Illuminate Functional and Lifestyle Medicine, 305 Trilith Pkwy, Suite 315, Fayetteville, GA (2025)

10/30/2025

🍂 TEAM FAVORITES: 5 Things We're Loving This October! 🍂

Our incredible team spent October sharing their favorite ways to embrace fall wellness and celebrate Women's Health Month! From immune-boosting recipes to nature therapy, from mindful gratitude to belly laughs - here's what made our list:

🎃 Lindsey, Certified Health Coach - Cozy immunity-boosting soups and spices (level up your week with cozy flavors that heal!)

🥾 Dr. Keegan Ziemba, MD - Fall hiking adventures (fresh air + movement = the ultimate reset!)

🎃 Andrea, Admin - Cozy overnight oats (pumpkin spice makes everything nice!)

💪 Dr. Jennifer Franklin, MD – 5g of Creatine daily to boost body AND min💪 Dr. Jennifer Franklin, MD – 5g of Creatine daily to boost body AND mind (brain gains + muscle gains!)

🙏 Mary Margaret Burch, FNP – Practicing gratitude for her son's success (a diagnosis doesn't define you - spread your wings and THRIVE!)

😂 Melissa Colson, PA – Laughing with her kids! (Laughter is life's best medicine. Did someone say, "6-7"? 😄)

Each team member brings unique expertise, heart, and passion to our practice - and we LOVE sharing what keeps us thriving! From appointments to the kitchen to the hiking trail, wellness looks different for everyone. 💚

What's YOUR favorite way to stay healthy this fall? Tell us below! 👇💬

10/28/2025

5 Things Our Provider Melissa Is Loving Right Now 🍂

1. Daily Self-Reflection & Weekly Praise – She's prioritizing quiet moments and gathering with friends for worship. Reflective practices and spiritual community reduce cortisol, support vagal tone, and enhance emotional resilience. Connection and contemplation are foundational to mental health.

2. Lowering Her Grocery Bill While Eating Clean – Proof that healthy eating doesn't have to break the bank! Strategic shopping, seasonal produce, and meal planning make nutrient-dense food accessible. Reducing financial stress while nourishing your body? That's a win-win for overall wellness.

3. Adding Chia Seeds Daily – These tiny powerhouses pack omega-3s, fiber, protein, and minerals. Chia seeds support gut health, stabilize blood sugar, reduce inflammation, and promote satiety. Easy to add to smoothies, oats, or yogurt for a nutritional boost.

4. Daily Walks to Reset Her Mind – Walking is one of the simplest yet most effective tools for mental clarity. It activates the parasympathetic nervous system, reduces anxiety, improves creativity, and supports lymphatic drainage. Her daily reset ritual.

5. Laughing with Her Kids – She's intentionally using inside jokes (shoutout to the numbers 6 and 7!) to create moments of joy. Laughter releases endorphins, lowers stress hormones, boosts immune function, and strengthens family bonds. Play is therapeutic!

What's something that made you laugh today? 💚

10/24/2025

5 Things Our Nurse Practitioner, Mary Margaret Burch, Is Loving Right Now 🍂

1. Early Morning Runs in Fall Weather – Morning movement in cooler temps optimizes cortisol's natural rhythm, supports circadian regulation, and boosts mitochondrial function while soaking up vitamin D.
2. Watching Her Son Thrive at GA Tech – Her son is excelling as a freshman in the EXCEL program. As a parent who's navigated the autism journey, she deeply connects with families facing this diagnosis. What often begins with fear can transform into hope – there is a path forward, and she's witnessed it firsthand.
3. Learning to Count Macros – Tracking protein, fats, and carbs optimizes energy, supports hormones, stabilizes blood sugar, and helps achieve body composition goals. Precision nutrition works.
4. Sipping Warm Hot Cocoa – Made with quality organic cacao, collagen, and minimal sugar. Raw cacao provides flavonoids and magnesium for cardiovascular health, mood support, and relaxation.
5. Reading a Proverb Every Day – Daily reflective practice reduces stress, lowers inflammation markers, and improves emotional regulation. Wisdom for soul and body.

