One Skillet Spinach Artichoke Chicken

From www.paleorunningmoma.com, Paleo and Whole30, dairy free, egg free

Makes 6 Servings

Ingredients:

6 bone-in chicken thighs, skin-on

Sea salt and pepper to season chicken

1 teaspoon lemon garlic seasoning or garlic powder

3 tablespoons ghee

8 ounces fresh spinach, roughly chopped

14 ounce can artichoke hearts roughly chopped

½ medium onion chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

¾ cup chicken broth, or bone broth

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Pinch crushed red pepper, optional

Sea salt and pepper to season veggies

¼ cup coconut milk, full fat, blended prior to adding

2 teaspoons spicy brown mustard

2 teaspoons arrowroot

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400° and make sure ingredients are prepped.
2. Heat a large cast iron skillet (or any oven proof skillet) over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt, pepper, and lemon-garlic seasoning, rubbing in to coat the skin.
3. Add 2 tablespoons of ghee to the skillet, then brown the chicken on both sides, about 3-4 minutes per side.
4. Remove the chicken from the skillet onto a plate and lower heat to medium. Add remaining tablespoon of ghee to the pan.
5. Add onions and cook until softened for one minute. Add garlic and cook for another 30 seconds. Then add spinach in batches until wilted. Finally add the artichoke hearts stirring and cooking for another 3 minutes until vegetables are heated through. Season with crushed red pepper, salt and pepper to taste, stir in the broth and lemon juice. Remove from heat.
6. Return chicken to the skillet and place the skillet in preheated oven and bake 25 minutes, until cooked through, and then return the skillet to the stovetop.
7. Remove the chicken to dinner plates. Whisk the arrowroot and mustard into the coconut milk and then add to the skillet. Whisk while bringing to a boil for 2-3 minutes until thickened. Serve the veggies and sauce with the chicken and enjoy.

By Mila McManus MD|2020-03-03T12:26:52-05:00March 5th, 2020|General, Recipes|

Integrative (i.e., Alternative, Complementary, and Supportive) Cancer Therapies

By Mila McManus MD

According to cancer.gov website, 38.4% of people will have a cancer diagnosis at some point in their lives. That’s over 1 of every 3 people. Fear is a natural tendency. The saying “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” always brings to mind cancer first. If you do get (or have) a diagnosis of cancer, you should know that there are a lot of integrative (i.e., alternative, complementary, and supportive) therapies to consider exploring.

Some of what I’m presenting in this article are therapies I have had some experience with and/or offer at TWIHW. Others I’ve learned from colleagues, research, conferences, and patients. I make NO claims about the effectiveness of any of these therapies, and this list is, by no means, exhaustive. Furthermore, you can assume that most, if not all, of the items listed below are not formally FDA-approved. Also, I want to point out that “unproven” is not synonymous with “ineffective”. Medical school focuses heavily of teaching us how to manage diseases with FDA-approved pharmaceutical drugs. We aren’t trained on using nutrition, for example, to manage disease or treat illness. Training us to use diet, vitamins, and other natural substances is a conflict of interest to Big Pharma’s bottom line.

I never encourage patients to choose conventional over alternative therapies or vice versa. It is important TWIHW patients know their available options. TWIHW will support patients’ decisions whichever treatments they choose. Most of the time, my patients will choose some form of conventional treatments–surgery, chemo, and/or radiation. We aim to support their healing and mitigate their side effects using complementary therapies like these:

Mega doses of intravenous vitamin C
- In 2019, I attended the IV C Academy at the Riordan Clinic in Kansas. Dr. Hugh Riordan received a patent in 1997 for the treatment of cancer with IV Vitamin C. You can read more about the benefits of mega dose vitamin C here.
- To learn more about how vitamin C fights other diseases, I highly recommend Dr. Thomas Levy’s book Curing the Incurable.

Essiac tea is a blend of herbs that supports detoxification pathways and supports immune function.

Fucoidan is a component of seaweed that has demonstrated the potential for anti-cancer effects, immune modulation, inflammation control, cardiovascular support, and stem cell activation.

Protocel is a non-toxic liquid formula that interferes with the metabolism (energy production) and cell membrane integrity of cancer cells, without harming normal, non-cancerous cells in the body.

Nutritional interventions are foundational to healing. For most patients with cancer, the resounding consensus among the experts in the integrative oncology field is to eat a raw vegan diet. We understand that this is no easy feat. We can help with transitioning to this lifestyle. A good place to start is with Dr Lodi’s recipe book called “Stop Making Cancer”.

