A new study suggests living next to busy roads and streets is more than an inconvenience — it could have an impact on your health.
Living next to busy streets and loud neighborhoods isn’t usually the first choice of someone looking to relocate. And now, according to a new study, this living situation is more complicated than a simple inconvenience; this situation increases your odds of developing heart disease.
Published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, the study found that prolonged exposure to loud noises and air pollution has been linked with heart failure, especially in the case of women, which made up the majority of the study’s participants.
“We found long-term exposure to specific air pollutants and road traffic noise increased the risk of incident heart failure, especially for former smokers or people with hypertension, so preventive and educational measures are necessary,” said the lead author of the study, Dr. Youn-Hee Lim. She said researchers were initially intrigued by the way in which air pollution and road traffic noise interacted, and whether or not that had an effect in people.
Researchers analyzed the data from over 22,000 women, aged 44 and older, whose stats were followed by a period of 20 years. The study monitored all sorts of information, from levels of fine particle matter, nitrogen dioxide from cars, buses, and more, to road traffic noises measured in decibels. Results showed that exposure to nitrogen dioxide and fine particulate matter increased the risk of heart failure. Exposure to noise increased this risk as well, even if to a lesser degree. Women who experienced pollution from noise and contaminated particles in the air were at most risk for developing heart failure.
While many of these factors are out of participants’ control and should be managed by governments and other parties responsible, lifestyle choices, like whether participants smoked or not, worked out often, and kept an eye on their blood pressure, were helpful in curbing the negative side effects.
Sometimes where you live can’t be improved upon, but lifestyle choices could help you balance out your situation.
Roughly 70% of the state’s cannabis consumption occurs outside of retail stores, either through home cultivation, medical caregivers, or illicit transactions,
Anderson Economic Group’s principal and CEO Patrick L. Anderson joined by AEG consultant Andrew Miller testified on Tuesday before the Michigan House of Representatives Committee on Regulatory Reform.
At the invitation of the committee chair, the speakersgave testimony about the economics of Michigan’s cannabis market. They presented their findings based on AEG’s first-of-its-kind study quantifying total demand for cannabis products in the Great Lake State.
Photo by Michele Ursi/Getty Images
Here are some of the key points from the testimony:
Michigan, Benzinga‘s home state, had a nearly $3.2 billion cannabis market in 2020, with nearly 400 licensed medical provisioning centers and 300 licensed adult-use retail stores, accounting for 16% and 15% of market size, respectively.
Roughly 70% of the state’s cannabis consumption occurs outside of retail stores, either through home cultivation, medical caregivers, or illicit transactions, accounting for the remaining 69% of the market size.
More than 80% of Michiganders now live within a 20-minute drive of a recreational cannabis shop or medical provisioning center, with one in five Michiganders reporting cannabis use in 2020.
During 2020, nearly $1 billion in legal sales were reported, and the regulated cannabis industry generated $169 million in tax and fee revenues.
“Over these six years, we have observed steady growth in consumer demand for cannabis in Michigan,” AEG consultant Miller commented. “Although the first medical provisioning centers opened in 2018, and the first adult-use stores in 2019, most cannabis was obtained outside of retail settings in 2020.”
According to a recent statewide poll conducted by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research and Public Opinion Strategies and commissioned by the Michigan Cannabis Manufacturers Association (MCMA), over 78% of Michigan residents support the idea of both medical and recreational cannabis being subject to the same regulation, including testing, tracking, licensing and safety.
The survey also showed that 82% of respondents support requiring unlicensed marijuana growers (UMG) to test their product for harmful substances using the same standards as current licensed growers and processors.
You don’t need a sign to tell you to seek therapy. But if you need a push, here are some signs that suggest you should talk to a professional.
We’re entering an era where getting therapy is as simple as simply wanting it. It doesn’t matter whether you experienced trauma or if you simply want to talk to an unbiased person about your problems. Therapy is slowly peeling itself away from the shame stigma, even though there are still some people who see it as an acceptance of weakness.
