How to Buy Quality Meat

Here are the key points you need to know in order to purchase quality meat, especially beef.

Source carefully, ask questions and buy from reputable places. Consider ButcherBox.com or check out www.EatWild.com as reliable places to start. Dr. Mercola, at www.mercola.com, also has many articles with lists of places and organizations to find clean, sustainable food sources.
When you see labels on beef that say “no hormones administered” (and on beef, pork and chicken “no antibiotics added”), the USDA has required sufficient documentation and approval.
The USDA does require that labels making a claim of “100% Grass Fed” meet the “all-grass fed” standard; however, this does not prohibit drugs or animal by-products. I recommend looking for “100% Grass Fed and Finished” and Organic if possible, as a more reliable commitment statement.
The American Grass Fed Association seal is issued by an industry group that requires its members to feed cattle grass only and to never confine cattle or use antibiotics or hormones.
According to Larry Olmsted in his book Real Food Fake Food, bison and buffalo are still raised fully on free range, without feedlots, additives, fillers or additives. He claims it to still be the purest grass fed beef available.

A few other considerations include:

“Natural” is poorly defined and poorly regulated by the USDA and cannot be relied upon to protect you from the issues and concerns raised in the main article. It refers more to processing, not as much how the animal is raised, so may be more about the use of nitrates, artificial flavors and additives, but again, is not well regulated.
“Grass-fed” basically applies both to CAFO operation cattle (because they started on grass then moved to feed lot) and to grass feeding operations that strive to fully grow the cattle on grass for several years but send the cattle to the feedlot for fattening for several weeks prior to slaughter. In other words, any cow that has had grass at any time, qualifies to be called “grass fed”. So “grass-fed” can apply to an animal that never leaves the stall or pen outside, gets fed exclusively hay its whole life along with antibiotics, steroids and hormones.
Organic does not necessarily make it grass fed nor does grass fed make it Organic. Organic meat and dairy will be hormone and antibiotic free, but the animal will have spent most of its life confined in a feedlot and fed the organic corn and soy. Sadly, the vast majority of organic beef and dairy products sold in the U.S. today come from feedlot animals.
Unless meat is labeled both Organic and 100% Grass fed, it isn’t.
Words like “premium”, “premium natural”, “no additives”, “free roaming”, “humane” or “pesticide free” have no meaning or regulation tied to them, but are allowed.

By Mila McManus MD|2017-06-06T06:04:55-06:00June 4th, 2017|General, NANCY’S NUTRITIONAL NUGGET|

Now available in our office, this simple to use, electric essential oil diffuser by Radha Beauty is small enough to use on a desk, in an office or dorm room, or anywhere in your home. It is peaceful and calming to look at as it gently rotates through a soothing color spectrum. Sold for $24.99 + tax, we also offer a variety of essential oils, perfect to create a thoughtful and healthy gift.

Essential Oil Diffusers are a healthy way to fill the air with the healing power of essential plant oils in water vapor as the essence moves into your respiratory system and bloodstream, providing several beneficial health effects. Depending on the oils used, diffusing may elevate mood, improve brain function, relax the mind, open nasal passages and fight infection. Diffusing certain oils helps to purify the air, minimize pathogens, or knock out pests.

Here are a few examples of oils and their benefits:

Lavender is popular and ideal for diffusers. It smells wonderful and is especially soothing as the day winds down to create a calming atmosphere conducive to better sleep.

Lemon oil is antimicrobial so it can help to deodorize the air and remove pathogens from your living spaces.

Peppermint Oil adds a cool fresh scent to your home and also helps to clear respiratory passages.

Lemongrass has a very fresh scent and is also a natural insect repellent. It will also help you feel more alert, making it a great one to diffuse in the morning.

Combine lemongrass, citronella and peppermint to healthfully ward off pesky mosquitoes and creepy insects on the porch.

Purchase a bottle of an essential oil at our office

and receive 20% off a diffuser!

By Mila McManus MD|2018-03-14T10:15:57-06:00June 4th, 2017|General|

Southern Waldorf Salad with Shrimp and Salt & Pepper Pecans

When summer in Texas rolls around, many of us get excited about Texas Gulf Shrimp and Texas Peaches. With that in mind, here is a different twist on salad and great summer patio food. We gave in to baby red potatoes allowing that they are minimal in portion, a very good source of vitamin B6, have more potassium than a banana and are also a good source of vitamin C, manganese and pantothenic acid. Don’t peel them, and stick with the recipe for a wonderful blend of flavors. Personally, I would grill the shrimp outside and slide them off skewers onto the prepared salad. If you are intimidated by all the herbs, consider using a heaping tablespoon of Bragg 24 Spice Sprinkle as a replacement for the tarragon, dill, parsley, celery seed and mustard seed.

