The Power of Daily Habits: Dr Greg Brannon Of Optimal Bio On How Small Health Changes Can Lead to Big Results
An interview with Dr. Bharat Sangani
Restoring your hormones. The environment has crushed our neuroendocrine system. We’re now working with hormone levels that are much lower than in previous generations. However, we’re still asked to do an immense amount of things. We’re doing more with less, which can lead to more health problems and chronic diseases.
When it comes to health and wellness, small, consistent changes often have the most profound impact. Daily habits, whether in nutrition, exercise, mindfulness, or sleep, can accumulate to create lasting transformations. In this series, we aim to explore the power of small, intentional actions and how they can lead to big health results over time. As a part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Gregory J Brannon.
Dr. Gregory J Brannon is a surgeon, public figure, and founder of the leading Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT) practice Optimal Bio where he oversees nine offices across the South. In addition to his current role as Physician and Medical Director at Optimal Bio, Brannon uses over 30 years of medical experience to educate others on taking ownership of their health. Dr. Brannon is the author of Amazon Best-Seller “Restore” which published in March 2024, and the 2020 published book, “The Hormone Handbook: Optimizing Your Health Through Bioidentical Hormones.”
Prior to spending 30 years as a successful private practice OBGYN in Cary, NC, Dr. Brannon completed his medical residency at University of Southern California Women’s Hospital, Los Angeles, and then served as assistant professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at University of North Carolina School of Medicine, with work at Wake Area Health Education Center. Brannon’s OB/GYN experience sparked his interest in hormones and how they work within the body. Impressed and inspired by his experience with BHRT, Brannon opened Optimal Bio in Cary, NC in 2012. Optimal Bio is a BHRT practice dedicated to bringing people’s bodies back to the optimal levels they were initially designed to maintain.
Thank you so much for your time! I know that you are a very busy person. Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your ‘backstory’ and how you got started?
My mother’s deep passion for education shaped my upbringing and was a driving force in my life from an early age. She instilled the value of education, always encouraging us to aim high. As a single mom to two boys, life wasn’t always easy, but we had each other to depend on throughout my childhood. My dream was to attend the University of Southern California and become a physician, a goal that became a reality when I earned a scholarship to USC. I completed both my undergraduate studies and medical residency. However, I faced a setback when I was not initially accepted into medical school after college graduation. In retrospect, I know I was neither mature nor prepared enough for the challenge of medical school. That year became a period of reflection. I took time to evaluate my life and my future. I became more determined than ever to achieve my goal of becoming a doctor. After applying once again, I was successfully accepted to medical school. During the first year of medical school, students study seven core subjects, I dedicated myself to mastering those topics. My mother’s words, “Read it, write it, and say it,” Her words became my guiding mantra. My mother encouraged us to dream big and pursue our goals without limits, a mindset that empowered me to reach for the impossible. After medical school graduation, and completing my medical residency, I served as an assistant professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. I was privileged to have a thriving private practice OB GYN practice in Cary, NC, for 30 wonderful years. My OB GYN experience sparked my interest in hormones and how they work within the body. In 2012, I opened Optimal Bio, a Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy center dedicated to returning people’s bodies to the optimal levels they were initially designed to maintain.
None of us can achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person that you are grateful for, who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?
My wife, Jody, has been my greatest source of encouragement throughout my adult life. We met at the beginning of medical school and never looked back. To maintain our communication with a busy business and family life, we committed to strive to share either lunch or dinner together daily, Jody continuously inspires me and never considers anything too big of a mountain to overcome. She’s my supporter, an incredibly grateful person and a wonderful mom of our seven children. Jody and I have been a team for almost 40 years.
You are a successful leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
Being a servant leader is the most important thing to be a successful leader. If you simply bark out orders, you won’t accomplish anything. You have to lead by action, study hard, have the answers and not be afraid to do dirty work; that’s how you lead. It’s easier to get respect from people by leading from the front line rather than from the back. Also, it’s essential to listen and empower others, giving them the freedom to fail and grow and learn from our failures. Our goal is to succeed as a t
Can you share a small health habit you adopted that had an unexpectedly large impact on your physical or mental well-being? What inspired you to make that change?
As Dr. Attia has said, four important habits are to sleep, eat, exercise and remove stress. The fifth habit that I’ve added and believe in is to restore, specifically, your hormones. You can’t sleep, eat, exercise or remove stress without the proper hormone balance. Therefore, Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT) is the cornerstone and foundation of overall health. If your hormones are out of whack, you can’t be healthy. With proper hormones, you can sleep better, work out better (since you have optimal testosterone) and eat better (with the right metabolic rate).
What advice would you give to someone who struggles with consistency? How can they build daily habits without becoming overwhelmed?
Although we are not perfect, having a plan is often helpful in achieving goals. The key is to get started. You may not want to work out, start slowly with a few minutes. You may not want to read a book but start with a page. Focus on doing things that enhance you. Don’t beat yourself up for missing a day; go back to the basics. A house can not be constructed without a foundation, Make sure your foundation is built and solid. Identify your priorities and ensure they’re included; then, you’ll be free to pursue other life goals and interests. Accomplishing one thing on a list of ten is far more meaningful than accomplishing nothing on a list of one hundred. You have to go live life. Just like in sports, you practice the fundamentals and then play. That’s the way you should live.
How do you identify which habits are worth focusing on, and which might not provide meaningful results? Do you use any specific frameworks or tracking methods?
