N-Acetyl Cysteine

N-Acetyl Cysteine or “NAC” as it is commonly called, has been extensively researched for its antioxidant properties especially in its ability to neutralize the chemical by-products associated with environmental exposures. Some of these exposures are the result of everyday contaminants in the items listed below:

Second hand smoke
Air fresheners, deodorizers, candles
Lawn pesticides (& chemical drift from pesticide applications)
Cleaning products
Gasoline & Kerosene fumes from power equipment
Chemicals produced from backyard burning
Building materials (carpet & paint)

NAC is easily converted to glutathione ( pronounced “gloota-thigh-own” ) which is the most important molecule you need to stay healthy and prevent aging, cancer, heart disease, dementia and more. Glutathione is sometimes called the mother of all antioxidants and, coupled with its stability and long half life in the body, makes it a very economical and powerful antioxidant.

*information obtained from cpmedical.net

By Mila McManus MD|2013-09-02T09:37:16-05:00August 29th, 2013|Articles, General|

The Woodlands Institute for Health & Wellness voted “Best of the Woodlands” by Living Magazines Readers

LIVING magazine recently had their readers vote for the best local businesses and professionals in The Woodlands area. We are excited to announce that The Woodlands Institute for Health and Wellness has been awarded Living Magazine’s 2013 Reader’s Choice “Best of The Woodlands” Awards in 3 categories:

Best Family Practice Doctor/Group
Best Local Weight Loss Program
Best Health Food/Supplements

Living Magazine is a community lifestyle magazine providing community based articles and advice about home, business development and local events – with editions for various cities around the state. The lists of “bests” were featured in the magazine’s August issue.

Kim Beale, TWIHW Director of Program Development, said “The Woodlands Institute is honored to receive the awards. We truly value this endorsement from our patients and one of the best magazines around”.

TWIHW would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to our community for the honor and the privilege of providing a holistic alternative to mainstream medicine.

Resources:

Functional Medicine: Wellness 101

Health Newsletter

Ask Dr McManus

By Mila McManus MD|2022-10-10T17:22:07-05:00August 22nd, 2013|Articles, General|

It is Time for a Lunchbox Makeover!

One of the best ways to love your children well is to send them to school with foods that promote good energy levels and mental alertness. This year, as you prepare for a busy school year, take a couple steps in the right direction to improve those lunch boxes and snacks for the kids. Every lunch box should have a piece of fruit and one raw vegetable! Eliminate a couple processed food items such as traditional bread, popcorn, gold fish and chips as well as high sugar foods in exchange for whole foods. Buy appropriate, good quality containers to make packing lunch easier (check out www.lunchbots.com as an example). Then plan ahead. Fruit salad, tossed salads and meat based mayo salads as well as many other items can be made on Sunday and packed up for the week ahead. Here are some food swap ideas to help you get organized.

Instead of traditional or whole grain breads, try Organic Corn Tortillas or homemade Wheat Belly Basic Bread recipe (Wheat Belly Cookbook by William David, MD, Rodale 2013).

Instead of a sandwich, try Meat Roll-ups – use a piece of deli meat, spread with mayo, mustard, guacamole or hummus, add lettuce or field greens and roll it up.

Instead of a sandwich, try Chicken, Egg, Tuna or Salmon salad in a bowl.

Instead of a sandwich, try left over meat bites, hummus and veggie strips.

Instead of high sugar yogurts, try Stoneyfield YoKids Squeezers or 4 oz yogurts.

Instead of potato chips, try Mary’s Gone Crackers Pretzel Sticks, Central Market Exotic Vegetable Sweet Potato Chips or Beanito Chips.

Instead of granola bars, brownies and cookies try Lara Bars or KIND Bars.

Instead of soft drinks, fruit juices or smoothies, try Bottled Water, Fruitables or Honest Kids fruit drinks.

Instead of cookies and brownies, try homemade trail mix with 60% cocoa dark chocolate chips, raw cashews, peanuts and almonds and add in some roasted pumpkin seeds and unsweetened coconut flakes and a few organic raisins or dried cranberries.

