What is Autophagy?

By Mila McManus, M.D.

What in the world is aah-TAAH-fuh-jee you ask? “Auto” means self and “phagy” means eat. Thus the literal meaning is “self-eating”. It is the natural way that the body cleans out accumulated debris, including toxins and damaged cellular components, to make way for regeneration of newer, healthier cells. Autophagy takes place in every cell, except for red blood cells.

We have trillions of cells in the body that carry out numerous tasks. Some give the body shape and form; others take in nutrients from food. Some make energy while others are disposing of waste. Cells build proteins and provide your brain with information. As they perform all of these duties, they suffer some damage. Overall cellular function suffers when the damaged, impaired cells and cellular components are in the way. This is the aging process we experience in life at the cellular level. Damage leads to disease, and eventually to death. There is good news……

Autophagy is the process through which the body works toward self-healing, wherein your healthy cells devour damaged and non-functioning cells. The devoured cell parts can be used for energy, as well as for building blocks to create new cells, proteins, etc. When autophagy is inhibited through poor diet, excessive oxidants, and inflammation, the cellular trash lingers, builds up, and perpetuates inflammation, which affects how well a cell can function, and most often leads to disease and the acceleration of the aging process.

If your goal is to stay healthy and age more slowly, pay attention to autophagy. Thankfully, there are ways to trigger, induce, and enhance autophagy, even in an aging body:

Fasting for 16 hours or more, when it is most widely agreed this is when the body begins to address cell damage via autophagy (always check with your medical provider to determine if fasting is a wise choice for you).

Protein fasting is a good alternative if you cannot go without food completely. This involves reducing protein intake 2 to 3 days a week down to 15-20 grams per day.*[1] (a raw boneless skinless chicken breast yields about 3 ounces of cooked chicken, or 21 g of protein)

Exercise (Yup, one more reason to do it!) 30 minutes a day is enough to induce the process, and any kind of exercise is fine.

Sleep quality is critical, and autophagy is most effective if you maintain a steady life rhythm for waking and retiring, eating, and exercising. Plan for 7-9 hours of sleep, getting away from electronics 2 hours before bedtime, and preparing a cool room. The fewer electronics in the bedroom, the better you will achieve deep restorative sleep and autophagy function at night.

Diet is always important for improved health. Garbage in equals an inflammatory garbage pile up, especially if you are aging faster than your body can perform autophagy! Consuming high amounts of healthy, undamaged fats, and very low carbohydrates mostly found in fresh vegetables, with moderate quantities of quality protein, will almost mimic fasting in some ways. Fewer carbs results in a metabolic state called ketosis which can trigger autophagy. (Read Triggering Autophagy through Nutrition, to learn some do’s and don’ts as well as foods that hurt or help autophagy.)

[1] There are 7 grams of protein in 1 ounce of cooked meat.

By Mila McManus MD|2020-11-10T07:31:12-06:00November 10th, 2020|General|

Triggering Autophagy through Nutrition

by Nancy Mehlert, MS

What in the world is aah-TAAH-fuh-jee you ask? “Auto” means self and “phagy” means eat. Thus the literal meaning is “self-eating”. It is the natural way that the body cleans out accumulated debris, including toxins and damaged cells, to make way for regeneration of newer, healthier cells. Read What is Autophagy? for more information.

Your dietary choices have a direct impact, for better or worse, on processes like inflammation and autophagy. There are several dietary choices we can avoid if we want to stimulate autophagy. We will describe two of the most significant here and then list food-specific do’s and don’ts.

mTOR, or the Mammalian Target of Rapamycin, is a complex protein that serves as the body’s most important nutrient pathway. When mTOR is stimulated, muscle-building is promoted. When mTOR is not stimulated, it instructs the cell to turn on the repair and maintenance processes, one of which is autophagy. Both actions are necessary. mTOR is stimulated when we eat large amounts of protein, preventing the body from effectively cleaning out debris and damaged cells. Virtually all cancers are associated with mTOR activation. When fully grown humans consume significant protein without doing adequate exercise to build additional muscle, then overstimulating the mTOR pathway becomes a very inflammatory process. Balance with protein is key. Yes we need it for essential bodily processes, but too much is harmful[i].
Insulin is a hormone that controls nutrient storage. When we eat, we secrete insulin into the bloodstream to usher nutrients into the right storage places. If there are excess carbohydrates in the diet, they are converted by insulin to fat. The lower your average insulin level, the slower the aging process. Lower insulin levels activate autophagy; high levels, especially chronically, result in inhibiting autophagy, adding to inflammation, and ultimately leading to disease and faster aging.

