Finding Health And Happiness During Hard Times With Dr. Ann Doggett

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I'm Carrie Brett, and this is shot at love. Today's discussion addresses. The struggles singles are facing during this pandemic is COVID wearing you down while you aren't alone. Shot at love is motivational show, but I wouldn't be honest if I didn't admit that things are harder now in dating can have its challenges. How do we meet this moment? I care about all of you and we need to take care of ourselves. So today I've invited back. My dear friend, dr. Ann Doggett, who's here to help us navigate this new normal she's changed my life, and I hope she can change all of yours. You won't want to miss it. So stay tuned.

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Dr. Anne Doggett helps sick people get well and healthy people stay healthy. We are all looking for alternative ways to stay healthy and feel our best during this national health crisis. Dr. Ann has helped countless patients across the country with holistic advice and chiropractic care. The good doctor is in the house today. Welcome doctor Anne. Hey Karen. Hey. So the last time you were here, we talked about how to emerge from quarantine confidently. And today I want to help people stay physically and emotionally strong while looking and feeling their best during these difficult times, dr. Han, tell me, what do you see in your clinic with single patients these days? What are you hearing?

I'm hearing all kinds of different things. And as we know, everybody's experiencing the situation in their own unique way. Um, I have some singles who are just telling me they really lonely, um, where clicking into Netflix at a higher rate than normal. Um, some people are feeling a little blue and, uh, with that you might see either under eating or overeating. Some people are feeling anxious, it's affected their sleep. Uh, not just single people. Couples are looking at their relationships. The stress of this crisis is really bringing to the forefront and helping people evaluate what's working and what isn't in their life and where they're feeling support and perhaps where they could use a little more.

I agree. And I'm seeing a lot of different things through my studio with single people. And a lot of relationships are being tested. And I want to talk about navigating this emotional side. So some people might be struggling because they're in a relationship and it's not working out, or maybe their partners lost their job. And they're just so overwhelmed and they don't know where to find a new job or how to pivot. And so their partner really can't get their own life managed. And so the relationship becomes secondary and in some cases, and so for those people, what would your advice be? Wow, that's a lot. That's a lot.

That's a lot. I wish I had a simple answer there, but look, I think we need to look at history, look at how you've operated in relationship before the crisis. Really try to take a step back and think of what has worked for me in the past. You know, even for small crises because we, none of us have gone through life without some challenge or another. So, you know, I think with crisis, there is always opportunity. And as cliche as that may sound, I think it's valid to think about what can, how can I emerge from this? Perhaps the relationship was sub ideal and you found ways to avoid dealing with it because you, you distracted yourself and now you don't have those distractions handy. So perhaps it's a time where you say, Oh, wait a minute. This really wasn't working. And now I have an opportunity to change, right? I think some good advice would be to,

And I know myself where if I'm not doing well, it affects my whole house. It affects my daughter. It affects my boyfriend affects my dog. Absolutely. And so I try to always just take care of myself and do the best I can, what I can control of myself and be my best version. And then usually everything seems to fall in line, but then if you have someone who's just not workable and it really is falling over

Part, I think going back to yourself and self care is imperative right now. So that's terrific advice. And it's great that you have that working for you already. I think that sometimes people are grappling with what they used to do for self care is not really available. So we have to just rethink this and going outside and taking a walk around the block is movement of the body, right. Um, you know, if you're used to going to a gym or, you know, you're like group exercise and that's not tangible, and that was part of your self care, that's the challenge that I'm hearing from people. And, and that takes a little extra effort. And when we're putting out effort and all these other areas as well, sometimes we can just feel that's where that overwhelm can come from. So you're right. Just take that little piece that you have control over that you can influence a little bit every day. And I think instead of looking at longterm goals here, a lot of my clients are telling me if they keep things in, in smaller compartments, it's really helping them manage better. So let's talk

About depression. I have to say, I've been pretty good through this whole thing, but now I have to double down and work a lot harder, say no than my typical busy season. And that does feel a little overwhelming that it's not gonna let up. And I, and I think to myself, what would I be doing if I was dating on top of all of this? Because I would have been dating, I would have been virtually dating and I would definitely want a partner through this. So I'm thinking if you're depressed and you don't have energy, you're bringing into say a dating app. Like I'm going to hit rock bottom today. Does anyone need anything? I mean, you know, like how do you force yourself to stay positive and not sink into depression when there's literally no good news.