For more breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack ideas to feed healthy hungry kids for a busy school year, schedule an appointment with me by calling 281-298-6742. We can help with picky eaters and children’s weight management concerns.

By Mila McManus MD|2013-08-04T18:54:42-05:00July 30th, 2013|Articles, NANCY’S NUTRITIONAL NUGGET|

Dr. McManus gave me back my sense of Well-Being

Thankfully I have always been physically active. A long time ago I realized that exercise & eating healthfully are the keys to longevity. As a single mom of three young boys I thought I did a fairly good job of balancing home & career. Unfortunately, life happens & over the last few years my stress levels have gone through the roof. I was plagued by sleepless nights & paralyzing anxiety & although I maintained a steady level of physical activity & what I thought was a healthy diet based on the American Food Pyramid, something began to change in me. My joints started to ache. I became extremely fatigued from not having restful sleep. I began to lose my drive, focus & would find myself becoming forgetful. I was “brain fogged” so to speak & would become increasingly frustrated when I couldn’t give my full attention to the task at hand. It was a vicious spiral of stress in which I could feel my general health & feelings of peace & well-being very gradually slipping away & being replaced with acute joint pain, depression & exhaustion.

From the advice of a good friend, I became a patient of Dr. McManus & The Woodlands Institute for Health & Wellness. One of the first things I learned was how important a healthy gut is to our overall health & how the continued use of antibiotics & some prescription medicines leads to an overabundance of yeast overgrowth in our intestines. This opportunistic growth blocks absorption of vitamins & minerals causing nutritional deficiencies. It also allows toxins to seep into our blood stream, brain & nervous system causing a plethora of disorders.

I immediately began a “Yeast Cleanse” abstaining from grain, dairy, sugar & alcohol for 28 days. I had lab work done. I met with their amazing nutritionist Nancy for a consultation & found out the American Food Pyramid heavily saturated with grains is actually not so healthy after all. I also started a strong regimen of supplements & bio-identical hormones custom targeted to meet my individual needs. Within 10 days I began to see & feel a noticeable difference. My joint pain began to dissipate. I was able to run a full marathon mid cleanse and my energy was and continues to be amazing.

I have been a patient now for 6 months & it is incredible to me how much better I feel. The difference is absolutely amazing. I have a renewed sense of energy, more than enough to get me through my long days. My cravings for sugar & carbs such as bread have decreased & I am making much more educated choices in purchasing nutritious & wholesome food for my family. The pain that I was experiencing in my joints is completely gone. I am sleeping soundly through the night & my anxiety is now thankfully under control.

Thank you so much Dr. McManus and staff for restoring my sense of overall health & well-being. I am so happy to be a patient of The Woodlands Institute for Health & Wellness. You made a difference in my life. My respect for you and what you do daily to make your patients’ overall health and quality of life better is immense.

Caroline

By Mila McManus MD|2014-01-17T00:07:29-05:00July 25th, 2013|Articles, Testimonials|

MIGRA SPRAY

What is it?

Migra Spray is a patented over the counter homeopathic medicine intended to be a comprehensive approach for the treatment and prevention of migraine headaches (MigraSpray can also be effective for treating the pain and symptoms associated with menstrual cycles as well as tension headaches and hangovers). Use it for the rapid treatment of a migraine attack or use it daily to reduce or eliminate the onset of migraine headache symptoms.

MigraSpray is made available only through healthcare professionals. MigraSpray is not available through chain retail stores or outlets.

FOR TREATMENT OF MIGRAINE ATTACK:
The efficacy of MigraSpray in treating acute migraine attack was clearly demonstrated in a randomized, placebo-controlled, double blind crossover trial for migraine headache relief drawn from a general population. APPROXIMATELY 88% OF THE PATIENTS STUDIED HAD RELIEF IN AN AVERAGE OF LESS THAN 7 MINUTES.

