Today we’d like to introduce you to Mila McManus.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Mila. So, let’s start at the beginning, and we can move on from there.
I was sickly my whole life. Eczema starting as a baby. Chronic constipation since a young child. Started allergy shots when I was five years old. Acne in middle school, then PMS and very painful periods in high school. Insomnia, anxiety, and mood swings since a young teenager. I have battled my weight since I was five years old.
I went to medical school thinking I would learn once and for all how to get to the root causes of my health issues and fix them rather than being on lifelong birth control pills, acne medicine, laxatives, antidepressants, sleeping pills, allergy medication, etc.
Instead, however, I learned how to band-aid more symptoms with more prescription drugs and by the time I finished residency, I had inexplicably gained 80 lbs, blood work was always normal, and I was taking at least 12 medications. I had never felt worse in my life. I was in private practice as a family physician for less than a year when I discovered holistic functional medicine, and that was a pivotal moment in my life.
I discovered that holistic medicine is basically everything we aren’t taught in medical school, such as how to address health issues with nutrition, gut cleanses, and hormone balance. I changed course and was off all medications, dropped 40 lbs, and never felt better within six months of starting the functional medicine path.
The Woodlands Institute for Health and Wellness was founded in 2004, and it’s the best decision I’ve made, both personally and professionally.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I’ve never been on a smooth road. 🙂 Getting to where I am today takes long hours of hard work, a lot of stress of running a business without a business degree while also seeing patients full-time. And top that off with being ostracized from colleagues who think I’ve become a ‘quack.’ Learning about the rules of the road has quite the learning curve, particularly when it comes to HR!
We’d love to hear more about your business.
The Woodlands Institute for Health and Wellness specializes in functional medicine. We aim to get to the root causes of illness and disease and address those with interventions such as nutrition counseling, gut cleanses hormone balance and optimization, detoxification, and supporting the immune system.
We are known for being caring and taking the time needed to not only get to the root causes, but also take the time to educate our patients about their issues, what needs to happen to alter their courses, and why. We’ve been voted #1 for weight loss by our community in the Woodlands Online ‘Best of” competition for 6 out of the last seven years. What I’m most proud of is my team.
I have such a stellar team, the best I’ve ever had. Every one of my employees are amazing, smart, caring, loyal, and dependable!. What sets us apart is our reputation for focusing more heavily on nutrition and gut health and less on hormones and medications as the most effective interventions for healing.
My nutritionist and I are also certified GAPS practitioners. We also have a biofeedback device that uses PEMF technology, and I can’t imagine this company without this technology. We’ve had it for about three years, and I wish I had learned about it years earlier.
What were you like growing up?
Growing up I was a free spirit, yet a little nerdy and very competitive. Played the violin in elementary school. Loved science and math and was in the math club. In middle school, I was a cheerleader.
In high school, I had some emotional issues and hung around the ‘party crowd.’ My favorite pet when I was young was a rooster. We went everywhere together, and yes, I lived in a normal residential neighborhood.
My father was a neurophysiologist in the TX Med Center, so I basically grew up in his lab and was always fascinated and mentally stimulated.
Contact Info:
- Address: 26110 Oak Ridge Dr, The Woodlands, TX 77380
- Website: TWIHW.com
- Phone: 281-298-6742
- Email: info@TWIHW.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TWIHW/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWIHW
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-woodlands-institute-for-health-and-wellness/
Getting in touch: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
