Your bags are packed, and you’re heading to the airport to catch a flight. Ideally, your destination is an island getaway, a remote respite, or just a long weekend with friends. But if you’re ill and heading to Houston, you’re joining the almost 10 million patients who seek medical care every year in the nation’s fourth-largest city. Houston is home to the Texas Medical Center (TMC), the world’s largest medical complex with 50 different medical institutions covering an area of 50 million developed square feet.
Book an acupuncture treatment with Dr. Sonya Patel, owner of Mirvana Acupuncture and Chinese Herbs. Patel is recognized for her expertise, research, and experience in working with cancer patients. “Research has proven that acupuncture is effective in alleviating the side effects of standard cancer therapy treatments, like chemotherapy and radiation, and can enhance a patient’s care program,” Patel says. For patients experiencing hair loss, Houston is home to TM Hair which offers a human-hair prosthesis enabling the wearer to recreate their pre-loss look.
COMFORT FOOD
Maintaining a healthy diet while traveling is always a challenge, but Houston’s diverse dining scene makes it easy to find delicious and good-for-you options in restaurants brimming with positive energy. James Beard-nominated chef/owner, Anita Jaisinghani of Pondicheri Café, creates creative and nourishing Indian food from morning to night with dosas, thalis, and curries that can be enjoyed by both vegan and gluten-free diners. Pondicheri’s Bake Lab + Shop offers takeaway snacks and sweets, including purportedly amazing chocolate chili cookies and spiced nuts.
Vibrant is a contemporary restaurant serving a plant-rich menu that’s gluten-free, dairy-free, and refined-sugar-free. The beautiful, airy space provides a relaxing dining environment where the interior’s clean color palette allows the artfully plated dishes to stand out. The most ardent bread fans will be won over by Vibrant’s chickpea flatbread and walnut cardamom bliss balls.
A short distance from TMC, you’ll find Green Seed Vegan in Houston’s historic Third Ward. This small restaurant with a handful of tables and barstool seating owes its popularity to cold-pressed raw juices, smoothies, and sandwiches and wraps that can all be made gluten-free. Must-order highlights include the BBQ-jackfruit sandwich and tacos filled with sunflower walnut “chorizo.”
Head over to nearby Emancipation Park for a stroll, and then cruise across the street to Crumbville, TX to treat yourself to the best vegan cookies and stuffed cupcakes you will ever eat—samples are offered so you can try before you buy. Don’t leave without a loving hug from baker/owner, Ella Russell, who will quickly become your new best friend.
If you’re not in the mood to dine out, order meals-to-go from Houston chains, Local Foods and bellagreen. Both restaurants have multiple locations around the city and are known for accommodating a range of dietary preferences—from vegan to keto, with an emphasis on freshly prepared food.
Whatever brings you to Houston, stay and play in style with the best food, entertainment, and accommodations in all of Texas.
According to Seliece Womble, the Houstonian’s director of marketing and public relations, the staff places importance on “providing physical comfort and nourishing treatments to guests visiting from out-of-town for medical treatment.” Many guests undergoing cancer treatments book the spa’s NB-Ceutical Facial by Natura Bissé, a paraben and alcohol-free facial that alleviates tightness, irritation, and flaking while soothing delicate skin. “[Guests] often share that visiting Trellis is a lovely indulgence and haven during their challenging time,” Womble says.
Reflexology and acupressure massage can release the knots created through the stress of treatment and sitting all day in waiting-room chairs. Midtown Reflexology’s signature $40 one-hour treatment is delivered while you relax in a cozy recliner. River Oaks Advanced Bodyworks’ larger menu of services includes reflexology as well as acupressure massage to relieve tension and improve circulation.
Book an acupuncture treatment with Dr. Sonya Patel, owner of Mirvana Acupuncture and Chinese Herbs. Patel is recognized for her expertise, research, and experience in working with cancer patients. “Research has proven that acupuncture is effective in alleviating the side effects of standard cancer therapy treatments, like chemotherapy and radiation, and can enhance a patient’s care program,” Patel says. For patients experiencing hair loss, Houston is home to TM Hair which offers a human-hair prosthesis enabling the wearer to recreate their pre-loss look.