Serves 6

3 tablespoons sea salt, divided
1 pound of peeled and deveined raw medium shrimp
8 ounces baby red potatoes, quartered
3 cups sliced fresh peaches (about 3 medium peaches)
4 cups chopped romaine lettuce hearts (butter lettuce is also very nice)
2 cups thinly sliced watermelon radishes (4-6 radishes)
1 cup of pecan halves
1 tablespoon melted unsalted butter
¼ teaspoon black pepper

Dressing

3 tablespoons Champagne vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons minced garlic (about 2 large garlic cloves)
2 teaspoons minced shallot
2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon
2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill
2 teaspoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
½ teaspoon celery seeds
¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon sea salt

Place one quart of water and 2 tablespoon of sea salt in a large pan and bring to a boil over high heat. Remove from heat. Add shrimp, then cover and let stand until shrimp curl and turn pink, about 3 minutes. Remove shrimp from water and cool on a wire rack on a baking sheet for about 10 minutes.

In a medium saucepan, place potatoes, 1 tablespoons of salt and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat to medium-low and cook until potatoes are fork tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and cool 10 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. While preheating, put a baking sheet in the oven with butter until it is melted. Remove from the oven and toss the pecans, sea salt and black pepper in the butter and return to the oven until toasted, about 10 minutes. Move pecans from the pan onto a paper towel and cool 5 minutes.

In a large salad bowl, make the dressing combining Champagne vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, shallot, herbs, celery seeds, mustard seeds and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Whisk together and gradually add the oil while whisking.

Add the shrimp and sliced peaches to the salad bowl. Gently toss dressing over them and let sit 5-10 minutes. Then add potato, romaine, and radishes to the bowl and gently toss together.

Evenly distribute among 6 plates; sprinkle with pecans and serve.

http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/southern-waldorf-salad

By Mila McManus MD|2017-06-04T07:03:19-06:00June 3rd, 2017|General, Recipes|

“…reflecting on how far I have come.”

...reflecting on how far I have come.

By Mila McManus MD|2017-07-04T07:32:51-06:00May 4th, 2017|Testimonials|

Hearts of Palm Salad

Serves 4

3 Tablespoons of Water
2 Tablespoons of Lime Juice
1 ½ Tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
3 Tablespoons sliced scallions
2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
14 ounce can or jar of hearts of palm, drained and sliced ½ inch thick
2 small tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 medium avocado, peeled and diced

In a serving bowl, combine water, lime juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Stir in the chopped scallions and cilantro.

Add in the hearts of palm, tomato and avocado, gently toss and serve

From www.weightwatchers.com

By Mila McManus MD|2022-10-10T21:54:17-06:00May 3rd, 2017|General, Recipes|

Raw Crunch Bars

Tired of your current snack selection? Raw Crunch Bars are a perfect healthy solution for the easy, portable snack for busy lives. Made from whole, real food ingredients, these bars are non-GMO, Gluten Free, Grain Free and Dairy Free. Made with many organic ingredients they offer a healthy balance of protein, carbohydrate and fat to stabilize blood sugar, provide satiation while nourishing your body with iron, antioxidants and omega 3 fats. Stop by our office to stock up, or call (281) 298-6742 and we can ship to you.

By Mila McManus MD|2017-05-03T13:22:56-06:00May 3rd, 2017|General|

How to Avoid Fake Fish and Fake Olive Oil

The following ideas are taken from Larry Olmsted’s book Real Food, Fake Food published in 2016. Mr. Olmsted is a food and travel columnist at Forbes.com, a writer, and teaches nonfiction writing at Dartmouth College. He loves food, gardening, travel and trying exotic new foods. He became perplexed at why food in other countries did not taste the same when he came home to America and ordered the same thing, such as Kobe Beef, Italian Olive Oil, and Parmesan Cheese. It initiated for him an extensive investigation into food where he discovered a lot of fake food. He wrote this book to tell about it.

