How to Incorporate CBD into Your Healthy Routine

WRITTEN BY SARAH WISE AND DR. SWATHI

We are all looking for ways to get better sleep, reduce anxiety, and have an overall better quality of life. Making simple lifestyle changes to enhance self-care and reach those goals is the best way to make those resolutions stick and get results that last. Cannabidiol, or CBD, can complement the new year resolutions you are already working towards! Incorporating CBD as a supplement into your daily routine is a great way to support sleep, stress, recovery, and many other types of health issues. It works by acting on the body’s endocannabinoid system, which helps your body regulate sleep, mood, immune function, pain perception, inflammation, and so much more (1). Before you start using CBD, it is recommended that you talk with your doctor to make sure this is the right product for you and ensure you are using a verified product with clean ingredients. Some examples of CBD in your daily wellness routine include:

SKIN CARE: CBD can be absorbed if applied topically. If taking better care of your skin as well as feeling and looking better is a resolution of yours, you can use CBD infused topical serums, body lotions, and face moisturizers. The anti-inflammatory effects of CBD could be a great additive to lotion for soothing dry, irritated skin. The effects of CBD to ease anxiety also works well with a general skin care routine to help reduce stress-induced breakouts (2-4).

WORKING OUT: After getting some exercise, recovery is essential to re-energize and come back stronger. Research shows that CBD could help fight exercise-induced inflammation and ease tight muscles (2). CBD-infused balm can be used before stretching and/or after a hard work-out session. CBD tinctures could be infused into your post-workout smoothie, and you can add hemp seeds for an extra bonus!

NUTRITION: Everything you put in your body does influence you in some way, shape, or form. Being conscious of what you eat and drink can help you better understand how your body reacts to different items. CBD can be added into your morning tea (think: matcha!) or coffee, and can work synergistically with caffeine to create a calm and focused state of mind. Additionally, research suggests that CBD works as an antioxidant (3-5). 

SELF-CARE: Healthy habits that uplift your mood, such as bubble baths with CBD bath bombs, can help calm you de-stress and bring yourself to the present moment (3). Shampoos, conditioners, and even soaps can have CBD incorporated into them. Practicing acts of kindness towards yourself can help you feel refreshed and charged up to have a positive mindset, be productive and support others.

SLEEP: CBD edibles or CBD-infused teas are great additions to a pre-bedtime ritual to aid you in winding down for the night. There are specific formulations that can be made to slowly release throughout the night if you have trouble staying asleep. Additionally, CBD has been shown to help with REM sleep. Oral formulations such as tinctures can lead to sedation and help you fall asleep quickly (6-7).

Overall, there are many ways to create a wellness routine incorporating CBD that works for you to start the year off right. It is never too late to make goals that help you be the best version of yourself and take advantage of supplements such as CBD to improve your well-being.

References:

1. Dr. Ethan Russo. Project CBD. Intro To CBD. Available at: https://www.projectcbd.org/about/what-cbd. Accessed January 2022.
2. Watzl, B., Scuderi, P., and Watson, R. R. Marijuana components stimulate human peripheral blood mononuclear cell secretion of interferon-gamma and suppress interleukin-1 alpha in vitro. Int J Immunopharmacol. 1991;13(8):1091-1097.
3. Crippa, J. A., Zuardi, A. W., Garrido, G. E., Wichert-Ana, L., Guarnieri, R., Ferrari, L., Azevedo-Marques, P. M., Hallak, J. E., McGuire, P. K., and Filho, Busatto G. Effects of cannabidiol (CBD) on regional cerebral blood flow. Neuropsychopharmacology 2004;29(2):417-426.
4. Campos AC, Moreira FA, Gomes FV, et al. Multiple mechanisms involved in the large-spectrum therapeutic potential of cannabidiol in psychiatric disorders. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2012;367(1607):3364-78.
5. Hampson AJ, Grimaldi M, Axelrod J, Wink D. Cannabidiol and (-)Delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol are neuroprotective antioxidants. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1998;95(14):8268-73.
6. Carlini EA, Cunha JM. Hypnotic and antiepileptic effects of cannabidiol. J Clin Pharmacol 1981;21(8-9 Suppl):417S-27S.
7. Babson KA, Sottile J, Morabito D. Cannabis, Cannabinoids, and Sleep: a Review of the Literature. Curr Psychiatry Rep. 2017;19(4):23.

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This article was edited by Dr. Swathi and was written by Element Apothec Scientific Communications Intern, Sarah Wise. She is a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) student at University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.