Needing therapy and getting it is never a bad thing; it’s a sign of strength and wanting to make the necessary work to live better and have better relationships with others. While everyone could benefit from therapy, no matter their reasons, having a list of things that push you to do it can help you have a better relationship with therapy and know which problems to tackle when booking your first session.
Here are 5 signs you should consider therapy.
Your fuse is shorter than usual
Photo by rawpixel.com
Some days, our fuse is shorter than normal, making us react poorly with our friends, partners and coworkers. It’s totally normal to experience this every once in a while, but it’s worth discussing it with someone if this is happening more often than usual and you fear it might damage your work or personal life. Therapy can help you pinpoint the cause behind this, something that can be difficult when going through a stressful moment in your life.
If you feel a change in your demeanor, making it more difficult to get up in the mornings or to complete your work tasks, then this is likely a symptom that you need some help. This feelings can quickly devolve and grow complex, resulting in you losing joy at things you usually enjoyed, and harming your relationships, productivity and self-image. A therapist can help you determine what caused this change and help you cope with this new behaviors, providing you with a program that can help you function better throughout your days.
You’re withdrawing from social situations
Photo by Diego San via Unsplash
Any changes in your normal patterns of behaviors are red flags. For example, if you normally enjoy spending time alone, you shouldn’t be alarmed if social situations are exhausting for you, even though you should still make the time to work on your social life. For people who are extroverts, wanting to stay away from others is usually a sign of something wrong.
New changes can be difficult to adjust to, whether that means a new living situation, a new career path or job, etc. Trauma is also something that can be difficult to get over, whether this means a death, an accident, an assault, or more. It can interfere with your life, relationships and can be difficult to articulate, which is why therapy is usually the way to go. Therapists can help you process your situation and adapt to it better, teaching you coping mechanisms
You need someone to talk to
Photo by Kelly Sikkema via Unsplash
Sometimes you simply need someone to talk to, no trauma, change or notorious red flag needed. Therapists provide a completely unbiased perspective that can help you see things differently, much more than a friend ever could. You don’t have to filter out what you want to say with your therapist, or worry about them getting exhausted with your problem or drama. It’s a relationship that is completely different than the ones you have in your life, helping you solve problems and get a better understanding of yourself.
Experts agree that CBD is an immune modulator with strong anti-inflammatory agents that balance the body’s endocannabinoid system.
A person is said to have excellent gut health when there are useful function and balance of bacteria on the gastrointestinal tract. And now more than ever, the focus should be on our gut (the stomach) and its content. In the health sector today, there is an increased awareness of gut health. What we eat and fill our bodies with matters a lot.
Healthcare providers are emphasizing the content of meals now more than ever because good health starts from the gut. The enzymes that break down our food play a crucial role in our health, but how can those enzymes work if the stomach is inflamed?
When your gut is in trouble
Your body is in great shape and health when there is a good balance between the good and bad bacteria in your gut. But if the gut gets injured or inflamed, it can release toxins into the bloodstream, and these are called “intestinal permeability,” and some experts call it “leaky gut.” There will be irritants in your bloodstream, and your immune system will enter survival mode to attach the problem, which births the symptoms you feel and take medication.
Illustration by MEHAU KULYK/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/Getty Images
If you have an imbalanced gut microbiome, you will feel irritable bowel syndrome with the bad bacteria resulting in increased cholesterol in your body. An unhealthy gut causes problems for the kidney, which can degenerate into autoimmune disorders like type 1 diabetes. So the message here is simple: your stomach is essential, and you must be intentional with taking care of it. Can CBD help? Let’s find out.
CBD and gut health
Naturopathic physicians maintain that good bacteria are needed for good a gut. Some studies still need to be done to fully unlock CBD’s potentials for enabling good bacteria, but experts agree that CBD is an immune modulator with strong anti-inflammatory agents that balance the body’s endocannabinoid system. CBD also strengthens the digestive tract, which is the core of the gut area.
