TWIHW Pure & Simple Soap

When it comes to caring for your skin, simple and pure are important concepts to cleanse and nourish this large and important organ system. Your skin protects you from outside threats but also serves as an exit pathway for toxins leaving your body. We encourage you to take good care of your skin. The Woodlands Institute for Health & Wellness introduced our own Pure & Simple Soap last year. This all natural, fragrance-free, gentle and nourishing soap does not promote blemishes and is great for sensitive skin too. It contains shea butter, sunflower oil, coconut oil, castor oil, distilled water, lye and tallow. Makes a great gift too!

By Mila McManus MD|2016-03-01T08:26:33-06:00February 18th, 2016|General|

Is Generosity Better than Sex?

According to an article by Tara Parker-Pope, “no, but a new study says it’s crucial in a marriage”. According to her article, ‘Men and women with the higher scores on the generosity scale were far more likely to report that they were ‘very happy’ in their marriages”. Among those with lower generosity scores, “only about 14% claimed to be ‘very happy’ “.

How do you measure up? Take this short questionnaire provided by Parker-Pope’s article.

Select the number in front of your answer and add up your score:

A. How often do you express affection or love to your partner?

1. Never
2. Seldom
3. Sometimes
4. Often
5. Always

B. How often do you express respect or admiration to your partner?

1. Never
2. Seldom
3. Sometimes
4. Often
5. Always

C. How often you perform small acts of kindness for your partner (eg making him or her coffee in the morning)?

1. Never
2. Seldom
3. Sometimes
4. Often
5. Always

D. How often do you forgive your partner for his or her mistakes and failings?

1. Never
2. Seldom
3. Sometimes
4. Often
5. Always

Scoring Interpretation:

14 points or lower: you need to make more of an effort to do nice things for your spouse
15-16: your marriage could benefit from more expressions of love or acts of kindness
17 or more: high levels of generosity usually reflect a very happy marriage

Source: nytimes.com

By Mila McManus MD|2016-02-04T06:16:53-06:00February 4th, 2016|General|

Employee of the Month: Maddie Hitt

Maddie Hitt has been a Medical Assistant here since 2013. Known for her beauty inside and out, Maddie makes life and work fun! She has a special way of juggling the fast and busy days and somehow can always squeeze in one more thing to help others. She has a way of laughing at herself and admitting her challenges that keeps people seeking her out for her humility and humanness. Her patients love her and trust her and she cares for them well. Appreciated for her dependability and loyalty, Maddie’s work ethic is strong and demonstrated by her punctuality at work and with patients, willingness to learn, and her depth of knowledge. Everyone who knows her enjoys her infectious and wicked funny laugh and great sense of humor. Maddie is full of life and busy living it! She loves country western music, movies with Kevin Costner, a little casino time, some good food, and watching the Texans.

By Mila McManus MD|2016-02-03T12:57:48-06:00February 3rd, 2016|Articles, General|

Theraslim™ and Nuvexa™ by Prothera

This month we are featuring as our “supplement of the month” a fat blocker as well as a carb blocker, respectively. Well, let’s face it. It’s challenging to eat perfectly 100% of the time. We know our patients are all in different places in their journey to improved health and good quality nutrition. It’s good to have a little help when trying to lose some weight, or simply to mitigate the damage after a weak moment, a meal served by a well-meaning host, during vacations or holidays or in business when a less than ideal restaurant or banquet meal can catch you off guard. We, of course, don’t advocate overindulging on whatever you like, whenever you like, and hoping a pill will keep you healthy and skinny. Lifestyle changes and healthy choices are accomplished with good planning and will always be paramount to good health and wellness. But we know that life gets in the way sometimes and that losing weight and keeping it off are a challenge for many. So we’re presenting 2 supplements that might help in some challenging situations:

Nuvexa™ contains FBCx®, a naturally occurring, patented dietary fiber. Through over a decade of research, FBCx® has demonstrated an impressive fat binding capability and each serving (2 tablets) binds up to 18 grams of dietary fat (equivalent to 162 calories). The FBCx® passes through the digestive tract without being absorbed and is eliminated without unpleasant side effects. Helpful to manage weight, up to 486 calories a day (162 calories x 3 meals) of fat from food can be blocked from being absorbed.

TheraSlim™ is a natural, non-stimulant supplement, clinically proven to reduce carbohydrate calories from the starchiest carbohydrates such as grains (corn, rice, barley, rye, oats, wheat) and potatoes. TheraSlim™ contains Phase 2 Starch Neutralizer®, a natural, non-stimulant adjunct from the white kidney bean, Phaseolus vulgaris L., that may reduce the enzymatic digestion of dietary starches. Supported by a substantial and competent body of scientific evidence including 14 clinical investigations, two capsules of TheraSlim ™ at least twice a day when taken with starchy meals or snacks, may assist in weight control when used in conjunction with a sensible diet and exercise program.

