DIY HRP KIT

The Do-It-Yourself Health Reset Protocol Kit

Do-It-Yourself Health Reset Protocol Kit,
Click the image to order your DIY Kit

What is it?

The Health Reset Protocol has been a standard of treatment since TWIHW’s beginning. This 28-day dietary protocol is designed to:

Improve gut health and the microbiome
Identify food sensitivities
Balance blood sugar and reduce inflammation
Detoxify the body
Practice a healthy way of eating
Be the first step to addressing any health issue or symptom

If you are looking to improve your health, feel better and alleviate symptoms such as indigestion, heartburn, gas, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, fatigue, weight gain, sinus issues, skin rashes, brain fog, allergies, autoimmune disease, depression, or anxiety for example, this is a great place to start.

What’s different about this kit versus becoming a patient and seeing the doctor?

This kit is a good option when you want to clean up your diet and feel even better. It is also an economical way to improve your health when other options prove too expensive for your taste or budget. This version of the Health Reset Protocol uses a gentle, less potent approach to healing the gut, making it safe and simple enough to administer without the oversight of a medical doctor. The kit is $299.00 and includes all the necessary supplements, instructions, and recipes.

CLICK HERE TO ORDER YOUR KIT

You may want to access our website at TWIHW.com and TAKE THE ONLINE SYMPTOM CHECKER. This may help you determine if this over-the-counter version may be suitable for your needs or if you would benefit from a better option such as the in-house, practitioner-guided HRP or, our best choice, the Comprehensive Wellness Program.

The Do-It-Yourself Health Reset Protocol Kit is not recommended for pregnant or lactating women or children under 12 years old.

If you take medication for pre-diabetes, diabetes, or high blood pressure, please consult with your healthcare practitioner before starting this program. It’s not unusual for blood pressure and blood sugar to improve quickly and dramatically, and you’ll, therefore, need your practitioner’s assistance with adjusting your medication(s).

By Mila McManus MD|2024-03-12T23:03:10-06:00May 23rd, 2019|Articles, General|

Is Stress Causing your Pain, or is Pain Causing your Stress?
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Is Stress Causing your Pain, or is Pain Causing your Stress?

Articles, General

Is Stress Causing your Pain, or is Pain Causing your Stress?

By Guest Contributor Christine Prohl, BodyMind Coach and Integrative Massage Therapist

Edited by Mila McManus MD

We live in a world that values busyness and achievement and we’ve been taught to ignore the warning signs our bodies are sending us.

BodyMind coaching is a combination of a massage and a structured coaching conversation which helps guide people back into their bodies to create simple, yet powerful shifts so that they can move out of pain and frustration and into freedom and ease. It addresses all aspects of stress, physical and emotional.

A Custom Integrative Massage uses various advanced techniques which are customized to the individual client’s needs. For example, a person may have tight fascia with constant muscle aches, or might retain fluid that needs draining by stimulating lymph flow. Another person may need to focus more on relaxation and mood with a lighter massage and some essential oils.

Sessions may include any combination of the following:

Swedish Massage – The most commonly offered and best known type of massage. Excellent for stress relief, boosted immune system, improved sleep, reduced anxiety and reduced fatigue.
Deep Tissue Massage – Similar to Swedish but with deeper more specific pressure. Designed to increase circulation and reduce restriction and pain in the fascia and muscle tissue.
Neuromuscular Therapy – NMT is a form of soft-tissue manipulation designed to treat the underlying causes of chronic pain involving the muscular and nervous systems. It benefits you through reducing pain, improving posture, relieving trigger points. This type of massage is beneficial for relief of chronic pain, recovery from injuries such as whiplash or sports injuries, repetitive stress injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome, postural problems, etc.
Sports Massage – Techniques designed to help prepare for or recover from strenuous activity or an athletic event. It’s not just for athletes! It’s great for someone getting back into a workout routine or a weekend warrior who did too much yard work all at once.
Lymphatic Drainage – a very light touch technique to help clear out areas of lymph congestion.