With these two concepts in mind, here are dietary do’s and don’ts for staying young and healthy:

Intermittent fasting even for a couple days a week for at least 16-17 hours will activate autophagy. An example of this would be to finish dinner by 7:00 p.m. and then sleep through the night not eating again until noon the next day. Water and coffee are fine during the fast.
Examine Protein Intake. Reduce daily protein intake to 15-20 grams a few days a week. Many Americans consume 8-15 or more ounces of protein every day. Six ounces of meat is equivalent to 50 g of protein, a healthy range for a person weighing about 130-135 lbs. with 25% body fat. But in order to trigger autophagy, this amount can be lowered to 15-20 grams which equates to only 2 ½ ounces of protein. Most of us could reduce significant inflammation by increasing healthy fats and vegetables and reducing our meat portions.
Examine Carbohydrate Intake. Depending on weight, age, height, metabolic rate, and health status, carbohydrate needs vary widely. With a Metabolic test, we can determine the correct carbohydrate intake for you to maintain your current weight, or lose weight.
Eat at the same time each day and avoid snacking prior to bedtime (avoid food 3 or more hours before bedtime). Sleep is not for digesting, but rather restoration, healing, cleaning (autophagy) and resetting.
Avoid sugars and processed foods, dairy, and hydrogenated oils. These foods hinder the role of your mitochondria where some autophagy occurs, diminishing their function and causing inflammation.
More good autophagy-inducing foods include curcumin, organic green tea, organic coffee, Reishi mushrooms, ginseng, garlic, pomegranate, elderberries, ginger, and cinnamon.

If you are interested in your personal ideal carbohydrate and protein needs, call (281) 298-6742 to schedule an appointment with our Staff Nutrition expert, Nancy Mehlert MS, for a Metacheck and private nutrition consultation.

[i] J.Mercola, Fat for Fuel, (Carlsbad, CA: Hay House,Inc.,2017) p. 51-52.

By Mila McManus MD|2020-11-10T08:37:42-06:00November 10th, 2020|General, NANCY’S NUTRITIONAL NUGGET|

Product of the Month: Apollo

Apollo vibrations: Responding to today’s stressful world

Information provided here is from www.apolloneuro.com

Apollo applies low frequency, inaudible waves of vibration that are demonstrated in both the lab and the real world to change the balance of our nervous systems through our sense of touch. Apollo waves bring balance to the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system and improve heart rate variability (HRV), the most reliable, non-invasive biometric of stress. It can be worn on the wrist or ankle.

Apollo vibrations feel like waves coming and going. This sensation feels natural because it is. Apollo’s modes match a natural oscillation pattern between the heart and lungs when we breathe deeply, which consistently improves HRV. Apollo has seven modes to support life’s activities:

1. Energy and Wake Up
2. Social and Open
3. Clear and Focused
4. Rebuild and Recover
5. Meditation and Mindfulness
6. Relax and Unwind
7. Sleep and Renew

When our bodies feel the rhythm of the Apollo vibrations, it is automatically recognized by the body as a soothing gentle touch, just like a friend giving you a hug on a bad day.

Preliminary findings suggest that the specific vibration patterns used in the Apollo technology increase the ability to focus and remain calm during periods of stress and that these specific vibration patterns improve the body’s ability to recover and be resilient to stress, as measured by HRV. These improvements in HRV are accompanied by proportionate improvements in cognitive and physical performance under stress. Subsequent university pilots and trials have shown that Apollo consistently improves HRV under stress within 2-3 minutes, improves athletic recovery, and supports access to meditative states.

To learn more and/or purchase Apollo, click HERE.

By Mila McManus MD|2020-10-12T16:52:16-06:00October 13th, 2020|Articles, General|

If you want to get to the root cause of your health issues…

by P.M.

“If you want to heal from the inside out, get to the root cause of your health issues and take responsibility for your health and well being, then TWIHW is the place to heal. Dr McManus and her staff are very supportive and have helped me heal from a health crisis over the last 5 months. I feel great and now know how to prevent the health pitfalls that contributed to my health issues. The services provided by TWIHW are not only restorative but empowering too!”

By Mila McManus MD|2020-10-13T07:00:27-06:00October 13th, 2020|General, Testimonials|

Why Bioidentical Hormone Therapy?

