Optimal Health Hickory

03/15/2026

Goooood morning! 💚☀️🌅

03/15/2026

Get outside & get some steps in 💚
The weather is perfect!

03/14/2026

Parasites:

We get asked a lot about parasites. Apparently there are a lot of podcasts, social media platforms, and even regional practices that communicate that the majority of Americans have parasites.

Maybe this is true, maybe this is not. We are not in the business of guessing and when someone does not have overt symptoms of a parasite infestation, such as prolonged chronic diarrhea, maybe better to test than guess.

While parasite cleanses can be a relatively benign process, using herbal formulations, or even something like mebendazole or ivermectin, it is unlikely the majority of the American population has parasitic infestation.

We have testing for that, with several different laboratory companies that provide a comprehensive stool analysis including genetic PCR testing as well as direct visualization for parasites.

If this is something you want to know about, and prefer confirmation rather than empirically treating, we can help you with this. The testing provides confirmation not only of clinical infection, but also of subclinical infestation, which can contribute to leaky gut, systemic inflammation, and various generalized symptoms. Even autoimmune conditions and neurologic disorders can be affected by this.

03/14/2026

I prepped a bunch of meals yesterday for a busy fun weekend coming up. This made it so easy to grab a healthy wholesome breakfast this morning instead of eating junk while out and about. It took me about 30 minutes yesterday to prep everything then I just stuck it in the oven. It was delicious this morning and tasted so much better than fast food!

03/14/2026

What if your hormonal symptoms and conditions are not really a gynecologic problem, but rather just symptoms manifesting in the female reproductive organs as well as other organs throughout the body? 🤔

03/14/2026

The distinctions in the approach to prevention of heart disease are not subtle.

While the treatment of an acute cardiac event (heart catheterization for a heart attack) or severe and advanced coronary atherosclerosis (bypass surgery) are important medical or surgical therapies that can be life saving, the goal should always be to prevent the need for this, or prevent progression to another event in the future.

It is this prevention strategy where conventional medicine fails horribly. The approach of medical treatment to lower cholesterol has done little to alter the course of heart disease. It fails to recognize the underlying root causes that are contributing to the disease. While things could certainly be done in combination, using medication if needed or desired, but with an Integrative medical approach that addresses the root causes, this is not the case for the majority of people.

Placing our hope in the pharmaceutical industry and traditional medical therapies to prevent a heart attack or stroke is misguided and falls far short of success.

We are very fortunate to have the technology and specialists we have to save our lives, but they are not good on the prevention side of the equation.

03/11/2026

Testosterone & Women’s Health: A Functional Medicine Perspective

Testosterone is not just a male hormone—women rely on it for metabolic health, mood, cognition, libido, and musculoskeletal strength. During perimenopause and menopause, ovarian and adrenal androgen production declines, which may contribute to fatigue, reduced sexual desire, decreased muscle mass, and diminished sense of well-being.

In carefully selected patients, physiologic low-dose testosterone therapy may help support:

• Sexual function and libido• Energy and motivation• Cognitive clarity and mood stability• Lean muscle mass and metabolic health• Bone density and physical resilience

From a functional medicine perspective, hormone optimization does not occur in isolation. Insulin resistance and chronic inflammation are major disruptors of hormonal balance. Addressing these root causes through a nutrient-dense, lower-carbohydrate dietary approach, adequate protein intake, resistance training, sleep optimization, and stress management helps create the metabolic environment where hormones function best.

Careful lab assessment, individualized dosing, and ongoing monitoring are essential to maintain physiologic levels and ensure safety.

Balanced hormones begin with metabolic health, lifestyle medicine, and precision hormone therapy when appropriate.

03/11/2026

This is a hospital meal.

This is what hospitals feed their patients for breakfast.

This is inflammation, insulin resistance, metabolic dysfunction, the development of diabetes, the contribution to heart disease and dementia, a perpetuation of obesity.

Share your thoughts 🤔

03/08/2026

We’re Getting Super Pumped! 🌿

Join us for our FIRST Health & Wellness Conference:

Health & Longevity Symposium 2026
Saturday May 16th at 9am
Morganton Community House

This event will be packed with:
✨ Inspiring guest speakers
🧠 Practical health tips you can start using immediately
⏳ Powerful strategies for longevity and optimal wellness
🧬 the most current Science on what works!

Whether you’re interested in preventing disease, improving energy, optimizing hormones, or simply living better longer — this conference is for YOU. We also encourage healthcare workers to learn about functional medicine!

🎁 Bonus: The first 50 attendees will receive this Organic Herringbone Jute Swag bag filled with extra wellness goodies!

Come learn, connect, and take steps toward your best health yet.

📍 Morganton, NC
📅 Stay tuned for speaker announcements and event details!

03/05/2026

Getting some steps in! 💚

02/18/2026

Yes you can! 💚

Here is a great success story from one of our patients. She is in her 50s but has no intention of slowing down and can do more now than she has in the past. Personal Records are still achievable. Never discount your body's abilities in when you provide it with what it needs.

"Oh my goodness -- thank you for fixing me (again). I am not where I want to be, weight- and body-wise, yet. But last night I deadlifted 200 #, the most I have lifted since around 2016. -- I had a 20-minute workout with rows and burpees -- I actually got faster as the workout progressed -- that is incredible. I am able to ride longer, my stamina is finally building, I don't feel like I am going to crash on the floor every afternoon at 2:00, and it is all thanks to you and all your knowledge and guidance. Thanks so much for being you and doing what you do!"

02/18/2026

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is not a benign condition, and can progress to more serious forms, including cirrhosis.

This condition is a result of insulin resistance, which is contributed to by dietary factors, toxin exposures, chronic stress, and chronic inflammation.

It can be compounded by other factors including certain medications, like tylenol, and if someone develops non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and does drink alcohol, this amplifies the degree of damage.

When I first started practicing medicine, this was an uncommon finding. There was an occasional reading on an ultrasound or a CT scan of fatty liver. Today, upwards of 30% of these Imaging studies have identified fatty liver.

•••

NAFLD → NASH → Cirrhosis:

NAFLD can progress to a more severe form called non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), which includes inflammation and fibrosis:
About 20–25% of people with NAFLD develop NASH.

Among those with NASH (the subtype that actually scars), about 20–26% may progress to cirrhosis over roughly 8 years.

Severity matters:
People with advanced fibrosis/NASH have markedly higher risks of progression than those with simple steatosis.

Some studies note that an estimated 10–15% of patients with NASH develop cirrhosis over time.