FOR PREVENTION:
MigraSpray was shown to be highly effective in preventing migraine in a study of patients suffering from frequent migraines conducted by Dr. Fred Pescatore, Director of the Centers for Integrative and Complementary Medicine in New York City and Dallas. The participants in the study used MigraSpray each day and APPROXIMATELY 90% HAD THEIR MIGRAINE ATTACKS ELIMINATED AS LONG AS THEY CONTINUED WITH REGULAR DAILY USAGE.

MigraSpray is now available for purchase at TWIHW.

*information obtained from migraspray.com

By Mila McManus MD|2013-08-05T15:30:59-05:00July 25th, 2013|Articles, General|

Summer Hydration Strategies

Knowing How Much Water You Need

As the hot summer months approach, it is important to remember everyone loses water everyday through sweating and urinating. We need to be sure to replenish this water loss. While we can survive several months without food, without water we would not last more than a few days. This is especially important for children, the elderly and pets too!

Your body is the best guide to use when determining how much water you need every day. So listen to it! The three best communications your body provides to you are your thirst, the color of your urine, and the frequency of urinating. If you are thirsty, you need water. If your urine is a deep, dark yellow, then it is very likely you need more water (though some B vitamins and Vitamin C can cause this as well). Additionally if you are urinating very little or very infrequently, you are not drinking enough water. A healthy person urinates, on average, seven to eight times per day.

What NOT to drink

Soft drinks and the highly marketed sports drinks are not wise choices for hydration and we recommend avoidance. They are chock full of sugar, high fructose corn sugar or artificial sweeteners, as well as phosphoric acid, artificial flavorings, and food coloring. The salt in sports drinks is processed and more likely to increase thirst rather than quench it. Additionally, the acidic nature of sports drinks is also highly corrosive to teeth.

Ideal Options for Hydration

Water remains the ideal choice for hydration. Ideal options include:

Natural Spring Water

Filtered tap water by reverse osmosis

For profuse sweating when doing vigorous exercise or outdoor activities for 45 minutes to an hour or more, it is helpful to add ½ tsp of Himalayan or Celtic salt to the water, available online or at most Health Food stores.

Other options for hydration include:

Alacer Corporation’s Electro Mix packet, pour into a 1-liter bottle of water for a convenient and healthy alternative to sports drinks. This is also gluten free and sweetened with stevia.
Coconut Water – Besides water, this is the most ideal hydrator. Be sure to purchase 100% pure coconut water with no added fruit juices, sugar or additives. Grams of carbohydrate and sugar for an 11.2-ounce serving should be under 15. Try O.N.E. or Zico brands.
Suero Viv, Cultured Whey beverage is available at www.Livebeyondorganic.com. This is a pricier, designer option for discerning sports enthusiasts.

By Mila McManus MD|2013-06-28T09:16:53-05:00June 14th, 2013|Articles, NANCY’S NUTRITIONAL NUGGET|

Does Your Engine Need a Tune Up? Adrenal Fatigue May Be Cause

In This Issue

Supplement: ZINC

Recipe: Grilled Healthy Power Burgers

Lost your GAME?

Nutrition News

Testimonial

Quicklinks

Current Promotions

More About Us

TWIHW Events

Join Our Mailing List

Supplement of the Month: ZINC

zinc

Did you know?

Zinc:

is required for the catalytic activity of approximately 100 enzymes
Can shorten the duration of a cold
is a natural aromatase inhibitor (i.e. slows the conversion of testosterone into estrogen)
supports normal growth and development during pregnancy, childhood, and adolescence
is required for proper sense of taste and smell
is found in high amounts in oysters

Click here to learn more about zinc.

Click above to ‘Like’ us on Facebook and receive 15% off the supplement of the month!

Recipe of the Month:

Grilled Healthy Power Burgers on a Sweet Potato “Bun”

You will need the following ingredients:

1 pound Grass-fed ground beef
1/2 cup chopped veggies (yellow, green or red onions, zucchini and yellow squash work best)
1 Tablespoon Grass-fed Butter or coconut oil
2 Tablespoons chopped Parsley

Click here for full recipe

We are dedicating this newsletter to dads. Happy Father’s Day!