By Mila McManus MD|2016-02-03T12:44:29-06:00February 3rd, 2016|Articles, General|

The Relational Side of Good Nutrition

By Nancy Mehlert, MS

As February rolls around and red hearts and roses pop up everywhere, it is impossible not to think about relationships, especially those closest to us that qualify in our minds as a “valentine”. So what could a nutritionist have to say about relationships???

As with all of our choices, what we eat is influenced by many factors from education, experience, beliefs, emotions, and yes, the influence or opinions of others. The actual reasons why you eat what you eat may not be based at all on what is best for your unique body but factors influencing you from many angles. It is a worthwhile exercise to examine how your relationships impact what you decide to eat… Here are some examples where a relationship had a bearing, good or bad, on what was eaten:

A mother raises her child eating real food, no sugars, no junk, no processed food. The child grows up to enjoy healthy choices and reject poor choices.
Your best friends tell you “you’re no fun” when you attempt to decline dessert.
Your sister knows you are terribly upset so comes over with two pints of ice cream and two spoons.
Your wife is a very healthy eater and refuses to keep junk in the house or buy it. So all of your meals at home help to keep you healthy and trim.
Your neighbor heard you were sick so brought over lasagna, rolls, salad and dessert for the family.
You try to eat healthy, make wise choices and prepare good food for your family but every meal your spouse or teenager rolls his or her eyeballs and comments about this “dumb kick you are on”.
The family only eats 4 dinner menus because they are the only ones everyone in the family enjoys.
Your husband knows you struggle with your weight and work hard to keep it off and look great for him. He skips the heart shaped box of chocolates on Valentine’s Day and writes a love letter and cooks you a healthy meal at home with candle light and kisses.

We’ve all read articles or books about healthy relationships. We all know that good communication and mutual respect are two of the fundamental starting points for a good relationship. I believe this is true when it comes to improving our diets and overall health and nutrition. We consume most of our food with people we love. It goes to say then that if you need to change what you are eating to gain health, be well, heal, lose or maintain a healthy weight, you will have to address the relational aspects of the food you eat. Often, this is one of the hardest obstacles to making lifestyle changes because it requires effective communication of your needs, the request for respect and support from others and, finally, often others need to change their habits for your benefit. These challenges are often one of the reasons that lifestyle changes are better made slowly over time, so that everyone can get on board together.

Here are a couple of tips to help you and your loved ones nourish your relationships with each other and your food choices:

Remember that we are all unique right down to our genetic variances when it comes to our needs for nourishment, even within the same family. Don’t assume everyone needs exactly the same foods and portions. Respectfully help everyone close to you find their own pathway of foods that make them feel their best and respect their differences from yours. Ask them to do the same for you.

Listen to your body to determine your nutrition needs. Everyone else’s opinion, the latest article on the internet, or food industry products is not putting your best and unique needs first. No one can hear what your body is saying better than you can.

Listen to your body rather than your emotions. Eating to please someone else, or to avoid a conflict or to numb yourself from your feelings leads to destructive eating habits. Often times this is where you have to press through the immediate satisfaction for the long term reward. If you can do it a couple of times, you begin to renew your own self-respect and yearn for the success that comes from the discipline.

Don’t be afraid to tell others what you need from them. Offer suggestions to friends and loved ones about how to help you and be specific about what does not help you. Once my friend explained to her husband that she knew the gesture of the box of chocolates was well meaning but it caused her to be terribly tempted every day until the chocolates were gone, caused weight gain and then guilt, he understood that the end result was not what he had hoped to deliver at all.

Wherever possible, prevent others from making your food choices for you. Take ownership of what you put in your mouth. Don’t blame others for the food you eat. You are the only person who determines what goes in your mouth, so own the responsibility for your nutrition, body and your health.

Ask others not to comfort or love you with food. Find out what your love language is (http://www.5lovelanguages.com/profile/) and when you need love or comfort, suggest to others that you would like words of praise, a hug, encouragement, affirmation, an act of service or a non-food gift.

Recognize that others can have ulterior and selfish motives for saying what they say to you or sabotaging your efforts to get healthy, lose weight or change your diet. They may simply not want to join you in your journey. Avoid being manipulated or controlled by others when it comes to what you eat. Mutual respect is important in every healthy relationship. You are worthy of respect.

