Collective Insights Blog

How Does the Immune System Work? Part 1: An Exploration of the Functions, Responses, and Processes of the Innate Immune System

How Does the Immune System Work? Part 1: An Exploration of the Functions, Responses, and Processes of the Innate Immune System

The immune system is the collection of cells, tissues, and molecules that work together to recognize the healthy cells that make up the body, and protect us against the unfamiliar or damaged. 

The immune system monitors our body continuously searching for certain categories of things that may threaten our health: infectious microbes, viruses, fungi, and parasites (i.e., germs or pathogens); toxic cellular products; and damaged or diseased cells, including senescent or tumor cells.

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Stress, HRV and Psychedelics: An Interview with Dr. David Rabin

Stress, HRV and Psychedelics: An Interview with Dr. David Rabin

We experience a stress response when we feel a threat, whether the threat is real or perceived. Teaching our bodies to respond appropriately to stressors is key in maintaining wellness. Dr. David Rabin joins us to discuss forward-thinking approaches to train the mind to turn on the parasympathetic nervous system and relieve chronic stress.

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Inspirational Senior Living Facility Offers Hope for Dementia

Inspirational Senior Living Facility Offers Hope for Dementia

Dementia is one of the top causes of dependency and mental impairment in our elderly population. Dr. Heather Sandison was looking for residential care facilities where they were serving organic food and incorporating Dr. Bredesen’s insights for dementia patients, but couldn't find one. As a result, she founded one of the first residential care facilities where dementia patients can immerse themselves in the lifestyle described by Dr. Bredesen in his book “The End of Alzheimer’s”. Read on for a Q&A on the MARAMA experience. 

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Brain Training to Become Limitless: An Interview with Jim Kwik

Brain Training to Become Limitless: An Interview with Jim Kwik

To build a better brain you need to address the mind, heart and body. Jim Kwik is a widely recognized world expert in memory improvement, brain optimization and accelerated learning. He has exceeded all expectations after suffering a traumatic brain injury at 5 years old, and now performs remarkable feats with his brain to inspire what is possible.

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Treatments for Dementia: An Interview with Dr. David Haase

Treatments for Dementia: An Interview with Dr. David Haase

The answer to degenerative brain diseases is not an easy one. We have the brilliant Dr. David Haase with us to explain a systems medicine approach to treating dementia. One of his core ideologies? Stay humble, curious and have a love for being proven wrong. 

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The Science of Longevity: An Interview with Valter Longo, Ph.D.

The Science of Longevity: An Interview with Valter Longo, Ph.D.

There is so much advice on longevity and aging that it can be hard to sort through all of the information. In this podcast transcript we dive into the science-backed approaches for living a longer and healthier life. Valter Longo, Ph.D., has thirty years of experience in longevity and healthy eating, and is one of the world’s experts in the field.

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Practical Tips for Balance & Sanity: An Interview with Scott Barry Kaufman

Practical Tips for Balance & Sanity: An Interview with Scott Barry Kaufman

Humanistic Psychologist, Scott Barry Kaufman, joins us to discuss what it looks like to become the best version of ourselves, even in the challenging times we’re experiencing amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. He reveals that if we access our full potential, we not only are deeply filled with creativity, purpose and fulfillment, but we also are deeply connected to one another. He offers practical tips you can do today to advance your journey on the path to self-actualization.

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Solving the Aging Problem: An Interview with Aubrey de Grey

Solving the Aging Problem: An Interview with Aubrey de Grey

Imagine a world where we live to 130, 150 or 500 years old. Anti-aging pioneer, Dr. Aubrey de Grey, joins us to share his confidence in how technology will dramatically extend human lifespan. He joins our host, Heather Sandison, ND, to look at aging as a problem to be solved. In this episode, Dr. Aubrey de Grey offers hope to people looking for cutting-edge therapies to live longer. 

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Peter Attia Drive Podcast on COVID-19

Peter Attia Drive Podcast on COVID-19

Brief Summary of Two COVID-19 Episodes from the Peter Attia Drive Podcast

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Can Gargling Prevent Upper Respiratory Tract Infections?

Can Gargling Prevent Upper Respiratory Tract Infections?

There’s no data suggesting that gargling prevents infection from the virus causing COVID-19. The SARS-CoV-2 virus is too new to know. But, in general, gargling might have modest preventive benefit for colds (and likely less so for the flu). Once someone has an upper respiratory infection, gargling is not a treatment for the infection. It would, at best, offer some degree of soothing of sore throat symptoms.

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Here’s How We Are Going to Get Through This Together

Here’s How We Are Going to Get Through This Together

Life is different today.  Here’s how we are going to get through this together.

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Will Wearing Glasses Offer Any Protection Against Respiratory Viruses?

Will Wearing Glasses Offer Any Protection Against Respiratory Viruses?

A recent article in the New York Post suggested that wearing glasses might offer some degree of protection against respiratory viruses. We’ve also read in quite a few places comments about wearing eye protection as a possible respiratory virus prevention suggestion. Is it likely to work?

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Does Good Sleep Help Prevent Colds?

Does Good Sleep Help Prevent Colds?

