Protect, Prevent, Prevail

By Mila McManus, MD

One of the most interesting questions that medical personnel are asking during this viral event is “Why do some people get the infection and never have symptoms while others get critically ill or die from it?” One clear pattern continues to surface: those with compromised immune health and multiple health issues have been at greatest risk for poor outcomes.

Now, more than ever before, we see the value of taking care of our health so that we are able to mount a protective response to external threats such as viruses, parasites, bacteria, and toxicants. Reflected in the reports regarding fatalities from the Coronavirus is the clear message that those who were, and continue to be at greatest risk, are those who suffer from chronic disease, such as obesity, diabetes, auto-immune disorders, cardio-vascular disease, and otherwise compromised immune systems. Overall health matters more than ever in these uncertain times. While we cannot control what’s in the environment, we have at least some control over our body’s ability to cope with environmental assaults.

Protect: First line minimum considerations for good health include a number of foundational lifestyle choices. Because our food, even at its best, does not offer all of the nutrition we need, supplementing with a multi vitamin and a probiotic is first line for everyone. A healthy diet is important, and first and foremost, eliminating sugar is critical, as sugar suppresses immune function. Stress also suppresses immune function. Deep breathing exercises, meditation, and removing unnecessary stressors are important for good immune and overall health. Quality and quantity of sleep is also foundational since it’s when we sleep that the body performs major maintenance, healing, detoxification, and resetting. And finally, washing hands frequently, and keeping them off your face, remains tried and true.

Prevent and Prevail: The minimum, however, may not be quite enough. Especially if you are already compromised, have more exposures (healthcare workers, teachers, frequent travelers) and/or simply want to be more vigilant (and we recommend that!), there is more you can do. Combinations of the following are also excellent protections to build immunity and prevent infection.

Choose to regularly visit a wellness physician (aka functional medicine specialist) to prevent illness and address issues at the root cause. (We appreciate your referrals to The Woodlands Institute for Health & Wellness!)
Improve nutrition, sticking to whole, real food that stabilizes blood sugar.
Take care of your mental health, manage stress and deal with emotional baggage.
ONDAMED Energy Therapy and InfraRed Saunas are excellent immune defense therapies.
Essential Oils – OnGuard, Tea Tree (Melaleuca), and Eucalyptus are just three good air and hand sanitizers, can be diffused, used on dryer balls and in cleaning solutions.
Additional Supplements
- Immune Strengthening: Wholemune, Viracid, Transfer Factor Multi-Immune
- Vitamin C – oral and Mega Dose IV therapy
- Zinc – 25mg daily (twice daily for 2 weeks with acute exposure or if ill)
- Vitamin D – at least 2000iu daily. If potential viral exposure, then 25,000iu daily for 3 days.
- Silver Biotic – oral liquid and topical gel. Excellent hand sanitizer and a natural anti-microbial.
- L-lysine – 1000mg twice a day
- Quercetin Bromelain Forte -Combination of quercetin, bromelain and vitamin C. Immune boosting and antiviral properties, as well as antihistamine properties.
- Protease – work up to 1 capsule 3 X a day between meals (2 hours away from food). This can cause upset stomach or diarrhea, so start with 1 capsule and increase daily as tolerated. If you take any blood thinners, consult with your doctor, or pick other options listed here.

If you or someone you know needs help getting well and staying well, visit The Woodlands Institute for Health & Wellness so that next time a virus floats through town (and it will), you will be ready to protect, prevent and prevail!

By Mila McManus MD|2020-05-01T06:13:41-06:00May 1st, 2020|Articles, Ask Dr McManus, General|

Purposes for Diffusing Essential Oils

Not only does diffusing essential oils smell good but they serve therapeutic purposes as well.

Choose one or two of the oils at a time for the purpose under which it is listed.

To Breathe More Easily

· doTERRA Breathe

· Eucalyptus

· Lavender

· Peppermint

· Tea Tree

To Disinfect the Air

· doTERRA On Guard

· Eucalyptus

· Lavender

· Rosemary

· Tea Tree

To Energize

· Eucalyptus

· Lemon

· Peppermint

· Pine

Ease Hyperactivity, Motivate, and Improve Concentration

· doTERRA Motivate

· Frankincense

Stress Free, Calming

Geranium

· Grapefruit

· Lavender

· Lemon

· Orange

· Frankincense (meditative, relaxing, warm)

Insect Control

(on Porch or Patio)

· doTERRA Terrashield (safe for direct application to the body, for both children and adults

Available at our Office. Call 281.298.6742 or e-mail admin@twihw.com to order. Pick up or shipping available.

