Lifestyle Medicine Archives - Page 2 of 25

Summer, the Fire Element & Heart Balance in Chinese Medicine

August 19, 2026

Acupuncture, Dr SG, Functional and Integrative Medicine, Health Hints, Healthy Life, Lifestyle, Lifestyle Medicine, Massage & Bodywork

By: Dr. Scott Greenapple Greenapple Acupuncture / Qi Gong / Meditation / Electro-Medical Acupuncture / Functional Sports Medicine / Dry Needling Thrive Carolinas Functional and Integrative Medical Summer is the season of expansion. The days are longer, the sun is stronger, and nature is in full bloom. In Chinese Medicine, summer is associated with the Fire element, the Heart, joy, connection, movement, warmth, and the full expression of life. But, as with all things in Chinese Medicine, balance is the key. A healthy Fire element brings warmth, enthusiasm, laughter, compassion, connection, and a sense of openness. When Fire becomes excessive or unbalanced, it may show up as anxiety, restlessness, irritability, insomnia, agitation, heart palpitations, overheating, digestive upset, or feeling emotionally “scattered.” In my almost 40 years of clinical practice, combining Chinese...

Whole-food protein sources including eggs, fish, yogurt, beans and nuts compared with packaged high-protein foods.

Protein: Whole Foods vs. the “Added Protein” Trend

August 18, 2026

Dr TL, Health Hints, Healthy Eating, Healthy Life, Lifestyle, Lifestyle Medicine, Vitamins, Weight Management

Are foods with added protein as healthy as whole-food protein sources? Foods with added protein can help increase daily protein intake, but they are not necessarily as nutrient-dense as whole foods. Eggs, fish, poultry, dairy, beans, lentils, tofu, and other whole-food protein sources provide protein along with vitamins, minerals, healthy fats, fiber, and other beneficial nutrients. By Tracy Larson, MD Protein intake has been a major focus over the past few years, driven largely by the surge in GLP-1 weight-loss medications and shifts in how we think about aging and metabolic health. The goals of preventing muscle loss during significant weight loss and preserving muscle as we age have made protein a higher priority. Proteins are large, complex molecules that play critical roles in almost every process within the...

The Lost Art of Letter Writing

August 17, 2026

Dr NP, Health Hints, Healthy Life, Lifestyle, Lifestyle Medicine

By: Dr. Nancy Palermo “A letter does not have to be eloquent. It does not have to be long. It doesn’t even need to be sent. It simply needs to be real.” — Ronda Beaman, author of A Life in Letters Our world is built on speed, efficiency, multitasking, and producing work with very little thought. Letter writing, however, is wonderfully inefficient. It is slow, intentional, and thought-provoking for both the writer and the recipient. Writing a letter forces us to slow down and be present. It encourages us to reflect on why we are writing and carefully consider the thoughts and emotions we want to express. In doing so, we often organize our beliefs, process unresolved feelings, and gain clarity about experiences that have shaped us. Letters of forgiveness, sorrow,...

Healthy Grilling in 2026: How to Savor the Season Safely and Deliciously

August 17, 2026

Health Hints, Healthy Eating, Healthy Life, In The Kitchen, Lifestyle, Lifestyle Medicine

Grilling is one of the simplest pleasures of summer. It brings people together, keeps the heat out of the kitchen, and adds flavor to everything from chicken and seafood to peaches, zucchini, and corn. As we pay closer attention to where our food comes from and how it supports our health, it is also worth considering how we prepare it. Grilling can absolutely be part of a healthy lifestyle, but a few simple choices can help reduce exposure to potentially harmful compounds while also protecting your family from foodborne illness. The goal is not to give up the grill. It is to grill more thoughtfully. Key Takeaways Choose lean, minimally processed proteins and make vegetables the foundation of the meal. Use moderate heat and avoid heavily blackened, burned,...

Colorful plate of fruits and vegetables illustrating the 3-color rule and eating the rainbow

The 3-Color Rule: A Simple Way to Eat the Rainbow

August 11, 2026

Dr NP, Health Hints, Healthy Eating, Healthy Life, Lifestyle, Lifestyle Medicine

What is the 3-color rule for eating? The 3-color rule encourages you to include at least three different colors of plant foods in a meal. Different colors often provide different vitamins, minerals, fiber, and phytonutrients, helping increase plant diversity and support gut health, heart health, immunity, and overall nutrition. It seems many people now look to social media for health information and recommendations. We have heard everything from Proteinmaxxing to Fibermaxxing, and now one of the newest trends is the 3-color rule. Many of these trends begin with science-backed ideas, but social media has a way of pushing recommendations to the extreme. Some of the people sharing this advice have no medical background and are simply trying to attract followers. Overdoing protein or fiber, for example, can lead...