ONDAMED (biofeedback with PEMF) is an energy medicine device. It applies frequencies (‘signals’) to the body that jump start healing processes.

Emotional healing (a necessary part of healing from any chronic disease)
- Various forms of talk therapy
- Emotional Freedom Technique
- The Healing Code
- Tai chi, prayer, meditation, yoga

CBD/Hemp oil

InfraRed Sauna

Ozone therapy

Exercise -many studies show that an exercise program may help cancer patients live longer and have a better quality of life. Exercise causes your body to release cancer fighting substances. Get moving!

Essential Oils –in particular, frankincense, peppermint, and lavender for possible cancer benefit

CC cream -Information on this website is quite intriguing.

Melatonin -This is a link to a one-hour video presentation by Dr. Shallenberger discussing all the many ways that melatonin fights cancer.

Therapeutic Peptides –particularly thymosin alpha-1 (known as “Immune” in the linked article)

Low dose naltrexone (aka LDN)

RGCC lab in Greece, offers cutting edge testing and integrative therapies for all types of cancer and has facilities globally.
- RGCC lab testing includes a vast blood panel that:
  - 1) detects the number of circulating tumor cells
  - 2) tests cancer cells for sensitivity/resistance to natural substances (e.g. turmeric, vitamin C) and conventional chemotherapeutic agents
  - 3) monitors a known cancer
  - 4) screens for cancer
- Simply having a clear scan and normal tumor markers does NOT mean you don’t have cancer stem cells in your body waiting to wreak havoc.
- The lab can make cancer vaccines and a therapy called SOT (supportive oligonucleotide therapy).
  - Cancer Vaccines, aka ATA (autologous tumor antigen), are made up of antigens used by the body’s immune cells to determine what cells should be attacked or left alone.
    - Specific antigens are found on cancer cells in the patient’s blood, administered back to the patient intravenously or subcutaneously (under the skin).
      - This stimulates the immune system to attack the specific cancer cells in the body without harming the body’s normal cells.
    - ATA is administered over 9 weeks, i.e. once a week for 3 weeks, then off for 3 weeks, and then once a week for another 3 weeks.
    - If needed, the protocol can be repeated 3 months after the last injection.
  - SOT treatment effectively silences the genes within cancer cells that are allowing the cancer cells to live. Your chromosomes contain genes which are strings of nucleotides. These nucleotides are ‘read’ by RNA. The RNA is then translated into proteins and this is how genes are expressed.
    - SOT is called ‘anti-sense’ which means it creates a string of nucleotides which bind to the RNA, rendering it ineffective, and therefore it cannot be translated into proteins. This will cause cell death (aka apoptosis) of circulating tumor cells and cancer stem cells in primary and metastatic tumors.
    - Because it causes massive tumor cell destruction which can cause a potentially life-threatening condition called “tumor lysis syndrome”, there are some restrictions for using this treatment.
    - For example, if a patient has wide spread cancer, or a large tumor burden, in highly vascular areas such as liver or lungs, that person may not be a candidate for SOT until the tumor burden can be reduced by, e.g., the vaccine treatment, other alternative therapies, or conventional chemotherapy, surgery, and/or radiation.
    - SOT is administered intravenously as a one-time dose, every 4 to 6 months.
    - The SOT remains active in the body for 24-28 weeks. Maximum dose is 3 full doses (or 6 half doses) for every 12 months.
    - And even if a patient is unable to get his or her cancer cell count to zero, SOT can be used for years to control cancer.

Other nutrients, herbs, and options to explore include mistletoe, turmeric, vitamin D, hyperbaric oxygen, helleborus, acupuncture, quercetin, repurposed pharmaceutical drugs, PolyMVA, and proteolytic enzymes.

And the list goes on…

If you’ve been diagnosed with cancer, it is my professional opinion to have an Oncologist and a Functional Medicine Specialist to partner with on the cancer fighting journey.

As you can see, there is a lot of information out there and it can be time-consuming, confusing, and overwhelming. Remember, nothing is going to help 100% of people, 100% of the time. If you’d like more information, call our office at 281-298-6742 to schedule an appointment.

References:

Cancer.gov

RGCC lab

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/cancer/in-depth/cancer-treatment/art-20047246

The
Metabolic Approach to Cancer by Dr. Nasha Winters

What Your
Doctor May Not Tell You About Breast Cancer by Dr. John Lee.

Knockout by Suzanne Somers

By Mila McManus MD|2025-06-15T22:18:32-05:00March 4th, 2020|Articles, General, Recommended Reading|

“I’m more healthy and I have lost over 100lbs.”