What's supporting your wellness this season? 💚

10/23/2025

A Day of Vision & Purpose 💚

What an honor to be invited by Dan Cathy, founder and visionary of Trilith, for a special gathering alongside Trilith business owners and leaders.

At Illuminate Functional Medicine, we're blessed to practice in a community that champions creativity, innovation, and exceptional customer service. Being surrounded by leaders committed to excellence inspires us daily.

Our first core value is LOVE – and today reinforced its importance. Love isn't just a feeling; its intentional action woven into every patient interaction and every moment we show up to serve.

When you infuse love into the customer experience, everything changes. Care becomes personal. Service becomes meaningful. Community becomes family.
Thank you, Dan, and thank you, Trilith, for creating a space where vision meets values. We're honored to be part of this community. 🙏✨

10/22/2025

5 Things Dr. Franklin Is Loving Right Now 🍂

Our founding physician is embracing fall with these science-backed favorites:

1. Creatine – 5g Daily – She's prioritizing this powerhouse supplement, especially important for women. Beyond muscle support, creatine enhances cognitive function, supports bone density, improves exercise performance, and may help with mood regulation. Women often don't get adequate creatine from diet alone, making supplementation beneficial for cellular energy, brain health, and maintaining lean muscle mass as we age. Comment CREATINE to get Dr. Franklin's favorite!

2. Group Strength & Conditioning Classes – She loves the blend of functional strength training with cardio bursts in a co-ed, multi-generational environment. Beyond physical strength, she's building mental stamina by doing "hard things" and achieving new goals. The community energy, endorphins, and fist bumps? Unmatched. Group fitness reduces stress more effectively than solo workouts while boosting motivation.

3. Weekends Filled with Football! – From her boys' flag football to high school Friday nights, college Saturdays, and NFL games – she's all in. She admires the resilience and athleticism while benefiting from emotional connection and community. Plus, she's the reigning family Fantasy Football champ! Sports fandom offers psychological benefits: social connection, belonging, and stress relief.

4. DIY Facials – She's bringing the spa home with kitchen ingredients. This fall: pumpkin treatments rich in vitamins A and C, enzymes, and antioxidants that support skin cell turnover and collagen production. DIY skincare reduces toxic exposure while providing therapeutic self-care.

5. HUGS! – She's a hugger, and science backs it! Long hugs with her husband and boys, greeting friends, even strangers at games. Hugging releases oxytocin, lowers cortisol, reduces blood pressure, and supports vagal tone. Physical touch is essential for nervous system regulation.

What's bringing you joy this season? 💚

10/20/2025

5 Things Our Amazing Admin Is Loving Right Now 🍂

Andrea is the glue that holds us all together. Not only is she a rockstar in all things administration, her love for our patients and team members shines through every day!

Here’s how she is embracing fall with these wellness-focused favorites:

1. Fresh, Cool Air – Windows Open & Morning Sweatshirts – She's taking advantage of cooler temperatures for natural ventilation and that crisp morning air. Cold exposure, even mild, can support mitochondrial function and boost brown adipose tissue activity. Plus, fresh air circulation improves indoor air quality and supports respiratory health.

2. Intentional Gratitude Practice – She's deliberately focusing on what she's grateful for each day. Research shows gratitude practices reduce cortisol, improve heart rate variability, and support vagal tone. This simple mindfulness tool is one of the most powerful (and free!) interventions for nervous system regulation.

3. Pumpkin Overnight Crockpot Steel Cut Oats – Starting the day with fiber-rich steel cut oats provides sustained energy and supports healthy blood sugar balance. Pumpkin adds beta-carotene, potassium, and additional fiber – all beneficial for gut health and metabolic function. The slow-cook method also makes the oats easier to digest.

