Ask Dr. Mike: Accepting Your Anxiety, Vitamin C as a Whole Food vs. Supplement PLUS Are You Oversanitizing?

Here you'll find the answers to a wealth of health and wellness questions posed by Healthy Talk fans.

Listen in because what you know helps ensure healthy choices you can live with. Today on Healthy Talk, you wanted to know:

I'm confused. During your show on anxiety, your friend says to say "no" to anxiety but then later goes on to say to accept the anxiety. Which is it?

Dr. Mike sees the confusion. What the guest meant was that when she felt anxiety coming on, if she tried to fight it, it would be worse. Saying "no" to anxiety isn't a denial of the anxiety; it's saying no to the panic and not letting it take over.

I never know what to think about ascorbic acid (vitamin C). On one hand, you have people that devote their lives to it and other fitness gurus that are against it and only want people to take a whole food form of ascorbic acid. What are your thoughts?

To Dr. Mike, it doesn't really matter; it's all vitamin C and you need at least 2,000 mg a day. However, Dr. Mike thinks it's best to get your vitamins from whole foods, if you're able.

You hear everyday how we are using hand sanitizers too much. They say it will alter your microbiome, they bring up triglycine as an invasive antibacteria. I use ethyl alcohol in the form of Purell. I think the idea is that we need the bacteria on our hands for our gut microbiome. I don't think I need the bacteria from the Walmart shopping cart, or the bacteria from the airplanes. I have no problem from the bacteria from the dirt in my garden, my dogs, my family. Should people stop using antibacterials if you already take probiotics? Can hand sanitizer alter gut bacteria?

Dr. Mike does think we, as a society, do oversanitize. The immune system is really based on the concept of hormesis, which is the theory that a little bit of a stressor goes a long way and it stimulates protective processes in your body. So, in this case, if you oversanitize, you're dampening the needed stimulus for your immune system. A little bacteria isn't a bad thing.

If you have a health question or concern, Dr. Mike encourages you to write him at askdrmikesmith@radiomd.com or call in, toll-free, to the LIVE radio show (1.844.305.7800) so he can provide you with support and helpful advice.