There is a connection between stress, anxiety, and the digestive system as stress exacerbates the gut, so managing stress is important for keeping symptoms away. Since CBD decreases anxiety and stress, it will aid with the management of gut-related issues. So what kind of CBD products should you use for your gut health?
CBD oil for gut health
CBD modulates the acute and systemic inflammation people experience in their guts. It does this by producing cytokines and interleukins, which offer therapeutic benefits for people suffering from bloating and damage to their gut lining. Interleukins are the proteins that inform the immune system to set off an inflammatory response.
CBD has also shown great potential for digestive health because of its capacity to lower cortisol which aids with the prevention of leaky gut. CBD also prevents intestinal permeability. Cortisol is a form of a catabolic hormone that breaks down tissues inside the body with a massively destructive effect on the GUI tract. So managing cortisol levels is crucial for a healthy digestive system.
Experts also recommend CBD oil for gut health because it regulates appetite, which is great if the person suffers from consistent bloating caused by excessive eating. Speaking of excessive eating, sometimes the solution to your gut health challenges is simply eating the right portions. Therefore, we recommend eating 3-4 hours between meals and snacks on healthy foods for easy digestion and gastric clearance.
Despite the benefits of CBD for the gut, especially CBD oil, you must be mindful of taking it as you don’t want to end up with an overdose. Yes, the oil works but safety precautions must be taken seriously.
Photo by Daily Nouri via Unsplash
How to use CBD oil for gut and digestive health
Start the process with the lowest possible dose and then add to it as you go. Try one serving of CBD oil in the evening daily, and if you want to take more, increase it to twice daily (mid-mornings and evenings).
If you ate something that causes cramps and bloating or if you have stress-related gut symptoms, then take one serving of CBD oil to ease the symptoms.
CBD oil can also be added to smoothies and coffee or a matcha latte.
Sometimes you can take the CBD oil sublingually by placing one serving under your tongue, hold it for a minute and swallow it with a glass of water. Did you know that there are lots of capillaries under the tongue? Yes, this is why under the tongue is the best place for CBD oil since the active ingredients in the oil will be easily absorbed into the bloodstream. This method also means you wouldn’t have to compromise your GI systems.
Drugs may hurt the gut
Sometimes people become hasty in getting drugs that they presume to be safe for their gut, but a study from the Netherlands proves that some drugs could become risky to the gut microbiomes. Such drugs could also eliminate good bacteria and allows for infection to grow in the gut area with the possibility of obesity.
Research also shows that some drugs’ efficacy influences the bacterial components in the gut, which is why certain gut issues become serious overtime. This realization explains why medical practitioners always consider gut microbiota’s role when creating treatments for guts.
A study in Spain showed that almost half of the most used drugs for gut health inadvertently affected the guts, thus posing a health risk. Some of the drugs include Proton Pump Inhibitor or dyspepsia, Laxatives used for constipation, and antibiotics for bacterial infections. So if you must take drugs for gut health, please be mindful of the drugs you use to avoid making your situation worse.
Since gut health dictates the health status of the human body, cannabis and the role of CBD are important because it helps the gut and protects the body from the impact of such harmful medications. Of course, more research is still required to fully understand the connection between cannabinoids and the body; it’s safe to say the future looks bright.
The California Department of Public Health is now expected to work on rules to implement legislation that also regulates the sale of cannabinoid-infused cosmetics and pet foods.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill late Wednesday allowing a formal pathway for hemp-based CBD to be used legally in beverages, food and other products, such as dietary supplements.
The now-signed legislation expands the hemp industry in California by legalizing retail sales of hemp-derived consumable products, according to a press release from the California Cannabis Industry Association (CCIA).
Photo by HenrikNorway/Getty Images
The bill, AB 45, sponsored by Assemblywoman Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, is a foundation for legally selling smokable hemp in California. However, lawmakers are required to approve a measure to establish a tax scheme for those products before they hit the shelves.
“We cannot thank the author enough for her tireless and unparalleled work to get comprehensive hemp regulations passed. Assemblymember Aguiar-Curry has been steadfast in her approach to create a level playing field between cannabis and hemp while protecting the health and safety of all Californians,” wrote the CCIA.
