If you spend anytime on Instagram or the internet in general these days, you know people are putting CBD in anything and everything. CBD drinks, chocolates, even skincare and dog food. It’s trendy as hell right now, but is it even good for you? Does it even work? Lets get into it.
Note: the legal status of CBD can vary state to state, and is currently classified as a supplement, not a medication by the FDA, so is very loosely regulated. Always choose a high-quality producer you trust, and talk to your doctor before adding CBD to your routine, especially if you have underlying medical conditions, are currently take any medications or are pregnant / trying to conceive. In general, there is still a lot we don’t know about CBD/cannabis so always use caution and work with a medical professional.
WHAT IS CBD?
CBD stands for cannabidiol and is a component of the marijuana plant, but its totally non-psychoactive (aka won’t get you high – that’s THC). In fact, much of the CBD on the market is derived directly from the hemp plant.
CBD is has been used therapeutically for years, with the most well studied application being for prevention of seizures for children and adults with epilepsy. In fact, Charolette’s Web CBD (the brand I use) was actually started to help a little girl (named Charolette) with her epilepsy (one of the most heart-warming stories you’ll read BTW). It also frequently used for anxiety and insomnia.
DOES CBD REALLY WORK?
First, let’s look at how it works. CBD (and THC) act on your body’s endocannabinoid system – a truly fascinating system in the body that wasn’t discovered until the 1990s. Basically our body is full of endocannabinoids that act as signaling molecules for a range of biological processes – everything from mood to sleep to immunity to metabolism, even fertility. We have endocannabinoid receptors throughout our entire bodies, that naturally occurring endocannabinoids act on. CBD/THC are exogenous cannabinoids (meaning they come from the outside of the body) but they act on these same receptors. Its a similar concept to how our bodies produce endogenous opioids, but people can also take exogenous opioids (in the form of pharmaceuticals or drugs like heroin) that act on the same receptors.
Fun fact: the endocannabinoid system is partially responsible for the the feel-good effects of working out. That runner’s high? You have your endocannabinoid system to thank for that.
Another insane random fact I read in this study – “polymorphisms of cannabinoid receptor and endocannabinoid system genes are variably associated with schizophrenia and possibly with response to atypical antipsychotics.” AKA this a seriously powerful biological system.
In terms of the studied benefits of CBD, there are quite a lot – ranging from increasing alertness (in small does), helping insomnia (in large doses), preventing seizures in epileptic patients (there’s even a drug going through FDA approval for this), and helping with anxiety.
MY EXPERIENCE TAKING CBD
For the past month, I’ve been experimenting taking CBD consistently. I’ve had CBD chocolates in the past (these are my fav), but had never taken CBD oil or CBD with any regularity. Last month, I started taking about 1/2 – 1 dropper of Charolette’s Mint Chocolate CBD oil (so about 7-14mg) once or twice a day. I experimented with taking it sublingually (under my tongue) and also in drinks (coffee or my skinny chocolate milk).
Overall, I’m a huge CBD fan. I’m not a naturally anxious person, but of course have spells of stress like everyone else. I found CBD to help take a slight edge off, and gave me an overall sense of calm. I felt much less reactive, and able to view situations with more perspective. I also love it at bed time for helping me fall asleep.
The only ‘negative’ thing I experienced with taking CBD was starting to feel like I “needed” it. CBD is generally accepted as non-addictive, but like anything that affects your mood, it can become more and more inciting to reach for it (this applies to craving a workout or craving chocolate too). And as my favorite Armchair Expert Dax Shepard says, we want to avoid using something external to regulate something internal – meaning if I’m anxious, I should address the cause of the anxiety, rather than mask the symptoms with anything external – wine, chocolate, social distractions, even CBD. Granted we use external factors to positively impact our moods all the time, but just something I like to be aware of to make sure I’m not masking something deeper.
Going forward, I plan to incorporate CBD when I feel like I need it, which for me, isn’t everyday. Lately I’ve been using it in the evenings a few times a week and feeling great. It’s also a great help with the sunday scaries or the booze blues during a hangover.
DO IT: SKINNY CBD CHOCOLATE MILK
Combine the following and blend or whisk! I’ve been loving this cold lately, but you could also heat up the milk for a hot chocolate vibe
- 1 cup non-dairy milk of choice (almond, coconut, etc. – I make my own hemp milk by blending 1/3 cup hemp seeds with 3 cups water on high)
- 1.5 tbsp cacao powder
- 1 dropper liquid stevia
- Couple dashes pink salt
- 1 dropper (or desired dose) of Charolette’s Mint Chocolate CBD oil or chocolate CBD oil of choice
- Optional: cinnamon, vanilla extract
PS – Charolette’s Web was kind enough to share a discount code for 10% off your order – use code FRIENDS10 at checkout!
And if CBD’s not your thing, this recipe is just as good without it!
1 Comments
Liza S @ cbdogle
November 2, 2019 at 5:51 pm
This skinny chocolate milk is all you need to turn your frown upside down and sit back and enjoy the rest of your day, the CBD incorporated into it is amazing at curing anxiety, depression and inflammation.