Set the example. When your friends come to your home, or you are asked to bring something, provide healthy food choices rather than what you think they expect or want so that they can begin to see how good healthy eating can feel and be. Leading by your example is the most powerful way to influence change in others’ lives.

Respect your body. Nourish yourself well. Then love, respect, and nourish each other. Happy Valentine’s Day!

By Mila McManus MD|2016-02-03T06:50:22-06:00February 3rd, 2016|General, NANCY’S NUTRITIONAL NUGGET|

“I’m 100% Better”

I'm 100% Better

from Barbara W.

When I came to The Woodlands Institute for Health and Wellness one year ago, I had so many issues that I was weary, tired, and skeptical that the wellness program could make a difference. Some of my problems included chronic fatigue, joint pain, headaches, irritability, eczema, loss of endurance, moodiness, hopelessness, foggy, cravings, weight gain, sluggishness, loss of interest, low energy, inability to fall asleep/stay asleep, frequent colds/allergy symptoms, anxious, thyroid nodules, constipation, diarrhea, stomach issues, and more. Because traditional treatment and medicine previously prescribed by physicians had failed me, I was very skeptical and most cynical that I would never get relief. Dr. McManus prescribed a plan specific to my needs, and she listened to me very intently, addressing each issue brought forth during our visit. Instead of giving me a prescribed medication, she gave me explanations, choices, education, recommendation, tools, instruction, and hope. Today, one year later, I am sleeping well, energetic, mentally alert, happy, and I have not had any exacerbation of colds, flu, allergies, or eczema. My joint pain left within two weeks of my initial visit and has not returned. I eat a clean healthy yeast free diet, so my gut is symptom free. My thyroid function is much improved. The support team and coaching is an awesome experience at The Woodlands Institute for Health and Wellness. I felt compelled to share my testimony to help someone else that may be feeling hopeless. I can truly say that I am happy that I made the decision one year ago. I am 100% better.

By Mila McManus MD|2016-03-02T16:32:28-06:00February 3rd, 2016|General, Testimonials|

Curried Halibut

Halibut is a lean fish with a mild, sweet tasting white flesh that is firm but tender. Be careful not to overcook it to avoid drying it out.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 six ounce wild Alaskan halibut steaks
½ cup of almond meal
1 tsp salt (Himilayan, Redmond, or other unprocessed)
1 pinch of cayenne
1 TBS curry powder
3 TBS coconut oil (expeller pressed)

Directions:

Mix the almond meal with the salt, cayenne and curry on a plate.

Flip the fish in the mix, coating both sides.

Heat two teaspoons of coconut oil on medium heat in a frying pan. Add the fish in the pan and cook on each side for about 5 minutes.

Remove from the pan and serve.

Serving Suggestions:

Pair with a mixed vegetable combo of curried cauliflower, broccoli and green beans.
Consider a pistachio crust as an alternative by grinding 1 cup of roasted, shelled pistachios with 1 tsp. of dried oregano, ½ tsp each of thyme, garlic powder and sea salt and dredging fish in this mixture instead. Top with orange or grapefruit segments.

http://recipes.mercola.com/curried-halibut-and-vegetables-recipe.aspx

By Mila McManus MD|2016-02-04T06:21:23-06:00February 1st, 2016|Recipes|

Syncing Up

By Thelma Jean Goodrich, PhD

As Valentine’s Day comes to us this month, relationships grab even more attention than usual – assessing ones we have, envisioning ones we want, watching for cards and flowers, shopping for the right message, or maybe just wishing the Day would hurry on by. There is an old saying that marriage is like a walled city: those who are inside want out and those who are outside want in. What is it that makes relationships so central even though elusive or troublesome? The most common thought is hormones. Hormones drive us to find a mate. But according to three professors at the University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine, the driver is not our hormones but our nervous system.

In A General Theory of Love, Thomas Lewis, M.D., Fari Armini, M.D., and Richard Lannon, M.D., explain that while the nervous system is busy regulating our physiological functions, it is relying, for its own stability, on synchronizing with a nearby loved one. If this orderly connection is interrupted even briefly, the body and mind react with alarm. If the interruption lasts long enough, physical and mental processes decline into the flatline of despair.

The part of the brain that accomplishes this synchronizing exchange is the limbic system. Here’s the deal. The human body regularly fine-tunes thousands of bodily functions – heart rate, blood pressure, temperature, immune function, oxygen saturation, levels of sugars and salts, and more. We might think that each body can accomplish this regulation all by itself. Wrong. We need another person to transmit information that can help regulate all these functions in our body. At the same time, we are transmitting information that helps regulate that person’s physiological functions. None of us can run our bodies all alone; we all need somebody else to help. For most people, that somebody is a romantic partner, but it may be a relative or friend.

