Are you the Commander-in-Chief?

Take charge as Commander-in-Chief of your Nutrition.

The distinguishing mark of a great military force is its leader. When we read about great military leaders like Julius Caesar or Alexander the Great, we are told about what they “conquered” or “took control over”. Are you The Commander-in-Chief of Your Body Nation?

It is an important question to ask. Who is in charge? Maybe it is your doctor saying food does not matter? Your spouse who does all the cooking? Your children who bind up your time or demand fast food? Or is it possible no one is leading and your food choices are at the mercy of advertising forces, restaurant menus, or your mood?

In the practice of nutrition and in my own personal journey, I’ve noticed it is easy to make excuses for the reasons we don’t eat right. Most of us know what we should eat. Life is what gets in the way every day. We work long hours, travel, and attend corporate functions. We have a busy social life with friends. We have children with packed schedules, games to play, and homework to do. We are involved in weddings, divorces, graduations, or caring for the sick. We move, change jobs, or have financial difficulty. We celebrate. These are the events that seem to become our excuses for not making wise leadership decisions for the good of our Body Nation.

I want to challenge you to the truth today. You are the only person who can truly lead your Body Nation. You are the only person who raises hand to mouth to put food in it. You also have a highly organized and capable brain that provides the skills you need to learn, exercise choice, plan ahead, communicate with others and, most of all, protect and defend your Body Nation. I want to challenge you to own your nutrition pathway. You are The Commander-in-Chief and you can conquer the lifetime challenges that try to take over. If we don’t take care of ourselves, how can we take care of others? Taking ownership of your health and making your nutrition a priority along with quality sleep, exercise and stress management will lead to a life well lived.

Easier said than done? Here are a few suggestions:

Buddy up with a friend for accountability.
Ask friends and family to not enable your bad food habits.
Practice Emotional Freedom Technique.
Keep bad food choices out of the house.
Schedule an appointment with me for help with meal planning and good substitutions to improve your pantry
Make small changes at intervals rather than trying to make one big radical alteration in your life (e.g. wean off diet soda, start exercising 5 minutes a day, or change your snack from chips to snap peas and hummus)
Recommended reading: Taming the Chew by Denise Lamothe, When Food Is Love by Geneen Roth, and Life is Hard, Food is Easy, by Linda Spangle.

By Mila McManus MD|2014-06-26T11:33:48-06:00June 26th, 2014|Articles, General, NANCY’S NUTRITIONAL NUGGET|

Depressed? Need a lift?

Depression comes in many forms and has many possible causes. Rather than band-aiding your depression with an anti-depressant medication, The Woodlands Institute aims to detect and correct the underlying causes of your depression. Causes may be anything from a simple nutritional deficiency or hormonal imbalance to a reaction to a food. We’ll help you understand common depression signs so that you may identify depression symptoms in yourself, a family member or a friend. Then, we can also help you determine the best depression treatment for you.

We invite you to read our online article “Depression Symptoms & Treatments” for details on how depressed feelings affect all types of people and can be easily addressed with the right attention. Talking to a trained professional about your depressed feelings or those of a loved one is critical to resolving these feelings. Whether you’re a teen struggling with depression, a new mom who may be challenged with postpartum depression or a father who just isn’t energized about the things he once was, The Woodlands Institute is here for you.

Test yourself for hormonal imbalances that may be causing or contributing to your depressed moods. One culprit of your depression could be low thyroid, which we can also help address.

Click here to read a testimonial from a real patient of TWIHW who suffered with depression for many years.

By Mila McManus MD|2014-06-25T10:45:04-06:00June 13th, 2014|Articles, General|

Causes of Anxiety You May Not Know About

by Mila McManus MD

Are you anxious and don’t know why? Is your anxiety disproportionately high relative to the situation? Have you developed social anxiety? Let’s face it. We ALL have stressors in our lives, whether it’s related to work, family, finances, health, or the weather. We don’t all, however, react to our environments the same way. When you see a ‘traditional’ doctor about your anxiety symptoms, you’re likely to be prescribed a drug such as Lexapro, Klonopin, Xanax, or the like. These medications may provide relief, but they certainly bring with them many potential side effects, and the risk of physical dependence. Moreover, they aren’t addressing the underlying cause of your anxiety. Did you know:

