Summer Skin Care Matters!

It is very important to properly protect your skin. Sunscreens can be some of the most toxic substances to put on your skin.

As the warmer months approach, make sure you are ready to properly protect your family’s and your skin from the sun. Sunscreens can be some of the most toxic substances to put on your skin. Remember that your skin is your largest organ. It covers your entire body and is filled with capillaries to your blood stream. Your skin is HIGHLY absorptive. Because of the need to re-apply, it is easy in one day to get a big dose of toxic substances onto and into your body in short order. As a result, the sunscreen you choose really matters.

Sunscreens are a well-known source of heavily laden chemicals, including hormone disrupters, carcinogens, and other toxic chemicals. While there are many, the most concerning seem to be oxybenzone (hormone disruptor), methylisothiazolinone (allergenic, skin sensitivity), and retinyl palmitate (a form of vitamin A believed to speed the development of skin tumors and lesions).

We highly recommend that you use the Environmental Working Group (ewg.org) consumer guides. They have just released their newly updated 2021 Sunscreen guide. They write very insightful and helpful summaries of their findings and evaluate the ingredients of hundreds of products to protect you. Here is the link:

https://www.ewg.org/sunscreen/

Dr. Josh Axe’s newsletter also did a recent summary of the EWG report, listing the best options. Search online for “The Best Sunscreens and Toxic Ones to Avoid” by Leah Zerbe and you can find that article as well.

Perhaps even more important is to take other simple, non-toxic precautions first such as:

During the heat of the mid-day sun, wear protective sunglasses, hats, and t-shirts and stay in the shade.
There really is no such thing as a perfect sunscreen. It really should be used as a last resort as a protective measure. But if you must, choose the best.
Be sure to have your vitamin D levels checked by your healthcare provider.
We DO need some sun exposure for good health. Just 10 to 15 minutes of time in the sun, without sunscreen, helps the body to create about 10,000 units of natural vitamin D. Choose late morning hours or late in the day hours and limit the time to 10 to 15 minutes to avoid skin damage.

So before you head out to the garden, or over to the lake, beach or hiking path, be sure you have everything on hand to protect you and your family from damaging your skin.

Happy Spring and Summer! Be well! Stay well!

By Mila McManus MD|2022-11-01T12:51:40-05:00June 10th, 2021|General|

Affordable, Effective, and Many Ways to Use This

By Mila McManus MD

Hydrogen peroxide has long been accepted and used as a safe, affordable, disinfectant on surfaces and wounds.

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) has long been accepted and used as a safe, affordable disinfectant on surfaces and wounds. The intense bubbling you see on a bacteria-laden wound treated with hydrogen peroxide is oxygen being released and bacteria being destroyed in the wound.

Did you know that your white blood cells make hydrogen peroxide and use it to destroy harmful bacteria, viruses, and fungi? In fact, the ability of our cells to produce hydrogen peroxide is essential for life.

New research indicates that hydrogen peroxide is needed for a multitude of chemical reactions that take place throughout the body. Our friendly bacteria found in our mucous membranes of the mouth, nose, sinuses, lungs, digestive tract, and urinary tract are aerobic. This means they flourish in high oxygen environments. Hydrogen peroxide is oxygen-rich!

One very interesting connection is being made to leaky gut syndrome and other diseases of the gut. Dr. Thomas Levy, MD, JD, explains in his book, Hidden Epidemic (MedFox Publishing, 2017), what happens following any acute respiratory viral syndrome, such as the flu, COVID, or a common cold. The nasal and oral cavities remain in a low-grade infectious state with disease-causing colonies known to protect themselves with biofilms. This allows them to persist chronically. The tonsils and other parts of the immune and lymphatic systems in the oral cavity remain persistently challenged and infected. This infection also gravitates to teeth, gums, and the gut, as the pathogens are swallowed continually and transported to the gut. This causes persistent oxidative stress in the gut, destroying the gut’s barrier and leading to leaky gut syndrome.

