As we celebrate the beginning of 2025, we dream of endless possibilities for the new year. Maybe you’ll travel more, learn a new language, or finally accomplish having the body you’ve always wanted. If that last one sounds like you, then these three health experts will have some valuable information for you. After talking with Alternative Health Center of The Woodlands, Dr. Stephen Clouthier, The Woodlands Country Club trainer, Arden Janke, and Health and Wellness clinic director and author, Vikki LaBeau, this year’s outlook on health and wellness will be the best yet!
To start the health and wellness journey, I had the pleasure of talking with Dr. Stephen Clouthier, DC, IFMCP, owner of Alternative Health Center of The Woodlands. Dr. Clouthier is a Doctor of Chiropractic and is a certified Functional Medicine practitioner through the Institute for Functional Medicine. He also holds a chiropractic acupuncture permit.
With a holistic approach to healing, Dr. Clouthier aims to truly understand his patients and get to the root of the patient’s concerns. He does so by treating the whole person such as considering the body’s structure, nutritional needs, and emotional health. When talking to Dr. Clouthier, it is incredibly refreshing to hear about his passion for helping his patients as well as how knowledgeable he is within his field. In fact, he loves to stay up-to-date on the latest scholarship within the medical field by constantly reading and familiarizing himself with what’s new. He believes in treating patients of all ages in order to create a welcoming atmosphere for the entire family.
Through his practice, Dr. Clouthier looks at the bigger holistic picture and then starts piecing together what may be occurring. For those who are trying to gain power over their health, Dr. Clouthier recommends coming in for a consultation. Because he strives to get to know you and your concerns about your body, he takes the time to create thorough notes and listen while you describe concerns and thoughts regarding your body. It’s always a goal of Dr. Clouthier to hear your story and understand you to the point where he can relay your story back to you. From there, he is able to gather enough information to create a plan of action whether it be a functional food plan to pinpoint specific inflammatory sites or finding specific structural problems that can be helped with body adjustments. He even looks at the emotional and mental health side with NET, Neuro Emotional Techniques, which can help with unraveling “stuck” emotions that cause stress and built-up tension.
A unique aspect of Dr. Clouthier’s practice is his belief that most people can live a happy and healthy drug-free, and procedure-free life with the right guidance. His practice uses whole food nutrition and herbal and homeopathic remedies such as Standard Process, Medi Herb, Designs for Health, and Bezwecken to help patients achieve their optimum health.
As a result, he has built a reputation over the past 25 years in The Woodlands community as the go-to professional for families seeking a natural approach to health. His practice even won best functional medicine in The Woodlands in 2022. Patients are not limited to the homeopathic approach as they can choose the service that best suits their needs whether it's Functional Medicine, chiropractic care, acupuncture, or a combination of these for a comprehensive healthcare experience. Dr. Clouthier’s staff strives to create a warm, inviting atmosphere in the office to ensure the comfort of every patient. This, combined with Dr. Clouthier’s commitment to each patient’s health ensures that you will be in excellent hands!
Next, is Arden Janke who has been a trainer at The Woodlands Country Club for six months, yet brings so much life and knowledge to her clients. Having obtained her personal gym license at 22, she has learned an abundance of tips and tricks to share!
Arden’s most highly recommended tip is to prioritize recovery and posture through restful sleep, stretching and being aware of correct body posture such as the way we sit, stand, and move. “We put our body through so much. It needs time to recover” says Arden. Probably one of the worst things is incorrect body posture. Not only does bad posture create problems in the future, but it hurts your body’s structure which hurts the way it functions. Slouching and leaning over the phone is harmful because of how heavy the head is and all that weight harms the neck and back. To help, Arden recommends doing bridges which help to stretch out the body and fix the posture.
While posture and stretching is super important, what goes into the body is also extremely important! “What you put in you is making you” and it becomes your fuel. Arden’s tips when shopping for food is to shop the perimeter of the store where you’ll find your fresh fruits, veggies and proteins. Avoiding canned foods and overly processed foods will do wonders for the body!
Aside from diet, keep yourself moving and build muscle. While fixing all unhealthy habits will not happen in one day, the results of a healthier body are well worth the journey! Overall, Arden stresses going back to the basics of life: real food, deep, restful sleep, and moving in the sunshine!
Our final health and wellness expert, Vikki LaBeau, has an empowering story that proves how far taking control of your health can go! Right before Vikki was to have a consultation regarding bariatric surgery, she was introduced to a low fat and low carb program where she was properly taught about weight-loss and how to take hold of and actually keep off the weight. While in this program, Vikki learned that she had Metabolic Syndrome. Because she finally had an answer, Vikki was ready to help others find answers as well!
As the owner and clinic director of TLD: Teach. Learn. Dedicate, Vikki has made a huge impact on the community. Not only has she taken hold of her life, she’s helped countless others get in control of their health. Once opening the doors in 2015, Vikki was able to successfully coach clients on how to live well, lose weight, and to keep the weight off. She also offers a DNA kit with their Genetics Action Plan to help specifically tailor nutrition, fitness, and lifestyle to each individual person’s genetic composition.
Vikki’s story doesn’t end there! Before creating a safe place to help clients achieve their health and weight goals, Vikki was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer. Through this diagnosis, she realized that she didn’t want to poison herself with countless chemo treatments and that she could fix her health without treatment. Because of her countless prayers and her exceptional journey, Vikki felt led to write a book about her cancer journey called Cancer Deception: Lean into the Message Behind the Truth where she elaborates on the medical professional’s urgency to get medical treatment immediately.
Vikki’s outlook on health and wellness changed how she viewed the world. “It really pushed me to lean into the messages that I was receiving from God and the people I surrounded myself with that teach healing instead of destroying!” Vikki’s goal is to share her story and continue to help people achieve their ultimate weight-loss goals!
Sidebar - Tips and Tricks
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If unsure, visit a doctor to discuss potential underlying health problems
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Give natural, herbal supplements a try
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Always stretch!
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Be aware of posture as it can mess up body structuring and therefore body systems
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Food is fuel!
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Avoid as much sugar as possible
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Stay away from alcohol and smoking
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Support local with fresh fruits and veggies and better cuts of meats
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Take a few deep breaths throughout the day
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Stay away from phones and televisions before bed
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Go outside and soak up the sun!
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Remember that health and wellness takes time and dedication - it will not happen in a day!
"When we hear the patient and truly understand their story, the direction becomes clear and the solutions apparent." Dr. Stephen Clouthier