By Mila McManus, M.D.

Bio-identical hormones are hormones that are near identical to the hormones our bodies produce. This is in contrast to conventional hormone replacement therapy (a.k.a HRT) which uses synthetic hormone-like drugs, such as birth control pills and other synthetic hormones used to treat menopausal symptoms in women. One might wonder why doctors would prescribe synthetic hormones when ‘real’ hormones are available. The answer involves understanding patent laws. Nobody can patent things that already occur naturally, so you can’t patent a palm tree, and drug companies can’t patent the structure of a real hormone. Since drug companies are in the business of making money, they want to be able to protect their property with patents, so they created synthetic hormones which they could patent. These are, unfortunately, the only hormones we learn to prescribe in medical school.

Some causes of hormone imbalance include stress, sleep deprivation, vitamin deficiencies, poor dietary habits, toxins, and side effects of various medications. The list of symptoms of hormonal imbalance is long. Some symptoms include fatigue, insomnia, depressed moods, decreased mental sharpness, anxiety, PMS, post-partum depression, decreased sex drive, unexplained weight gain and inability to lose weight, low motivation, headaches, hot flashes, night sweats, and irregular menstruation.

Benefits of balancing and optimizing hormones with bio-identical hormones include improvement or resolution of the above symptoms, improvement in bone density, preservation of brain function, reduced risk for heart disease, and increased overall sense of wellbeing, to name a few. Risks are minute compared to typical HRT with synthetic hormone-like drugs. For instance, there is virtually no risk of blood clots with bio-identical progesterone, whereas synthetic progestins are well-known to heighten the risk. It’s also noteworthy to say that the Women’s Health Initiative Study that revealed an increase in the incidence of breast cancer was based solely on the use of synthetic hormones. Moreover, keep in mind that cancer is the result of a perfect storm of events, and hormones are a tiny piece of that puzzle. Other factors that are linked to cancer that people tend to ignore are stress, sleep deprivation, poor dietary habits, vitamin and other nutrient deficiencies, and toxins.

A wonderful thing about bio-identical hormones is the ability to have them compounded into specific doses. For instance, one person may need 5mg twice daily of progesterone, while another may need 37.5mg twice daily. We can order various doses in various forms, such as creams, pills, lozenges, injections, and pellets. Doses are fine-tuned based on resolution of symptoms and other factors. This is not possible with most commercially-available options.

As has happened in the past, the FDA is again gearing up to issue a ban on compounded bioidentical hormone replacement therapy under the disguise of insufficient evidence of safety and effectiveness, when it is just one of the ways the FDA and the government bolster drug monopolies and undermine natural health options. Interestingly, it is the FDA-approved synthetic hormones that are known for common side effects including headaches, breast tenderness, mood swings, fluid retention, weight gain, and loss of libido. They are also associated with an increased incidence of breast cancer, heart disease, stroke, and blood clots to the lungs. And there are numerous and severe side effects of synthetic hormones listed in the Physician’s Desk Reference.

As a functional medicine physician, I would be very saddened to see compounded bioidentical hormones banned. So please take 60 seconds to join the fight! Click this LINK to sign the petition.

On a final note, while not optimal or easily customized to patients’ individual needs, if bio-identical hormones are banned in the future, there will be some alternatives! There are a few bio-identical hormones that are commercially available, made possible by the drug companies patenting a delivery mechanism, for instance, such as a patch.

By Mila McManus MD|2020-10-13T06:28:33-06:00October 13th, 2020|Articles, General|

Coffee and High Cholesterol?

by Nancy Mehlert, MS

If your cholesterol continues to climb, you may be interested to know that one possible culprit worth exploring is your coffee preparation method! There are compounds in coffee called diterpines, one specifically called cafestol, which has cholesterol boosting properties for some people. One review said that patients with high cholesterol seem to be more sensitive to the cafestol in coffee. It is found in both regular and decaffeinated coffee. Cafestol is highest in pressed coffee preparations such as espresso and French pressed coffee. Coffee prepared through a paper filter has the least amount of cafestol. Instant coffee has relatively little. You need not forego your coffee, just save the French pressed for special occasions or run it through a paper filter after you press it.