As the authors put it, “Love is simultaneous mutual regulation, wherein each person meets the needs of the other…and both thrive. For those who attain it, the benefits of deep attachment are powerful – regulated people feel whole, centered, alive. With their physiology stabilized from the proper source, they are resilient to the stresses of daily life, or even to those of extraordinary circumstance.” And, we might add, they are happy.

By Mila McManus MD|2016-02-01T12:45:16-06:00February 1st, 2016|Articles, General|

What is Wellness Worth to You?

By Nancy Mehlert, MS

Contributions by Mila McManus MD and Dyvette Warren, PA-C

I like new stuff. You know, new tennis shoes, the latest cell phone, the smartest and most efficient new anything from cars to kitchen utensils. Some of us like to buy someone else’s old stuff because it is new to us. Everything has a price, and, with few exceptions, loses value over time. Even spending our hard earned dollars on a great vacation can offer only momentary fun and fast fading memories. In most cases, the generally accepted solution to a problem is to simply go buy another one. We like stuff!

What if there was one very essential thing in life that was depreciating every day and could not be replaced? When you first get this thing, it is intended to last a very long time. It’s the most valuable asset you have and, without it, relationships, living, loving, serving and prospering are not possible. We all have one! You guessed it… your body. So why is it so hard for us to invest some of our hard earned money into preserving and maintaining it? The human body, when properly maintained and cared for, provides the vessel through which the best of life occurs. There is no “stuff” that can give longevity, energy, focus, productivity, relationships, joy and a legacy the way the human body can. We have all heard the great truth and many of us have lived it and that is “when you have your health, you have everything”.

Very sadly, there is one more thing that has greatly depreciated and has less and less value as the decades pass and that is our traditional system of medical care. What began decades ago as a health care system offering true value and intentions for wellness has become a highly profitable industry with bed partners in insurance, government, and the pharmaceutical industry. Good intentions to improve and maintain good health in our society have morphed into a system that sustains and manages the disease state and makes shockingly large sums of money doing it. The industry, as a whole, benefits financially when it can medicate, operate, and perpetuate the need for it at the expense of our health and prosperity. For the most part, our highly valued “health” insurance only covers disease management. This model has gotten us addicted to very low cost medical care. This is one reason we are reluctant to pay for healthcare outside of what’s covered by our insurance plans.

What is good health worth to you? If we only have one body for a lifetime and all of living depends on our ability to conduct life in this one vessel, shouldn’t taking care of it be worth a lot? And if the medical model you are using isn’t working to maintain and optimize your vessel, then shouldn’t you seek another model? If your car no longer works, don’t you do whatever it takes to get your car running reliably and smoothly? If your child is not successful in the public school arena, wouldn’t you pursue other possibly more costly or time-intensive avenues to make your child successful? If you invest $1000 in the market and you’re losing money, don’t you seek out a better return for your money? In both our personal and professional lives, we all know that there is no sense in sticking with a strategy if it is not working. If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you’re getting.

A non-traditional, holistic, functional medicine approach is where your investment will yield immediate quality care and value, and will continue to give returns for a lifetime of better health, life, and very likely lower healthcare costs over the long-term. Allow us the honor and privilege of serving you and your family to:

Combine the science of traditional medicine with the wisdom of natural holistic approaches. Our goal is to restore, repair and optimize your health.
Seek the underlying causes of symptoms and correct those while avoiding the side effects and discomfort of prescription drugs or surgery.
Promote healthy lifestyle choices with regard to sleep, nutrition, exercise and mental health.
Use safe, natural and effective solutions to your health concerns rather than manage the symptoms with prescription drugs.

Medical bills are the leading cause of bankruptcy. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure so invest in yourself!

By Mila McManus MD|2016-01-06T07:55:23-06:00January 6th, 2016|Articles, General|

…I was a complete wreck!

I was complete wreck!

I wanted to take a few minutes to tell you the physical state that I was in before meeting Dr. McManus. I was housebound and incapacitated from working an 8-5 job or any job for that matter. I was on numerous medications and was suffering from so many things such as low thyroid, no hormones replaced in my body from a complete hysterectomy 4 years earlier. To put it short, I was a complete wreck. It took a little bit of time (because I was so complicated) but in 6 months I saw a great difference. Within the year, I was feeling 85% better and I went out and found a full time job 8-5 which is what I wanted, and have been working ever since.

Thank you Dr. McManus for helping me to feel so much better today than I was 8 years ago.

Mrs. MN

By Mila McManus MD|2016-02-03T06:37:51-06:00January 5th, 2016|General, Testimonials|

About Mila McManus MD