A common, but frequently overlooked cause of anxiety is progesterone deficiency (aka estrogen dominance). Click HERE to test yourself for estrogen dominance and other hormonal imbalances.
Another common, but frequently overlooked cause of anxiety is adrenal fatigue. Click HERE to test yourself for adrenal fatigue symptoms and other hormonal imbalances.
Magnesium is an important mineral for the body and is a common deficiency. It may be that a person isn’t eating magnesium-rich foods, or that a person isn’t absorbing magnesium adequately due to an unhealthy gut (click HERE to test yourself for unhealthy gut), or that magnesium is being depleted due to a side effect of a medication, such as an anti-acid or a diuretic (“water pill”).
Low testosterone levels can cause anxiety.
Deficiency in B vitamins contributes to anxiety. B vitamins are necessary to help clear the body of adrenalin, a neurotransmitter released in times of stress.
Neurotransmitter (brain chemical) imbalance or depletion contributes to anxiety. Amino acids are precursors to neurotransmitters. If you aren’t eating the diet sufficient to provide dietary amino acids, you won’t be able to produce adequate neurotransmitters. In addition, certain medications, particularly anti-acids, block absorption of amino acids.
If your GI tract isn’t healthy, it will affect your serotonin, which is a calming neurotransmitter. While serotonin is a brain chemical, the vast majority is made in the gut. Unhealthy gut equals unhealthy production of serotonin.
Anxiety is NOT a Xanax deficiency.

In summary, anxiety can be caused by numerous hormonal imbalances/deficiencies, vitamin and other nutritional deficiencies, and gut issues. Our business is detecting and correcting the underlying causes of symptoms and disease. Call 281-298-6742 today or click here and let us help resolve your anxiety.

By Mila McManus MD|2018-05-21T14:10:05-06:00June 11th, 2014|Articles, General|

Reasons You Can’t Lose Weight

If I had a nickel for every time I heard someone say, “I can’t lose weight despite diet and extreme exercise,” I would be a gazillionnaire. Issues with weight gain can be quite complex and everyone has a different opinion about what a healthy diet looks like. There are many reasons why you potentially can’t lose weight despite exercise. You may understand the concept of portion control and benefits of exercise, but did you know this:

Inflammation affects metabolism. Inflammation stems from various factors, but one in particular is a food sensitivity. You may not realize that, for instance, the eggs or wheat in your diet is sabotaging you because of an underlying food sensitivity. Another source of inflammation is alcohol. (Of course, the calories from alcohol don’t help either).
Nutritional deficiencies affect metabolism. Are you deficient in iodine, selenium, omega 3s or iron perhaps?
Muscle mass helps to dictate metabolism. Are you working on increasing muscle mass and not simply trying to jog off your behind and belly fat?
Results will be much quicker by working on your diet, rather than trying to overcompensate with exercise.
Your thyroid function may be low despite normal lab results. Test yourself for low thyroid symptoms.
Hormonal imbalances indirectly affect thyroid function, which in turn affects metabolism. Have you heard of estrogen dominance?
Medications can affect your metabolism such as birth control pills, antidepressants and beta blockers.
Toxins may be sabotaging your efforts. We are all constantly exposed, but some more than others. Plus, some of us don’t eliminate toxins as quickly. A good detox may be helpful! Read our article on how to detox your body and search our site for detox recipes that will help you get rid of harmful toxins.

Call 281-298-6742 today to learn how we can help you start losing weight today! We also invite you to try our healthy diet recipes that are sure to spice up your taste buds AND help you feel better. The Woodlands Institute also offers an amazing nutrition program under the leadership of amazing nutrition consultants.

By Mila McManus MD|2018-05-21T13:52:06-06:00June 3rd, 2014|Articles, Ask Dr McManus, General|

Health Benefits of Fermenting Foods

Fermentation, or culturing, is the conversion of carbohydrates to organic acids using a combination of favorable bacteria under anaerobic (without oxygen) conditions. These microorganisms protect the food from pathogenic bacteria and mold and when eaten, also repopulate the gut lining with these same favorable bacteria.