Lost your Game?

by Mila McManus MD

Wellness and hormones aren’t just for women. Men develop hormonal imbalance and deficiencies as well. Have you developed ‘Grumpy Ole Man Syndrome’? Are you too pooped to play with your kids? Have you lost your game? Have you lost your drive? Have you developed a beer belly? Might be time to optimize your testosterone and/or adrenal function.

Have you had your testosterone level checked and it’s always in normal range? Besides the fact that the normal reference range for testosterone is quite large, there are many factors that can affect how your body is utilizing testosterone. If you are overweight or are eating a particular diet, you may have excess estrogen in the body, which then blocks testosterone function. If you have adrenal fatigue (test yourself here), your body may be shunting hormone production to make more cortisol instead of making adequate testosterone. If you are deficient in certain nutrients, e.g. zinc, your testosterone may be metabolizing into estrogen at an excessive rate, causing a downward spiral in testosterone function. (test yourself for low testosterone symptoms here).

Call 281-298-6742 and give yourself the best Father’s Day gift there is-the gift of good health! We can help you address your adrenal fatigue and even have an online adrenal fatigue test.

Nutrition News

by Nancy Mehlert

Food for the Man in You

Staying strong and young requires maintaining muscle and bone mass as well as a healthy sexual desire.

Testosterone is the chairman of the board in the male body when it comes to staying strong. Foods that support healthy testosterone levels in the body include those high in zinc and healthy fats.

CLICK HERE to find out which foods are high in zinc and healthy fats.

Testimonial:

“Below are a few comments about my experience:

After the first week I started feeling much better and started having more energy

At the end of the second week I ran The Woodlands Half Marathon and turned in a personal record beating my old time by one minute per mile for thirteen miles.

In the thirty days I dropped ten pounds and lost over a couple of inches in my waist.

My taste buds changed, that was crazy. I do not crave the sugar and breads as I used to.

My memory, the fog I had has cleared up and it is awesome!

Last but not least, as I got older my patience seems short and my moods change suddenly not for the better. Since starting the wellness program, those episodes for the most part have gone away which makes my wife and family happier.

Dr. McManus and the whole team are wonderful and they care so much to do what they can to make you successful.

I was blown away at all of the benefits from doing the thirty day yeast cleanse that I will continue to reap for years to come. I highly recommend it. I plan on living a long, healthy, very active , pain free , medication free life.”

from W.H.B.

In Good Health,

Mila McManus MD

26110 Oakridge Drive

The Woodlands, Texas 77380

The Woodlands Institute for Health & Wellness

281-298-6742
Email Us!

By Mila McManus MD|2020-10-08T09:47:46-05:00June 5th, 2013|Articles, General|

Food for the Man in You

by Nancy Mehlert, MS

Staying strong and young requires maintaining muscle and bone mass as well as a healthy sexual desire. Testosterone is the chairman of the board in the male body when it comes to staying strong. Foods that support healthy testosterone levels in the body include those high in zinc. Oysters, roast beef, pumpkin seeds, 72% dark chocolate, peanuts, and crab are several great sources for zinc.

The right fats are essential for boosting testosterone levels. Research shows that a diet with less than 40% of energy as fat leads to a decrease in testosterone levels. Wise fat choices include grass-fed butter, grass-fed meats, coconut meat and oil, avocado, cold pressed olive oil and olives, nuts, and seeds.

Staying mentally sharp and young requires taking care of the central command center for the body, otherwise known as the brain. This is your hard drive. It needs protection and back up in the form of essential antioxidants and plenty of oxygen. Foods that increase oxygen flow to the brain and provide mega-loads of antioxidant power are the best. Ideal choices include most organic raw fruits and vegetables; however, the most powerful are berries, grapes, apples, leafy greens (examples include spinach, mustard greens, collard greens, bok choy, romaine, arugula, kale, Swiss chard, field greens), and avocados.

Eat well and live well!