Yeah. Well, I think that's a key point they're tuning into the news day in and day out is not going to help your mental state. You know, there's a key, there's a, there's a fine line between staying informed to relevant pieces and really being consumed with that negative input. So again, taking small portions, yes. A lot of my clients are telling me they're working harder for less return. The systems are different now, especially if you own your own business. But I would say across the board, everyone has a challenge. I have some mothers whose college students are home and they have new levels of anxiety. You have moms working from home, you have all kinds of added stress on family units for the single person who is going to date the venues that are classically available, you know, grabbing a bite to eat, seeing a movie. You know, these things aren't quite as easy to access, but again, I think taking small pieces, I always go back to, what do you have to be grateful for? And some days that's harder to imagine than others, but even if you can think of one or two things that you have to be grateful for, find some humor, you know, try to step away from your situation and realize that you're just another piece of a bigger plan. You know, it's not just you, that's having to deal. And I think that feeling alone piece can be alleviated when you do reach out and realize you're not the only one that's challenged right now. Right?

Yeah. It's true. I like hearing about other people and that they're having challenges. And I have heard that from a lot of people that they are being asked to do a job that they weren't hired for. And they have all these fancy degrees and they're getting paid 20 or 30% less. And they're working around the clock.

Yeah. I'd like to speak to some things that are in our control as well with the diet and nutrition piece, because this is key. I've seen a number of these fun videos on Instagram that go around that reference the amount of alcohol that people are drinking. And to remember that, you know, alcohol is a central nervous system depressant. So, you know, if your mood is blue, that's not the thing to go to. You know, you want to be thinking protein and fat. Ideally that'll also stabilize your blood sugar so that you're not reaching for the carbohydrate type foods. When you're stressed, you might be craving salt because that's an, a symptom of the adrenal glands being overly fatigued. And so I think controlling the dietary piece to the best that you can. And as part of what I see right now, people are either bored or frustrated as a motivating factor for their choices. So looking at things that you can do so that you don't get bored, if that is your challenge and put some other activities in there so that you're engaged in making good choices.

That really kind of leads me to talking about the quarantine 15 and waking seems to be the hottest topic during this pandemic. It seems like everyone's gained like 15, 20 pounds.

Yeah. You say 15 to some people and they say 15, I've got 20 here.

Wow. Yeah. And why do you think that is? Do you think it's the cortisol and the stress levels of worrying about, are they gonna lose their job? How are they going to pay their bills?

I think it's, multi-factoral, you know, people are, they are tired. Sometimes we look for sugar and stimulating things when we're tired. Um, some people are bored, some people are afraid, some adrenal glands have gone into this already suboptimal. And so the added challenge is just putting the glands into fatigue. Some people are not eating enough of the foods that have the B vitamins that the glands actually need to make the hormones. Other people, as I mentioned are doing too much sugar, too much alcohol. And I think the lack of activity, you know, you can't go out and move around quite as easily. I know for me in the beginning, I'm someone who loves group exercise. So I didn't have my group exercise. And I also don't like to wear a mask when I'm working out hard. Right? So even going outside was a challenge. I'd have to put myself in the middle of the street and, you know, go when there aren't that many people around. And also you're trying to be considerate of the safety measures and find new ways about, so the lack of movement, the added stress that changed eating patterns, all of that has contributed. The good news is that there are things we can do now, especially as we approach the fall, it's a classic time to cleanse in history anyway. So we have programs that can help people just to reset, develop new habits, healthy habits, with the assistance of, you know, some protein drinks and some guided eating measures

And the protein drinks. And ever since you told me that, that you love it, that is a really big deal. I make sure I have one of those every day. I really do. And, and I love it. And the vitamin B, I take four to six gentleman. Perfect.

