CBD can help make 2020 the year you finally stick to your New Year’s Resolutions!
We get it. It’s the holidays! Friends and family keep supplying food, drinks, and about a million reasons to stay cozy instead of heading to the gym. However, 2020 is quickly creeping up. If you’re like us, you’re already thinking about those New Year’s Resolutions. Well, here’s a helpful little secret…CBD can help you stick to your New Year’s Resolutions!
It may sound crazy, but hear us out. Why do people make these resolutions? The Washington Post says they’re, “a decision to do or not do something to accomplish a personal goal or break a habit. It comes at a time when people look back at the past year and make an effort to improve themselves as the new year begins.” We couldn’t agree more!
Being able to accomplish personal goals, break bad habits, and improve yourself overall all comes down to making sure that you’re functioning at peak health and wellness. That means both physical and mental health! And, wouldn’t you know it, CBD can help both your physical and mental health.
Still don’t believe us? Keep Reading…
1. CBD May Help Turn Bad Fat Into Good Fat
“Fat” isn’t always the enemy that we think it is. Our bodies actually need a certain amount of fat. However, some fat is good and some fat…not so much.
There’s two kinds of fat to be aware of–white fat and brown fat. White fat stores and provides energy while also insulating and cushioning your organs, but too much isn’t good. When too much white fat accumulates it can promote weight related illnesses like diabetes and heart disease.
People who maintain a healthy weight, however, tend to have more brown fat. Those individuals are able to utilize their energy better because brown fat creates heat by burning calories. White fat naturally turns to brown fat through exercise and adequate sleep, but CBD may be able to help it along.
In a 2016 study, research indicated that CBD can affect the way our bodies utilize fats in several ways. This preliminary research suggests that not only could CBD help our bodies change bad fat into good fat, it may also help us burn fat too!
Which leads us to…
2. CBD May Help Burn Fat and Reduce Hunger
One 2018 study explored the idea that CBD could help burn fat. Their findings indicated that as more white fat transforms into brown fat, there’s more fat in the body that’s burning off energy as heat. That means more calories are being burned! Not only that, but CBD also has the potential to curb hunger as well.
Not everyone wants or needs to lose weight, but a Nielson survey from 2015 said that 37% of New Year’s Resolutions had to do with losing weight. Even if you’re not interested in losing weight, reducing hunger may help you just make smarter eating choices. That’s something everyone can benefit from.
Part of that is from the potential it has to turn bad fat into good fat. The two main receptors that cannabinoids interact with are the CB1 and CB2 receptors. When THC (the psychoactive cannabinoid) activates CB1 receptors it stimulates appetite. However, one study showed that hunger can be reduced when a receptor antagonist (like CBD) deactivates CB1 receptors.
While there’s been plenty of anecdotal evidence to support this idea, there does still need to be more human testing to definitively say that CBD can help reduce obesity overall. However, with all the other benefits CBD can provide, it’s still worth a try!
3. CBD May Reduce the Risk of Metabolic Disorders
Metabolic disorders are a group of disorders characterized by an alteration in the natural metabolic processes of the body. Common metabolic disorders are high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes. Luckily, CBD may reduce the risk of metabolic disorders.
First, CBD can help by turning bad fat into good fat, and by helping to burn more fat while reducing hunger. That right there is a solid recipe for lower cholesterol and decreased risk of diabetes. But it doesn’t stop there.
Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research reviewed several studies and found that in an experiment with rats, CBD was able to decrease total cholesterol by 25% for a group of obese rats. Plus, blood sugar levels decreased and liver health improved.
For instance, a treatment using CBD reduced total cholesterol by 25 percent in obese rats. The anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of CBD also appeared to decrease blood sugar levels and increase markers for liver health. This is another area where more human testing needs to be done, but the current research suggests that CBD could be a possible therapy for metabolic disorders.
4. CBD May Help You Sleep Better
Our bodies need sleep, and most of us aren’t getting enough of it. While you may not notice the effects immediately, over time the effects of low-quality sleep can have a big impact on your health. Medical News Today says that not getting enough sleep can lower your immune system, increase insulin production, increase appetite, increase your risk of cardiovascular disease, and it can negatively impact your hormones.
We don’t know about you, it sounds like not getting enough sleep will make it REALLY hard to stick to your New Year’s Resolutions. Luckily, CBD can help!
The American Sleep Association says, “…some research indicates that the cannabinoid CBD may interact with specific receptors potentially affecting the sleep/wake cycle. Additionally, CBD may also decrease anxiety and pain, which can both interfere with restful sleep. By reducing certain symptoms, it’s also possible that sleep may improve.”
5. CBD May Lower Inflammation
Maybe you don’t think you need to worry about inflammation, but the truth is that inflammation is a natural response that EVERY person has. It’s when that inflammation doesn’t subside that issues develop.
Sometimes it manifests in achy knees that are still sore days after a good run, sometimes it’s arthritis. Some people with severe health problems experience painful, debilitating inflammation that makes it hard to accomplish day to day tasks. Whether your inflammation is chronic or acute, however, CBD can help.
CBD interacts with the immune system in a number of ways, and your immune system is actually what’s in charge of inflammation in the first place. When you take CBD and it binds to receptors in your endocannabinoid system, it promotes the flushing of unnecessary cells, it stops harmful cells from multiplying, and (most importantly) makes it harder for specific immune cells to cause negative reactions.
Essentially, when there’s too much inflammation it means your body is out of balance. Luckily, CBD helps your body reach a state of equilibrium again which means less pain, more energy, and better sleep. Yes, please!
Get Started on Your Resolutions TODAY!
Whether your goal is to stress less so you can spend more time with family or if it’s to run a marathon, CBD can help you do it! CBD is all about bringing your body back into balance, and a balanced body is capable of amazing things.
As always, we want to remind everyone to speak with their doctor before making any drastic lifestyle changes, and that includes adding CBD to your routine. While there’s been a lot of research into the amazing benefits of CBD, most of those aren’t proven or backed by the FDA. So whether you have preexisting health conditions, medications you’re worried about CBD interacting with, or if you just want to play it safe–talk to your doctor.
Once you’re good to go though, get ready to give this next year everything you’ve got. Treat your mind and your body right so you have the energy and focus to tackle all of your goals. Take a look at our CBD products so you can step into 2020 with confidence and peace of mind!
