Health & Wellness

Dr. Will Cole Explains Why Food Sensitivity Tests Are a Snapshot, Not the Full Story

August 20, 2025

A single lab report can make your pantry feel like it shrank overnight. One minute you’re meal-planning, the next you’re wondering if your go-to snacks are sabotaging everything you thought you knew about nutrition.

In The Art of Being Well, functional medicine practitioner and host Dr. Will Cole offers a more nuanced approach to food sensitivity testing, putting that panic into perspective. One of the first things he points out is that a lab report can inadvertently trigger orthorexia—an obsession with healthy eating to the point of malnutrition—when not taken into proper context. For Dr. Cole, a calm and steady review sets the tone for effectively using food sensitivity data to address underlying health issues.

If you’ve felt tempted to throw half your kitchen away, this conversation offers a smarter path: treat the results as information, not a life sentence, and always consider the bigger picture of what’s happening in your body.

Understanding what food sensitivity tests actually measure

Cole reminds listeners to take a step back when they’re confronted with lab results. Food sensitivity tests reflect what your immune system is doing at this moment, not necessarily what it will do in the future. When otherwise healthy foods are highlighted in a report, he wants you to keep both feet on the ground and remember that bodies are dynamic. Progress comes from context—your history, your symptoms, your environment—not just a list of reactive items.

That context also protects your mental health regarding food. This is about support and flexibility, not fear, and framing results as data points that inform a broader health strategy.

What your results may be picking up (and why gluten complicates things)

For anyone with known or suspected gluten sensitivity, cross-reactivity can make results look confusing. “Things that can mimic gluten, like gluten-free grains, things like rice, corn, and quinoa,” explains Cole, can cause a positive reaction on a “safe” grain. Consequently, the result may be less about the food being terrible for you and more about your immune system recognizing it as a lookalike of a food that is harmful to you.

That’s why Cole emphasizes the importance of reading the report. “If it’s positive on the test, it’s as if that person had never gone gluten-free,” he notes. In those cases, your body can still tag those foods with the gluten antibody. While this may seem confusing, the results should help you understand what your immune system is doing, allowing you to respond strategically rather than randomly eliminating foods.

@drwillcole
The foods you’re eating could be the real reason you’re backed up. ❌ Foods that can make it worse: – Processed foods 🥫 – Dairy 🧀 – Refined grains + sugar 🍞🍬 – Too much fiber without enough water 💧 ✅ Foods that support healthy elimination: – Fermented foods like sauerkraut + kimchi 🥬 – Healthy fats (avocado, olive oil) 🥑 – Magnesium-rich foods (leafy greens, pumpkin seeds) 🌿 – Cooked veggies + bone broth 🍲 The real solution? → Find your triggers and fuel your gut with what it actually needs. 👉 Link in bio to learn more about my gut-healing approach.

♬ original sound – Dr. Will Cole

Use the data as a tool, not a “forever ban” list

The right takeaway isn’t “avoid everything,” it’s “work the plan.” Cole frames these labs to guide targeted changes while addressing the root drivers of reactivity. “It is a helpful diagnostic tool because you could eat clean and be gluten-free but still create this inflammatory cascade for your body,” Cole explains. That’s your cue to support the gut, clean up exposures, and track what changes—in other words, don’t eliminate without observation.

Practically, that looks like small, intentional steps instead of sweeping rules. Swap where it makes sense, stack habits that calm the system (such as sleep, stress management, and movement), and give your body time to respond. The ultimate goal is to feel better and expand your enjoyment.

When to retest (and what progress can look like)

Progress isn’t guesswork. Suppose things aren’t working out as planned after the changes. In that case, Cole advises listeners to “get retesting, [especially] if you’ve been actively working on your gut health,” and if you’ve also addressed things like mold, bacteria, or other environmental triggers. Retesting confirms whether your immune system is stabilizing and which foods can be reintroduced to your rotation.

Think of it as a feedback loop: test, apply support, retest, adjust. It’s measured, it’s patient, and it keeps you out of all-or-nothing thinking.

@drwillcole Avocado showing up on your food sensitivity test? 🥑 It might not be permanent. In this AMA, I explain how to reintroduce reactive foods, the science on hydrogen-rich water, and the surprising truth about “natural flavors.” 🎧 Full episode at the link in my bio. #ArtofBeingWell #AskMeAnything #DrWillCole ♬ original sound – Dr. Will Cole

What to keep in mind before your next grocery run

Food sensitivity tests can be grounding instead of terrifying when you hold them the way Cole suggests. Treat the report as a snapshot, pair it with your real-life signals, and make changes that support your whole system. If gluten cross-reactivity shows up, that’s not a personality flaw—it’s a clue. Use it.

And if your list looks longer than you’d like, remember that the story isn’t over. With targeted support and time, many people widen their menu again. The win is a calmer body and a kitchen that feels like home.