Family Medicine/Lifestyle Medicine MD
Plant-based diets & deprescribing
Longevity & chronic disease prevention
Wife & mother of 5 Health & Wellness Website
12/29/2025
As we step into a new year, it's natural to think about our aspirations and what we want to achieve. But often, we get caught up in the “what” (the end goal) and forget the “how” (the behavior change).
Instead of just setting resolutions like “lose weight” or “get a promotion,” let's shift our focus to the actionable behaviors that will get us there.
For instance, instead of “lose weight,” commit to “preparing healthy meals 5 times a week” or “walking 30 minutes daily.”
Instead of “get a promotion,” resolve to “learn a new skill for 1 hour every day” or “schedule daily time for networking.”
What behavior change are you committing to in the new year?
Share your commitments below and let's inspire each other to build sustainable habits that lead to lasting results!
Dr. Beth
12/27/2025
Health outcomes don’t come from headlines.
They don’t come from campaign promises, culture wars, or the policy of the week either.
They come from daily habits: what people are realistically able to eat, how much time they have to move, whether their environment supports sleep, and how stressed they are trying to survive modern life.
If we want better health outcomes, the conversation has to go beyond media and politics and instead start addressing the environment and systems that dictate our choices.
What’s one system-level change that would actually make healthy habits more attainable?
12/25/2025
Santa came!!!
We generally stick to whole foods in the house - steel cut oats 🥣 for breakfast or whole wheat pancakes 🥞.
And limit processed foods, especially those with added sugars or oils.
Nutrition is about patterns, not perfection… and Christmas morning is about joy. 😊
12/25/2025
Happy holidays from the Motley Crew! 🎅 🎄
12/22/2025
In my early 20s, I used to buy cheap red wine by the case so I could get the 10% discount.
What I didn’t account for was that when evening rolled around, I was far more likely to have a glass on any given night. Not because I needed it, but because it was there.
That was a big lesson in Lifestyle Medicine. Willpower matters far less than environment.
And also a lesson for my tight finances at the time… 10% off doesn’t mean you are spending less money on wine!
If alcohol is easy, visible, and abundant, we have it more. If it’s less convenient, that often changes the decision.
Health isn’t just about “making better choices.”
It’s about shaping your environment so better choices happen naturally.
👉 What’s one small change you could make to your environment that would support the habits you’re trying to buildog
12/20/2025
Morning gingerbread cookies!
We always get up super early and need an activity to do before the sun is up! ☀️
They’re a little thick… I should’ve rolled the dough a little more. Maybe I’ll get it right next year!
12/19/2025
Lifestyle Medicine focuses on six foundational pillars that work together to improve health, prevent disease, and often reduce the need for medications:
- A whole-food, plant-predominant eating
- Regular physical activity
- Restorative sleep
- Stress management
- Avoiding risky substances
- Meaningful relationships and social connection
Most people don’t struggle with all six. There’s usually one that feels the most challenging.
Which of these feels most difficult for you in your current stage of life? What steps are you taking to work on it?
12/18/2025
We tend to think about alcohol in very binary terms. You either have a problem… or you don’t.
But in real life, there’s a large gray zone in between.
A lot of people I see wouldn’t consider themselves “alcoholics.” They’re high functioning, successful. They’re not drinking every day.
And yet the alcohol may be catching up to them. Worsening reflux, poor sleep, increased anxiety, stubborn, weight gain, or elevated blood pressure. Or needing a PPI for reflux, or a sleep aid, or “something for the nerves”.
You don’t need a label to get curious. You don’t need to hit a rock bottom to experiment with change.
Sometimes the question isn’t “Do I have a problem with alcohol?” It’s simply: “Is alcohol still working for me?”
It’s a powerful question. Have you ever taken a break from alcohol? How did your body respond?
12/17/2025
Black & Green Olive Tapenade (Plant-Based & Flavor-Packed!)