That's perfect. What's your favorite protein shake?

The chocolate veggie. Cool. Do you mix it with anything? Um, sometimes I will do a scoop of like gelato, but I don't always,

I like your listeners to look for dairy alternative called so delicious. They have a low sugar, coconut milk, ice cream. It mixes really well in those drinks that makes it like,

That's great. Yeah. I just really do ice and water. I like it really cold and just throw it in the blender. And I also like how you taught me that what you have for lunch sets you up for later in the day. So when I'm shooting in the evening, I feel like I'll have more energy. So at least that's what I told myself.

You'd have to, you know, reach out. And you're thinking about going on a date, especially after, you know, working or working from home, it's really important. And those shakes are invaluable for that.

So what I've been seeing and I've been pulling my single friends and people who are, are actively dating, and I'm kind of like, you guys let's think about this and try to go on as many dates outside before the weather gets cooler. And I've noticed that because people are so down, their mindset has shifted a little bit. And they're like the quality of people that I've been seeing are not that great, Carrie, I'm just letting you know. And I'm kind of like, wait, how do you know that that guy isn't going to be the best person?

Well, let's always remember that thoughts are things. So what you think is the first step in creating what you have in your life. So, you know, and I also, I have somebody that I work with for many years now that I respect. And she always reminds me when someone's pointing the finger at someone else, there's a least for pointing back at them. So, you know, stop and ask yourself where you are and how you feel about yourself. And if you're feeling like you're a quality and that's what you want to attract, just put it out there. You don't know where it's going to come from. Right.

And that's what I was thinking to myself too. It was like, why aren't you believing that this can happen because before you did,

I did. And you know, there is a real phenomenon of, of the chemistry of the brain shifting. And those hormones are really powerful. And so it's not always a matter of, you know, taking charge of your mood and shifting to positive thinking. Some people really need some chemical support. And I like to remind people that the essential fats, especially, um, EPA on the fatty acid front is really important for brain chemistry. People that I see that are challenged with depression often do really well with the calamari oil, just to turn on that brain, give them some brightness. And we like our homeopathic rehydration formula as well for getting the nervous system and endocrine system rebooted for, for good hormone, serotonin production.

Great. I think if you have something that will help shift that depression, take it.

The other one, the other product that we've used quite a bit in the last year and a half is a very low dose lithium with NSC it'll cystine. And this formula is particularly good for anxiety, but it goes across the board because it helps with the inflammation in the brain and it cleans up cells that may be suboptimal. Or, and I saw an article just yesterday from a very well known and respected psychiatrist who uses natural medicine, talking about how this low dose lithium can actually lower suicide risks. So I encourage people to check it out. I mean, unfortunately, lithium got a bad rap. People were using it for depression and bipolar disorder, but they were using really high doses. And at high dose, it can be toxic to the liver. So even just saying the word lithium, we have to oftentimes get through a barrier in the brain as to whether it's safe or I was sick. Does that mean you are, if you need a little lithium, the truth is that it's deficient in our drinking water and just small amounts can shift the brain chemistry in a dramatic way. And I found it to be really helpful for our clients.

That's great. When we come back, I'm going to ask dr. And to share more tips around anxiety and dating

And how we're going to manage the fear of the unknown.