So why haven’t we heard more about the use of hydrogen peroxide for healing? Interest in hydrogen peroxide waned in the 1940’s when prescription medications came on the scene. There has been little economic interest in funding research for something so inexpensive that can’t be patented. In other words, there is no money to be made with hydrogen peroxide therapies.

Despite that, therapeutic uses for hydrogen peroxide have continued to be reported in both standard medical journals and alternative health publications for the last 25 years. It appears that there are an astounding number of conditions that could be helped by H2O2 therapy. We’ve heard more about it recently because of its use in the prevention and treatment of COVID.

Hydrogen peroxide can be used internally (food grade ONLY!). It can also be used externally using numerous delivery methods, including orally, nebulized, intravenously, topically, and for douching. (Note: A nebulizer turns liquid medicine into a very fine mist that a person can inhale through a face mask or mouthpiece).

What are the benefits of nebulizing H2O2? Here are a few to consider:

A dramatic increase in the oxygen content of the blood and body tissues which creates an environment that is not conducive to disease states.
Hydrogen peroxide breaks down biofilm that protects disease-causing bacteria and mold from the immune system. Antibiotics often fail due to inability to penetrate through biofilms.
H2O2 destroys harmful bacteria in the nasal/oral cavity, protecting the teeth, gums, and gut from oxidative stress and infection.
Most strains of harmful bacteria are anaerobic and cannot survive in the presence of oxygen-rich hydrogen peroxide.
Hydrogen peroxide stimulates enzyme systems throughout the body, increasing metabolic rate, dilating small arteries, and increasing blood flow to the heart and brain, enhancing the distribution and use of oxygen throughout the body.
Hydrogen peroxide therapy has been used for allergies, influenza, asthma, bacterial infections, yeast and fungal infections, cancer, parasitic infections, heart disease, Herpes, gingivitis/periodontal disease, shingles, sore throat, and emphysema, to name a few.
H2O2 nebulization is affordable and can be easily self-administered at home.

Hydrogen peroxide nebulizer treatments are available at The Woodlands Institute for Health and Wellness. Ask your health care provider if this might be a wise therapy for you.

References:

Levy, Thomas E., Rapid Virus Recovery, (Henderson, NV:MedFox Publishing, 2021)

Levy, Thomas, Hidden Epidemic

Mercola.com

By Mila McManus MD|2022-11-01T15:22:22-05:00May 19th, 2021|General|

Crispy GF Fried Chicken

(perfect for chicken or pork chops)

Ingredients:

¼ cup Pamela’s Gluten Free Pancake and Waffle Mix*

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 t. onion powder

½ t. salt

¼ t. fresh ground black pepper

½ t. paprika

Up to a pound of chicken pieces or pork chops

2 T. butter, ghee, or coconut oil.

Instructions:

Step One: Combine all the ingredients in a bowl or bag.

Step Two: Dredge the chicken or pork in the flour mixture until coated.

Step Three: On Medium heat, melt butter or coconut oil in a frying pan.

Step Four: Pan fry the pieces until crisp and golden and until juices run clear.

*To prevent excess carbohydrate intake and blood sugar destabilization, we don’t recommend using this mix for pancakes or waffles, but it makes a wonderful coating for chicken and pork.

By Mila McManus MD|2021-05-12T05:20:58-05:00May 12th, 2021|General, Recipes|

CM Core*: Cardiometabolic Health

CM Core is designed to address several factors associated with ideal cardiometabolic health and backed by extensive clinical research. The combination of berberine and alpha lipoic acid (ALA) helps to maintain heart function, metabolism, antioxidant status, and lipid and glucose levels. It provides a powerful formula for those seeking to optimize the multiple mechanisms of cardiovascular and metabolic health.

CM Core enhances cell signaling for efficient ATP (energy) production and supports blood sugar balance. It also supports healthy cholesterol levels.