A perfect addition to your holiday menu! Love this as an alternative to the usual hummus appetizer. Although I still love hummus. 😋
From Pick Up Limes
Ingredients
• 1 cup Kalamata olives
• 1 cup green olives
• ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes
• 1 Tbsp capers
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 Tbsp fresh basil leaves
• 3 Tbsp unsalted roasted walnuts (optional)
• Juice of ½ lemon
• 1 tsp dried oregano
Directions
1. Finely mince the olives, sun-dried tomatoes, capers, garlic, basil, and walnuts (if using). Transfer to a medium bowl.
2. Add the lemon juice and oregano. Toss to combine.
3. Enjoy immediately, or cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to let the flavors meld.
Perfect on whole-grain toast, crackers, bowls, or as a veggie dip.
Enjoy!
12/16/2025
Well it’s official. Baby boy Motley ETA end of April. 🩵
Or if he’s like most of his siblings, he’ll probably be here in May.
Taking suggestions on what to name him? We are out of ideas!
12/15/2025
I was born into a stream of hand-me-downs and didn’t make my first mall visit until fifth grade.
I was at the Gap and looking at price tags. I couldn’t believe that a kids XS shirt was the same price as the L shirt… surely the L should be more expensive because it required more fabric, right?
It was my first glimpse into a world that often doesn’t make sense.
It turns out price doesn’t necessarily reflect quality or value.
I see this misconception constantly in healthcare.
Patients spending a lot of money on extensive labs, long supplement lists, private care, believing that higher cost automatically means better outcomes.
But better health rarely comes from what you can buy.
It comes from changing the system your body is operating in: how you eat, move, sleep, manage stress, and connect with others.
The highest-impact interventions are often the least expensive, and the least flashy.
Have you ever spent a lot of money on a healthcare intervention that didn’t make you any healthier? On the other hand, have you made some low budget changes to your life that have made a major impact on your health? 👇
12/13/2025
Slots are going fast! Depending on demand, I may be able to open additional sessions.
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I am a Family Medicine/Lifestyle Medicine physician with Greenville Health System in Greenville, SC. Originally from Acton, MA, I was a figure skater growing up, and became interested in nutrition as a means of optimizing performance. I then moved on to study biomedical engineering at University of Virginia. It wasn’t until my medical training that I made nutrition my main focus, and dedicated my elective time to working with various Lifestyle Medicine doctors around the U.S., including John McDougall MD, Neal Barnard MD, Ron Weiss MD, and Caldwell Esselstyn MD. After these experiences, I had no doubt that Lifestyle Medicine is the key to addressing our chronic disease. I thought I was giving up engineering when I switched to medicine, but in fact, Lifestyle Medicine is engineering. We are reframing the question. Rather than asking “how do we treat the symptoms?”, we must ask why the disease state developed in the first place, our root cause analysis. I am a clinical assistant professor at USC School of Medicine Greenville, a leader of the Lifestyle Medicine Education Collaborative, and an active member of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine.
WHAT IS LIFESTYLE MEDICINE?
Lifestyle Medicine is the medical subspecialty focused on using lifestyle modalities to prevent and reverse chronic disease. Why, today, is healthcare so focused on "controlling" disease and treating symptoms, rather than addressing the root cause of disease, and reversing the process entirely? Heart disease, diabetes, and cancer are all prime examples. Lifestyle changes - in particular, a move to a more plant-based diet - are far more powerful than any pharmacotherapy for managing chronic disease and ensuring long term health. We don't "need more research"; we need to start applying what we already know to our communities.
WHAT IS A WHOLE FOODS PLANT-BASED DIET?
“Whole foods” means unprocessed or minimally processed foods, as they exist in nature, i.e. single-ingredient foods. Strict individuals will avoid added salt, sugar, and oil as well.
“Plant-based” in its broadest interpretation means >95% of calories coming from plant-based foods: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes. However, most individuals who follow a plant-based diet aim for 100% in order to maximize potential health benefits.
This diet has been shown to prevent, slow, and in many cases reverses chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis, arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis, etc.
APPOINTMENTS
Dual board certified in Family Medicine and Lifestyle Medicine, with a focus on dietary prevention and reversal of disease. If interested in the latter, please specify that you are a "Lifestyle Medicine" patient when calling.
GHS Greenville Family Medicine
2A Cleveland Ct.
Greenville, SC 29607
We accept insurance. Appointments: 864-271-7761, option 1.