Available in our Office. Call 281.456.4289 or e-mail admin@twihw.com to order. Pick up or shipping available.

By Mila McManus MD|2020-04-30T14:45:59-06:00May 1st, 2020|General|

From S.R.

I highly recommend getting ONDAMED treatments from The Woodlands Institute for Health and Wellness. I’ve been getting them regularly for about 2 years now and they have helped me improve my health tremendously when nothing else seemed to work for me. Nancy is a great asset to the team as she’s well trained with ONDAMED and has a spirit of service, sensitivity and professionalism with her patients.

Thanks to the Dr. McManus and the whole team for helping those of us who are striving to discover the source of our health challenges and resolve them as naturally as possible.

By Mila McManus MD|2020-04-30T14:34:02-06:00May 1st, 2020|Testimonials|

Grilled Peach Steak Salad

Edited from Ashely McCrary, www.healthylittlepeach.com

As May and June approach, our delicious Texas Peaches will start showing up in road stands and grocery stores. Here’s a wonderful outdoor grilling treat that includes the sweet and beautiful peach in a creative way. This recipe is Whole30 and Paleo compliant.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

Salad

1 pound Flank Steak (ideally antibiotic free and/or 100% grass fed)

2 peaches, sliced

2-3 slices of pre-cooked bacon (uncured)

1 large red onion, peeled and sliced

3-4 tablespoons pecans

1 avocado, peeled, pitted, sliced

½ cup coconut or Bragg aminos

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

4 cups spinach/arugula mix or field green mix

Peach Vinaigrette dressing

1 large peach

2 garlic cloves, peeled

¼ cup olive or avocado oil

4 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard

1 tablespoon coconut or Bragg aminos

Instructions:

1. Place the steak in a silicone bag or shallow dish. In a small bowl, add ½ cup coconut or Bragg aminos, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Mix together and pour over the flank steak. Seal the bag or cover the dish and place in the refrigerator to marinate, ideally overnight.
2. Prepare the grill. Ideal temperature is 425°
3. Take the flank steak out of the refrigerator about 10-15 minutes prior grilling.
4. Prep salad ingredients. Slice the peaches, onions, and avocados and set aside. Fruit works better on the grill if firm and cut into larger, thicker pieces. Set out the pecans and lettuces.
5. Make the dressing. Place all the dressing ingredients into the food processor or blender, including the 3rd peach, with the pit removed, 2 garlic cloves, olive or avocado oil, white wine vinegar, salt, pepper, Dijon mustard, and coconut or Bragg aminos. Blend until creamy.
6. Take the flank steak, the peaches and the bacon to the grill. Place the steak on the grill. Spray the grill with non-stick spray or douse a paper towel in oil to run over the grate just prior to adding the peaches. Try not to move the peaches until they are striped well, then turn. You could also skewer the peaches if you prefer. Place the pre-cooked bacon on the grill last, reheating for just about 30-45 seconds on each side.
7. Remove the steak, peaches, and bacon from the grill. Thinly slice the flank steak into strips.
8. Arrange lettuces among 4 bowls or plates, top with onion, pecans, avocado, crumbled bacon, then grilled peaches and slices of flank steak. Top with dressing and serve.

By Mila McManus MD|2020-04-30T14:56:24-06:00May 1st, 2020|General, Recipes|

Going Forward

Nancy Mehlert, MS

Ready to leave the COVID 19 Pandemic behind you? It seems like a lot of people are ready for the quarantined life to be over.

I’ve been thinking about what happens to our nutrition at times like these, and I think it has been different, for different people. I know many who have stayed the course, gotten more exercise and smoothly sailed through, in terms of nutrition at least. And others, who have found the stresses dragging them back to old habits, comfort food, and drinks. We are all different. We struggle in different ways.

It is common for major life changes to get in the way of our best laid nutritional plans.