Focus on what is good and trustworthy, and avoid what’s bad and evil. I believe it’s really that simple. We inherently know what’s good for ourselves and others; we must trust our instincts. The golden rule is important: treat others the way you wish to be treated. In medicine, it’s simple for me; when I was an OBGYN and surgeon, I asked myself, would I do this procedure on my wife? If the answer was no, I wouldn’t do it on someone else. Trust your gut, focus on what’s good and commit to creating those habits that align with your values.
Can you explain how compounding benefits work when it comes to daily health habits? Have you experienced any surprising long-term transformations from seemingly small changes?
The key is to get started. Say you can only do one push-up today; if you get started, you’ll be able to do ten before you know it. You don’t build companies, businesses, homes or anything without a foundation. The foundation is key and built one day at a time. The compound effect is powerful; with continuous effort, you begin to see progress in your relationships, habits, work, health and more. At the end of the day, it’s not about the end result; it’s about enjoying the journey. The byproduct and the benefits are logarithmic, and that’s important to understand. These little things, over time, build up into a great thing. I also believe that society is at its best when individuals can be their best selves. We need to give people the freedom to fail and succeed. When we break the status quo, we take the leap forward. In every aspect of life, we need to push the boundaries. The first step to do so is to start.
What are “5 Health Habits That Lead to Great Results ”?
- Eating healthy. One tip for improving your eating habits is to intermittently fast. It can increase testosterone by 1300%; thus, planning your meals within a 6–8 hour window during the day allows for the best means of natural testosterone production. It also regulates appetite control hormones, stabilizes blood sugar levels and decreases inflammation. Adding nutrient-dense ingredients, prioritizing protein, and not fearing fatty foods are also important. Proteins are life’s building blocks, and both proteins and dietary fats play a crucial role in hormone production and regulation. Lastly, many people are deficient in the essential vitamins and minerals their bodies need, so starting your day with supplements like Vitamin D, Omega-3 fatty acids, magnesium, zinc and probiotics helps set you up for success. These supplements can improve your hormonal health, enhance sleep quality and maintain a healthy gut balance.
- Sleeping. Proper sleep each night is also important. Restorative sleep is imperative for the body to build its cortisol reserve effectively, while a lack of sleep can lead to hormonal imbalance. Ways to enhance sleep include exercising, taking supplements, keeping your bedroom dark at night and avoiding screen time before bed.
- Exercising. Adding daily movement into your life, even as simple as a morning walk, can release endorphins and put you in a better headspace. I recommend working out 3–4 times per week and working out in the morning to start the day off right. It’s also important to spend time outside as the negative ions in nature are very calming. Lastly, listen to your body; do and eat what makes you feel best, focusing on whole foods, hydrating, movement, limiting processed foods and fasting.
- Relieving stress. Although it can be difficult to remove stress altogether, we can use it to our advantage. Short-term versus chronic stress is very different. Finding some discipline in a routine can be helpful to keep yourself from prolonging a stressful season into a lifestyle. It’s also important to practice mental and physical health consistently. Our minds are muscles, and to process stress effectively, we must train them. For me, this means ensuring that my BHRT is up to date and at the right dosage so my hormones are at the optimal level to avoid any brain fog, headaches and anxiety. Lastly, avoid constant stimulation from phones, which can negatively affect how our brains process emotions. Finding device-less activities, like a walk to appreciate the outdoors, helps start your day on a calmer, more stable foundation. Overall, It’s important to focus on balance; too much of anything can affect your mental state. Lean into the joys of life; balance that with incorporating movement for endorphins and non-processed foods to nourish your body and mind.
- Restoring your hormones. The environment has crushed our neuroendocrine system. We’re now working with hormone levels that are much lower than in previous generations. However, we’re still asked to do an immense amount of things. We’re doing more with less, which can lead to more health problems and chronic diseases.
What role does mindset play in forming new habits? How do you maintain motivation when the results aren’t immediately visible?
Our mindset plays a huge role in forming new habits. Throughout life, we need to focus on the good things and whatever we want to do, do. If you have to question whether something is good or not, it’s not good. The key is to find things that help you, your family and your business. Maintain the mindset, “Today, I’m going to do it.” The bottom line is that you have to start today with a new journey and keep moving forward on that journey because today might be the only day you have. Even if you aren’t seeing immediate results, why waste a day? Nothing is guaranteed, so we should live it to the fullest.
How can our readers further follow your work?
They can check out our website, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook or LinkedIn. They can also check out my books, “The Hormone Handbook” and “Restore.”
Thank you so much for sharing these important insights. We wish you continued success and good health!
About The Interviewer: Dr. Bharat Sangani is a cardiologist and entrepreneur with over 35 years of experience, practicing in Gulfport, Mississippi, and Dallas, Texas. Board-certified in Internal Medicine and Cardiology, he specializes in diagnosing, treating, and preventing cardiovascular diseases, including heart disease and hypertension. In 1999, Dr. Sangani founded Encore Enterprises, a national real estate investment firm. Under his leadership, the company has executed transactions exceeding $2 billion, with a portfolio spanning residential, retail, hotel, and office developments. Known for his emphasis on integrity and fairness, Dr. Sangani has built Encore into a major player in the commercial real estate sector. Blending his medical and business expertise, Dr. Sangani created the Life is a Business mentorship program. The initiative offers guidance on achieving balance in health, wealth, and relationships, helping participants align personal and professional goals. Now based in Dallas, Texas, Dr. Sangani continues to practice cardiology while leading Encore Enterprises and mentoring others. His career reflects a unique blend of medical expertise, entrepreneurial spirit, and dedication to helping others thrive.
The Power of Daily Habits: Dr Greg Brannon Of Optimal Bio On How Small Health Changes Can Lead to… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.