There are also many ways to manage this occasional stress. Exercise, meditation, good nutrition and restful sleep are some of the main methods. These traditional methods are helpful whenever you feel overwhelmed, but if you’re looking for extra support, CBD for occasional stress is a great option.

Read on to learn more about how CBD can help with occasional stress:

What is CBD?

CBD stands for cannabidiol, one of the many active compounds found in the hemp plant. CBD derived from hemp contains a tiny amount of THC (less than 0.2%), but is considered non-intoxicating.

CBD has been shown to support a sense of calm for concentration, manage daily stresses, support healthy recovery from exercise-induced inflammation, maintain healthy sleep cycles, and occasional anxiety. CBD is often found in products such as oils, CBD candies, capsules.

What is the difference between CBD and marijuana?

While CBD and marijuana both come from the leaves and flowers of the cannabis plant, there is one major difference: THC. The initials stand for tetrahydrocannabinol, which is the cannabinoid responsible for the high in marijuana. Some strains of marijuana contain between 17% and 28% THC. But hemp must contain less than 0.2% THC, which is not enough to cause intoxication. Licensed hemp producers must follow strict regulations and undergo extensive testing to ensure that the product remains safe and compliant.

How does stress affect the body?

You might think that stress only affects your brain, as you juggle the priorities and demands of life. However, stress can affect many parts of your body and contribute to long-term health problems, including digestive problems, headaches, sleep disorders and other symptoms.

When your brain senses that you are stressed, it reacts. The hypothalamus – a small area of the brain responsible for many regulatory functions – activates the “stress hormones” adrenaline and cortisol. Adrenaline increases your heart rate and immediate energy intake, while cortisol increases blood sugars and directs them to essential functions. These are the “flight or fight” hormones needed when, for example, you have to run away from a tiger in the jungle.

The problem is that when your body perceives that you have to run away from a tiger several times a day, you feel more adrenaline and cortisol than is good for you. The long-term effects of this can increase the risk of headaches, digestive problems, weight gain, sleep disorders, heart disease, memory and concentration problems, anxiety and depression.

How does CBD help with stress?

There is a difference between chronic stress and occasional stress. Chronic stress is long-term, unresolved stress that leads to ongoing symptoms and potentially altered brain function. Occasional stress is short-term stress, caused by a specific situation that is then resolved. CBD can help with everyday stressors and provide a sense of calm to focus when the occasional stress comes up.

Although anxiety and stress are two different conditions and manifest in the body in different ways, they are related in terms of how the body tries to deal with them and in the negative effects they can have over time.

L’article CBD FOR OCCASIONAL STRESS est apparu en premier sur Cbeuhd.

We will then explain how CBD affects your health and homeostasis through its ability to interact with your body’s endocannabinoid system (ECS). Finally, we will conclude with an overview of important new studies on the potential benefits of CBD for inflammation.

But we should start with the basics, to make sure we’re all on the same page about what inflammation really is.

What is inflammation?

The word “inflammation” can conjure up images of pain, redness and swelling. This word tends to have a negative connotation. But in reality, inflammation is a natural and healthy reaction… sometimes.

Inflammation is an immune response produced by your body to protect itself from injury, disease or infection. It works by sending white blood cells into the affected area. In fact, this is what causes the redness and swelling: blood cells!

There are two types of inflammation:

Acute inflammation is when your body is faced with an acute stressor, such as a kick in the shin against the furniture, a splinter in the finger or an infection. This type of inflammation is an important part of the healing process when something has happened that has messed up your body in some way. You can often recognize acute inflammation by one or more of these five cardinal signs of inflammation:

• Redness
• Swelling
• Heat
• Pain
• Loss of function

Chronic inflammation, sometimes called systemic inflammation, is also an inflammatory response. But instead of being a short-lived response that disappears after a few hours or days, chronic inflammation remains. In a sense, this means that your body’s immune system is constantly activated in response to a chronic irritant or toxin, such as cigarette smoke, excess body fat or certain viral infections.

