Have a New Husband by Friday

by Mila McManus MD

Improve Your Relationship

Ladies, have you been frustrated that your husband doesn’t acknowledge your presence when you walk into the room?

Gents, have you ever felt that you are on a completely different wavelength than your wife?

If you could use some help in the communication and/or relationship department, whether you are male or female, please read on!

A couple of years ago, a patient of mine told me about a book called Have a New Husband by Friday. The title may be a bit off-putting to some of you, but please give it a chance. This book was written for women, by a male therapist. So men, encourage your women to read this book, for YOUR benefit.

This patient of mine told me that it saved her marriage. I was intrigued! Over the next year, I recommended this book to several other women and started getting positive feedback. I decided to then read it myself to see what all the hype was about, and felt it would be prudent to know what I was recommending to people. I must say, I didn’t think

I needed to read the book, but once I did, I was very glad that I did. It helped me understand how men are wired differently and gave me great insight on how to better communicate with my husband, regardless of the situation. Dr. Kevin Leman, the author, explains to women that they can’t change their men, but they can change themselves in how they communicate with their men which, in turn, can effect changein their men.

Let me give you an example. Dr. Leman explains how the male and female brains are wired differently and that men can’t multitask like women can. Imagine holding an infant with your left arm on your hip, talking on the phone, holding it between your ear and shoulder, stirring the pot on the stove with your other arm, and watching the news, all at

the same time. Men, I dare you all to try. Simple experiment, that’s all I ask. This author says you can’t do it. So, ladies, when you walk into a room as you are asking your husband a question and he’s on his laptop or watching TV and doesn’t acknowledge your existence or answer your question, don’t assume he’s simply ignoring you. He might not register that you walked into the room or even were speaking to him. So next time, try walking into the room, engaging him first with “Honey?”, wait for him to look at you (if it doesn’t work right away, repeat), and then ask your question. The book has many other examples and suggestions.

By the way, the author also has a book called Have a New Kid by Friday (haven’t read it yet, so unable to comment on it at this time).

Happy reading!

By Mila McManus MD|2014-06-30T15:05:47-05:00June 30th, 2014|Articles, General|

Sweet Potato Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette Dressing

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 T butter or coconut oil, melted
¼ Cup celery, diced
¼ Cup pecans, chopped
¼ cup green onions, chopped

Dressing:

1 clove garlic, minced
1 T lemon juice
½ tsp mustard powder
4 T cold pressed olive oil
1/8 tsp dried parsley
1/8 tsp dried thyme
1/8 tsp fresh ground pepper
Sea salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss cubed sweet potatoes in a bowl with the melted butter or coconut oil. Bake cubed sweet potatoes on a cookie sheet or pan until tender but not mushy (about 45 minutes). Allow to cool slightly. Chop celery, pecans, and green onions and put in a bowl with the sweet potatoes. In a small bowl, thoroughly mix together the garlic, lemon juice, and mustard powder until mustard powder is dissolved. Slowly whisk in olive oil until all ingredients are thoroughly mixed and mixture begins to thicken. Add parsley, thyme, pepper, and salt. Stir.

Put just ¼ cup of the dressing into the bowl with the sweet potato salad and gently toss. The remainder of the dressing can be stored in the refrigerator for 2 weeks in a glass jar. Potato salad can be served warm or cold.

(Adapted from Get Healthy through Detox and Fasting by Don Colbert, MD)

By Mila McManus MD|2014-07-31T14:40:56-05:00June 27th, 2014|General, Recipes|

Defending the Borders Part II

Avoiding what destroys your protective force of beneficial bacteria in your gut.

This month we want to focus on how to recognize all of the threats to Your Body Nation and ways to avoid them. Keep in mind that your gut microflora, when properly balanced and healthy, will contain mostly beneficial bacteria, but will also always have a small amount of pathogenic (disease-causing) microbes.

Unfortunately, a product of eating and breathing is bringing in some of the bad guys. Like our nation and our communities, there will always be a presence of the harmful microbes. The goal is to have your strong protective force of probiotics in place to manage, control, and prevent the harmful ones from flourishing. So as you build your strong protective force for Your Body Nation, the next two steps are to:

1) avoid what destroys your protective force of beneficial bacteria.

2) avoid giving the pathogenic bacteria (the bad guys) food and fuel to grow.

Here are the specifics:

1) Avoiding the Killers

When you look at the list of probiotic killers, you will appreciate the toll our fast paced, highly advanced technological society is having on human health. Carefully examine the list. Avoid everything that you can by making lifestyle changes. Minimize exposure to the others as much as you can and then keep taking your probiotics and consuming fermented foods to replace what you cannot control losing.