Additional services that can be scheduled as individual appointments or as add-ons to the Custom Integrative Massage session include:

FasciaBlasting – Incorporates a massage tool specifically designed to reduce restrictions, adhesions and distortions in the fascia system of the body. Great for pain relief and improved circulation.
Cupping – Includes the use of special cups on your skin to create suction. Benefits include decreased pain and inflammation and increased circulation.
Infrared Sauna – There are many benefits to sitting in an IR sauna including pain relief and detoxification.
Essential Oils – Can be added to any service. Certified pure therapeutic grade oils have been shown to help relieve pain, improve mood and promote a sense of relaxation.

Through a powerful combination of coaching and bodywork, we will notice where and how stress shows up in your body and learn to shift toward experiencing more clarity and contentment. This intentional conversation is followed up with amazing bodywork to integrate these new insights on a physiological level.

The Woodlands Institute for Health & Wellness welcomes Christine Prohl to our facility!

She moved her office here on April 1, 2019. She has been Dr. McManus’ personal massage therapist for years, and Dr. McManus recently transitioned to BodyMind coaching with her.

Testimonial from Dr McManus: “Christine is amazing at what she does! I’ve never known a massage therapist who offers, and excels at, so many different techniques.”

If you’d like to learn more about BodyMind coaching or integrative massage, you can contact Christine Prohl at 832-338-7792.

By Mila McManus MD|2019-04-23T13:47:03-06:00April 23rd, 2019|Articles, General|

Transfer Factor By Researched Nutritionals

Transfer factors exist naturally in the human body and are short strands of amino acids and small bits of ribonucleic acid (RNA).

According to Aaron White, Ph.D. and author of Transfer Factors & Immune System Health, “research strongly suggests that transfer factors are effective for helping the body beat an array of disease states that involve faulty or overloaded immune function and can prevent infections before they occur. Transfer factors seem to prime the body for battle against intracellular pathogens, like viruses, mycobacteria and cell wall deficient bacteria, and help squash infections before they can take root. Transfer factors turn non-immune-related white blood cells into immune-related white blood cells and stimulate the birth of new Helper and Cytotoxic T-Cells, Natural Killer cells and macrophages. After stimulating an increase in T-cell counts, transfer factors orient these new T-cells toward a target presumably by influencing the nature of the antigen (protein of the pathogen) receptors expressed by the cells. Further, by binding to antigens on infected body cells, transfer factors paint infected cells for destruction by Cytotoxic T-cells.”

In individuals with chronic immune-related conditions, Natural Killer activity is often suppressed. Transfer factors, taken supplementally, are effective at promoting healthy NK cell function and strengthen the immune response.

Transfer Factor Multi Immune is a comprehensive immune support which fortifies the front line of our immune systems by promoting healthy natural killer cell function.

Formulas are also available to target tick-born pathogens, environmental challenges and fatigue.

Office Support Materials

By Mila McManus MD|2019-04-06T11:03:16-06:00March 20th, 2019|Articles, General|

Food Gums in “Healthy” Foods

By Nancy Mehlert, MS

Gums are common food additives used to add stickiness, thicken, prevent separation of ingredients, and improve texture. In a small amount, they are generally considered safe.

When larger quantities are consumed, there can be reason for concern. You may be surprised how easy it is to be eating a lot of them! They are common in many organic, non-diary, non-GMO, certified gluten free foods, and are often chosen with the belief that these foods are cleaner. Look for them in nut milks, gluten free foods, salad dressings, protein powders, mayonnaise, non-dairy products, soups, and sauces.

Here are the ones I see most often: carrageenan, xanthan gum, gellan gum, guar gum, locust bean gum, and acacia gum ( a.k.a. arabic gum). Only one of them, acacia gum, stands out with some favorable benefits and has the least negative impact when used in small amounts. It is considered a pre-biotic, which means that it can actually feed the healthy bacteria in the gut.