In our main article today we talked about the likelihood of getting fake fish and fake olive oil. Here are some of his suggestions for seeking out the real stuff:

FISH

Look for third party outside and non-profit evaluators certifications. Several to look for include Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), Global Aquaculture Alliance’s Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP for farmed fish),Blue Ocean Institute ratings by the Safina Center at Stony Brook and the Gulf of Main Research Institute’s Gulf of Main Responsibly Harvested certification. For those of us who are Houstonians, The Gulf Wild seal is a reliable assurance of the authenticity of wild-caught seafood from the Gulf of Mexico and is ideal for shrimp.
“Alaska Seafood: Wild, Natural, Sustainable” is one of the most reliable seafood logos you will find. The state has completely outlawed fish farming, and has a constitutional by-law requiring sustainability. Fisheries are regarded as well managed against overfishing, pollution and habitat damage. Alaskan Salmon has little or no traces of contaminants, low levels of heavy metals and organochlorines. Other than Alaskan Salmon, look for pollock, king crab, snow crab, black cod and pacific halibut as well as all five species of Alaskan salmon: king/chinook, sockeye/red, coho/silver, keta/chum and pink.
Here’s some good news: According to Michael Bell, director of the California Coastal and Marine Program for the Nature Conservancy, “Fishery management in the U.S. is the best in the world.” Since our supply chain is less contorted and our domestic monitoring of environmental factors is better, buying American is usually a good choice. This applies especially to Alaskan as well as Mississippi gulf fish, Maine Lobster, scallops and fish as well as domestically farmed catfish, assuming they are labeled honestly.
Wild Caught is usually a best choice, though there are some exceptions. Especially avoid farmed raised, foreign shrimp.
When eating out, if you order white tuna or red snapper, you will almost without doubt get something fake. Salmon will be farmed, crab will be imitation. Be wary of grouper too. Your best shot is to eat at some of the nation’s very best (and expensive) seafood and sushi eateries and otherwise, as Larry Olmstead says, assume the worst and you will most likely be right.
Large grocery retailers including Walmart, Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s and Costco were named as reliable sources for seafood, fresh and frozen. According to Olmsted, he was surprised to hear the consistent message from industry experts that the big box stores with enormous buying leverage often force adherence to higher standards. At Walmart, over 90 percent of their seafood is either certified or in a fishery improvement program.

OLIVE OIL

Olmsted’s top three brand picks: California’s McEvoy Ranch, Australia’s Boulder Bend-Cobram Estate and Spain’s Oro Bailen.
Reliable retailers include T.J.Robinson’s Fresh Pressed Olive Oil Club, Zingerman’s in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Oliviers & Co. and Tom Mueller’s extravirginity.com
In terms of labels, some concepts that may help in selection of a good, real olive oil include:
- The more information the better
- A harvest date, no more than one year old
- Know that there is no regulatory significance to terms like “first cold pressed, or “extra virgin” so don’t let that lead you.
- Look for third party certifications that promise higher standards such as “COOC Certified Extra Virgin”( California Olive Oil Council) or EVA (the Extra Virgin Alliance) and “100% Qualita Italiana”, by UNAPROL, the association of actual Italian olive growers. Interestingly, little stock is put in a USDA organic certification!
Chile and Australia have better practices and stricter standards in general according to the U.S. International Trade Commission report on the quality of extra-virgin olive oil followed by the United States. So these may be the best “go to” source of origin when in doubt.
Newer oils are always better. Be sure to buy small quantities (a six week supply) as it is highly perishable. It should not be exposed to heat or light and is best stored in a cool, dark cabinet. Tins do the best job of blocking the light, followed by an opaque bottle. Oxygen is also an enemy of olive oil so once opened, the oil quality is going downhill quickly.

¹ Real Food/Fake Food by Larry Olmsted, Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 2016.

By Mila McManus MD|2023-05-20T07:30:17-06:00May 3rd, 2017|Articles, General, NANCY’S NUTRITIONAL NUGGET|

You Don’t Always Get What You Want (or think you bought)

by Mila McManus MD and Nancy Mehlert MS

There is no question, that if you knew everything about your food and what the FDA considers “acceptable”, you would be shocked. It may surprise you (or not) that the FDA doesn’t have the resources to pursue all the fraud in the marketplace. And like so much in government, the FDA can be heavily influenced. Additionally the food industry is powerful and busy in Washington fighting for itself, and not usually for what is best for you. Unfortunately, that leaves us to figure out what really is safe to eat and sometimes that is seemingly impossible to do. Moreover, the food industry and marketing techniques today are laden with an over-abundance of hype and confusion. Today we are sharing a few food examples of “fake food”. The information about fish and olive oil is taken from Larry Olmstead’s 2016 book called Real Food/Fake Food.

