just on it because what I've heard is what I've seen and studies over the years is that you're on a pill and that's going to impact your hormones. It could be for life. It's really hard to get back to the normal range or whatever it is and it can really be a disruptor.
Starting point is 00:49:19 So how have you worked with women who have been on the work, what's your take on it? You know, I'm pro choice when it comes to people having informed consent with whatever they'd want to do for their bodies, but I think the key term there is informed consent. I think many people are given these pills without any really robust, open, full spectrum conversation with their prescribing doctor. They're just given to it for any number of reasons. Maybe it's contraception, maybe it's some hormonal problem, maybe it's their acne, and they're just like given these pills, and they're on them forever. And it's just like, just take them and there's no full conversation on
Starting point is 00:49:53 this could do this, this, and this, because this could cause this, this, and this, and then make the right decision between you and your doctor. The problem is it's just given out like candy in many ways. Like it's just flip it. like everybody's on it, just take it. And it just, I see people that really do have a difficulty coming off of it and trying to conceive later on or trying to get their hormones and just feel good. Nobody, like if you're on hormonal oral contraceptions for anything other than contraception,
Starting point is 00:50:21 if you're doing it for other purposes, hormonal skin issues, you don't have that problem because of a birth control deficiency. So why, if you're on it for some other reason, let's ask the question, why do you have the problem in the first place? So I'm not anti-it. I just think that there's a lot more effective options that causes people to lease them out of side effects,
Starting point is 00:50:40 like we said at the top of the conversation, that it could be a tool within the toolbox for some people who want to be on it, but they made that decision because they knew all the facts. And I think that there's just a lack of full facts in these conversations. And there's other forms of birth control.
Starting point is 00:50:54 Like many, many women decide to do the copper IUD because it's non-hormonal and it does cause some low grade, like, local inflammation. It just doesn't work for everybody if you have a copper allergy or whatever, but for the average person, that's a consideration to talk to your doctor about. Or, of course, condoms, like, there are other forms of birth control that aren't going to impact your biochemistry as a woman that many of our patients find to be better alternative than
Starting point is 00:51:21 throwing off the hormones and being on a pill for years on it. Thank you. And then is there finally like one thing when we're talking about sexual health that you've seen in your patients, overall, over these years that you think was like the biggest thing that they did or they changed to help them. I know this is a big question. To help them start to move the needle and start to feel more desire, was it just getting tested through you and getting on the path? Was there a certain change in their diet or exercises? Is there anything you've seen like this is a good place to start for many people. Yeah, I mean, look, I think the more abstract, like non, like more abstract thing is that how you mentioned the back of the book, you can't heal a body, you hate. I know that's more
Starting point is 00:52:02 conceptual, but I just all of this has to be born out of self-respect, not out of obsession. So we need to check ourselves. If you're not coming from that intention, check yourself, like check yourself with that. So that's more conceptual, but like practical stuff, I think organization and basing things on data is hugely helpful, because you can edit down what you're doing and you can compare and contrast it and you are not shooting in the dark and like hoping something's working.
Starting point is 00:52:33 So I think that that's testing and tracking and having someone outside of yourself to manage these things or at least collaborate with you on these things can be hugely helpful. Because then the granular and integrated stuff, it's going to look different for different people. There's a lot of science and art and evolving that will happen over the course of that time.
Starting point is 00:52:52 But I think the commonality that I see for people that are successful and see it through, that put in the work and the consistency to work on this project that's them and not in an obsessive way, but just in like a nourishing respect way about themselves. Thank you very helpful. Okay, so here's our big quicky questions, our little cookie questions, just whatever, and it can be anything, like whatever first comes your mind. What's your biggest turn on? Wow, we're getting personal Dr. Emily. Well, it can also just be like, the wind blowing. I'm just joking. I'm just joking. You can ask me anything. What is it? You know what it is? It's being, this is so lame, but I like, I'm a pretty
Starting point is 00:53:38 introverted person. This isn't gonna be quicky, but I like chilling out at home and like hanging out with my wife and like not having anything on the schedule, which I'm so like scheduled throughout the week. I like not having a schedule in the weekends. That's like hugely like great for my nervous system, which is a huge turn on. So with you, biggest turn off. Unkind people, intolerant people. Okay. What makes good sex? I would say connection throughout the day, you know, it's just like even if I'm texting my wife in between patients and like I'm not with her physically, but just like we can stay in touch and communicate.
Starting point is 00:54:23 I think that makes the best sex. That's great. Something you would tell your younger self about sex and relationships. That I think what our culture puts out there is in the form of movies or images that guys see growing up. It's not the reality.
Starting point is 00:54:40 And I think that we need to empower men specifically because I'm coming from a man's perspective of Really, how do we if we're heterosexual now? But no matter who we are, how can we respect our partner and not see what we can get out of them? But how can we really love them to be the best highest version of themselves? I think is the big paradigm shift that we need to have in relationships no matter what type of relationship you're in.
Starting point is 00:55:08 Because I think we live in such a self-serving, selfish, greedy culture that it is like such, it's unsustainable and like sex is still sex, but it's just typically really, it's not fulfilling, I think from a, I don't know, I think from a, like, I don't know, I think from a loving standpoint, unconditional loving standpoint. That's beautiful. What's the number one thing you wish everyone knew about sex? I'm putting my functional medicine hat back on now here is that I would say many people settle for a sucky sex life and they think it's just their lot in life, or it's just who they are.
Starting point is 00:55:48 But I can't tell you when you look at data, and you see extra gym progesterone thyroid, cortisol, all these numbers off, and you're like, no, wonder, who could have a great sex life with numbers like that? It's like you have to optimize these things to have the sex life that you were created for, or have this thing. That's your birthright. That's a normal human thing. And accelerated aging isn't normal, but it's ubiquitous. Mm. So good.
Starting point is 00:56:12 Well, okay. So where can people find you, Dr. Wilcole, come see you and all the things? Yeah. Thank you. So we're all telehealth. I am in the lovely city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Come and visit us. I'm on the tourism board, not really.
Starting point is 00:56:25 But I think it's the pearl of Pennsylvania. But you don't have to be here. Was everybody's online. So everything's at drwokoll.com, drwilceol.com, the links to the podcast, the art of being well, which I love our episode. And the books, the telehealth options, all the things are there.
Starting point is 00:56:45 Great, we will find you there. Thank you so much for being here. We so appreciate you. Thank you for all the information. It's really going to impact our listeners, I know deeply. Thank you. That's it for today's episode, see you on Friday. Thanks for listening to Sex with Emily. Be sure to like, subscribe, and give us a review wherever you listen to the podcast and share this with a friend or partner. You can find me on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter at Sex with Emily.
Starting point is 00:57:18 Oh, I've been told I give really good email. So sign up at sexwithemily.com and while you're there, check out my free guides and articles for more ways to prioritize your pleasure. If you'd like to ask me about your sex life, dating or relationship, call my hotline 559 Talk Sex. That's 559-825-5739. Go to sexwithemily.com slash Ask Emily. Special thanks to ACAST for powering the Sex With Emily podcast.
Starting point is 00:57:47 Was it good for you? Email me feedback at sexwithemily.com. [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪

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