Here are the enemies:

Antibiotics and Antibacterials – think big in this arena. The obvious killers are prescription antibiotics but antibiotics are also found in grain fed beef and other Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO) used in the meat processing industry. It also includes all milk used to make dairy products where the cows have been fed antibiotics as well. Another sneaky place is in household cleaning or personal care products that claim to have antibacterials in them. A common one to watch for is Triclosan, found in hand soaps and toothpaste.
Steroids (especially long term use)
Birth Control Pills
Radiation – X-rays, microwaves, chemotherapies, cell phones, computers
Splenda (aka Sucralose) – this is the most common artificial sweetener used in most of the “sugar free” foods today from soft drinks, sugar free cookies, ice creams, and bread products as well as in many protein drinks and food bars.
Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO’s) – the most common are soy, corn, cottonseed, canola, and summer squash. Genetically modified organisms don’t technically kill your favorable gut bacteria, but rather genetically alter them, causing gene silencing, which can shut down our own physiology. Epidemiological patterns show there’s an identical rise in over 30 human diseases correlated with our increased use of glyphosate and the increased prevalence of genetically engineered proteins in our foods. *
Chlorine – watch for it in tap water used in drinking, bathing, washing clothes, and also in swimming pools and hot tubs.
Flouride – tap water, toothpaste, dental gels, some pharmaceuticals (e.g. Cipro), non-organic grape juices and wines (vineyards use a pesticide called cryolite with high levels of fluoride) and black and green teas (especially bottled and instant varieties made from older leaves which contain highest levels of fluoride).

2) Stop Feeding the Pathogens

The second step is to keep the pathogenic bacteria and yeast that normally inhabit your gut from growing out of control. Routine exposure to the following is like giving ammunition to the enemy. Here are the key items that promote and encourage the overgrowth of pathogenic (bad) bacteria in the gut.

High carbohydrate diets, especially from highly processed foods that include grains (wheat, corn and rice), potato, sugars, some chemicals. This translates into most of our bread and bakery products, cereals, pasta, chips, snack foods and fast foods.
Sugar, in all forms
Dairy products, especially fat free and reduced fat (thus high in lactose, also known as milk sugar) as well as sweetened yogurts, ice creams, and puddings.
Alcoholic beverages
Stress (take steps to cope better, learn to relax, get exercise and quality sleep)

Now that you know what your looking for, you are well equipped to protect your Body Nation from the enemy and keep your own military force strong and in full control.

*http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/10/06/dr-huber-gmo-foods.aspx

By Mila McManus MD|2014-06-27T09:17:05-05:00June 27th, 2014|Articles, General|

Digestive Aid

Digestive Aid for Acid Reflux and Other Ailments

Digestive Aid supports proper digestive function by supplying hydrochloric acid from betaine HCl and pepsin for enhanced protein digestion. It also provides nutrient cofactors B1, B6 and zinc which support the body’s own production of HCl. Additionally, Digestive Aid includes Gamma Oryzanol and Fucoidan which soothe, support and strengthen the protective stomach mucosa.

While counter intuitive, heartburn and reflux can be symptoms of depleted stomach acid, rather than too much. Over the counter drugs and prescription drugs commonly used for heartburn and acid reflux actually can do more harm than good by blocking the production of acid in the stomach making it very difficult for foods to be properly broken down for digestion. A healthy diet combined with probiotics, digestive enzymes, and when necessary, increasing Hydrochloric Acid with meals through the use of Digestive Aid can offer a four pronged approach to improve or resolve most digestive issues.

*The product information provided is for educational purposes and is not intended as either diagnosis or treatment of any disease, nor does it replace professional medical advice.

*Warning: Please consult a health care professional before using this product.

By Mila McManus MD|2014-06-27T08:35:19-05:00June 27th, 2014|Articles, General|

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|2014-06-26T11:33:48-05:00June 26th, 2014|Articles, General, NANCY’S NUTRITIONAL NUGGET|

depression testimonial from JM

from J.M.

You were right, and after doing some serious thinking, I’m mad at a lot of doctors. I feel better than I have felt in my whole life, I think due to the diet, supplements, and testosterone injections. I was in bed for 30 years with double depression. In and out of institutions for years. I’m down to 10mg on the Celexa and 750 on the Depakote. If this keeps up, I’m thinking about writing a book, really!

“The missing link”- already have the name picked out. I always was depressed even as a young very sick child. Doctors gave me shots and antibiotics since the day I was born. And never stopped!

I feel great but somewhat confused because I don’t know what normal feels like.

God bless and God speed…

By Mila McManus MD|2014-06-16T09:47:54-05:00June 16th, 2014|General|

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.

Contact us at now for a free consultation with one of our wellness consultants.

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

By Mila McManus MD|2014-06-25T10:45:04-05:00June 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|2018-05-21T14:10:05-05:00June 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|2018-05-21T13:52:06-05:00June 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|2014-05-31T13:59:56-05:00May 31st, 2014|Articles, General, NANCY’S NUTRITIONAL NUGGET|