Sushi and Other Fish Scams¹

It may be surprising to you that there are very serious and frequent scams in the fish world where less expensive and sometimes dangerous fish are sold as a premium species. According to Larry Olmstead in his 2016 book Real Food, Fake Food, “The seafood industry is rife with fraud, substitutions and adulteration.” The non-profit marine conservation group, Oceana, launched a study in New York City and found fraud in 58 percent of the retail outlets. In addition, 39 percent of restaurants were serving something other than what the menu claimed was being served. In the same study, they found that every single sushi restaurant, 100% of them, served fake fish. Upon further research, they discovered these trends existed as the rule for the entire country. In sushi restaurants, the single most common substitute for tuna is escolar, one of the most dangerous sea food products you can buy, nicknamed “Ex-lax fish” because it contains a natural wax ester that causes gastric distress and diarrhea. It is never shown on a menu as escolar, yet it is one of the most widely served fish in this country. Other frequent trade out scams include replacements for grouper and red snapper. Apparently, according to Larry Olmstead, almost all red snapper sold in the U.S. is fake and more likely to be tilefish, which is on the FDA’s do-not-eat list for children and pregnant women because of high mercury levels. Tilefish is a common trade out for halibut on the menu too. In the shrimp world, it is extremely common for farm-raised to be labeled wild caught. Olmstead also says that shipping and country-of-origin information is routinely, and illegally, falsified to cover up poaching and to hide fish coming from dangerous farms that use unapproved chemicals and even slave labor. Did you know that wild Atlantic salmon is extinct, so always farm raised when you see it on a menu or package? Alternatively, Alaskan and Pacific Salmon is wild, where fish farming is illegal (in Alaska).

Olive Oil²

There are many ways to adulterate olive oil. To begin with, the legal definition says that olive oil is nothing but the juice extracted from high-quality, fresh, otherwise unprocessed olives. It is a time sensitive issue from proper ripeness and speed to press from picking. The best oils are pressed within 12 hours from picking at perfect ripeness. The three main ways to adulterate it are to dilute it with less expensive oils, dilute it with lower grades of olive oil that have been heavily refined with chemicals, or failing to pick at peak ripeness and press immediately, resulting in an older, rancid oil. Most of our olive oil comes from Italy where Italian investigators have found plenty wrong with olive oil from hydrocarbon residues, pesticides and pomace oil laced with mineral oil, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons which are proven carcinogens and that can also damage DNA and the immune system. According to Olmstead, virtually every investigation, whether by universities, journalists, law enforcement or government agencies, have found the olive oil industry rife with fraud. Our supermarket brands are almost all, without exception, included in these fake oils and routinely fail testing. In 2011, a large sample supermarket test was conducted of the top selling imported “extra-virgin” olive oil brands in the United States and 73% of the time they failed to meet the basic legal standard for olive oil. Colavita performed best but failed 50% of the time and Pompeian took last place and almost never passed. As recently as November 2015, the police in Turin, Italy investigated seven leading producers which included Bertolli and Carapelli and all seven brands failed despite being labeled “100% Extra Virgin” olive oil. By law, “virgin” oil can only be extracted by physical processing such as crushing or centrifuges without the use of chemicals or heat. Sadly, you can see that enforcement is non-existent and everyone in the industry knows it.

By Mila McManus MD|2017-05-05T06:21:11-06:00May 3rd, 2017|Articles, General|

Pillars of Health

How’s Your Juggling Act?

By Mila McManus MD and Nancy Mehlert, MS

Admittedly, there are many balls to keep in the air to get well and stay well, and each aspect is necessary and overlapping with the others. How well are you doing with optimizing these areas? Test yourself here:

Clean Air – Often out of our control, but are you taking control where you can? At home, do you open windows frequently, decorate with real plants, vacuum often with a HEPA filter, eliminate heavily scented fragrances, candles and chemicals in exchange for safe, non-toxic cleaning products, replace ac/heat filters often, consider single room or whole house air filtration systems?

Clean Water – Do you avoid tap water and select high quality filtering systems for the water you drink and, if possible, the water in which you bathe? Do you limit plastic bottle water use? Are you successful at hydrating throughout the day (drinking half your body weight in ounces)?

Clean Food and Supplements – Do you know what is in your food and supplements? Are you an ingredient reader? Are you eating more and more real, whole food? Are you reducing sugar, packaged, fast, and restaurant food? See our article about choosing supplements carefully.

Unobstructed Energy Flow – Have you had surgery? Infections? Injuries? Parasites? Have you experienced the loss of a pet, family member, or job? These are just a few of the stresses that can trip a breaker for energy flow in the body. Energy therapies can restore this flow, promote healing, detoxification, oxygenation, reduction of pain, swelling and inflammation while increasing ATP (i.e. energy) production at the cellular level. These therapies assist the body with releasing emotional trauma stored at the cellular level to reduce emotional stress on the physical body. Read about our energy therapy called ONDAMED.