While passage of a tax measure is anticipated during the following year’s session, hemp producers are allowed to start growing and manufacturing smokable products to be sold in other states.
Apart from containing various requirements for testing and labeling hemp products, the bill laid out rules for the sale of products containing hemp-derived cannabinoids in California manufactured in other states.
Photo by Iryna Veklich/Getty Images
“I knew that there was a need, and I knew that we needed to make sure that [hemp products were] safe and have been tested and had good labeling,” Aguiar-Curry told the U.S. Hemp Roundtable in a recent interview.
The California Department of Public Health is now expected to work on rules to implement legislation that also regulates the sale of cannabinoid-infused cosmetics and pet foods.
In addition, Newsom recently signed a bill requiring hospitals and other health care facilities to allow terminally ill patients to use medical marijuana in the state.
The fall season is usually accompanied by some pretty unpredictable weather. Here’s what you can do to protect your skin.
If you hadn’t noticed, your skin is reactive to the environment. This includes the weather, stress, and how much you’re caring for it. While not as dramatic as winter, autumn is quite unpredictable; there are hot days and cold days, mixed with rain, sun and other elements that signal a changing season. This fluctuation plays a role in the health of your skin, and this particular fall, with all of the changes we’re going through, might have an even stronger influence on how you look.
No matter how well you’re adapting to these new changes and developments, your skin could be going through a lot, resulting in breakouts, sensitivity, and irritation. Here’s what you can do to help your skin out.
Understand how stress affects your skin
Photo by Christian Erfurt via Unsplash
While you’ve likely heard that stress does a number on your skin, this damage can appear a while after the stressful period took place. Skin flare-ups can happen weeks or months after the stressful event and are more likely to occur to people who suffer from chronic stress and might be more used to living with this condition, unable to notice the changes within their stress levels.
Stressful situations that can be affecting you include the pandemic, going back to work, the end of summer, the change of weather, etc. The list is really endless. In order to manage this stress and prevent your skin from producing a response to it, focus on prevention by limiting foods that are sugary or highly processed, which are usually correlated with acne breakouts. Wash your face (with a gentle cleanser) often and focus on incorporating stress-relieving activities into your lifestyle, like exercise and meditation.
Know that cool and dry days are worse for your skin
The cold is bad for your skin for a variety of reasons. For starters, the cold weather is harsh on your skin, and this is made worse once the heater in indoor spots is turned on, drying the moisture of your skin. To protect your skin, try moisturizing on a daily basis and using a mild soap that doesn’t contain tough chemicals that might prompt an acne reaction. Use sunscreen and start moisturizing your hands for the winter.
Most of us don’t do enough to protect our skin from the sun, and your skin might be coming off of a strenuous summer season, filled with beach trips and long days spent baking under the sun. Skin damage accumulates and while it’s never too late to get started, it’s important to know that some damage might be difficult to repair. The sooner you start protecting your skin from the sun, the better, moisturizing regularly and wearing the necessary sunscreen whenever you go out.
Breakthrough COVID-19 is a hot topic. And now, a new study says marijuana abuse could increase the odds of developing it.
Many of us are being overly cautious when it comes to COVID-19, even if we’ve been vaccinated. That’s mainly because we’re starting to hear more about breakthrough cases of the virus. And now, heavy marijuana users have even more to worry about.
A new study, published in the journal World Psychiatry, and led by researchers from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), examined COVID-19 breakthrough cases in people diagnosed with a substance use disorder (SUD), including marijuana.
Photo by Eric Audras/Getty Images
Participants coping with marijuana abuse disorder were more likely to have breakthrough COVID-19 infections, with researchers speculating that this is due to the effects that the drug has on the lungs or, more rarely, on the immune system.
“Patients with cannabis use disorder, who were younger and had less comorbidities than the other SUD subtypes, had higher risk for breakthrough infection even after they were matched for adverse socioeconomic determinants of health and comorbid medical conditions with non-SUD patients,” determined the researchers. “Additional variables, such as behavioral factors or adverse effects of cannabis on pulmonary and immune function, could contribute to the higher risk for breakthrough infection in this group.”
