CBD Selfcare
Updated: Feb 26, 2019
If it feels like you’re trying to do too many things at once this holiday season, you’re not alone. The average American only gets about 15 minutes of work done, without being distracted
If it feels like you’re trying to do too many things at once this holiday season, you’re not alone. The average American only gets about 15 minutes of work done, without being distracted. This has even infringed on our downtime. With more than 35% of Americans admit to browsing the internet while watching TV, and nearly half of us check our social media at the movie theater or in church.
Most of us, however, know by now that juggling, or trying not to juggle all these responsibilities at once means falling behind in one or more of our tasks, creating even more challenges. More often than not, our attempts at a healthy lifestyle get lost in a sea of screens, notifications, reminders, and to-do lists. When we try to do too much, we can lose sight of maintaining a balanced life—and that lack of balance can make it easy to get off track. Your body’s endocannabinoid system is a monitor of the body’s overall balance. Your system has receptors and a full spectrum of cannabinoids that work in concert more effectively and productively than one on its own and when operating at full capacity offer homeostasis and balance to yourself, this is known as the “entourage effect”. CBD works directly with endocannabinoid receptors to ensure the body not only remains balanced but performing at optimum capacity.
But with so much going on who has time to add more self-care steps to their routine?
Well, now you do!
That’s because CBD is a safe and simple step you can add when you want and how you want to help you approach your day from a healthy space. You can purchase CBD in tinctures, topical ointments, and infusion hemp oils that go great with meals or midday snacks. Consistently waking up to an achy back? Apply a topical CBD balm instead of stirring hemp oil into your smoothie. Or try a CBD capsule on days you skip the protein smoothie and decide to infuse your breakfast sandwich. When you’re feeling balanced, your focus is improved, and you can physically get more done because you’re not so easily overwhelmed by the little things in life. Some of the other benefits CBD adds value to your life are:
Arthritis pain CBD oil is popular for easing pain associated with arthritis. A study in the European Journal of Pain used an animal model to see if CBD could help people with arthritis manage their pain.
Inflammation
Both CBD and THC are extremely effective in managing inflammation post exercise. Cannabinoids are potent anti-inflammatory agents and they exert their effects through induction of apoptosis, inhibition of cell proliferation, suppression of cytokine production and induction of T-regulatory cells.
Multiple sclerosis Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease that affects the entire body through the nerves and brain. Muscle spasms are one of the most common symptoms of MS. These spasms can be so great they cause constant pain in some people. One report found that short-term use of CBD oil could reduce the levels of spasticity a person feels. More studies led researchers to believe that subjects were also not likely to build up a tolerance to the effects.
Chronic pain The same report studied CBD use for general chronic pain. Researchers compiled the results of multiple systematic reviews covering dozens of trials and studies. Their research concluded that there is substantial evidence that cannabis is an effective treatment for chronic pain in adults. They noted that cannabinoids, such as CBD, could offer helpful new treatments for people with chronic pain.
Smoking cessation and drug withdrawal
The cannabis plant itself or some of its compounds may be of use in treating addictions. For example, a recent review set out the current evidence on the involvement of the endocannabinoid system in modulating addictive behaviors, looking at the results of research with animals on the potential role of some cannabinoids in treating psychostimulant addiction1. More specifically, there is evidence to indicate that pharmaceuticals that are CB2 receptors that may be of use in treating cocaine addiction2. Certain studies have also been published showing that cannabis may be a substitute for more dangerous drugs, including alcohol3. Finally, another recent review compiled current studies focusing on the possible properties of CBD (cannabidiol) as an overall intervention for addictive disorders4, making CBD in particular, a natural aid for quitting smoking.
Seizures and epilepsy
Seizures are caused by erratic electrical activity in the brain that can spread and cause uncontrolled physical movements or alterations of consciousness. Most anticonvulsants work by slowing down excitatory nerve activity in the brain, but LGS and Dravet syndrome may be treated with anticonvulsants that are not typically used for most types of epilepsy and often require two or more anticonvulsants.
It is not completely clear why CBD can reduce some types of seizures. It is known to have a range of biochemical effects on nerve cells in the brain, and some of these biochemical interactions may have a relationship with the effect of CBD on seizures. Epidiolex is a purified 98% oil-based CBD extract from the cannabis plant. It is produced by Greenwich Biosciences (the U.S. based company of GW Pharmaceuticals) and has been approved to relieve seizures in Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS) and Dravet syndrome, two rarer developmental disorders that are particularly difficult to treat.
Anxiety treatment
Rather than trying to get your balance back after a stressful morning, a little CBD can provide the improved focus to ensure your day never gets off track in the first place. Tons of CBD users also find a second dose in the evening aids them in unwinding from the day and prepare for a restful night’s sleep. Researchers think that CBD interacts with receptors in your brain and immune system. Receptors are tiny proteins attached to your cells that receive chemical signals from different stimuli and help your cells respond. This creates anti-inflammatory and painkilling effects that help with pain management. This means that CBD oil may benefit people with chronic pain, such as chronic back and knee pain.
Diabetes Insulin Resistance
Insulin resistance occurs when the body’s cells reject insulin, which is produced by the pancreas to regulate blood sugar. When the cells reject insulin, they cannot absorb glucose (sugar), which is needed for energy. This causes glucose to build up in the bloodstream and lead to high blood sugar levels. Insulin resistance is a key factor in pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes. Researchers aren’t totally sure how CBD works to treat insulin resistance. But, many believe that credit belongs to CBD’s powerful anti-inflammatory benefits. Many studies have shown a connection between chronic inflammation and insulin resistance. When inflammation is reduced, the immune system and cardiovascular system function better. A lack of inflammation can also improve cell growth and improve sugar metabolism. If all of these systems throughout the body are working as efficiently as possible, the chances of developing insulin resistance and diabetes are decreased.
Protection of Heart, Lung, and Brain
In several studies, CBD has been shown to decrease inflammation while offering protection for the heart, lungs, and brain during and after injury. In fact, the short-term neuroprotective effects of CBD in the brain continue to be researched for purposes of treating sports concussions.
Alzheimer's
Inflammation has been shown to increase the negative impact of Alzheimer’s disease. The inflammatory response happens when the brain’s immune cells fail to clear disorienting blockages. The inflammation that is a core cause of Alzheimer’s symptoms can often be reduced by using CBD oil.
Oxygen is released as a reactive, stress-induced component of Alzheimer’s disease. When inflammation happens in the brain, oxygen is released as a result. The greater the inflammation, the greater the negative impact. Important brain functions such as memory are decreased as more oxygen is released in the brain’s cells. Memory loss and other brain deterioration indirectly lead to increased oxygen in the brain. CBD is an antioxidant, which helps reduce the problems associated with oxygen stress. Brain functions negatively impacted by oxygen stress can be improved by using CBD.
Acne
Research on CBD and the endocannabinoid system (ECS) has offered promising results for the treatment of acne. The endocannabinoid system has been shown to play a major role in hydrating the skin through the production of lipids. Anandamide, an endocannabinoid, appears to significantly enhance lipid production.
CBD also seems to target the root of acne, which is excess sebum. Sebum, a fatty oil, is created by lipids. CBD limits sebum production by preventing anandamide from synthesizing lipids. Additionally, CBD also reduces inflammation, another common symptom of acne.
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