Berberine is a plant extract that has been used in Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine for over 2500 years. It has a broad range of health-promoting properties. It can be found in the roots and stems of plants such as goldenseal, goldenthread, and barberry. Berberine works to support normal blood pressure, normal heart contraction and rhythm, as well as healthy cholesterol levels. It has also been shown to promote uptake of glucose without requiring insulin. This promotes better glucose usage within the cell.

Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA) is a nutrient required for cellular metabolism, specifically the breakdown of carbohydrates and fatty acids. ALA supports blood sugar balance by activating a major regulator of cellular energy called AMPK. Lipoic acid is also an antioxidant, supports nerve and liver health, and is important for circulatory health.

As your provider if CM Core is right for you!

*Taken from the product information sheet at https://www.orthomolecularproducts.com/cm-core/

By Mila McManus MD|2021-05-03T16:26:34-05:00May 5th, 2021|General|

Personal Nutrition: Take a Close Look

By Nancy Mehlert, MS.

When it comes to personal nutrition, seasonal changes offer a great opportunity to pause and examine what our diet looks like at this point in time. As we move into Spring, here are three simple examinations you can put your personal nutrition under the magnifying glass:

When is the last time you tried a new food or changed up your food routine?

Since there are not 15-25 foods that can offer all of the macro and micro nutrients we need, it is important to rotate foods often, expand the number of foods we eat, and increase our variety for good health. This is especially true of vegetables, nuts, seeds, and even meat choices.

Have you slid down the slippery slope?

It happens to the best of us! Too many sweets, too much fruit, eating gluten again, too many nights a week with alcohol, eating out a lot more, buying more packaged food, over eating, eating before bed, not drinking enough water…. Whatever your slippery slopes are, is it time to get back on track?

When is the last time you stopped your routine for a detoxification of some sort?

It is a toxic world, and everyone benefits by scheduling some routine detoxification efforts a couple times a year at least. Consider some fasting, a detoxification diet, a Health Reset Program, ONDAMED, or Pregnancy Hormone to promote cleansing, weight loss, or healing.

Visit our webiste TWIHW.com or call 281.298.6742 for more information.

By Mila McManus MD|2025-04-07T07:18:18-05:00April 28th, 2021|General, NANCY’S NUTRITIONAL NUGGET|

Nitric Oxide Support by Berkeley Life Professional

By Mila McManus, M.D.

Berkeley Life Professional helps support Nitric Oxide levels for a healthy cardiovascular system by supplementing your diet.

A Nobel Prize was awarded for the discovery that Nitric Oxide (NO) plays a significant role in the cardiovascular system. NO is naturally made in your body, but as you age you produce less of it. Berkeley Life Professional helps support NO levels for a healthy cardiovascular system by supplementing your diet with dietary nitrates¹.

Berkeley Life Professional’s drug free supplement provides the same dietary nitrates found in plants, as well as key vitamins, to help support NO levels, the cardiovascular system, and overall health and vitality. This supplement is free of allergens including milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soy, gluten, and gelatin¹.

NO is also found in beets, garlic, leafy greens (spinach, arugula, kale, and cabbage) as well as citrus fruits (oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruit). These are all good sources of nature-made nitrates, which are different than the harmful man-made chemical additives called sodium nitrate or sodium nitrite.

Talk with your healthcare provide to see if Berkeley Life Professional Nitric Oxide Support is right for you and purchase it here at TWIHW.

¹www.berkeleylife.com

By Mila McManus MD|2022-11-01T15:33:36-05:00April 18th, 2021|Articles, General|

Homocysteine Levels: Huh?

By Mila McManus M.D.

Do you know your homocysteine level? If not, ask your healthcare provider to order it. Homocysteine levels can be measured with a simple blood test at most laboratories. High homocysteine levels indicate inflammation, probable nutrient deficiencies, and or a genetic defect. Persistently high levels can suggest B vitamin deficiencies, signs of possible heart disease or stroke risk, potential Alzheimer’s risk, and other neurological concerns.