In summary, inflammation is a healthy immune response to irritants or injury. But when inflammation lasts too long, it can begin to destroy healthy tissue and create health problems. It can contribute to problems such as atherosclerosis and create symptoms such as bloating, pain, fatigue and “brain fog.

Now that you know that chronic inflammation is something to avoid, you may be wondering: what causes chronic inflammation?

Lifestyle risk factors for chronic inflammation

In some cases, chronic inflammation may be the result of factors beyond your control, such as autoimmune disorders or viral infections. In these cases, it is best to consult a doctor.

However, many causes of chronic inflammation are related to lifestyle and dietary factors that are within your control. Some of the known risk factors for chronic inflammation include:

Smoking.

Cigarette smoking is a well-known contributor to chronic inflammation. It induces several pro-inflammatory molecules while impairing the production of useful anti-inflammatory substances.

Obesity.

Did you know that adipose tissue (aka fat) is actually considered an organ, part of your endocrine system? That is correct. And adipose tissue is responsible for the storage and secretion of a variety of hormones and cytokines.

When your body is at a normal weight and your fat tissue is functioning properly, these hormones are kept in a healthy balance. But too much body fat can lead to an excess of certain substances that contribute to inflammation (such as IL-6, an inflammatory cytokine). This effect can be particularly pronounced in visceral fat (the fat between your body organs), which can create up to three times more IL-6 than other fat cells.

Age.

Unfortunately, advanced age also appears to contribute to higher levels of inflammation. This is even the case in otherwise healthy elderly people, and may be the result of an accumulation of oxidative damage over time.

Irregular sleep.

People who don’t get enough sleep tend to have more chronic inflammation than those who get enough rest each night.

Diet.

What you eat also seems to have an impact on inflammation. Diets high in saturated and trans fats, in particular, have been associated with higher levels of inflammatory markers. And this seems to be especially true for people with other inflammatory diseases, such as obesity or diabetes.

Another important cause? Overconsumption in general. Some studies have shown that simply eating a reduced-calorie diet can help curb chronic inflammation.

Chronic stress.

Whether it’s keeping up with a demanding job, raising children, or dealing with difficult world events, it seems we’re all stressed these days. Intermittent episodes of acute stress are one thing… but when your stress levels are consistently high, it can contribute to chronically elevated inflammation markers. This seems to be true for both physical and mental stress.

Lifestyle factors that reduce inflammation

Now it’s time to tell the good news. Most of the risk factors for inflammation we discussed in the last section are within your control – which means that with a few lifestyle changes, you can take steps to help reduce systemic inflammation. Here are some of them:

Eat a healthy diet.

An anti-inflammatory diet consists of lots of plant foods, with less red meat and fewer processed foods like sodas and sugary cereals. Two nutrients that may be particularly important are antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids. Foods that fall into these categories include fruits and vegetables, salmon, whole grains, beans and lentils, and green tea.

Maintain a healthy weight and stop smoking.

We discussed these two risk factors in the last section. The good news is that these are two things you can change. Losing weight and quitting smoking may not be easy, but they are two of the most effective ways to reduce your chronic inflammation levels.

Exercise.

Another way to reduce inflammation is to get up and move! And here’s more good news: you don’t have to kill yourself at the gym or run for miles to reduce inflammation. Purshape shows that even a single 20-minute session of moderate cardio helps reduce inflammation levels.

Sleep regularly.

Getting enough sleep each night is a simple but effective way to give your body the rest and recovery it needs to keep inflammation levels in check. One way to do this is through good sleep hygiene: keep your bedroom dark and cool, maintain a regular sleep schedule, and avoid television and caffeine near bedtime.

Reduce stress.

Chronic stress can be one of the most insidious causes of inflammation because it is such a slippery concept. But it is a very real phenomenon in our lives, and we all have to deal with it to some degree. Ask yourself if there are stressful situations you can avoid or if you can adopt a calming practice such as yoga or meditation to help control your stress levels.

Now that you have a good overview of what inflammation is, what causes it, and what fights it, let’s change the subject and talk about CBD and how it affects your body in a positive way.

