We all know that the quality of our sleep is important for overall health, but few people are aware of just how much it can affect us. Sleep deprivation has been linked to a range of chronic illnesses, including heart disease, brain and mental health decline, neurological issues, hormone imbalances, diabetes, and more. But what many don't realize is that these ailments may be rooted in underlying issues such as airway obstruction or poor dental structure.

At Texas Center for Lifestyle Medicine (TCLM), we understand the complex relationship between your physical health and its connection to your lifestyle choices, genetics, and environmental exposures — and we’re here to help you uncover the root cause of your chronic conditions. Through collaboration with experts in orthodontics, sleep specialists, airways specialists, and myofascial experts, we can develop customized treatment plans tailored specifically to your needs — so you can start living a healthier...

At TCLM, we are dedicated to helping people achieve optimal health and wellness through the latest advancements in brain and neurological health. Our team of health professionals are committed to providing personalized care for those suffering from neurodegenerative diseases. Our newest addition to our team, Dr. John Kelley, has been trained extensively with knowledge and tools specifically for reversing and preventing brain and neurodegenerative diseases.

Dr. Kelley is certified in the Bredesen Protocol through Apollo Health, a cutting edge method of treating and preventing neurodegenerative disease using functional medicine principles. This approach focuses on identifying and addressing the greatest root triggers that can lead to decline in brain function including environmental toxin exposure, hormone imbalances, infections, poor diet, sleep issues, digestive issues/gut problems, and more. The goal is to not simply mask or treat symptoms, but to get to the...

At Texas Center for lifestyle medicine, our mission is quite simple, yet it has taken continuous effort to make it happen! We aim to establish impactful relationships with our patients in order to guide them along a path toward lasting healing and wellness. Rather than addressing symptoms with a Band-Aid approach, we believe in using both conventional and alternative therapies in order to get to the root of chronic illnesses.

Lifestyle medicine involves having an integrative approach to healing and preventing chronic conditions, including but not limited to metabolic diseases, hormone imbalances, neurodegenerative diseases, digestive issues, mental health issues, and even therapeutic tools to combat and recover from cancer. There is no denying that the medical system is in dire need of alternative tools to help patients find lasting healing. The medical world is designed in such a way that it leads to serious provider burn out and limited options to find lasting...

Here at TCLM, we strive to deliver excellent service and transform the health and lives of our patients. Our values display our high level of commitment to delivering compassionate and attentive care. Since we established Texas Center for Lifestyle Medicine in 2017, we have been continuously improving our collaborative treatment approach, which is based on patient outcomes and demands. We decided to implement health coaching as a means of meeting the needs of our patient population in order to support their healing. When we first started this model, it was very physician-focused; meaning that they provided medical care while being supported by allied health professionals and health coaches. However, through our work in the Houston community, we discovered that this traditional design does not work well.

Through receiving feedback from our patients, as well as taking a detailed look at our patient outcomes data, we realized the following: When health coaching becomes the...

Upper airway disorders, sleep disturbances, obstructive airways, and other sleep disorders are more common than we once thought. Most people are familiar with the role that sleep disorders play in metabolic health and heart health, but many are not aware of just how great the link is between sleep disorders and mental health. There is no denying that there is indeed a mental health stigma, and this often impedes people from getting the help they need. We believe that if we can shed light on biological mechanisms that cause or contribute to poor mental health, then we can give people the information they need to make informed decisions to better their health and improve the mental health crisis in the US.

Where should we start when addressing sleep disturbances and overall health? Firstly, it is good to know the signs to look for if there are no obvious signs of sleep issues (such as snoring, waking in the night gasping, jaw clenching/TMJ). Some of the seemingly unrelated but...

Mind-body medicine has played a vital role in the healing journey of many of our patients, addressing underlying emotional concerns and expressing belief systems in a non-judgmental environment. Mind-body medicine sessions offered in the clinic are more than just learning tools such as breathing, meditation, and movement; they're about discovering how to incorporate them into our lives in order to manage our emotions and triggers differently. Mind-body medicine is about embodying self-awareness so that we can genuinely transform our minds and regulate our emotions. The mind-body skills practiced in group sessions give us the opportunity to become aware of ourselves on a deeper level and learn how to manage our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

Here is what one can expect when attending a mind-body group visit in the clinic or virtually:

1. Leave your judgments toward yourself and others at the door! Mind-body medicine is all about creating space to feel, release, and discuss...

Are you looking to improve your nutrition and discover how to eat a balanced, healthy diet but don't know where to start? We know how challenging and lonely a chronic healing journey can be. Whether you struggle with an invisible but challenging illness, desire to lose weight, are seeking to reverse diabetes, or simply want to lead a healthier life, it is very challenging to walk along a health journey by yourself. Therefore, group coaching visits with Ruben Lespron, Registered Dietitian, may be the perfect opportunity for you.

Group coaching visits provide an interactive way to learn about nutrition and how different food groups can be balanced for one's specific needs. As a society, we tend to over complicate nutrition. Most of us have tried various fad diets in order to resolve our health issues or in an attempt to find a quick fix for our metabolic issues. While short-term dietary changes may be beneficial to some degree, we know that it is the lasting and consistent...

Get to know Melissa Talwar, our compassionate and dedicated health coach who leads the virtual Trasformational Group Coaching Programs at TCLM. Melissa is a National Board Certified Functional Medicine Health Coach, Certified in the Wahls Protocol, Keto Nutritionist, and Certified ReCODE 2.0 Health Coach. She recently completed her Master's in Neuroscience and is currently enrolled in the Clinical Master's Program at the Kharrazian institute. After multiple concussions and a sports injury in high school, she was left in chronic debilitating pain. Melissa would spend 20 years in declining health, homebound, and living with no hope of addressing her fibromyalgia and "autoimmune something" diagnoses. Using Functional and Integrative Medicine principles she was able to reclaim her health and is now on a mission to empower patients to find wellness again through health coaching. Melissa wants to make sure no one has to fight alone!

She is passionate about sharing the tools that...

Are you looking for ways to improve your nutrition and meal planning? Do you need help implementing new and creative ideas to ensure you're eating nutritious AND delicous meals? Sign up for our kitchen behavior training sessions and discover tips, tricks, and more from a lifestyle medicine chef and registered dietitian!

Curious about what to expect? At this week's session, we discussed several tips on how to ensure that you don't go to bed hungry or impede your ability to get a good night's sleep! We discussed meal timing tips and strategies from a culinary and scientific perspective. We were able to learn to plan our meals in such a way that we support or digestion, especially before bedtime and nutrition strategies that will allow us to get the most out of our food. In our cullinary group visits, we enjoy discussions where we share practical tips, cooking strategies and deliver nutrional guidance that is specific to the needs of the group. Each group is centered around a...

Amazing things are happening this month in our community here in Houston! If you have not been keeping up with the events going on within the FitHouston health and wellness initiative, here is your chance to get plugged in to a wonderful fitness movement! This wellness initiative seeks to bring community together in taking part in a fabulous health program designed to better the physical, mental, and social health of our community. Leaders in Houston determined that a wonderful way to do so is to promote walking together as a community, as exercise is a free, transformative resource that everyone may take part in to improve their health.

February is the perfect time to take part in this fantastic wellness initiative. Fit Houston has partnered with an all star group of Houston Leaders including the Texas Heart Institute, HPD, Rice University, University of Houston, and more! This health initiative is encouraging us to pull together as a community to work toward improving metabolic...