P: 281-298-6742 | F: 281-419-1373|info@TWIHW.com

Eat This to Cure That-Natural and Simple Solutions for Symptoms

Holiday Survival Guide

Preventing illness and stress begins by avoiding the triggers that cause them.  Most commonly this means eating healthy, whole foods (and avoiding most processed ones) and managing our stress levels effectively.  Symptoms are just our body’s way of trying to communicate with us.  It is our job to listen and interpret exactly what it is trying to say.  As the fast pace and stressors of the Holiday season steadily approach, I would like to offer that sometimes the most natural and simple solutions may provide the best relief from stress related symptoms without the serious side effects of prescription and over the counter medicines.

Don’t let symptoms weigh you down. Try these easy swaps that really work as a natural alternative to synthetic drugs in order to feel better, minimize illness, and increase your energy levels.  Feel the benefits of long term health and wellness.

If you suffer from Insomnia and /or stress:

  • Bananas, dates, nut butters, tuna, plain yogurt, salmon and turkey are all high in tryptophan and can be helpful in promoting sleep.
  • If you are not allergic to ragweed, a cup of chamomile tea is another nice way to prepare your body for sleep.
  • Raw nuts & seeds, whole grain brown rice and avocados are excellent sources of magnesium which aids the body in relaxing.

To eliminate Sour Stomach & Heart Burn:

  • Try ¼ cup of aloe vera juice on an empty stomach first thing in the morning and at bedtime.
  • Eat fresh papaya and fresh pineapple both of which offer beneficial digestive enzymes.
  • Try a couple tablespoons of sauerkraut or cabbage before meals to stimulate digestive enzymes & good digestion.

Headaches:

  • Eat your vegetables to get plenty of important minerals such as magnesium and calcium.
  • Hydrate with water.  A headache is a common symptom if dehydration.

Allergies/Cough:

  • There are whole foods that act as natural anti-histamines.  Enjoy carrots, broccoli, berries, onions, garlic, pineapple, apples, spinach, mangoes, tomatoes and other green vegetables as well as citrus fruits.

PMS:

  • To alleviate symptoms juice raw celery and parsley with one apple.  Add a teaspoon of ground flaxseed or flaxseed oil.

Sore Muscles:

  • Drink plenty of water.

Jet Lag:

  • Good sources of protein such as eggs, fish, beef & chicken help to increase alertness.
  • Avoid starchy carbohydrates such as potato, rice, pasta and breads.
  • To avoid Jet Lag, look into the “Anti Jet Lag Diet” also known as the Argonne Diet.

Low Blood Sugar:

  • Eat regularly including a protein, some healthy fat and a high fiber carbohydrate such as asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, lettuce, greens, and green beans.
  • Juice organic spinach, celery, one beet and an apple.  Stir in the juice of one lime.
  • Enjoy an apple with some almond or peanut butter.

Bad Skin:

  • Raw foods help to heal the skin with detoxification.  Raw almonds, beets, cashews, greens & lettuces, strawberries and pineapple are good examples for detoxification & clearing of the skin.

Low energy:

  • Avoid energy drinks and opt instead for a high quality whey or rice protein mixed with almond or coconut milk.
  • Juice raw fresh vegetables.

Bad Mood:

  • Eat salmon and turkey to lift the spirits.  They are both high in tryptophan which is a precursor to serotonin.
  • Enjoy a cup on peppermint or Valerian root tea.

Weak Immune System:

  • Increase your zinc by eating oysters, roast beef, roasted pumpkin seeds, 60% or higher dark chocolate, lamb, crab & peanuts.
  • Eat and juice plenty of fresh, raw vegetables to increase critical antioxidants.
  • Enjoy healthy fats such as avocado, olives & nuts for beneficial antioxidants  and strong cellular repair & function.

Sunburn:

  • Be sure to eat some high protein foods to heal the skin tissue as well as raw fruits and vegetables to supply needed minerals and vitamins to the skin.
  • Soak in a cool bath with 1 pound of baking soda.
By |2014-06-17T10:39:23-05:00October 30th, 2013|Articles, General|

Natural Vitality Natural Calm

Magnesium and calcium are fundamental nutrients that need to be in balance with each other for you to fully experience good health.  Magnesium helps your muscles and nerves function properly.  It keeps your heart rhythm steady, supports a healthy immune system and also assists in keeping your bones strong.  This essential mineral helps regulate blood sugar levels, promotes normal blood pressure and is required for producing & storing energy.  It is easy to see why so many researchers say that no single dietary factor is as critical as magnesium.