Here are reasons to limit or remove the rest of them from your diet:

Multiple studies have shown that many gums create GI inflammation, especially carrageenan, which is believed to have the highest potential for harm, especially for those already suffering with gastrointestinal issues.
Many gums are very difficult to digest and cause diarrhea, bloating, cramping, and stomach pain. It is also common to experience symptoms unrelated to digestion such as a runny nose, congestion, hives or body pain.
Those with gluten intolerance, gluten allergy, or celiac disease should avoid xantham gum as it is produced by bacterial fermentation of corn, wheat and other grain based sugars.
Many gums can alter healthy levels of intestinal bacteria in some people. This happens by disrupting the normal mucous layer that lines the gut and contributes to chronic, low-level inflammation promoting changes to cells in the digestive tract, including the colon.
Agar gum, karaya gum, and konjac gum (a.k.a. glucomannan) can expand in the gut and, without adequate fluids, can cause esophageal and bowel obstruction.

If you already know your gastrointestinal health is compromised in any way, you may want to eliminate these gums entirely. For most people, simply limiting their use to infrequent and small quantities would be wise. Check all your packaged and bottled foods – you may be surprised!

Choose well, be well!

https://www.glutenfreesociety.org/toxic-food-additives-common-gluten

https://civileats.com/2015/02/25/how-emulsifiers-are-messing-with-our-guts-and-making-us-fat/

https://draxe.com/gum-arabic

https://draxe.com/gellan-gum/

https://draxe.com/locust-bean-gum/

By Mila McManus MD|2019-04-06T10:58:17-06:00March 20th, 2019|Articles, NANCY’S NUTRITIONAL NUGGET|

Help Heal Your Body from the Inside Out

By Guest contributor Tyler Hamel, DC

Edited by Mila McManus, MD

Chiropractors evaluate the spine and nervous system to determine whether issues with these are affecting your health condition. Your neck pain, back pain, sciatica, or migraine headaches may be caused by spine/nerve irritation and, if that’s the case, chiropractic treatment can help.

What is a chiropractic adjustment?

Oftentimes postural stress causes wear and tear on the spinal joints in your neck, mid-back and low back. These joints become compressed which causes irritation, pain and muscle spasm. In the simplest explanation, here is what the chiropractic adjustment does:

Decompresses the spine
Realigns the spine
Takes pressure off of nerves
Restores proper function

Why be open to chiropractic treatment?

It’s very safe and more effective at treating neck and back pain than any other treatment out there, including, e.g., muscle relaxers, pain pills, or surgery.
Chiropractic helps the body heal from the inside out naturally by restoring proper alignment and nerve flow.
It’s affordable. Chiropractic adjustments are a fraction of the cost of long-term use of pain medicine, ongoing cortisone shots, and surgeries.
Everyone can be helped with chiropractic care. Our youngest patient was 7 weeks old, and our most senior patient 99 years old.
You don’t need a referral from a doctor.
We accept insurance, but keep in mind that sometimes insurance co-pays cost more than our cash prices.

Which Chiropractic technique is best for you?

Manual adjusting- you will hear pops and cracks when we release pressure from the spine during a chiropractic adjustment. This is very safe.
Instrument adjusting- we use vibrating adjustment tools that accomplish the same result as manual adjusting.

Why do we offer both?

Some patients do not want their neck or back “popped”, whereas others love the feeling of a manual adjustment.
Depending on the age of the patient, it may be easier and safer to use instrument adjusting. For example, if a patient has osteoporosis, or recently had surgery, instrument adjusting may be preferred.
Having more than one adjusting technique makes it easy for anyone to come and experience the benefits of chiropractic care.

Dr. Hamel cares for patients part time at our TWIHW facility, and part time at his Kingwood office.

By Mila McManus MD|2019-03-21T20:49:59-06:00February 26th, 2019|Articles, General|

The Doc’s Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad

The Doc’s Shaved Brussels Sprouts* Salad

Edited from Chowhound.com

Serves 2

For the salad:

½ bag shaved Brussels sprouts

2 to 3 hearts of palm, sliced

⅓ cup pine nuts

For the dressing: (enough for 2-3 uses)

¼ cup fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon)

¾ cup olive oil

½ to 1½ teaspoons Dijon mustard

½ to 1 shallot, finely chopped or minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

Salt and Pepper, to taste

Instructions:

1. Combine the shaved Brussels Sprouts, hearts of palm and pine nuts in a large salad bowl.
2. Combine the dressing ingredients in a bowl or bottle and stir or shake.
3. Pour desired amount of dressing on the salad and toss well. Serve
4. Save the remaining dressing in the refrigerator.