May I encourage you to be kind to yourself? There is no use in beating yourself up or drowning in guilt. These times have been, and continue to be, difficult. It is hard to find anyone who thinks this is an easy time. The complexities of caring for the elderly, schooling children, staying employed, and all working under the same roof 24-7 – none of this is easy stuff, individually or collectively.

But as we see some possible light at the end of this tunnel, now is a good time to take stock and organize your thoughts in a positive, GO FORWARD mind set. It is a good time to figure out how to GO FORWARD in confidence and make some corrections to course where needed. Here are some productive and healthy things to do in the next couple of weeks as we hopefully emerge from this quarantine:

If you feel like your nutritional wheels totally fell off the wagon, have you discovered something valuable from the experience? We learn from our mistakes. What’s yours? What would you do differently next time as a key learning point? Then, forgive yourself, and GO FORWARD.

What have you done well? Look hard. Find at least one thing. There is something good to be discovered. Give yourself credit for that one thing. GO FORWARD with that good thing.

Talk to friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers. Ask them how they have coped nutritionally during this strange time and learn from their successes and mistakes. Take a new idea, a new recipe, a new habit, and GO FORWARD with it tucked into your steps.

Start now to pull your nutritional boundaries back into place, one thing at a time. Start with just one thing and do it (or stop it). Then choose the next thing. GO FORWARD in positive and affirming ways that will help you transition smoothly into the next season of life.

Reach out if you need help with course correction. Perhaps a detoxification program would be in order, or a nutrition consultation to revitalize your menu plans with a few easy recipes. Or maybe some ONDAMED sessions and/or IR Saunas to reinvigorate your energy pathways and detoxify.

Resolve to take one new good habit into the future with you. I’ve started to use Stasher® Bags for food storage and Swedish dishcloths (shop@threebluebirds.com) , both of which make me happier and less wasteful in the kitchen. Take a look at our revised and updated Highway to Health and Health Reset Protocol Cookbook where you will find helpful reminders and plenty of ideas for healthy eating. Let’s GO FORWARD TOGETHER!

By Mila McManus MD|2020-04-30T14:31:35-06:00May 1st, 2020|General, NANCY’S NUTRITIONAL NUGGET|

RAPID COVID-19 ANTIBODY TESTING AVAILABLE

Test for COVID-19 antibodies (IgM and IgG)
Best for testing whether you’ve already had the illness (at least 2 weeks from exposure or onset of symptoms)
Reports suggest that 20 to 50% of people infected may be asymptomatic, and many more with very mild symptoms attributed to a simple cold or allergies.
Results in 15 minutes!
Requires a finger prick.
$99
Call (281) 298-6742 or email admin@TWIHW.com

By Mila McManus MD|2020-08-07T12:20:44-06:00April 30th, 2020|General|

The Woodlands Institute of Health and Wellness is GREAT! Dr. Mc.Manus is a God send to me. I have fibromyalga and am allergic to the medication for it. I have only been seeing her for a month and my pain is much better. She is helping me get healthy!!! I am so excited. It is worth EVERY penny. She has determined what foods make the inflammation worse. K.B.

By Mila McManus MD|2020-04-12T09:36:37-06:00April 14th, 2020|General, Testimonials|

The Down and Dirty on Detoxing

By Mila McManus M.D.

Your body normally performs detoxification functions every day. There are five primary exit pathways for removal of toxins. They are:

1. Sweating through the skin
2. Urination
3. Bowel movements
4. Mucus formation to then blow, cough, or swallow
5. Exhaling from the lungs.

Internal organs that also play a critical role in the removal of toxins include the liver, kidneys, and lungs. Any activities that promote sweating, urination, bowel movement, thinning of mucous, or deep breathing will assist in promoting detoxification. Also, hydration is essential for detoxification.

Intentional promotion of detoxification has become a necessary lifestyle habit as a result of our increasingly toxic world where our food, water, air, chemical, and heavy metal exposures have exponentially increased over the last 60-80 years. The toxic burden on the body is significant and contributes to chronic inflammation, congestion, and disease.

The FIRST and BEST line of protection is to avoid as many toxins as possible in the first place!