An age-old practice in many cultures around the world, traditionally fermented foods provide many benefits to human health. The favorable bacteria in fermented foods, in combination with the slightly acidic environment created by them, deter the growth of pathogenic bacteria and can destroy super bugs currently resistant to most antibiotics. Fermented foods also help to balance the production of stomach acid by increasing the acidity of gastric juices if stomach production is inadequate or helping to protect the stomach and intestinal lining when too much acid is produced. Fermented foods also help the body to produce acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that helps with the movement of the bowel, thus alleviating constipation. It also helps to improve the release of digestive juices and enzymes from the stomach, pancreas and gallbladder, thus acting as powerful digestive aids.

The good news is that with a little practice, just about anyone can master the simple practice of fermenting food. You can enhance the health benefits of your food at considerable savings over purchasing traditionally fermented foods from farmer’s markets, health food stores and on line sources.

There are many great resources to learn how to ferment foods. One very good resource is www.culturesforhealth.com where you can find out about all the many ways to ferment foods in traditional ways as well as using starter cultures, supplies and u-tube instructions and great recipes. Today’s recipe ideas come from this web page as well as the product used to ferment the foods. One of the best cookbooks available for old world cooking including the art of fermentation is Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon and Mary Enig.

Just about any food can be fermented but vegetables are one of the easiest places to start. It is a very simple 3 step process of 1) choosing and chopping fresh organic vegetables, 2) creating the right liquid or brine, which is where the cultures are located, (usually water or celery juice with salt or a starter culture) and 3) properly packing the vegetables into a glass jar with the liquid brine and then allowing the fermentation to occur.

To help make it even simpler, today in our recipe corner we are recommending ways to ferment store bought foods by purchasing a vegetable starter culture (recommended brands listed below) and adding it to whole, all natural or organic store-bought food such as hummus, unsweetened applesauce or salsa.

We hope you will take the challenge and give fermented foods a try. Here are some traditionally fermented vegetables available in grocery stores and on line:

www.immunitrition.com sells homemade fermented vegetables
Bubbies, Cortland Valley Organic and Farmhouse Culture are three reliable brand names to look for in better and whole food grocers. You can also search on line for stores that carry them or in some cases, buy them direct from the producer.
Visit local farmer’s markets and natural health food stores for more resources and producers of traditionally fermented foods.
To purchase starter cultures consider Mercola Kinetic Culture, Body Ecology’s Culture Starter or Caldwell’s Vegetable Starter Culture.

At a minimum, buy a culture and try fermenting some of your store bought options. You can’t beat fermented foods as a source for your favorable gut bacteria. Many respected sources claim that several ounces of fermented vegetables consumed each day contain as many beneficial bacteria as a full bottle of a probiotic supplement! It is time to build your military force and protect Your Body Nation.

By Mila McManus MD|2014-05-31T13:59:56-06:00May 31st, 2014|Articles, General, NANCY’S NUTRITIONAL NUGGET|

How to Pick a Probiotic

Probiotics is the name used for the supplemental form of the favorable microflora so essential to overall health and immune function in the human body. There are many probiotic supplements available in the marketplace today and a few important selection tips to keep in mind.

A good probiotic will have at least 4 or more different species of beneficial bacteria and should include members from the lactobacilli and bifidobacteria species or families. The most valuable and commonly seen species include Lactobacillus acidophilus DDS-1, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus brevis, Lactobacillus salivarius, Bifidobacterium lactis, Bifidobacterium longum, Bifidobacterium bifidum and Streptococcus thermophilus. Many probiotics also include FOS, or Fructooligosaccharides, which are considered a prebiotic because they provide food and nourishment for probiotics. FOS may or may not be present and it is not necessarily essential but ideal.

A good probiotic should have a concentrated amount of bacteria. It takes large doses to see improvement and restore gut bacteria. Your gut is optimal when the microflora population is over 100 trillion. We now recommend a probiotic that provides somewhere between 20 to 70 billion cfu (colony forming units) per dose for most people. At a minimum, adults generally should take at least 15-20 billion cfu per day. Babies up to 12 months can have 1-2 billion; toddlers from 1 to 2 years can have 2-4 billion; children from 2-4 years can have 4-8 billion; children from 4-10 years can have 8-12 billion and from 12 to 16 years, an appropriate minimum dose is 12-15 billion per day.