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Welcome back. So, dr. M we just talked about depression. Let's talk about anxiety. What we're seeing plenty of that as well. One of the main symptoms that I focus on when I'm questioning, um, my patients and understanding, um, how they're experiencing their life right now is how is your sleep? Are you falling asleep and staying asleep? And that's one of the first indicators that there may be a little bit of anxiety happening, the sleep piece. So they sleep initiation and their sleep maintenance, and, um, both processes require the brain chemistry and the blood chemistry to be imbalanced. Well, I also think too, there's such a lack of structure. So some people are sleeping in and maybe not being as efficient as they were before. And I think if you're sleeping later and you're not being as productive, then it's going to definitely creep into the designated time that you spend on these dating apps. And what would your advice be to stay more balanced? Establishing routine is really key. And that is what helps people when, where, you know, in a familiar pattern, you know, so going to bed at the same time in Indian medicine, we look at the actual rhythms of energy in the body and in our Vedic systems, they suggest that you're in bed before 10 o'clock because after 10, the other energies start to rise again, and it's harder to fall into those deeper restful restorative patterns. Well, I think there's so much unknown. So if you think about for those single moms out there, this time of year, we would be back to school shopping and getting all the, the things they need for school. And we would be having them go to bed a little bit earlier so that when they have to get up early, it won't be such a big deal. But now we don't know when they're going back to school, we don't know anything. And yeah, with all the uncertainty, as we mentioned earlier in the, in this broadcast that we really want to take control over that, which we can and establishing a bedtime, a bedtime routine is something that you can actually do and repeating and making it routine is essential. Um, the other thing that I found helps my clients in terms of sleep maintenance is making sure that the food choice that you may make dinner and bed includes some easy to digest protein. So that could be a no sugar added organic yogurt. If you are doing dairy, you could do a sheep yogurt. If you're sensitive to the KC and proteins, doing some, um, handful of almonds or walnuts is always a good idea for protein, but at night you want something that's really easy to digest that the protein shakes we spoke about would be an option as well. So you want to get protein. You want to make sure you have enough of the minerals to, to keep the nervous system relaxed. And we love our men trans formula for that. It's just calcium and magnesium and a five to one ratio that keeps those nerves relax. So yes, we all have extra things on our mind. There's uncertainty, there's fear. There's a disruption in the routines. All that's very real. So within it, we have to establish our own sense of control and, and repeat it.

Well, I think it's, you have to let go of all these things that you can't control because otherwise you're going to be pretty enraged.

Yeah. Fear, you know, anger can often masquerade fear for sure.

And so a lot of people, maybe instead of depression, they have this oppressed anger,

I think, um, I think as part of depression, by definition and by understanding of the energy patterns is suppressed anger. So I think this is key in terms of looking at what people can do to have healthy balance in their mood and in their life. Especially, I want to say, especially women, because in our culture, the emotion of anger, it seems to be okay for men to express, right? But when women express it, they get, they get labeled and we all have anger because anger is just a healthy human emotion that is telling us something's out of balance in our life. Maybe we've made a request that hasn't been honored. Maybe we haven't slept enough. Maybe we haven't eaten enough. Something's out of balance. And that upsets us. So it's not the emotion that's good or bad or negative. It's what we've learned to do with it. That affects our health and emotions are energy. Energy is neither created nor destroyed. It only changes form. So we need a way to channel the energy. And first we have to recognize it. So just being able to say, I'm really afraid. I'm really afraid because I don't know if my work is going to return to normal ever, or I'm really afraid that I'm not going to have the energy to guide my children in the way that they deserve, because I have to work from home. How can I teach them and oversee them and keep them on track and, you know, do what I need to for my work commitments and myself care. I mean, you know, it's a lot for people. And so as we navigate, we are going to encounter these many different emotions that are all valid. I think journal writing is a particularly helpful habit that, that may get us through a, of these different emotions on identifying them and moving them so that they don't keep a place and create dis-ease in the body.

I think that's a good tip. I've never done that. Cause I just feel like I don't have the attention span to sit there and write, but

I do. Right. It's good for children too. And it's simple, right? All you have to do is say today, I felt mad about and fill in the blank today. I felt sad about today. I felt afraid. I felt sorry for someone or I felt happy. And those are really the five basic human emotions as we look in the Eastern medicine model. So there's fear and fright, anger, joy compassion.