I’m more healthy and I have lost over 100lbs.

I started the yeast cleanse diet in March of 2019. With the help of Dr. McManus and Nancy, I was able to work through it, do some things my own way, and take it slow. I’ve been eating better since. I’m more healthy and I have lost over 100lbs. I have a better self-image and more confidence. The photo(s) was taken in December 2019.

-E. W.

By Mila McManus MD|2020-02-27T12:19:42-05:00February 2nd, 2020|General, Testimonials|

Jack’s Cinnamon Keto Granola

*From The Metabolic Approach to Cancer, by Dr. Nasha Winters, ND, L.AC.,FABNO, p.319*

Ingredients:

¼ cup pine nuts

¼ cup pecans, chopped

¼ cup Brazil nuts, chopped or sliced

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

¼ cup MCT oil or Coconut Oil

3 tablespoons cinnamon

2 tablespoons fresh ground flax

Instructions:

1. If possible, soak the nuts overnight. If soaked, then rinse well.
2. Place the pecans and Brazil nuts into a bowl and mix with MCT oil, cinnamon, and vanilla extract.
3. Preheat the oven to 285°F. Place the mixture on a baking tray and spread into a very thin layer. Bake for 35-45 minutes, stirring every 5-10 minutes until nuts are crisp.
4. Remove from heat and mix in the pine nuts and ground flax (freshly ground in a coffee grinder) – both of which oxidize in any type of heat. Let cool and enjoy with some coconut cream (Cocowhip™) and a few blueberries.

By Mila McManus MD|2020-02-05T11:19:31-05:00February 2nd, 2020|General, Recipes|

First Protect, Fight If You Must

By Nancy Mehlert, MS

That “C” word still tends to infuse fear into our hearts when we, or someone we hold dear, is diagnosed with cancer. Unfortunately, we live in a time where cancer is pervasive and common. There are many good reasons to believe that food has played a large role in the increase of cancer today. That can be good news in the sense that lifestyle changes can help to prevent cancer or to tackle cancer cells if you already have it. Here are the top three anti-cancer nutrition strategies.

ONE: Glucose feeds many cancers – Every carbohydrate is formed by glucose and fiber molecules. Vegetables are more fiber, very little glucose. Fruits have increasing amounts of glucose but some fiber. Grains (e.g. wheat, rice, corn, oats…) are primarily glucose and little or no fiber. Obviously, sugars of every kind in candy or any other food turn to glucose. Minimizing glucose intake by reducing sugar and excess carbohydrates (grains, potato, sweets) is foundational in any anti-cancer strategy.

TWO: Avoid Food Chemicals – Eat real food. Most chemicals at a minimum are toxic and inflammatory to the body and many are proven carcinogens. There are very few laws in place preventing food producers from using them. They are most pervasive in packaged, fast, and restaurant foods.

THREE: Eat plenty of vegetables, nuts, seeds, and healthy, undamaged fats. These are the foods that provide the anti-cancer effects, boost micro-nutrients and provide major vitamins that guard against cancer. They also ward off inflammation, a precursor to most lifestyle diseases, cancer included.

Need help with your diet? Meet with our staff nutritionist today!

By Mila McManus MD|2020-01-25T02:31:11-05:00February 2nd, 2020|General, NANCY’S NUTRITIONAL NUGGET|

IR Sauna: Anti-Cancer Benefits

Infrared Sauna has been found to have several specific benefits for anyone trying to prevent or treat cancer. ¹

The gentle increase in body temperature creates a form of whole-body hyperthermia that cancer cells struggle to tolerate. Cancer cells are much more sensitive to heat and become impaired when subjected to it, even to the extent of killing them. According to the National Cancer Institute, research has shown that high temperatures can damage and kill cancer cells.

IR Sauna also improves circulation which helps to deliver essential nutrients and oxygen to cells in the body.

IR Sauna also promotes waste removal from the cellular infrastructure. Toxicity is a primary cause of cancer. Heavy metals, chemicals, and pesticides enter the body through food, water, and air. IR sauna, by creating a higher body temperature and forcing circulation to increase, helps to remove lead, copper, mercury, arsenic, and cyanide from the body as well as balance the body’s pH by neutralizing excessively acidic body chemistry.

IR Sauna increases immune response too. When cancer cells are exposed to higher internal temperatures, proteins are produced on the surface of the cancer cells which mark them clearly for attack by the immune system’s natural killer cells and macrophages.