It is important to slowly build up to the suggested minimum guidelines provided above. Remember, these favorable bacteria get busy about the business of killing unwanted pathogens in the gut, so taking too much probiotic too quickly can result in unpleasant die off symptoms (fatigue, itchy skin, irritability just to name a few) which can be uncomfortable. A slow, small step approach is the safest way to start taking probiotics although it is also interesting to note that it appears that overdosing is not likely if not impossible.

From our perspective at TWIHW, everyone should be taking a probiotic and/or eating fermented foods. Our culture today places very destructive demands on our favorable microflora. Stress, carbohydrates, alcohol, electromagnetic forces, antibiotics, steroids, antibacterial cleaning and body products, birth control pills, and Splenda (aka Sucralose) all contribute to the destruction of our favorable microflora, so we must be diligent at replacing them daily.

At TWIHW, we offer a wide variety of high quality probiotics to meet your needs in both capsule and powder formulations. Moreover, as is our custom, we are happy to take your order and have it ready for pick up or shipped directly to you. Place your order here and start defending Your Body Nation today.

By Mila McManus MD|2014-05-31T10:40:21-06:00May 31st, 2014|Articles, General|

GI lining

This month we are initiating a three-part series of newsletters dedicated to the overall defense strategy for Your Body Nation. What do we mean by Your Body Nation? Well, the human body can be compared to a nation in many ways. A nation, according to the dictionary is a group of people in a land area under a single government. Here in the nation called the United States, we all live and work within the same defined physical perimeters and we work together with the goal of prosperity, unity and happiness within our borders. Our government’s duty, in good part, is to secure the borders and protect our people from harm. Similarly, Your Body Nation is a large group of microbes and cells that live and work within the same borders. It is safe to say your thoughts and plans emanating from your brain are the government. So like a nation that builds a military force, then protects it from destruction and invasion, and maintains it when some of the force is lost or more force is needed, so too you must have a military/protective strategy for Your Body Nation for the long term so that you will be safe, healthy and functioning optimally. So do you have a clear defense strategy in place for Your Body Nation? Our goal over the summer months is to help you develop a well-balanced and intentional strategy so that you can defend your borders well.

This month we will focus on how to build your own internal military force. What can you do to create a strong, formidable military force to protect Your Body Nation? In July we will focus on ways to protect Your Body Nation from everything trying to cross your borders illegally and inflict damage on your military force. Finally in August, we will tie everything together with protective, proactive ways to maintain your health and be prepared for all the unknowns that life can bring.

Defending The Borders (Part I)

Building A Strong Defense for Your Body Nation

Our regular readers and patients have heard this before, but it ALWAYS bears repeating that 80% of your total immune system is made up of a very large population of microflora in the gut which includes your small and large intestines and your colon. The other 20% of your immune system is composed of white blood cells, many of which also reside in the gut as well as other mucosal linings throughout the body. So it stands to reason that to build a strong fighting machine, you will need to start in the gut. Your gut is the superhighway that carries all necessary resources into the body for delivery into the smaller artery and vein roadways that disperse nutrients all over the body. But what if the superhighway is not well maintained? What if it is full of potholes, sinkholes and weeds overgrowing the asphalt? What if your superhighway has been taken over by bad forces that are preventing valuable resources from even getting into Your Body Nation?

Optimizing gut health is fundamental to optimizing overall health. Open to the outside world from the top of it (your mouth) and again at the bottom (your bottom!), this long tube is a perfect entrance for harmful things. We certainly eat and drink plenty of microorganisms, chemicals and toxins everyday. Your gut microflora provides the natural physical barrier of protection from harmful things. This protective barrier secretes substances that kill harmful bacteria, fungi, viruses, as well as creates just enough acid to discourage the growth and prosperity of pathogenic microbes. This beneficial microflora is also responsible for neutralizing toxic substances, chelating heavy metals and other poisons as well as inactivating carcinogenic substances. And lastly, but also very important, our gut microflora digest some of our food and in turn feed the cells which make up the gut lining, keeping it healthy and able to complete the digestion of our food.

Without our gut microflora we are fully open to invasion from incoming harmful bacteria, fungi, viruses, carcinogens, toxins, poisons and heavy metals. We are also unable to protect our gut lining from damage nor can we properly nourish our gut lining which then becomes inflamed thus leading to not only digestive issues but almost without fail, nutritional bankruptcy, health issues and disease.