Most people do not get enough magnesium and magnesium deficiency can be caused by a number of stressors on the body, including, but not limited to, lack of adequate dietary intake of magnesium, emotional stress, certain drugs (diuretics, antibiotics, oral contraceptives, insulin, cortisone) heavy exercise, diabetes, gastrointestinal disorders and too much calcium in the diet.

The importance of the magnesium & calcium balance on a cellular level is critical.  Calcium and magnesium are like opposite sides of a coin.  Calcium excites nerves, while magnesium calms them down.  Calcium makes muscles contract. Magnesium is necessary for muscles to relax.  Calcium is needed for blood clotting, but magnesium keeps the blood flowing freely.

Natural Calm – the anti-stress drink is the best selling magnesium supplement on the market.  It features a proprietary formula that provides a highly absorbable, water soluble magnesium ionic form so it is ready to go to work right away.  Natural Calm is the solution to both restoring a healthy magnesium level and balancing your calcium intake, the result of which is natural stress relief.

 

By |2013-11-04T16:11:23-05:00October 30th, 2013|Articles, General|

Rethinking Cold and Flu Season

Factors That Affect Your Immune System

by Mila McManus MD

As cold and flu season approaches, I thought I would take a moment to give some tips on creating an effective and strong immune system. Often what makes for a “strong immune system” can be confusing and, when you consider that your immune system is your body’s natural defense against threats to your health, you may think more seriously about taking steps to strengthen it.  Let’s make your immune system so strong that it’s always ready to be in fighting mode when the risk for illness is at its highest.

 

A strong immune system is actually one that is optimized and resting until it is called to action and you can do your part to help yours stay that way by boosting supplements and also understanding several factors that can undermine it.

 

  • Hand Washing:  It is very important to remember that influenza and colds are not caused by bacteria, but yet rather a wide variety of viruses.  The most common way cold and flu viruses are spread is through hand to hand contact.  One of the easiest ways to lower your risk is to frequently wash your hands with soap and water.
  • Vitamin D:  While colds and flus are caused by viral infections, research shows that your body’s susceptibility to infection is related to, at least partially, an underlying vitamin D deficiency.
  • Probiotics:  The road to good health is paved with good intestines.  Probiotics can help you keep your immune system healthy by helping you ward off disease. Remember that 80% of your immune system lies in your gastrointestinal tract.  Good gut bacteria actually turn on disease fighting genes to help suppress those genes that can cause a plethora of health troubles.
  • Good Sleep:  If you are not getting adequate and restorative sleep, your body will be at risk for a hostile virile takeover.  Your immune system is at its best when you are most rested.  Also, the more rested you are, the quicker you are more likely to recover if you do catch a virus.

 

By |2013-10-02T14:55:07-05:00September 24th, 2013|Articles, General|

Healthy Halloween Trick or Treating

The costume stores are open and the decorations, candy, and treats are already starting to line the aisles at the local grocery and retail stores.  The Holiday Season is beginning again.  I don’t know about you, but if our family can just come out of the nutritional gate the right way at the end of October, we can get pretty organized and motivated to eat right throughout the holiday season.  Alternatively, if we give in at Halloween and start the candy and Starbucks pumpkin treats, it is a struggle to get back on track  and finish the season healthy and happy.  So for all of you struggling to keep yourself and the whole family on track, here are some ideas to start out right for candy free Halloween fun….

  • Ideal edible options for Trick or Treat snacks include mini raisin boxes, fresh small apples or tangerines, mini Lara Bars, mini KIND bars and mini bananas.
  • Everyone is thirsty during Trick or Treat, so offer mini bottles of water or Honest Kids Fruit Drinks, or homemade lemonade as a treat.
  • Fill up a basket with spooky scary stuff like plastic eye balls, slimy rubbery snakes and spiders, and fake fingers.
  • Include Halloween pencils, tiny books, writing tablets and mini Play Dough from the dollar store, Walmart, Michael’s or Target.
  • Glow Sticks, necklaces and wristbands increase safety during Trick or Treating and are a welcomed treat for all ages.
  • Give out stickers and temporary tattoos
  • Know that it is OK to run out of treats, turn off the lights and lock the door!
  • When your kids come home with their candy, allow them to keep a couple of pieces, and then negotiate a trade-in with you in exchange for a trip to the toy or dollar store.
  • Contact www.operationgratitude.com to help out our troops with your Halloween candy donation and show the kids how to give back.

By |2013-09-27T11:59:42-05:00September 24th, 2013|Articles, NANCY’S NUTRITIONAL NUGGET|

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

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

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