Relaxation is a surprising benefit of IR sauna and an important anti-cancer strategy. Heat inhibits the sympathetic nervous system, our fight or flight response system which, when activated, strongly inhibits our digestion, immune function, and sleep, and thus, our healing ability. In our stressful world where often we can be afraid, over-anxious or adhering to a fast-paced schedule, we can remain in this response system for excessive amounts of time much to our health’s detriment. IR sauna promotes the activation of the parasympathetic nervous system where rest, digestion, and healing take place. This favorable impact on the nervous system can also help to improve appetite, as well as reduce pain and depression in cancer patients.

¹beatcancer.org/blog-post/6 ways saunas help fight cancer

By Mila McManus MD|2020-02-05T11:26:11-05:00February 2nd, 2020|Articles, General|

“I feel better than I have in years!”

I feel better than I have in years!

Thanks to Dr. McManus, I feel better than I have in years! My sleep and mood is greatly improved; I no longer suffer with seasonal allergy symptoms; my libido is greatly improved; and, I have more energy to do the things I love. I would highly recommend Dr. McManus and her Staff at The Woodlands Institute for Health & Wellness to anyone looking for a more natural, holistic approach to better health!

Leslie E.

By Mila McManus MD|2020-02-27T12:17:27-05:00December 18th, 2019|General, Testimonials|

Could it be Lyme?

By Mila McManus MD

Are you dealing with health issues and seeing specialist after specialist with no answers? Or unable to tolerate medications that have been prescribed to address your health issues? Are you an enigma to your doctors? Do you suffer with physical as well as mental health issues?

Several years ago I began researching Lyme disease, as well as the other microbes that travel with the Lyme bacteria, called co-infections. Lyme disease is known to be transmitted by a tick bite, but there’s also some controversy surrounding whether it can be transmitted by mites, fleas, mosquitos, etc. Also controversial, it’s been alleged that Lyme-causing bacteria (Borrelia) can be transmitted sexually and from mother to child in the womb.

It’s so frustrating how controversial the existence of chronic Lyme disease is between the conventional medical establishment and functional medicine specialists. In conventional medicine, it’s rarely even thought of as something to test for that may be the underlying cause of symptoms and diseases such as fibromyalgia, arthritis, autoimmune diseases, mental health disorders, and neuropathies. In addition, testing for Lyme is so unreliable that most people have negative test results and are assured that they don’t have Lyme, and are subjected to taking numerous prescription medications to band-aid their myriad symptoms.

Reasons why testing is unreliable include:
1. Typical labs such as Quest and LabCorp test for only one strain of Borrelia (the bacteria that causes Lyme), namely Borrelia burgdorferi. The problem is that there are 300 strains of Borrelia worldwide!
2. Lyme can evade and suppress the immune system. The conventional tests for Lyme are looking for immune system reactions to the bacteria, so if Lyme has evaded and suppressed the immune system, it may not have mounted a response and, therefore, would show up negative on the test.
3. FYI, co-infection tests have the same issues. There are often numerous strains of microbes and the labs are only testing for one or a few.

Why the controversy?
1. As stated above, conventional testing is often negative, so the diseases are ignored as the test results are taken at face value.
2. Insurance companies are surely playing a role! Insurance companies want to avoid paying out anything they don’t have to, and if people are getting the diagnosis of Lyme, conventional doctors will want to prescribe IV antibiotics for possibly months at a time. That would be very costly for insurance companies. Why do you think insurance companies won’t pay for anything we functional specialists do? Sigh.
3. In depth training on this subject is not taught in medical school, at least not when I was there. There’s no consensus on how to treat it because the only guidelines revolve around acute Lyme diagnosis. Acute Lyme is diagnosed when a person with a known tick bite gets the typical bullseye rash and goes to the doctor, and then gets prescribed antibiotics for a few weeks. Well, what about the patients who don’t recall a tick bite and never got the rash? This happens more than people realize. The size of the tick that transmits Lyme, by the way, is the size of a pin head and could easily be missed. So, these people with no known tick bite and no rash aren’t rushing to the doctor for antibiotics. Perhaps the immune system has been able to handle it for years and years, and then, e.g., 20 years later, due to diet and toxins and stressors, etc, it gets the upper hand and begins to manifest as symptoms and disease. Is that NOT plausible? Does it seem to you more plausible to just be told you have a disease without any reason and are just medicated for it? If you are told you have a neuropathy, don’t you want to know why? Sure, it could be a vitamin or other nutrient deficiency, or related to an injury, or a consequence of diabetes. But you shouldn’t assume otherwise that it just may be genetic. I’m a detective and I will always continue to dig deeper until I find answers for my patients.