Many foods we eat have an amino acid called methionine, such as nuts, beef, lamb, cheese, turkey, pork, fish, shellfish, eggs, dairy, and beans. Methionine is converted in the body to homocysteine, which in turn is converted back to methionine, or to cysteine, another important amino acid. This cycle requires adequate levels of vitamin B₁₂, vitamin B₆, folate and the modified amino acid called betaine. Many people, however, often don’t, which allows homocysteine to build up, damaging your blood vessels and brain.

Reasons for elevated homocysteine levels include:

Poor dietary habits
Smoking or drug use
Sedentary lifestyle
Nutrient deficiencies
Genetic variants, such as MTHFR

Natural ways to lower homocysteine levels include:

Improve your diet, avoiding gluten, sugar, preservatives, refined oils, and processed foods.
Exercise regularly.
Manage stress with, e.g., meditation, yoga, and energy therapies. (stress depletes B vitamins!)
Supplement with high quality B vitamins and antioxidants.
Avoid recreational drugs and reduce or eliminate alcohol.
Work to improve quality of sleep.

Discuss checking this important marker with your provider. In the meantime, work on ways to protect yourself. Nutrition help is also available at TWIHW. Be well!

By Mila McManus MD|2021-04-14T06:56:19-05:00April 15th, 2021|General|

Replacing Electrolytes: Better Options

By Nancy Mehlert, MS.

These beverages... the zero sugar options and even the organic, have a number of concerning ingredients. Sugar content is the first concern.

There are a couple of well known electrolyte and hydration drinks popular in the marketplace today. Everyone has seen commercials and ads for them. Common to the sports scene in our schools, colleges, and professional sports, these sweet, fruity flavored hydrators are sold by some of the largest beverage retailers in the world. In addition, many companies make cheaper knock-offs. That makes them very affordable and easily obtained, but what about the ingredients? Should we be concerned? ABSOLUTELY!

These beverages, whether you have chosen the zero sugar options, the regular, or even the organic, have a number of concerning ingredients. Sugar content is the first concern. Remember, the intended goal of these beverages is to return water to the body and to bring electrolytes (sodium, calcium, potassium, chloride, phosphate and magnesium) back into the body. The need is not sugar, yet the most popular versions contribute more than 45-50 grams of sugar in each bottle. Considering our optimal blood sugar at any given moment should be about 4 grams, these drinks elevate blood sugar immediately by more than 10 times. This creates a very dysregulated blood sugar problem for the body. Another concerning ingredient is the sweetener most commonly used in lieu of sugar. While sucralose removes the sugar, this artificial sweetener is known for destroying the favorable bacteria in the GI tract, contributing to yeast overgrowth and leaky gut syndromes. Two additional concerning ingredients include food dyes and caramel coloring. There are a number of health concerns from these man-made chemicals, ranging from cancers to allergic reactions. All of these concerning ingredients can be avoided with a little effort.

Perfection is difficult to find. The recommendations below would be a significant improvement over most options offered by our largest retailers. I’ve listed them in descending order from satisfactory to the most ideal. The more sugar it contains, the better it is to use before and during very demanding and high activity exercise. Everyone needs less sugar, more water, and good electrolytes.

Nuun Rapid Instant Hydration portable packets
Harmless Harvest coconut water (pure coconut water, 23g naturally occurring sugar) ok for very active people
Ultimareplenisher.com – Hydration Powder stick packs
Liquid IV (11 g of sugar) ok for very active people
Keynutrients.com – Electrolyte Recovery Plus, Keto approved, Lemonade flavor
8 ounces of water with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and a pinch of Redmond’s Sea Salt, along with eating your vegetables (an excellent source of electrolytes and water)!

Support your health and that of your family. Small changes add up to greater health and wellness.