One of my listeners had said to me that there's all levels of fear around COVID and she happens to be someone who has a lot of fear around going to even outdoor restaurant. And this is a big issue. So in Boston, we've lost at least 40 restaurants. And a lot of these restaurants arrive on tourism, sporting events, concerts, conventions, and there's this lack of activity in the city. I mean, it's like a ghost town. They just shut down. Cheers. And Faneuil hall now, where am I supposed to go? Where everyone knows my name

Do, do, do, do, do, do

Vice be for someone who wants to date, but is just too afraid to go to a restaurant. Like you've got to get creative as far as suggest everyone, I wouldn't suggest a data. Would it suggest that the men comes up with the creativity part, but you are curing COVID. And I just want to say that I've watched a cure, a lot of people, and it's a big deal. And I really lost my fear on COVID watching you take so many people to the other side.

That word cure is so hazardous from where I sit, but I would say that we have coached people and we have supported people. And we have so many tools, you know, not only to prepare the body for the potential exposure, but also when there is a symptom in place, what can we do? There are tools out there. And, you know, as you have witnessed, and as I have witnessed, the many people that have come to me at different phases of this have felt very supported and like the tools have made a difference for them. And so that I'm particularly grateful. Um, when we talk about fear, there is a German physician who worked with the essences of flowers to bring balance to what he called the soul States or the emotion States and fear is one of them. And so there's fear of known things in the flower. Minneapolis can help bring balance and take the edge off of that. And then this fear of the unknown, which is Aspen. So both of those flowers are part of a remedy that we call fields of flowers, the botch remedies, and those can be helpful for people to incorporate into their routine. Right now there's many other flowers in that formula. There's, there's 37 of the 38 in the field of flowers. So even if it's transition, you know, you're transitioning from working in an office to working at home, or you're transitioning from having children attend school, to being homeschooled. That's the flower Walnut. So these fields of flowers can be really useful. And then again, being proactive with what you're eating and how you're moving your body and the products that you're taking, knowing with great certainty that they're going to affect your immune system in a positive way and give you an edge. Should you have that exposure?

For sure, definitely does. And for me, I've been taking infographics. Andrographis learning how to say it. I've been upping that and taking that so that I have a supported immune because I'm working a lot.

Right, right. And, you know, we can take these measures of precaution and safety and, and we can potentially still be exposed. Right. So being proactive in that way, I think is terrific for you.

Right. And fear kind of breeds fear. So the fear of what's going to happen to me when I'm on line, am I going to get hurt? Am I going to get ghosted? And it's a storyline it's it really is. And you can just down some calm five and some nervous music and put your nerves at ease and keep going.

And also know that fear is another valid emotion. So I think that I read a book years ago called the gift of fear and it was written by a private detective. And he says that our subconscious picks up signals. And as long as we are honoring our own self, our own, what we might label as intuition is really actually information going into the subconscious and letting us know that we may need to take a precaution. So some fear is legitimate is what I'm saying. We don't want to talk ourselves out of all fear. You know, if you are going down a street that you've been down a number of times, and one day you feel a little hesitant to go down. Is it because the streetlight is out? Is that, that your subconscious picked up an unusual car that's parked that you haven't seen before. If you do actually feel it in your gut, that's something's arrive and you need to learn to trust that. And that being said, taking precautions, I say, being in a public setting, taking a walk is a great thing to do. I would think in this age of dating and not having restaurants, so available to you, just make sure that you're very public in your choice.

Right. I went to a restaurant recently and I didn't know how I really felt about it. And I went with Sylvia who was a guest on the previous episode, and we had the best time we're outside, we're on the water. It really did a lot for my Creek

Activity. I've been to several restaurants and I really feel like I'm helping the restaurant owners too. So, you know, that motivates me, you know, as a, as a business owner and someone who knows that people are working hard to, to get their goods and trade and talents out there. So I do encourage it outside. I've been outside of an inside. You know, people are honoring wearing the mass when they're not eating. And, um, you know, if you're making good food choices and you're enjoying community and company, that's equally as important for your immune response and your stress response.