Cannabis use disorder is a complex topic, with many not believing that marijuana use could result in addiction, at least not when compared to other addictive substances like alcohol or drugs that have deadly consequences. Still, when looked at through the lens of COVID-19, marijuana use provides some risks that other drugs don’t, especially when it comes to lung damage. To a lesser degree, people who were addicted to tobacco were also more likely to have breakthrough COVID-19.
Heavy cannabis consumers often report experiencing withdrawal symptoms when stopping or decreasing their consumption of the plant. These include anxiety, anger, sleep irregularities, appetite problems, restlessness, depression and even physical reactions like headaches and vomiting.
Sir Paul McCartney delighted us once again when he revealed on the River Cafe Table 4 podcast that he’s growing hemp on his farm, though he confessed that he has to keep his crops hidden from local teenagers eager to steal them.
McCartney said he was growing various crops, such as spelt wheat, rye and peas in addition to hemp, at his estate in Peasmarsh near Rye, wrote the Daily Mail.
“We’re actually just getting into growing hemp, the funny thing with government regulations is you’ve got to keep it where people can’t see it because you get all the kids coming in and robbing it,” McCartney said.
The former Beatle stressed that he is not using any pesticides and fertilizers and, in fact, had gone totally organic over two decades ago.
“When I first bought the farm, there were some fields where my farm guys would say, ‘There’s no worms in these fields. There’s no life,'” McCartney recalled.
He also grows hops and makes his own organic ale dubbed Old Stinkhorn, which was named after the stinkhorn fungi that grow across his property.
Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images
‘We do make our own ale. Through the years, I’d hear like a neighbor would be selling some land that was next door to ours so I went to one and said, ‘I hear you’re selling a hop garden…’ Long story short, I got it, and then I thought, ‘I’ve got to start doing hops,’ that’s because the region we’re in out in Sussex was a very big hop growing area,” McCartney said on the podcast.
With Old Stinkhorn being in short supply, McCartney gives the limited-run beer to friends.
“I just send it to friends,” he said. “We don’t produce that many, it’s more a personal thing.”
In the meantime, as relaxation of U.S. marijuana laws continues to shape the burgeoning cannabis industry, lots of celebrities and famous athletes are recognizing the potential for the green in green, including two-time Grammy-award winner Justin Bieber who recently teamed up with the Los Angeles-based company Palms where they’re working on a line of pre-rolls they’ve dubbed “Peaches.” Then there’s NBA star, Allen Iverson, who joined Al Harrington’s cannabis company Viola in July as its official talent partner.
The list keeps getting longer as famous names jump into the cannabis space and, in their own way, are helping to normalize the plant and its consumption.
Unless major shifts are made in the way they position themselves to younger consumers, the beer industry should be prepared to take a back seat to cannabis as more states consider legalization.
In order to get an understanding of just how embedded into our culture drinking is, all one has to do is turn on primetime TV. During any major award show or sporting event viewers are inundated with advertising from multiple different alcohol makers tasked with the goal of keeping Americans boozed up.
The problem is that a vast majority of Americans aren’t drinking as much as they once did. What are they doing instead? Smoking weed! Recent studies revealed that cannabis usage reached an all-time high (no pun intended) among the 19-30 age group during 2020. The recent increase in marijuana use bears the brunt of the blame for steadily declining alcohol sales.
There are numerous factors that can help to explain when and why consumers are starting to choose bud over booze. Here are just a few.
Photo by Cavan Images/Getty Images
Cannabis Is More Acceptable Now Than in Years Passed
Older depictions of marijuana usage in the media may bring to mind images of the disheveled, disoriented stoner without any cares in the world. Thanks to the increase in statewide legalization of marijuana, those perceptions are being broken daily. Now that consumers are able to walk into the doors of their favorite dispensary to purchase their pot product of choice the same way wine moms can buy their favorite bottle of vino, it’s easier to envision marijuana users as coworkers and colleagues as opposed to extras in a stoner movie from the 70s.