*These little green mini cabbage like balls are named after the city of Brussels in Belgium. Most people call them Brussel Sprouts, but the correct name has the “s” on the end.

By Mila McManus MD|2019-03-04T06:34:11-06:00February 20th, 2019|Articles, General, Recipes|

Regenerative Orthopedic Options

By Shaun Lehmann, MD
Edited by Mila McManus MD

The body is designed to heal itself. As we age, our bodies start to lose the ability to focus a sustained healing response to musculoskeletal injuries. Injuries can occur from multiple sources including trauma, repetitive stresses, or medications. The body’s healing response can also be diminished due to nutritional deficiencies, hormone deficiencies, and genetic conditions.
The field of Orthopedic Medicine is rapidly changing to now include many regenerative options aimed at improving our ability to heal. We are now learning that some of the traditional ways that we have been treating musculoskeletal pain and injuries may actually be causing problems by negatively affecting the body’s ability to heal itself. Steroid injections, for example, are now showing in research to decrease the local stem cell counts and could actually damage cartilage. NSAIDS (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) also have been shown to accelerate cartilage loss.
Regenerative medicine aims to accelerate our natural ability to heal after injury occurs. The goal of regenerative therapy is to optimize the cellular environment by stimulating growth factors and repair cells.

Some of these treatments include:
Point of Care Therapies (same day procedures)

Nutritional Growth Factor Stimulation

Prolotherapy
Ozone Therapy

Personal Cell Therapy (Autologous)

Platelet Rich Plasma (aka PRP)
Bone Marrow Aspirate
Fat derived Mesenchymal cells – or VSF “vascular stromal fraction:”

Donation cellular therapy (Allogeneic)

Umbilical Allograft Cells
Amniotic growth factors
Placental growth factors

Cultured Cellular Therapies (not a same day procedure… takes weeks to grow)

Nutritional stimulation treatments such as Prolotherapy and Ozone therapy aim to focus the body’s healing energies on the location that needs repaired. They aim to wake up the body’s local healing mechanisms by refocusing and restarting the healing process. These treatments can work well as long as the body is healthy, and the repair mechanisms are in working order.

Personal cellular therapies do the same as above; however, they also bring extra cellular workers to the job site. These treatments are usually deemed stronger than Prolotherapy and Ozone and are deemed relatively safe since the workers are your own cells.

Donation cellular therapies are from a donor person, are more potent than Personal cellular therapies, and are tested for safety (e.g., viruses such as HIV, hepatitis); however, the tissues are not tested for every potential infectious disease, so there may be some theoretical risk.

Cultured Cellular Therapies are not legal to use in the U.S. at this time, but it is legal to process and store these stem cells in the United States. One has to travel to another country to have the stem cells injected or infused. Cultured stem cells can be either Personal (autologous) or Donated (allogeneic).

There is a large body of research done on the efficacy of Prolotherapy and Platelet Rich Plasma, but more is still needed. Stem cells show so much promise that they are said to be “the future of medicine”.

By Mila McManus MD|2019-02-22T08:55:43-06:00January 30th, 2019|Articles, General|

Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

Makes 6 Servings

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

6 cups (1.4 L) chicken broth

1 lb (450 g) chicken breast

12 ounces (340 g) fresh or high quality store bought salsa

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 cup chopped carrots

1 onion, chopped

Fresh Cilantro (optional)

Sliced Avocado (optional)

Directions:

1. Place all of the ingredients except the cilantro and sliced avocado into the stainless steel bowl of your Instant Pot and secure the lid. Close the pressure valve, press the Manual/Pressure Cook button and adjust the cook time to 15 minutes using your +/- buttons.
2. Allow the cooking cycle to complete and then quick release the pressure valve and remove the lid once safe to do so. Use two forks to shred the chicken.
3. Serve topped with fresh cilantro and sliced avocado if desired.