As I mentioned above, there’s NO consensus on how to treat suspected chronic Lyme (aka “post-Lyme syndrome”, according to the conventional medical establishment). Some doctors use multiple antibiotics for months at a time. Others try using only herbals, homeopathic remedies, supplements, and nutrition to treat the symptoms (and suspected microbes involved). Others are very aggressive with all the above, as well as with other modalities such as IV vitamin C, ozone, hyperbaric oxygen, energy medicine, colloidal silvers, and peptide therapy.

From all the research I’ve done over the years, I’ve determined that, while there is no consensus on how to treat, there IS a consensus on what must be addressed in order to recover:
1. Critter control—destroy bacteria, parasites, fungi, and viruses that have overrun the body.
2. Break up the biofilm. Biofilm is a protective layer of substances under which the microbial community hides and communicates with one another. Some biofilm disruptors include proteolytic enzymes (proteases), stevia, DMSO, curcumin, oregano oil, garlic, N-acetyl cysteine, and apple cider vinegar.
3. Address toxic burden, including heavy metals, mycotoxins, and environmental pollutants.
4. Address unresolved or ongoing emotional trauma, such as being abused as a child, or being stuck in a bad marriage. 5. Mitigate exposure to dangerous EMFs and dirty electricity in your environment, known as electropollution. For example, turn wi-fi off in your house at bedtime. Put your phone in airplane mode when not using it. I read an article that mentioned that molds increase mycotoxin production 600-fold when exposed to EMF. If you are sensitive to EMFs, it may be because you have mold in your system.

Of course there are other aspects that are foundational to achieving and maintaining good health, such as addressing gut health, nutrition, and hormone imbalance. When you do this, as well as address the above 5 things, that could certainly go a long way with improving whatever ails a person, whether there’s a firm diagnosis or not! Stop suffering and get well HERE!

By Mila McManus MD|2020-01-25T02:26:59-05:00December 18th, 2019|Articles, General|

“It’s like a switch turned on…”

It's like a switch turned on…

“Different things helped different symptoms but by far the most helpful for my extreme fatigue was the addition of iodine and selenium. It’s like it turned a switch on to help my thyroid. The NAC helped tremendously with getting rid of my excess phlegm. It is almost gone! The addition of the liposomal glutathione was a great addition for detoxing. Sleep is SOOOO much better. I feel like I am finally moving forward!!! It has taken awhile and continues to be a journey. I am blessed to have a team that is willing to be open and try different things!”

Thanks and God Bless,

L.P.

By Mila McManus MD|2019-12-18T22:09:29-05:00November 25th, 2019|General, Testimonials|

One Easy Step – Eliminate Aluminum Foil

By Nancy Mehlert, MS

We often talk about taking baby steps in a longer journey to good health. One easy and important step is to reduce or eliminate the use of aluminum foil in cooking. Aluminum foil is used by many to wrap breads for heating, cook foods in the oven or on the grill and to cover dishes while baking. Researchers found that any food in contact with aluminum foil while cooking leaches surprising large amounts of aluminum directly into the food. Acid foods such as tomato and lemons result in even greater leaching.

Aluminum serves no biological function in the body and is neurotoxic to human health. Many health experts link aluminum use to Alzheimer’s, brain inflammation, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and impairment of iron metabolism. Early symptoms of aluminum exposure include depression, headaches, abnormal heartbeat, dry skin, gastrointestinal complaints, and frequent infections. Aluminum toxicity includes more severe symptoms of paralytic muscular conditions, memory loss, and confusion.

Routine usage over time results in aluminum accumulating in the brain, lungs, kidney, liver, and thyroid. As it accumulates, it causes oxidative stress, tissue damage, and inflammation. Chronically, this can lead to disease.

Reduce exposure by eliminating aluminum foil and aluminum cans from your kitchen. Cook in glass, stainless steel or ceramic cookware and storage containers.

Look for aluminum in body products such as deodorant and antacids and switch to aluminum free options.

Filter your water to ensure removal of aluminum and fluoride.

Natural detoxifiers for aluminum include cilantro, cruciferous vegetables, onion, and garlic.

High dose Vitamins C, N-acetyl-cysteine, and turmeric are also excellent at detoxifying and alleviating the adverse effects of aluminum.

Sources:

https://www.naturalhealth365.com/aluminum-foil-brain-health-2882.html

By Mila McManus MD|2019-12-04T12:38:22-05:00November 21st, 2019|Articles, General, NANCY’S NUTRITIONAL NUGGET|