Herbs | Chandler Collins, DC

Am I Sick, or Just Freaking Out?

It’s kind of like a tornado just came through, isn’t it?

There’s a debris field of mayhem in its wake, and we’re looking around trying to figure out what the “new normal” is, what damage has been done, and what we need to worry about next.

In the case of this pandemic, the wreckage behind the storm is made up of our uncertainty and unanswered questions. In short, it produces a lot of anxiety.

And that anxiety drives a lot of internal questions. You know the questions I’m talking about…

What if I get sick?

What if someone I love gets sick?

Am I getting sick now?

Should I be worried about getting sick?

Can I get sick just from worrying about getting sick?

I’m guessing some form of these questions are floating around for all of us. But, so what? Is there anything we can do about it?

I think there is.

Coronavirus: things that help…

by Dr. Collins on 26 Mar 2020
in Diet and Nutrition / Fighting Infection / Health Care / Herbs / Vitamins

Alright, we’ve got work to do. Coronavirus is in town, so it’s time we make sure we’ve got our bodies prepared for a good fight.

I know we’re all inundated with the regular admonitions about how to combat this bug — washing hands, social distancing, etc. — so I’m not going to repeat them.

What I am going to do is talk about things you can do, in addition to the regular stuff, to keep yourself in the low-risk camp, or as close to it as possible.

Many of you had questions about supplements and herbs you could use to help, should you get an infection, or to prepare yourself ahead of time. And there are a handful of these that I keep around in what I call my “Anti-Bug First Aid Kit”. (ABFAK – it’s not a real medical thing unless it has an acronym.)

I’m going to focus on those that are particularly good at fighting (or preparing your body to fight) viral infections, or that have shown promise in supporting your immune system generally.

Aid for The Sleepless: Part 2

by Dr. Collins on 20 Feb 2014
in Diet and Nutrition / Exercise, Training, and Fitness / Herbs / Hormones / Sleep / Stress

Last time we talked about how we get to sleep, and the two hormones we must manage: cortisol and serotonin. In a nutshell, stress raises our cortisol levels, and also lowers our serotonin levels.

Low serotonin and good, restful sleep generally don’t go together. So what can we do? Address the stress! If we can eliminate or control the things that elevate cortisol, the serotonin in our brain will do its job, resulting in peaceful slumber.

The problem is that most people think stress is one dimensional. Wrapping your head around the idea of psychological stress is pretty easy. Our language is full of clues: being “stressed out” or a “stress ball” are terms people use to refer to someone under a lot of mental or emotional strain.

Am I Sick, or Just Freaking Out?

Coronavirus: things that help…

Aid for The Sleepless: Part 2

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