Our first step in building a strong Body Nation is to build your military force. Starting with the digestive tract, the goal is to heal, restore and build a big, strong, well prepared military force. This is best done using a formal, therapeutic diet with a three pronged approach: 1) destroy bad microbes 2) starve them by choosing foods that do not feed them and 3) replace favorable microflora. With rare exception, everyone can benefit by a focused, gut restoration program because no matter how you feel, most of us are not at 100% in terms of our healthy microflora. Because of stress, antibiotic use, steroid use, Splenda (aka sucralose), sugary and high carbohydrate diets and exposure to a toxic and electrical world, it is very difficult to maintain a healthy quantity of gut microflora unless you are fully aware of how to do it and you are intentional and organized about your strategy.

The second step in building a strong Body Nation is to provide the best tools and resources to the Body Nation to get the job done. In this day and age, we know better than to send our military men and women to the battle front with clubs, bows and arrows. The same is true for your Body Nation. White blood cells, as well as all of the cells that make up your Body Nation, require very specific macronutrients (protein, fat, carbohydrates) to be made and maintained as well as very specific micronutrients (vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients) to function optimally. Good health cannot be achieved without a whole real food diet. By eating food the way Nature provides it to us in an undamaged, unprocessed, un -“man”ufactured state, our Body Nation is able to find all of the necessary tools and resources to make, feed and maintain healthy cells which, in turn, do their assigned jobs well, whether that is to be a heart cell, a blood cell, a brain cell or a white blood cell.

Trying to get healthy? Wanting to feel good? Trying to figure out where to start? All disease begins in the gut. Cleaning up the gut and the diet are the first two steps in defending the borders of Your Body Nation.

Click here to test yourself (questionnaire) for abnormal microflora.

Next month we will talk about how you can actively work to protect Your Body Nation from external forces and destruction of your newly established military force.

By Mila McManus MD|2014-05-31T10:34:09-06:00May 31st, 2014|Articles, General|

5-HTP

5-HTP (5-Hydroxytryptophan) is extracted from the seeds of the Griffonia plant, a shrub principally found in West African countries. 5-HTP is an amino acid derivative and the immediate precursor to serotonin. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter produced both in the intestinal tract and in the brain and is important for mood, promoting calmness, and sleep. It can also be helpful in reducing carbohydrate cravings and supporting healthy eating patterns. 5-HTP should be taken under medical supervision.

By Mila McManus MD|2014-05-07T12:39:03-06:00May 4th, 2014|Articles, General|

Overcoming Depression Is A Balancing Act

Overcoming Depression

by Nancy Mehlert, MS

We often refer to the Standard American Diet as “SAD” and it really is – it is a very depressing diet! The suggested food plate and previous food pyramid have led Americans into eating a very inflammatory and congesting diet of fast and processed foods, sugar, artificial sweeteners, chemical preservatives and dyes, MSG, grains, and grain fed meats. We live fast and don’t take time to figure in fresh vegetables, fruits, and undamaged, healthy fats which should make up the largest part of our diet and benefit our overall health more than any other foods. And layer on top of that the toxic nature of our water, another fundamental aspect of our nutrition, and we are in depression trouble. Eating this SAD diet quickly leads to nutrient depletion and inflammatory diseases. Our body is no longer in balance; it becomes overwhelmed with a lack of nutrients and an excess of inflammation. Nutrient depletion in and of itself is a known cause of depression.

The human body needs balance. It is made to function optimally when everything is working in proper balance. Depression occurs when there is an inadequate supply of our “happy” brain chemical called serotonin. Many aspects of our dietary habits can inhibit the successful production of serotonin. Sugar in general and high fructose corn syrup specifically is one such culprit. Fructose and high sugar diets have been shown to degrade the availability of tryptophan, the precursor to serotonin. As a result, there is barely any tryptophan available to the body for the production of serotonin. Sugar, especially fructose has also been shown to suppress activity of a key growth hormone called BDNF (brain derived neurotrophic factor) that promotes healthy brain neurons. BDNF levels are consistently low in depressed individuals.