Reference:

https://www.drweil.com/health-wellness/body-mind-spirit/heart/does-coffee-raise-cholesterol/

By Mila McManus MD|2020-10-13T06:59:22-06:00October 13th, 2020|General, NANCY’S NUTRITIONAL NUGGET|

Incorporating Chia Seed

Chia seeds are a very tiny powerhouse of nutrition and, for that reason, I encourage our patients to figure out ways to incorporate them into the diet. However, I confess, it can be difficult to find satisfying ways to do it because of the nature of chia seed. Very tiny, these seeds have little taste. They are not suited for snacking on like with pumpkin seeds. Eaten whole and raw, they tend to get stuck in your teeth too. But it is hard to ignore the 10 grams of fiber, 5 grams of protein, healthy fat, and calcium, magnesium and phosphorus content found in just 2 tablespoons of them.

So here are several ways to add them to your diet without any hassle:

Add them to your protein shake. This is one of the most popular options and an easy way to get them into the diet, especially well hidden if you use a blender. Add 1-2 tablespoons of whole seed to the blender for the best results. It will help to thicken the shake too.
Thickener for stews or gravy. This is a great gluten free way to avoid the use of wheat flour and increase fiber at the same time. When moistened, chia seeds dissolve into a thick mucilage (the fiber), much like an egg white. Simply soak the seeds in a little water, or a portion of the gravy for 5-10 minutes, then stir the mixture into the pot.
As a binder for meatballs and burgers. Instead of eggs or breadcrumbs, use chia seeds to bind your meat together. Use 2 tablespoons of seeds per pound of meat. They can be added dry or first softened in a little water for 5-10 minutes and then added.
Or try this easy breakfast recipe from our website: https://woodlandswellnessmd.com/chia-pudding-blackberries-coconut-pistachios.html/

Live Well, Eat Well, Increase your Fiber.

By Mila McManus MD|2020-12-30T16:40:18-06:00October 13th, 2020|General, Recipes|

Are You Hosting an Enemy?

By Mila McManus, M.D.

While traditionally parasitic infections have been associated with tropical, subtropical, and under-developed countries, there are increasing numbers of them occurring in developed countries, including the United States. A parasite is an organism that lives on or in a host organism and gets its food from, or at the expense of, its host.¹[i]

There are three classes of parasites that can cause disease in humans¹:

Protozoa – One celled organisms which can multiply in humans making them able to survive and cause serious infections from just one organism. Included in this class are amoebas such as Entamoeba, flagellates such as Giardia and Leishmania, ciliates such as Balantidium, and sporozoa which are organisms whose adult stage is not motile such as Plasmodium, and Cryptosporidium.
Helminths – Large multicellular organisms that are normally visible to the human eye in adult stages. In their adult forms, they do not multiply in humans. The three groups found in humans include Flatworms (including flukes and tapeworms), Thorny-headed worms (residing in the gastrointestinal tract), and Roundworms (residing in the gastrointestinal tract, blood, lymphatic system, or subcutaneous tissues).
Ectoparasites – Includes the blood-sucking arthropods such as mosquitoes, but more narrowly refers to organisms such as ticks, fleas, lice, and mites that attach to, or burrow into, the skin and remain there for relatively long periods of time. They are disease causing in and of themselves, but also are transmitters of many different pathogens that can result in deadly disease.

There are several reasons to keep parasites on the radar as a potential root cause of some otherwise undiagnosed chronic issues:

*There are at least four types of T-Helper cells that are participants in the body’s immune response to different threats. TH2 cells are activated to address parasites but are also responsible for the development of asthma and other allergic inflammatory diseases[ii]. When TH2 dominates the immune system as a result of a parasite, it may also predispose a patient to worsened symptoms of allergies, asthma, eczema, hives, autoimmune disease, and viral infections.

*Parasites are known to absorb heavy metals and harbor mold spores[iii]. Therefore, addressing parasites first as a root cause of heavy metal and mold issues helps to resolve these toxicities.

*Parasites have also been known to harbor smaller microbes such as viruses (e.g. Epstein Barr) and bacteria (e.g. Lyme/borrelia)[iv]. Addressing the parasite first may give way to much more effective and timely elimination of the smaller critters!

Parasitic testing presents obstacles for a number of reasons. First, at the time of stool collection, the parasite may not be shedding eggs, which is what the test is verifying. Second, a very small sample is taken from the stool, from which the lab extracts its sample from which the tiny specimen is taken to examine under a microscope. It is entirely possible the microscopic sample does not contain the parasite. Third, some tests look for DNA of the parasite, however this can result in a misleading positive test if the DNA was from a dead parasite recently consumed in, for example, sushi or pork.