Cold and flu season runs from about October to May. As I write this, on March 19, we are still in the midst of the time of year when getting sick from viruses that cause colds and flu is common.

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Founders' Story: The Origin of Neurohacker Collective

Founders' Story: The Origin of Neurohacker Collective

James Schmachtenberger shares his personal healthy journey that led to the realization that better health and wellness are not a separate pursuit from missions for a better world. It is actually a prerequisite for actualizing those missions.

Conversations between Daniel Schmachtenberger, James Schmachtenberger and Jordan Greenhall about the way our systems were addressing mental performance led the birth of Neurohacker Collective. The aim is to provide a mainstream health and wellness resource that actually educates the public on the complex causes of various health challenges, and offers products capable of addressing that complexity.

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Neurohacker’s Guide to Hand Washing as an Antiviral Strategy

Neurohacker’s Guide to Hand Washing as an Antiviral Strategy

One of the public health goals of prevention is “flattening the epidemic curve*,” which essentially means decreasing the growth of new infections now, so they can be spread out over time. This is the reason why businesses are asking employees to work from home and governments are enacting policies to support social distancing strategies. In essence, public health wants to push some of the infections that might otherwise occur in the next weeks to sometime in the future … the further into the future the better.

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COVID-19 Breaking News: An Interview with John Mattison, MD

COVID-19 Breaking News: An Interview with John Mattison, MD

This episode transcript contains important information about the new coronavirus to help protect your health and help stop the spread of COVID-19. Today we have with us John Mattison, MD. He is working currently on COVID-19 policy, diagnostics, and critical care. He's also an expert in health technology, virtual care, telemedicine, and very timely health informatics. Dr. Mattison is the former Chief Medical Information Officer at Kaiser Permanente.

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COVID-19 Immunity Protocols: An Interview with Dan Stickler, MD

COVID-19 Immunity Protocols: An Interview with Dan Stickler, MD

Dan Stickler, MD joins Heather Sandison, ND to explain immunity protocols that are most likely to be effective against coronavirus (COVID-19). This episode includes stress reduction techniques, nutrition info, supplements, and technologies that our team of experts has compiled to enhance the immune system's function. While we don't have all of the answers, we've used a complex systems science approach to provide the best information possible. 

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COVID-19 Information and Recommendations

COVID-19 Information and Recommendations

Right now, there are still many unanswered questions about the new coronavirus and the evolution of COVID-19 is still unpredictable. 

At this point, the only thing that is certain to make a difference is prevention. 

Here, we’ve compiled some important information about the new coronavirus and the official guidelines to help protect your health and help stop the spread of COVID-19.

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Hormesis: Benefits of Training Your Stress Response

Hormesis: Benefits of Training Your Stress Response

On the Collective Insights podcast, Dr. Aubrey de Grey, Dr. Dan Pardi, Daniel Schmachtenberger, and Dr. Dan Stickler share their insights on the difference between beneficial and damaging stress. We answer "What is hormesis?" and "How can we effectively manage stress?" Read on to understand how certain kinds of stress actually benefit the body, and which ones to avoid. 

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You Never Know What You Can Do Until You Try...

You Never Know What You Can Do Until You Try...

...and very few try unless they have to. - CS Lewis.

As the new year approaches and you seek to make positive changes in your life, the results will come from trying something new.

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Breathing Exercises: The Benefits of Nasal Breathing

Breathing Exercises: The Benefits of Nasal Breathing

Our Collective Insights podcast guests, Dr. Andrew Weil, Amy Shenk Morrison, Mark Divine and Brian MacKenzie, share their insights on breathing exercises. They share that nasal breathing combats overactive sympathetic nervous system activity and leads to a mind that is more relaxed, focused and effective. Read on to learn more about why and how to do breathwork.

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Your Mental Energy Makes All the Difference

Your Mental Energy Makes All the Difference

It’s a commonly accepted truth that how well you do a thing will be a direct result of the amount of effort you are willing to put into doing the thing. Whether it’s work or a workout ... a conversation with someone or time alone on your computer … meditation or watching a movie ... You will only get out what you are willing to put in. And the thing you need to invest, to get the most out of anything you do, is mental effort. 

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It all starts with our first breath.

It all starts with our first breath.

It all starts with our breath.

It’s one of the very first things we do when we come into the world and one of the last as we exit.

Our breath sustains life, and it could be the key to reducing chronic stress in your life.

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Neglected Areas of Research: What Study Would You Have Done with Unlimited Resources?

Neglected Areas of Research: What Study Would You Have Done with Unlimited Resources?

To improve our healthcare we need important research that is not being done. Often times health topics aren't studied due to lack of funds and resources. We’ve been asking our podcast guests where the missing research is in the field they are experts in. Read on to find out what they said.

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The Story Behind the Qualia Nootropic Energy Shot Formula

The Story Behind the Qualia Nootropic Energy Shot Formula

Qualia Nootropic Energy was designed to support mental energy, the resource you need to apply the effort needed to accomplish more of the things that are most important to you.  Learn more about the design and science behind the latest in our premier Qualia line of nootropics.

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