Quality Sleep – Do you achieve deep sleep? Do you get too much or too little sleep? Most people need 8 to 9 hours a night. Do you follow a consistent schedule for going to bed and waking up? While the number of hours a person may need can vary, the quality of sleep is critical. It is during deep sleep that our bodies balance, regulate and detoxify. Our brains process information from the day and are reset for the next day. This has a dramatic impact on the body’s ability to fight disease, cope with stress, ward off inflammation and illness.

Moderate Exercise – Are you getting exercise every week? Are you exercising too much (yes that is an important question to ask!)? Do you stand more than you sit? Do you get 10,000 steps in a day? Do you increase your heart rate at least 2-3 times a week? Do you get both aerobic and weight bearing exercise? Exercise is critical for reducing stress, improving sleep, and healing from some diseases. Are you trying to exercise your way out of a bad diet, poor lifestyle choices, or emotional stress? Too much exercise can have a dramatic impact on your adrenal health. So can too little.

Balanced Hormones – Are you working with a functional medicine specialist to balance and optimize your hormones? Simply having ‘normal’ lab results doesn’t guarantee that your hormones are working optimally at the cellular level. Test yourself here for hormonal imbalances.

Strong Immune Function – Are you taking care of your microbiota – the probiotics (aka beneficial bacteria) that defend your body from the outside world? Have you identified areas where your white blood cells are not coping well and put in place a proactive plan to restore this strength (ask why you are having recurrent upper respiratory infections, allergic responses, urinary tract infections or skin rashes, for example)? Do you supplement with immune supporting foods and vitamins? Are you prepared with natural anti-bacterials such as essential oils, coconut oil, herbs, vitamins and supplements that can support the immune system without the use of antibiotics?

Healthy Gut/Digestion –Are you consuming real food, avoiding man-made food products and chemicals and supporting your gut health with fermented foods, probiotics, soothing broths, digestive enzymes and moderate portions of food? There is great truth in the statement that “You are what you eat” but there are many external forces continually destroying your gut health. Do you know what they are and are you protecting yourself from them? Here are links to a 3-part series we published in 2014 regarding this subject: https://woodlandswellnessmd.com/defending-borders-part.html/ , https://woodlandswellnessmd.com/defending-borders-part-ii.html/ , https://woodlandswellnessmd.com/defending-borders-part-iii.html/ .

Emotional/Spiritual Wellbeing – Are you attentive to your soul? Do you address emotional aspects of your life that need your care? Did you know that your emotional stress and despair get stored at the cellular level and have direct impact on your physical health? Do you take time every day to get centered emotionally? Have you forgiven? Can you release hate and anger and take in love and joy? Have you dealt with difficulties in a healthy way that allows you to look forward, not backward, with hope and not dread? Can you turn off the sound of life and find a quiet place for your soul?

Countless times we hear people say that “when you have your health, you have everything”. It is with good health that we can share joy, love others fully, give, and stand beside, and with, others. There is truth in that statement. How’s your juggling act coming along?

By Mila McManus MD|2017-04-04T06:40:17-06:00April 3rd, 2017|Articles, General|

Tarragon String Bean Salad

Serves 4

Salad:

4 cups green beans
1.5 cups of cooked beans (pinto, black, lima, navy, cannellini, or chickpeas)
½ red onion or a few shallots
1 bunch fresh tarragon
½ cup of hazelnuts or almonds, toasted
8 to 10 oz fresh goat feta cheese
Freshly ground pepper

Dressing:

3 TBS extra virgin olive oil
1 TBS maple syrup
2 tsp strong mustard
1 TBS organic apple cider vinegar
Pinch of sea salt

Directions:
Wash and trim tops of green beans. Steam for 4 to 5 minutes until crispy (do not over steam!). Remove from heat and put in cold water immediately to stop cooking.

Cook second bean selection until soft but not mushy, remove from heat and rinse in cool water. (or use two cans of cooked beans, BPA free, organic, rinse before using)

Make dressing: Combine all ingredients in a jar and shake vigorously.

Place both beans in a large bowl and add all other salad ingredients.

Toss green bean mixture in dressing; season to taste with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper.

Source: Meatless Mondays with Martha Stewart

By Mila McManus MD|2017-03-25T10:02:12-06:00March 25th, 2017|General, Recipes|

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