Functional Medicine Doctor: These Are the Warning Signs Your Body Is Overwhelmed

September 7, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

The Body’s Check Engine Lights Are Already On

Functional medicine doctor Will Cole opens with a startling number: one in five adults over 50 has at least one organ aging significantly faster than the rest of their body, according to a Stanford study published in Nature. That uneven aging isn't abstract—if your heart cells are aging more rapidly, your risk of cardiovascular failure or stroke jumps by over 200 percent. The problem, Cole argues, is that most people wait until they get a diagnosis to pay attention, but by then the cellular dysfunction has been brewing for four to ten years. The body has been sending signals the whole time. The question is whether we're listening.

What Cellular Health Actually Means

Cole defines cellular health as the foundational layer beneath every organ system. "If you look at organ systems—brain health, nervous system health, hormone health, gut health, heart health—all those organs are made up of cells," he says. Mainstream medicine tends to pathologize organs after dysfunction appears, but the researchers studying health span—how long people live well, not just how long they stay alive—are looking at cellular pathways.

Continue reading the full summary in the app — free to try.

Read Full Summary →

Free • No credit card required

Listen to Audio Summary Open in App

Never miss an episode of Jillian on Love

Get every new episode summarized in your inbox — free, ~5 minutes to read.

No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

What you'll learn

1 (00:35) **Introduction: The Mind-Body Connection in Relationships** - Jillian introduces the core premise: the relationship with your body and physical health is inseparable from your mental health and your relationships with others.
2 (02:30) **What Is Cellular Health?** - The guest defines cellular health as the foundational science of how we live, age, and thrive.
3 (03:54) **Accelerated Cellular Aging: The Mismatch** - The guest explains why our cells are aging faster than ever, creating a gap between lifespan and "health span."
4 (08:26) **Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Leaky Cells** - The guest connects cellular health to mitochondrial function and explains the cascade from leaky mitochondria to leaky gut.
5 (10:09) **Why Gut Issues Are So Common in Women** - The guest and host explore the biological and societal reasons why gut problems disproportionately affect women.
6 (14:59) **The Stress-Food Connection and Orthorexia** - The discussion pivots to how mental state determines digestion more than the food itself, and the rise of orthorexia.
7 (21:26) **The Nervous System as the Missing Piece in Medicine** - The guest explains how he integrates the nervous system, trauma, and emotional health into his functional medicine practice.

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Guests on this episode

Will Cole

Show Notes

What if the stress in your relationships is affecting your body more than you realize? Jillian sits down with functional medicine expert Dr. Will Cole to explore the powerful connection between emotional health, physical health, and the nervous system. They talk about why chronic stress can show up as gut issues, inflammation, fatigue, brain fog, and dysregulation; how your relationships can make your body feel safer—or more threatened; and why obsessing over wellness can sometimes become its own source of stress. Will also shares practical ways to build resilience, reconnect with your body, and create healthier habits without becoming overwhelmed by everything you're “supposed” to be doing.

Buy Will’s new book, Heal Your Cells – https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/812741/heal-your-cells-by-dr-josh-axe-and-dr-will-cole/

PRE ORDER MY NEW BOOK!!! https://www.jillianturecki.com/book

Got a question for Jillian? Record your voice message here and it could be answered in an upcoming episode! https://www.jillianturecki.com/askjillian

Join The Conscious Woman Waitlist at https://www.jillianturecki.com/membership

Join my community and membership, The Conscious Woman

Order Jillian's book It Begins with You: The 9 Hard Truths About Love That Will Change Your Life at https://www.jillianturecki.com/book

Follow the show on:

Instagram: @jillianonlove

Threads: @jillianturecki

YouTube: @jillian.turecki

Email the show at [email protected]

Subscribe to Jillian on Love+ on Apple Podcasts or Patreon