There are several protocols available for parasite cleansing, from prescriptions to proven natural approaches. If a patient is in really good health and has no real complaints, a parasite cleanse may not be necessary or be a suitable recommendation. However, for the chronically ill with lingering symptoms and no obvious diagnosis, or people with nagging gastrointestinal symptoms where a stool test is not helpful, the right parasite cleanse can be a potential game changer and harmless protocol in the treatment of undiagnosed chronic illness. See our Supplement of the Month for one such parasite cleanse.

[i]https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/about.html

[ii] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3496776/

[iii] Cellcorebiosciences.com

[iv] Cellcorebiosciences.com

By Mila McManus MD|2020-09-17T12:44:32-06:00September 18th, 2020|General|

Supplement of the Month: Para Cleanse 1 & 2

By CellCore Biosciences

CellCore Biosciences has developed an effective and natural gut cleanse to promote normal peristalsis, locate, bind to, and remove pathogens and toxins in the system, and promote overall optimal gut health.

Para 1 is CellCore Biosciences cornerstone immune and digestive support product. The primary ingredient is Mimosa pudica polyphenols from the seed mucilage. Mimosa pudica is a fern-like plant, with a long history of healing properties in Ayurvedic medicine. It is native to Central and South America, India, and the southern United States. Para 1 capitalizes on the unique characteristic of the seeds, which form a gelatinous, sticky gut scrubber as it works its way through the intestinal tract, pulling out toxins, parasites, heavy metals, biofilm, and other unwanted elements, resulting in a deep cleaning of the tract.

Para 2 is a multi-herb blend specifically designed for powerful immune and digestive support. Proven natural ingredients include the herbs vidanga, neem, triphala, clove, and holarrhena. Merged together with CellCore’s cutting-edge BioActive Carbons (extracts of Humic and Fulvic Acids) Para 2 is a potent, yet tolerable, solution to pathogen problems.

To determine if Para 1 and Para 2 might be right for you, call to schedule an appointment with one of our medical providers today.

Sources:

www.cellcorebiosciences.com

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3459453/

By Mila McManus MD|2020-08-27T16:40:05-06:00September 13th, 2020|General|

Parasite Prevention – Food & Environment

Nancy Mehlert, MS

Parasitic infections are probably under-diagnosed because most doctor’s don’t consider them to be a likelihood in the United States. They may be more common than we realize and should be considered as a root cause when chronic illness cannot be explained otherwise (see the main article).

In the meantime, no one wants a parasitic infection and there are things we can do to avoid them.

Many parasites can be transmitted in foods including protozoa and helminths (roundworms and tapeworms). The most common food sources to be aware of include:

Undercooked fish, crabs, and mollusks, including sushi
Undercooked meat, especially pork
Raw aquatic plants, such as watercress
Raw vegetables that have been contaminated by human or animal feces (even USDA Organic Standards allow animal waste)
Foods contaminated as a result of food service workers who practice poor hygiene or work in unsanitary facilities

Action steps in the kitchen include making sure to cook fish and meat thoroughly and carefully. Also consider if eating sushi is worth the risk. Wash produce well before use. Visit reputable restaurants with good sanitation practices.

Many parasites are also transmitted by water, soil, or person to person contact. Here are several more action steps you can take to protect yourself from parasitic infection:

Wash your hands regularly, especially after handling uncooked food or feces.
Drink clean water, including bottled water when traveling, especially in tropical, subtropical, or under-developed countries.
Avoid swallowing water from lakes, streams, or ponds.
Avoid cat litter and feces, especially if pregnant. Outdoor cats can come into contact with infected rodents and birds, which makes owners more likely to contract toxoplasmosis, a type of protozoa.

Be informed, be safe, be well.

Sources:

https://www.healthline.com/health/parasitic-infections#risk-factors

https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/food.html

https://www.ams.usda.gov/grades-standards/organic-standards

By Mila McManus MD|2020-09-01T11:54:52-06:00September 13th, 2020|General, NANCY’S NUTRITIONAL NUGGET|

About Mila McManus MD

By Mila McManus, M.D.

by Nancy Mehlert, MS

Apollo vibrations: Responding to today’s stressful world

Information provided here is from www.apolloneuro.com

by P.M.

By Mila McManus, M.D.

by Nancy Mehlert, MS

By Mila McManus, M.D.

By CellCore Biosciences

Nancy Mehlert, MS