Mary Spirito
Health and Wellness Optimization Coach
It all started when I got my hands on a bottle of CBD oil to help manage my anxiety.
Being an optimization coach — a life coach meets a health coach — I was trying every means of managing my anxiety from a holistic perspective: meditation, journaling, ashwagandha. They were all helpful, but I was still on edge.
Finding the holistic solution
At that point, we were in the early phase of the CBD craze, but it was quickly gaining traction and the praise was there for a holistic solution to manage anxiety, pain and inflammation — that was not addictive.
Once I heard from enough credible sources that CBD could be the answer to transforming the sharp peaks of my anxiety into rolling hills, I gave it a go. At first, I wasn’t entirely sure that it was working. But when I ran out of my bottle of oil, my anxiety came back with vengeance.
It’s a misconception that you should feel the calming effects of CBD coursing through your veins. CBD is much more subtle, but effective when you titrate the right dose. Once I realized that CBD was also helping calm my facial inflammation from food sensitivity, my crush turned into a full-blown affair. From gummies to chocolates to lotions, I have used it all.
What is CBD?
Cannabidiol is a cannabinoid that is extracted from hemp that acts on our body’s endocannabinoid (ECS) system. The ECS is a regulatory system involved in a variety of physiological processes including appetite, pain sensation, mood and memory. The ECS tells our brain when we feel off-base, such as if we’re in pain or anxious etc, and helps in signaling for the appropriate changes to bring us back to baseline. CBD works on the ECS to modulate pain, memory and appetite — as well as the immune and inflammatory system.
It’s a bit of an overachiever.
I’ve found that CBD is a multifaceted antidote that works with your physiology. And after my two-year affair with it, I can tell you that CBD is the one you can take a chance on and know it’ll treat you right.