By Mila McManus MD|2013-06-03T18:35:28-05:00June 3rd, 2013|Articles, Men, NANCY’S NUTRITIONAL NUGGET|

Low Testosterone?

Wellness and hormones aren’t just for women. Men develop hormonal imbalances and deficiencies as well. Have you developed ‘Grumpy Ole Man Syndrome’? Are you too pooped to play with your kids? Have you lost your game? Have you lost your drive? Have you developed a beer belly? Might be time to optimize your hormones and test for adrenal fatigue.

Have you had your testosterone level checked and it’s always in normal range? Besides the fact that the normal reference range for testosterone is quite large, there are many factors that can affect how your body is utilizing testosterone. If you are overweight or are eating a particular diet, you may have excess estrogen in the body, which then blocks testosterone function. If you have adrenal fatigue (click link for list of symptoms), your body may be shunting hormone production to make more cortisol instead of making adequate testosterone. If you are deficient in certain nutrients, e.g. zinc, your testosterone may be metabolizing into estrogen at an excessive rate, causing a downward spiral in testosterone function. (Click link for low testosterone symptoms).

Call 281-298-6742 and give yourself the best gift there is-the gift of good health! Testing for low T is as simple as taking this quick, online questionnaire as an initial step.

By Mila McManus MD|2014-04-14T13:51:56-05:00May 17th, 2013|Articles, General|

The Healing Code

The Healing Code: Address Your Stress

I first learned about a book called The Healing Code from a patient of mine and I think this is one of the most fascinating books I’ve read in a long time. This book gives hope.

The premise of the book is that all disease stems from physiologic stress. If you deal with psychological stress, you can be assured that your body is experiencing physiologic stress; however, even if you do not feel anxious or stressed, it’s still likely that your body is under physiologic stress.

So what does this all mean? Well, for starters, when you are under physiologic stress, your body is in survival mode (aka “fight or flight”). This involves activating your sympathetic nervous system which raises blood pressure, increases heart rate, stresses your adrenal glands, and overrides the parasympathetic nervous system which is responsible for digestion and for maintenance and repair of the body.

Instead of your body worrying about cancer cell over here, and virus over there, and digesting the food in your stomach, it’s worried about surviving the next few minutes. This means that people with chronic stress are bound to have digestive issues and are adversely affecting their body’s ability to heal itself.

The author of The Healing Code, Dr Alex Loyd, spent years trying to help his wife recover from depression. He even went back to school to get a PhD in Psychology to try to figure things out for her. One day, while flying home from a conference, he tells how this information appeared to him, and he knew how to help his wife when he returned home to her. He performed what he now calls the healing code with his wife and apparently she’s been great ever since. The co-author of the book, Ben Johnson, MD, DO, NMD, was diagnosed with ALS (a typically fatal auto-immune disease affecting the nervous system) and, knowing his fate, was seeking out alternatives when he came across the healing code. He began a diligent regimen of the healing code and reports that he cured his illness in 3 months.

In the book it’s explained how we accumulate memories, both good and bad, and that the bad memories can be constantly reactivated, even at a subconscious level, keeping you in a state of physiologic stress. Let’s say, for example, that you were in a terrible car accident 15 years ago with a red car. Ever since then, every time you see the color red, it may be causing you stress, whether you feel it (e.g. a random panic attack) or not (e.g. chronic high blood pressure or digestive issues without obvious cause).

The goal of this book is to teach you how to neutralize your body’s physiologic stress response with a simple 6 minute exercise done once daily which in turn would dampen the activity of the sympathetic nervous system, helping to lower blood pressure and heart rate, and allow the parasympathetic nervous system to take over again, thereby improving digestion and allowing the body to heal itself.

What have you got to lose? Maybe $15 for the book and the time to read it? I’ve already received positive feedback from others to whom I’ve recommended the book, such as lower blood pressure, less anxiety, resolving reflux, better sleep, etc. Whatever ails you, why not give it a try?

By Mila McManus MD|2014-06-30T14:34:40-05:00April 30th, 2013|Articles, General|