Standard Gatorade, ½ a bottle is 22g or whole bottle 51 g of sugar:

WATER, SUGAR, DEXTROSE, CITRIC ACID, SALT, SODIUM CITRATE, MONOPOTASSIUM PHOSPHATE, MODIFIED FOOD STARCH, NATURAL FLAVOR, GLYCEROL ESTER OF ROSIN, RED 40, CARAMEL COLOR

Organic Thirst Quencher, Berry Flavor by Gatorade – 30 g of sugar:

WATER, ORGANIC SUGAR, CITRIC ACID, ORGANIC NATURAL FLAVOR, SEA SALT, SODIUM CITRATE, POTASSIUM CHLORIDE

Gatorade Zero:

WATER, CITRIC ACID, SODIUM CITRATE, SALT, MONOPOTASSIUM PHOSPHATE, GUM ARABIC, NATURAL FLAVOR, SUCRALOSE, ACESULFAME POTASSIUM, SUCROSE ACETATE ISOBUTYRATE, GLYCEROL ESTER OF ROSIN, YELLOW 6.

By Mila McManus MD|2022-11-01T15:39:41-05:00April 7th, 2021|General, NANCY’S NUTRITIONAL NUGGET|

Dijon Baked Salmon or Trout

From www.downshiftology, Lisa Bryan

Serves 4

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

1 ½ pounds wild Pacific Salmon or Steelhead Trout*

¼ cup fresh parsley finely chopped

¼ cup Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon lemon juice

3 garlic cloves finely chopped

Salt and pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Line a baking tray with parchment paper and place the fish on it, skin down.
Mix together the remaining ingredients in a small bowl and generously coat the top of the fish.
Bake the salmon for 18-20 minutes, depending on size and thickness, then slice into individual portions and serve.

Notes: Wild pacific salmon and farmed Steelhead Trout are sustainable, high omega 3, low mercery options.

By Mila McManus MD|2021-03-31T08:31:09-05:00March 31st, 2021|General, Recipes|

COVID and the flu are here to stay.

By Mila McManus, M.D.

COVID and the flu will continue to be with us, so I wanted to remind everyone to please support your immune system and overall health to avoid bad outcomes. I recommend a foundational daily minimum of vitamin D3, a multivitamin, and a quality probiotic. Preventing any illness means staying true to an integrative approach that is attentive to all of the key pillars of your health. Those key pillars include:

A whole food diet and good hydration – maintaining balanced blood sugar is key (did you know that sugar immediately suppresses your immune system for up to several hours?)
Moderate exercise
Keep the gut healthy – easy on the alcohol, sugar, wheat, and pain relievers, while taking your probiotic and drinking bone broth
Get quality rest and sleep
Avoid toxins and support detoxification – see gut health above and step into the IR sauna too!
Manage stress – take time for quiet meditation, practice yoga and/or deep breathing exercises
Make use of appropriate supplementation – see below

For most, a healthy diet still cannot provide adequate nutrition for a strong immune system because of poor food quality, daily stressors, and the toxicity of our world. For those with compromised immune systems, or who are living and working in higher exposure areas, or traveling, a selection from the following supplements would be wise protective additions.

Glutathione
Quercetin (inhibits viral replication)
Melatonin
Viracid™
Whole Immune™
Vitamin C
Zinc 25-50mg daily
Silverbiotics Silver Sol™

All of these options, along with common sense measures such as thorough hand washing and avoiding crowds, will help to keep you healthy this year. If you are unsure about which supplements would be best for you, consult with our medical providers for a customized plan that’s right for you.

By Mila McManus MD|2023-09-13T13:30:11-05:00March 26th, 2021|Articles, General|

About Mila McManus MD

By Mila McManus MD

(perfect for chicken or pork chops)

By Nancy Mehlert, MS.

By Mila McManus, M.D.

By Mila McManus M.D.

By Nancy Mehlert, MS.

From www.downshiftology, Lisa Bryan

By Mila McManus, M.D.