4. Fresh Organic Pears – Pears are loaded with soluble and insoluble fiber, supporting digestive health and acting as prebiotics for beneficial gut bacteria. Choosing organic reduces pesticide exposure, which is especially important for hormonal and immune health.

5. Volunteering – She's giving back through Fayette Education Foundation, Crabapple Lane, church, and local campaigns. Community engagement and purpose-driven activities reduce inflammation markers, support longevity, and boost mental health. Social connection is truly medicine!

Join Andrea in focusing on gratitude. What is one thing you are thankful for? Let us know in the comments below!

10/17/2025

Our very own, Dr. Keegan Ziemba, MD, is finding powerful ways to optimize health this season. Here's what brings her joy and energy right now:

1. Fall Colors – She's prioritizing time outdoors to observe seasonal changes, which supports circadian rhythm regulation and vitamin D synthesis. Natural light exposure is crucial for hormonal balance, mood regulation, and immune function.

2. Lifting Heavy Weights – Dr. Ziemba emphasizes that resistance training is one of the most powerful interventions for metabolic health. It improves insulin sensitivity, supports bone density, stimulates growth hormone production, and builds lean muscle mass – essential for healthy aging and glucose metabolism.

3. Apple Picking – She loves that apples are rich in quercetin, a powerful flavonoid with anti-inflammatory and antihistamine properties. They're also an excellent source of soluble fiber (pectin), which supports gut health and feeds beneficial bacteria in the microbiome.

4. Hiking – Beyond cardiovascular benefits, she appreciates how time in nature reduces cortisol levels and supports parasympathetic nervous system activation. Studies show that forest bathing increases natural killer cell activity, enhancing immune function for days after exposure.

5. Warm Spices – She's using therapeutic spices daily: cinnamon for blood sugar regulation, ginger for digestive support and anti-inflammatory benefits, turmeric for its powerful curcumin content, and cardamom for its antioxidant properties. These aren't just flavor enhancers – they're functional foods that support multiple metabolic pathways.

What evidence-based practices are you focusing on this season?

10/15/2025

5 THINGS OUR CERTIFIED HEALTH COACH, LINDSEY IS LOVING RIGHT NOW

In functional medicine, we talk a lot about what supports health—but it's not always complicated. Sometimes it's the small, intentional choices that add up. Here are 5 things bringing our certified health coach, Lindsey, joy and energy lately:

1️⃣ Cinnamon in my coffee – A sprinkle of warmth, flavor, and blood sugar balance in every cup
2️⃣ Weighted vest walks – Adding 10-20 pounds has transformed my walks into bone-building, metabolism-boosting movement
3️⃣ 7 hours of sleep each night – Non-negotiable. My brain, hormones, and mood thank me every single day
4️⃣ Friday night high school football games with friends – Community, fresh air, and pure fun. Connection matters for health just as much as nutrition does
5️⃣ Making a weekly soup for my lunches – Sunday soup prep means nourishing, ready-to-go meals all week. Current favorite? Stuffed Pepper Soup

Health isn't just labs and supplements—it's also the rhythms and rituals that make us feel ALIVE.

Over the next few weeks, our team will be sharing their own "5 Things" lists. Because healthy living looks different for everyone, and we can all learn from each other.
What's one thing YOU'RE loving right now that supports your wellbeing? 💚

10/01/2025

October is Women's Health Month, and we're celebrating YOU - our amazing female patients!

Our team of female providers fights for optimal health and wellness for all patients, but this month we want to especially honor the incredible women in our community. You are mothers, professionals, caregivers, and warriors who deserve healthcare providers who truly listen and dig deep to find root causes.

To every woman who's been told "your labs are normal" while feeling far from normal - we see you. Your symptoms are real, your concerns matter, and you deserve answers.

This October, let's prioritize YOUR health. Because when women thrive, everyone thrives.

Here's to strong women - may we know them, may we be them, may we heal them.

Illuminate Functional and Lifestyle Medicine

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