Trying to detoxify by overcompensating with excess sweating and over-supplementation can be harmful. Improve what goes in by:

Eating organic food
Filtering the water you drink and in which you bathe
Filtering air and circulating fresh air in the home
Using chemical free personal care and laundry products
- https://www.thinkdirtyapp.com/
- https://www.ewg.org/skindeep/
Using chemical free household products (cleaners, candles, fragrances, pesticides)
Turning off Wi-Fi and electrical circuits in the bedroom at night while sleeping (electropollution)
Eliminating the use of as much plastic as possible, especially as it relates to food storage and preparation. (plastic water bottles, straws, microwave containers, storage containers, clingwrap)

It is also wise to intentionally and regularly employ lifestyle choices that promote detoxification.

Each of these options promote and encourage gentle detoxification:

IR Sauna
Quality detoxification dietary plans such as Black Box Detox, Designs for Health 14- and 21-day programs, Core Restore 7- and 14-day programs and Prolon. (All available at TWIHW)
Fasting
Dry Brushing
- Short instructional you-tube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJfFe18L7pQ
Supplementation as recommended by your functional medicine specialist. Some possible choices include glutathione, N-acetyl cysteine, sulfur, chlorella, charcoal, and protease.

An increasingly useful approach is to test the body to determine what toxins are present so that optimal detoxification protocols can be precisely implemented.

Heavy metal testing
Environmental toxin tests

Both of these urine collection tests are available at TWIHW.

By Mila McManus MD|2020-04-12T09:48:51-06:00April 14th, 2020|General|

Supplement of the Month: Glutathione

Glutathione is the body’s master antioxidant and is found in virtually every cell of the human body. It is an extremely important cell protectant. This heavy lifter bolsters antioxidant action, promotes detoxification and fortifies the immune system. As the formation of free radicals exceeds the body’s ability to neutralize and eliminate them, oxidative stress occurs. A primary function of glutathione is to alleviate this oxidative stress. Food sources of glutathione are few and oxidative stress and depletion can outpace the body’s need for it.

Glutathione is most prevalent in the main detox organs of the human body which are the liver, lungs and kidneys. Glutathione can become depleted as the body neutralizes the oxidizing effects of battling viruses, bacteria, heavy metal toxicity, radiation, certain medications, and even the normal process of aging. A correlation has been made between increased vulnerability to infection (chronically ill) and glutathione depletion. Glutathione can bind to toxins, heavy metals, solvents and pesticides and help the body to excrete these substances through urine or bile. It also protects the lungs against airborne pollutants and the intestinal lining from absorption of industrial chemicals.

Especially for glutathione, liposomal preparations are important. Liposomes are delivery vehicles for transporting substances into the body effectively by facilitating absorption both in the mouth, skin and digestive tract.

At TWIHW, we offer three glutathione products. One is Essential Pro Liposomal Glutathione Softgels, which are taken orally. We also offer Researched Nutritionals Tri-Fortify Liposomal Glutathione sublingual gel which comes in two flavors and is placed under the tongue. Finally, we also can dose glutathione through IV preparations.

By Mila McManus MD|2020-04-12T09:40:00-06:00April 14th, 2020|Articles, General|

TWIHW Green Drink

We make our Green Drink in a Vitamix here at our office. A Vitamix, Ninja, Nutribullet are all examples of blenders that will work. You may need to adjust the amount to fit your pitcher size.

This recipe makes 8 cups.

Ingredients:

4 cups filtered water

A big handful of organic spinach

A smaller handful of organic baby kale.

A large lemon w/ the peel trimmed off.

1 medium organic Granny Smith apple

½ organic cucumber

Thumb size piece of ginger, peeled

1 stalk organic celery

Some ice, about a cup – cup and ½

Instructions:

Be sure all produce is clean.
Peel the lemon and the ginger.
Place all ingredients in the blender and process until smooth.
Other cleansing healthy additions include parsley and/or cilantro.

Nutrition: 1 cup (8 ounces) serving, 31 calories, 0.8 grams protein, 7 grams carbohydrate, 1.7 grams of fiber, 0 grams fat.

Don’t underestimate the nutritional value of the drink. It is full of vitamins, minerals, fiber and other important micronutrients.

By Mila McManus MD|2020-04-12T09:37:23-06:00April 14th, 2020|General, Recipes|

About Mila McManus MD

By Mila McManus, MD

Edited from Ashely McCrary, www.healthylittlepeach.com

Nancy Mehlert, MS

By Mila McManus M.D.