Compliant with HRP diet (TWIHW), Keto, Low Carb, Paleo and just plain yummy simple!

By Mila McManus MD|2022-10-10T21:54:51-06:00January 17th, 2019|Articles, General, Recipes|

Viracid & WholeMune *

Viracid, by Ortho Molecular Products provides support for immune challenges and can be taken to immediately boost the immune system or for immune maintenance. Viracid strengthens immune function and helps to maintain normal inflammatory balance. Viracid has a powerful combination of key nutrients and botanical extracts which significantly boost immune cell function including antibody response, natural killer (NK) cell activity, thymus hormone secretions and T-cell activation. Viracid boosts immune defenses by providing nutrients such as L-lysine, vitamins A and C, pantothenic acid, B₁₂, and zinc. Also included is a synergistic blend of botanical extracts including black elderberry, astragalus, echinacea, and andrographis, all of which have been used traditionally for their clinically effective immune-modulating properties. This supplement comes in a convenient pill pack to have handy at home or in travel, when you feel like you may be coming down with something.

WholeMune, by Orthomolecular Products is used to prime and mobilize key immune cells and protects against immune challenges resulting from ongoing stress. Wholemune is formulated with Wellmune WGP®, the most well-researched, single beta-glucan, proven in human trials to prepare and protect the immune system form repeated and ongoing stressors. Wellmune WGP® is a highly purified, yeast -free beta glucan extract derived from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. It is standardized to contain 75% pure beta-glucan and is considered the most effective single nutrient to naturally prime immune cells. Wholemune increases immune vitality and mental clarity as well as protects against exercise-induced stress.

For information or to purchase, visit our office or call 281-298-6742.

*Information taken from Ortho Molecular Products, Product Info Sheet/pdf.

By Mila McManus MD|2019-01-05T10:08:00-06:00January 4th, 2019|Articles, General|

Neurofeedback Changes Your Mind, Literally!

Written by Guest Contributor:

Spring Hill, MS, LMFT, LPC

Individual, Couples, Family Counseling

Neurofeedback Services

Have you ever felt like “if I could just relax instead of being anxious, depressed, or distracted I would enjoy life more?” Well, you’re not alone. The brain controls everything we do in our lives from relaxing, to sports activities, to writing this article. Specifically, it is our brain waves that control what and how we think, how we feel physically, mentally and emotionally, and how we behave with others.
If our brainwave distribution becomes out of balance (much like our hormones), symptoms may result, such as anxiety, depression, lack of energy, foggy thinking, etc. Neurofeedback is a non-invasive, pain-free computer-based technique which retrains the brain to produce brainwave patterns that are beneficial to better functioning. When the electrical system (brainwaves) is modulated through Neurofeedback, the brain becomes more flexible, calming the brain and helping the client to have better control of their emotions, feelings and thoughts. The results of the brain changes are enduring, unlike medication.
What does a Neurofeedback session look like?
• During a session a cap with sensors is placed on the head to monitor the brainwave activity, much like the electrical activity you see when having an EKG. (There is NO electricity going into the head)
• This activity is displayed onto the therapist’s computer monitor. On a separate screen, the client plays a video game or watches a movie that is generated using their brainwave activity.
• Each time a healthy brainwave is achieved, the client is rewarded via graphics and auditory sound. As healthier brainwaves are achieved, a healthier state of mind (e.g., focused, relaxed, less anxiety) is learned.
Neurofeedback is a safe, long-lasting, drug-free alternative to treating symptoms including:
• Focus/Foggy thinking/Cognitive Processing
• Anxiety/Panic Attacks/ Obsessive thoughts, Compulsions
• Depression
• Sleep issues
• Pain
• Other Conditions and Symptoms
The overall goal is to help the client manage their symptoms and improve their performance in whatever area of life they desire such as school, work, or relaxation. For more information regarding neurofeedback contact Spring Hill at shill1@springhill4counseling.com or call 713.927.5093.

By Mila McManus MD|2019-01-04T12:17:21-06:00January 4th, 2019|Articles, General|