The Endocannabinoid System: The Key to Your Body’s Balance

To understand how CBD works, you need to become familiar with what is known as the endocannabinoid system (ECS). The ECS is the part of your body responsible for maintaining balance and homeostasis in a wide variety of important functions, such as your moods, hormones, sleep cycles, etc.

Returning to the topic of this article, the ECS also helps modulate stress and inflammation and is considered a new key player in inflammation. So it makes sense that to help manage stress and inflammation levels, it is important to keep the ECS healthy and functioning.

How do we get there?

Your ECS system contains specific receivers. Think of these receivers as keyholes. For your central nervous system to function properly, these receptors must be paired with a key that fits the lock – and the keys your central nervous system needs are called cannabinoids.

How CBD helps stimulate your body’s endocannabinoid system

We’ve just established that your ECS system needs cannabinoids to function properly, some of which are manufactured by your body. They are called endocannabinoids. Others are manufactured by plants and can be consumed: these are the phytocannabinoids. Certain phytocannabinoids have been shown to interact effectively with your endocannabinoid system and help support your body’s ability to stay in homeostasis.

One of the best known of these phytocannabinoids is CBD, or cannabidiol.

Taking CBD orally – throughconcentratedCBD oils, from tastyCBD gummies or convenient CBD capsules – can help supplement your body’s cannabinoid levels and ensure that your central nervous system has the resources it needs to keep your body healthy and in tune.

We already know that taking CBD can provide significant benefits, including:

Helps to manage stress and anxiety on a daily basis.

Taking CBD helps your body better handle the small stresses and anxiety that can build up over time, helping you feel more resilient and in control.

Promotes healthy sleep cycles.

Taking CBD on a regular basis helps regulate your sleep cycles and promotes deep, regular sleep. It’s amazing how a good night’s sleep can make you more energetic and optimistic, which can make a big difference in your daily life.

Promotes a sense of calm.

By supporting the functioning of your endocannabinoid system, CBD helps you maintain a sense of calm and focus, instead of the scattered and restless feelings that can overtake us when our endocannabinoid system is low in cannabinoids.

But what about CBD for inflammation in particular? Let’s take a look at the studies and see what the research has to say.

What do published studies say about CBD and inflammation?

We strive to make only claims that we can back up with definitive science. So rather than tell you that there are definite benefits to taking CBD for inflammation, we’ll instead share the results of some of the most recent and compelling studies done on the subject and let you make up your own mind.

Study 1: CBD promotes recovery from exercise-induced inflammation

Not surprisingly, intense exercise can damage muscle fibres. What you may not know is that these exercise-induced muscle injuries (EIMD) can trigger an inflammatory response. Some inflammation is beneficial to the healing process, but too much inflammation can prolong pain and delay recovery.

CBD has been shown to stimulate the body’s production of anti-inflammatory cytokines while inhibiting the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and reactive oxygen species, which helps the body recover from exercise-induced inflammation.

Another investigation showed that relatively higher doses of CBD were able to reduce plasma levels of inflammatory markers, including IL-6 and TNFα, while also reducing tissue damage.

Study 2: Cannabidiol reduces the impact of inflammation on oxidative stress

This research review cites several studies demonstrating CBD’s ability to support the normalization of systemic inflammation. Based on the strength of the available evidence, the authors conclude that “cannabidiol, which can interact with the endocannabinoid system but has distinct actions, holds promise as a prototype for anti-inflammatory drug development. “

What can we conclude from the use of CBD for inflammation?

In conclusion, the preliminary scientific studies are promising, but more studies need to be conducted to see if CBD for inflammation could help. We cannot definitively establish the link between CBD and inflammation at this time. What we do know for sure is that CBD is good for sleep, calmness, stress and exercise-induced inflammation.

L’article CBD for inflammation: Can it help? est apparu en premier sur Cbeuhd.

Your puppy is fine when you are around. Problems only seem to start when you leave or when you were away. If your dog shows signs of discomfort, fear or panic when you leave him, he may be suffering from separation anxiety.