Alcohol Can Be More Costly Than Marijuana
It’s no secret that young people don’t have very much in terms of disposable income, especially as they’re just starting out in their early 20s. That’s why it’s paramount for them to get as much bang for their buck as possible. The price of a beer at any given bar in a major metro in the country is about $6. That means, a night out drinking could run someone anywhere between $20 and $50 a night.
That doesn’t even begin to factor in the physical toll of a brutal hangover that could be bad enough to keep you away from work for a day or so. Typically a gram of quality cannabis runs anywhere from $10-$20, and a few could be enough to last a modest consumer all week.
Marijuana Meshes Better With the Lifestyles of Millennials
After Colorado, Oregon and Washington legalized cannabis usage for adults, the fears of every major beer brand became reality. Craft brewers have suffered a recent decline as well, but that’s been the case nationwide due to slight but noticeable oversaturation of the market. The case with Colorado, Oregon and Washington is especially intriguing given the fact thatbeer volume is down in each of the states within the continental U.S. that were first to introduce legalized cannabis.
What complicates matters even more is that data shows that markets with legalized cannabis are under performing other craft beer markets across the country overwhelmingly. The question is whether or not this is an indicator of things to come for both cannabis and craft beer brands.
Photo by Omar Lopez via Unsplash
One of the reasons cannabis brands were able to take such a huge chunk out of the craft brewery market share is because of the way they’re able to position themselves as lifestyle brands. By seeming in line with spin classes and pressed juice bars that are popular with the millennial demographic, it’s easier to convince younger consumers that theirbrand and products coincide with their lifestyles seamlessly. Evidence of that is displayed by the wide-range of demographics that newer cannabis products and brands are targeting, which include health aficionados and plain old stoners just looking for a buzz once they get off of work.
Legalized weed has been a major disruption to the craft beer market in its infancy. Unless major shifts are made in the way they position themselves to younger consumers, the beer industry should be prepared to take a back seat to cannabis as more states consider legalization.
The midday slump is a common affliction. Here’s what you can do to curb and manage it.
After a very productive morning comes the common afternoon experience of wanting to take a deep nap. This situation is so common that the majority of people prioritize their important tasks for the morning, that way, once the midday slump appears, they can hobble along and make it home just in time to have dinner and crash.
This isn’t a coincidence. According to the Sleep Foundation, our bodies and circadian rhythms fluctuate throughout the day, with the majority of people feeling their most tired post-lunch. Luckily, there’s a variety of activities you can do that will help you stay alert and ready for the remainder of the day.
Caffeine
Photo by Priscilla Du Preez via Unsplash
Caffeine is a pretty straightforward answer to solving your midday slump problems. While providing a solution it’s a bandaid fix, one that won’t solve the problem in the long term. If your tiredness persists, it might be best to find a different solution, one that involves more effort.
Studies conducted on standing desks have demonstrated that they make people more productive and focused, perhaps because they’re not very comfortable and thus want to get their work done as soon as possible. It makes sense then that the use of a standing desk will solve the midday slump problem, providing you with the necessary focus to complete your assignment, no matter how tough it is. If you don’t have a standing desk, you can use a counter, a bookshelf, a dresser, anything that allows you to stand and to work. Just be mindful of your posture.
A helpful trick to generate afternoon energy is to move for at least 15 minutes. This will provide a more natural and effective burst of energy than a cup of coffee. Fifteen minutes of activity is also relatively easy to get done, whether by walking your dog, going for a midday walk around the block, going up and down the stairs, and more.
Stay hydrated
Photo by yunjeong via Pixabay
This deceptively simple solution will not only help you stay energized, but it will also make you feel better, healthier and will help your body with a variety of functions, like completing complex tasks, preventing muscle fatigue and helping your skin look good. Drinking water won’t suddenly make you feel energized, but it paired with other decisions will certainly help you manage that feeling of tiredness that so often creeps in in the middle of your day.
