1. Get better sleep
If there is one thing you should do better in 2023, it’s sleep!
The effects of poor or insufficient sleep are far reaching… Watch Matt Walker below in his enlightening (and at times hard-hitting) talk on the realities of sleep for our bodies and minds.
2. Reduce or stop smoking entirely using CBD
A recent study has come out showing that CBD cannabis oil can be an efficient aid in quitting smoking. Researchers at the University College London recently published an article in the “Addictive Behaviours” journal which found that the non-intoxicating chemical in cannabis (“cannabidiol”, also known as CBD oil), could reduce the number of cigarettes consumed by smokers who wanted to quit.
Here’s the tricky part – the CBD oil was consumed by the participants in this study via an inhaler, which means that in some way they still “smoked” it. But what is the difference then, if anything?
Well, the difference is that when you consume CBD oil with a vaporizer, the temperature at which the oil is burned is much lower than if you were to burn cannabis plants and smoke them. That way, you can get the best of both worlds – you can still continue smoking (although the habit should be dropped at one point, after you have overcome the nicotine addiction) while also lowering your addiction towards cigarettes and improving your health in many other ways as well.
Just research the applications of CBD oil in numerous health issues and you will understand what I am talking about!
3. CBD can help manage anxiety
Stress, insomnia, depression – these conditions can affect anyone and everyone, to some extent. But most people who wish to treat them end up purchasing over-the-counter medications which come with severe side effects. For instance, anti-depressants are popular nowadays but they can form a dependancy and are risky to your health.
Fortunately, CBD oil is a natural and safe alternative to these pharmaceuticals. Taking small doses on a daily basis (especially a few hours before bedtime) can help reduce stress and produce pleasurable, soothing feelings. CBD’s ability to manage anxiety is also a factor which is essential in improving sleep quality.
Find out more about CBD for stress and anxiety.
4. Use CBD to balance your alcohol consumption
There’s some truth to the idea that alcohol can reduce stress. Alcohol is a sedative and a depressant that affects the central nervous system.
At first, drinking can reduce fears and take your mind off of your troubles. It can help you feel less shy, give you a boost in mood, and make you feel generally relaxed. In fact, alcohol’s effects can be similar to those of anti-anxiety medications.
However, alcohol also changes levels of serotonin and other neurotransmitters in the brain, which can worsen anxiety. In fact, you may feel more anxious after the alcohol wears off than you were when sober. Alcohol-induced anxiety can last for several hours, or even for an entire day after drinking.
According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), about 7 percent of Americans have social anxiety. With this form of anxiety, you may find social situations unbearable, and about 20 percent of people with social anxiety disorder also suffer from alcohol dependence.
It is common for people with social anxiety disorder to drink alcohol to cope with social interactions, but doing this can lead to a dependence on alcohol during socialising, which can make anxiety symptoms worse.
CBD is well known for assisting with anxiety relief, and so it can be a better, natural alternative to alcohol in helping to ease social anxiety and help you have a good time..
If you’re comfortable with vaping, this can be one of the most effective ways to feel the effects of CBD in the shortest time. Low temperature vapes also pose no known health risks and are perfectly suited for social environments.
Tinctures (drops) can be a little more challenging to administer whilst standing at a bar!
5. Assist with muscle recovery
It’s a new year, new year’s resolutions are in full swing and many of us are treating our bodies to the full force of our workout regime.
Whether it be hours in the gym, miles on the road or country lanes in the saddle, our bodies can take quite a beating – and not without consequence. But CBD can help!
Why do we need this in the first place?
No matter how fit you are, sometimes you just ‘feel’ it after a workout. Some workouts can leave you sore for days. That’s because, as the United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS) explains, working out causes microscopic damage to muscle fibres. Those muscles then become inflamed, which triggers the body to respond and repair and causes muscle soreness or stiffness.
According to a 2018 review of 132 original studies published in Frontiers in Neurology, CBD can help to reduce inflammation in the body and assist with improving pain and mobility in patients with multiple sclerosis. “It is anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, antiemetic, antipsychotic, and neuroprotective,” the review study’s authors wrote.
“Broadly speaking, it does decrease inflammation when it is rubbed on muscles as an ointment or taken orally,” Dr. Perry Solomon, previous chief medical officer and founding member of HelloMD, told MensHealth.