Definitely. And I've seen it with my clients there. So

Happy, first of all, we're all happy to,

I see other people, that's a big thing that we took for granted. And I find that they are so supportive of me and refer me to other people on a level that I never noticed before. And so there is some good coming out of this

And it's so easy, Carrie, I have to say your authentic desire to help people is really exceptionally valuable at this time. Oh, thank you so much,

Dude. What are some of the things that might be getting in the way of people taking the next step? And you took my swiping soiree and you saw that million reasons and all those fears that I had outlined, what do you think with COVID? What is holding people back now?

I think I've heard as, as you have that people are not feeling their best self, right? And I do think that ideal body weight plays a role for a lot of people in how they feel about engaging in relationships. And I think it's important to know that regardless of your gender, we're all challenged right now. So ultimately you want to attract somebody who you can meet at a difficult time, who you can feel still feel connected to and still feel some sense of joy or something that adds to you, regardless of how things look on the outside.

And it's almost like more beautiful. Like the love story is more special. I was in a really tough transitional time when I met my boyfriend and I did not feel my best. And he thought I was just perfect the way I was. And I love him for that.

Yeah. Now how many years later is it now? Yeah,

We're over four and a half now and we have survived are surviving a pandemic and that's been interesting, but it's been a process of supporting each other every single day. So my last question for you is how does someone, if they're not feeling their best, you have tons of supplements, tons of tools that can help people feel better instantly like in a day, how can you help people? Or how would you encourage people to put their best foot forward? Say if you're depleted, you can't be at your best. You had mentioned sleeping or not sleeping. What are some things that we can do to build stamina?

Hi, so stamina, I love our adrenal complex. We have a variety of ways to support the adrenals. There's a liquid tonic, adrenal tonic. That's pretty comprehensive because one of the main herbs that helps us with stress management, energy levels and indirectly immune function is ashwagandha. It's in our tonic. If you like a liquid, it also has the explanation in it. We have other formulas with Rhodiola and ginseng, which is if you're really depleted, if you've cared for somebody over long period of time, I've seen that too. I've seen people that now have their aging parents in their home because you know, so if your energy is low and you're looking for these, these adrenal type supports consider adrenal tonic, considered Rhodiola and ginseng consider Drenamine. If sleep is an issue, go right to our favorite men, trans five at bedtime, for any other type of very specific, special challenges, you can reach out to whole body and we'll do our best to help you assess what's best for you.

Great. So, dr. Anne, thank you so much for all your advice today and you are always just like the highlight of my day. I think you should tell the listeners about the new project we're going to be launching together soon. Ah,

We're started our own podcast.

We did. So it's in the works. We're almost done. We're going to be bundling a whole bunch of episodes and hopefully we'll get it out in the next couple of weeks.

Yeah. Whole body solutions. The podcasts look for that. We have as much fun as we did today on a regular basis. Really, really digging into health solutions.

It's great. It's the patient and the doctor and it's pretty fun. And I think it'll help a lot of people. And that's, that's the key. So where can people find you and find out about how whole body solutions,

Whole body solutions.org, um, has we have our store there? The products are on the store with descriptions of all our brick and mortar is in Quinsy right now, Quinsy, Massachusetts. Um, but we have a strong presence in social media. So follow us in any way that you seem excited by. We have Facebook posting and Instagram and whole body solutions.org. And Quinzy

Thanks so much dr. Anne for being here today.

You're welcome, Carrie. It's always my pleasure and my honor,

And now for this week's Tinder tips. Number one, if people are on the dating app, but not really enthusiastic and not putting in real effort, let's say they're passing time because they're bored, but not really engaged. Move on and put your energy towards someone with real commitment. Number two, we have enough on our plates navigating this pandemic now is the perfect time to let go of people pleasing and perfectionism. Number three, always hold your power and trust that the right person who will love and value you is right around the corner. I hope you found some of my tips helpful this week.

This is what shot at love is here for, to help you find love. Keep up the commitment to yourself and commit to helping someone else by sharing this podcast. Remember to stay safe and stay tuned for more episodes. If you'd like me to photograph you for your online dating profile DME, or email me about my shot at love promotion. I'm Carrie Brett, and we'll see you next time.[inaudible].