A more complex issue arises with aspartame (eg. Nutrasweet and Equal) and monosodium glutamate. These neurotoxins interrupt the balance between neurotransmitters in the brain, thus promoting depression.

There is something out of balance about 6-11 servings a day of grain. At a minimum, if you happen to be able to make time to eat three times a day, you’d need to eat two servings of grain at every meal in order to meet the minimum recommendation. Gluten, found in the grains wheat, rye and spelt, is another food that can block the production of critical brain neurotransmitters including serotonin and has been demonstrated to be especially problematic for those with gluten allergies or sensitivities.

More recent research into the balance of healthy bacteria in the small and large intestines has also revealed that in truth, more of our serotonin is made in the gut lining than in the brain. This critical neurotransmitter, which we usually call a “brain chemical” is actually a “gut chemical”! But this fact reveals that having a healthy gut full of favorable bacteria and not overcome by yeast, parasites or pathogens is mission critical to resolving depression. The gut is the human body’s second brain and its health is highly correlated to brain health. A healthy gut is a healthy brain. Balancing gut flora, sealing a leaky gut and addressing unwelcomed inhabitants is a primary step in resolving depression. Unwelcome gut inhabitants prosper and grow well on processed and sugary foods, but are not especially fond of fresh vegetables and healthy fats!

Overburden the body with anything and balance is lost. What do water, toothpaste and anti-depressants all have in common? Fluoride! It is added to over two-thirds of our nation’s water supply and is in all of our basic toothpaste products as well as found in anti-depressant drugs! Yet it is a known endocrine (ie: hormone) disruptor and especially impacts the thyroid, which is essential to good mental health. Depression is a common symptom of endocrine malfunction and we ingest considerable levels of fluoride through the water we drink and bathe in, to the toothpaste we put in our mouths, to the prescription drugs we take, and this imbalance creates havoc.

Bottom Line: When it comes to nutrition and overcoming or avoiding depression:

Eliminate sugar from your diet and limit intake of fresh fruits
Avoid artificial sweeteners, especially Aspartame that is found in common brands such as NutraSweet and Equal.
Eliminate gluten from your diet especially if you are allergic to gluten or sensitive to it. Regardless, we recommend trying a gluten elimination diet for several weeks to see if it helps you to feel better over all. Gluten is highly associated with many diseases.
Avoid monosodium glutamate normally found in fast foods and processed foods and also know as MSG. Be careful to avoid other names for MSG which include hydrolyzed vegetable protein, textured vegetable protein, yeast extract, Torula yeast, just to name a few.
Be a detective and find out all the ways you are ingesting fluoride and begin to trade for fluoride free options. Household water can be filtered to remove fluoride, many fluoride free toothpastes exist on the market today and try our supplement suggestion in this newsletter instead of an anti-depressant (be sure to consult a physician before stopping an antidepressant medication)

Pursuing a whole food diet, rich in vegetables, herbs, spices, undamaged natural fats such as those found in pastured eggs and butter, Pacific salmon, nuts and seeds, coconut oil, and olive oil can help to bring balance to the inner workings of the human body and ward off and overcome depression.

By Mila McManus MD|2014-05-02T11:39:59-06:00May 2nd, 2014|Articles, General, NANCY’S NUTRITIONAL NUGGET|

Herbal medicine goes Mainstream

Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and… Cinnamon?
Herbal Medicine goes Mainstream

Dr. Oz on the Today Show discussing herbal medicine:

Cinnamon. Oz said this spice can help with sugar levels and that diabetics and prediabetics should be taking this spice, which can help the liver deal with insulin better.
Mint. Oz said mint is good for digestive health and helps increase gastric secretions and helps the intestines relax. “Mint’s wonderful for bellies,” he said. “The beautiful thing about mint is you can take it in a tea form, so it’s easy to do every single day.”
Sage and rosemary. When people were given sage oil and tested for word memory, Oz said, there were “dramatic improvements in their ability to process information and memorize it.” Rosemary, he said, helps improve alertness.
Parsley. This herb helps protect the eyes from ultraviolet radiation and is a diuretic that can flush extra fluid from the body, Oz said.
Valerian root. “This is nature’s Valium,” Oz said. “It’s very powerful.”

By Mila McManus MD|2014-04-24T12:59:24-06:00April 24th, 2014|Articles, General|

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