An athlete performing a bodyweight core exercise on a yoga mat, showcasing a daily core workout at home

The Return of the Presidential Awards: Abdominal & Core Work

June 23, 2026

Blog, Exercise, Fitness, Health Hints, Healthy Life, Lifestyle Medicine, Nancy's articles

What are the benefits of daily core exercises? Daily core exercises help improve balance, posture, stability, and athletic performance while reducing the risk of lower back pain and injury. Strengthening the abdominal and core muscles also supports healthy aging, mobility, and overall fitness. By Nancy A. Palermo, MD Summer is here, and many of us will be showing off our abs. Of course, we want to feel more confident and look good, but having a strong core goes beyond showing off the six-pack. Having a strong core is important for balance and stability, and most sports and physical activities depend on it. Core exercises can help to define your abdominal muscles, but optimizing your diet is paramount if you want them to be more defined. Strong core muscles...

Why You Need to Pay Attention to Body Composition

June 15, 2026

Comprehensive Lab & Diagnostic Tests, Healthy Life, Lifestyle, Lifestyle Medicine

By Nancy A. Palermo, MD Recent research continues to highlight the importance of strength training for health and longevity. As we learn more about the role of muscle in metabolic health and chronic disease prevention, it becomes clear that building and maintaining muscle should be a key part of any wellness plan. However, as we build muscle, we can no longer rely solely on the scale to measure progress. The weight we have been striving for may be far less meaningful than our overall body composition. What Is Body Composition? Body composition refers to the percentages of fat mass and lean mass that make up your total body weight. Fat mass includes: Subcutaneous fat (the fat beneath your skin) Visceral fat (the fat surrounding your organs) Lean mass includes: Skeletal muscle ...

Medical illustration or graphic explaining the shift from PCOS to PMOS and what it means for hormone health at Thrive Carolinas

PCOS Has a New Name: What PMOS Means for Women’s Health

June 9, 2026

Dr AF-Functional Medicine, Healthy Life, Lifestyle, Lifestyle Medicine

Written by: Dr. Amy Fletcher Edited by: Thrive Carolinas For years, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, commonly known as PCOS, has been one of the most common yet misunderstood hormone conditions affecting women. Now, the condition has a new name: Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome, or PMOS. While the name may sound more complicated at first, the change is meant to make the condition easier to understand and more accurately describe what is really happening in the body. PCOS was never just about ovarian cysts. In fact, many women with the condition do not have true ovarian cysts at all. The older name often led people to think of PCOS as only a reproductive or gynecologic condition. But we now understand that this condition affects multiple systems in the body, including hormones,...

A serene natural setting or wellness graphic illustrating mindfulness, clinical hypnosis, and Qi Gong practices at Thrive Carolinas

The Mind-Body Approach to Health: Hypnosis, Mindfulness, Qi Gong, and the Gut Brain Connection:

May 20, 2026

Dr SG, Health, Health Hints, Healthy Eating, Healthy Life, Lifestyle, Lifestyle Medicine

By: Dr. Scott Greenapple We are consciously aware of only a small portion of what the mind-body system is processing. Much of our behavior is shaped by automatic, subconscious patterns. This is one of the key ideas behind mind-body healing. The body is constantly responding to signals beneath the surface: stress, breath patterns, emotional memory, muscle tension, digestive reactivity, and whether the nervous system feels safe or threatened. That is why practices such as hypnosis, mindfulness, and Qi Gong can be so helpful. They do not simply ask us to “think positive.” They help the nervous system experience calm, safety, and regulation. The Gut-Brain Connection The gut and brain are in constant communication. This is especially important with conditions such as IBS, where the digestive system can become highly...

Why Sleep Isn’t Optional: The Health Consequences of Poor Sleep

May 11, 2026

Blog, Functional and Integrative Medicine, Health Hints, Healthy Life, Lifestyle, Lifestyle Medicine

Published: March 25, 2025 Updated: May 12, 2026 A Thrive Perspective on the Science of Rest In today’s busy, tech-filled world, sleep is often seen as optional, something we sacrifice in the name of productivity. But science tells a different story. Poor sleep isn’t just an inconvenience; it has serious health consequences. According to the CDC, over 50–70 million Americans experience sleep disturbances, and 1 in 3 adults don’t get enough sleep. On average, we’re sleeping 25% less than 70 years ago, and the impact is showing up in our physical, emotional, and cognitive health. Physical Health Risks of Poor Sleep Lack of adequate sleep is strongly associated with: Obesity Diabetes Cardiovascular disease Hypertension Regularly getting less than 6 hours of sleep per night increases your risk of heart disease significantly. A long-term Harvard...

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Summer, the Fire Element & Heart Balance in Chinese Medicine

Protein: Whole Foods vs. the “Added Protein” Trend

The Lost Art of Letter Writing

Healthy Grilling in 2026: How to Savor the Season Safely and Deliciously

The 3-Color Rule: A Simple Way to Eat the Rainbow

The Return of the Presidential Awards: Abdominal & Core Work

Why You Need to Pay Attention to Body Composition

PCOS Has a New Name: What PMOS Means for Women’s Health

The Mind-Body Approach to Health: Hypnosis, Mindfulness, Qi Gong, and the Gut Brain Connection:

Why Sleep Isn’t Optional: The Health Consequences of Poor Sleep

Where is a Patient to Go? Planning Unplanned Medical Care

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Monday Motivation: Garlic & Gut Health

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