According to the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, up to 40 percent of dogs suffer from separation anxiety. Fortunately, there are many ways to make your dog feel more comfortable in your absence. Just as masters can suffer from stress.

Use this guide to learn how to spot the warning signs and help your dog cope with separation anxiety.

What causes separation anxiety in dogs?

Dogs suffer from separation anxiety when they are emotionally distressed. This distress may be exacerbated by genetics, as some dogs are more likely to feel stress when their owner is away.

In other cases, separation anxiety may be due to other circumstances. For example, a dog that has been permanently abandoned by its former owners may show symptoms. With environmental stresses, such as thunder, a dog may become anxious about a thunderstorm and feel more anxious if its owner leaves.

Your dog may suffer from separation anxiety every time you leave. Or, he may feel fine when you leave, as long as another person is present.

Common signs of separation anxiety in dogs

Separation anxiety manifests itself in many ways. Sometimes the result is physically damaging – destroying property, having an accident, etc. Sometimes it is more emotional, with your pet appearing frightened or agitated.

Symptoms can vary in severity, but the signs of separation anxiety in dogs are:

• Cowering
• Behaviour that is destructive to the environment and/or to oneself, such as chewing on a body part.
• Attempting to escape, for example by digging a hole or scratching near doors and windows.
• Excessive barking, drooling, whining or sweating of the paws.
• Inappropriate elimination, even if the dog is clean.
• Hesitation to eat and/or drink
• Licking of the lips
• Pacing
• Gasping
• Agitated behaviour

A dog with separation anxiety may also become extremely excited when you arrive home, sometimes to the point of urinating or knocking things over in the commotion. If you’re still unsure if your pet has separation anxiety, install a video camera to record your pet while you’re away. You can show the images to your veterinarian to help determine the next steps.

How can separation anxiety in dogs be reduced and calmed?

Below, we’ve compiled some of the best common and vet-recommended methods for helping dogs with separation anxiety:

Come and go quietly

Your veterinarian may recommend that you keep departures and arrivals as quiet as possible. You can pack your things the night before and sneak out the door. When you arrive home, you can wait until your dog is calm before greeting him.

Entertain him

Another way to reduce separation anxiety is to provide your pet with something to do while you are away. You can give him a chew stick when you leave or a toy to play with.

Leave the TV on

Some dogs may even respond to animal-friendly television programs, such as the DogTV channel. DogTV cites over 60 research studies on the positive effects of certain types of programs on dogs, including calming and reducing fear and anxiety.

Try alternatives to the cage

If your dog suffers from separation anxiety after being placed and left alone in a crate in your absence, consider other options. You could get a baby gate and set it up in a spare room with toys and blankets instead. Leave your clothes with your scent on them.

Fatigue them

You can also try to get your pet to expend some energy before you leave. Take him for a walk in the morning before work. Or play with him and his favorite toy.

Keep a calm demeanor

Try to be gentle and soothing when addressing separation anxiety with your dog. A 2015 study by the University of Nebraska found that the emotions and stress levels of the owner and the dog synchronize.

Forgive mistakes

Forgive your dog (and yourself) for the mess, destruction or increased anxiety that occurred when you left. Take a calm approach to interacting with and training your dog.

Take it slow

You can start slowly exposing your dog to pre-departure cues like picking up your keys or putting on your shoes. Stay with him until he has calmed down and begins to understand that these gestures are not threatening.

Introduce anti-anxiety medication

When your dog is diagnosed with separation anxiety, your veterinarian may prescribe anti-anxiety medication. This medication is not intended to put the animal to sleep, but rather to relax it.

Call in a professional

Finally, always follow your veterinarian’s recommendations. You may be able to gradually desensitize your dog to your absence with the help of a trainer.

We recommend using CBD only to comfort a restless middle-aged dog, not a puppy. If you decide to use CBD to help your dog, there are many sites that offer different CBD options to support dog wellness.

L’article How to help dogs with separation anxiety? est apparu en premier sur Cbeuhd.