Page 762 – The Fresh Toast

How To Know It’s Time To Share Marijuana With Your Parents

-

January 3, 2019

How To Know It’s Time To Share Marijuana With Your Parents

Many cannabis imbibers grew up during times when cannabis was stigmatized, pretty much across the board, and was compared and categorized with hard drugs like heroin and crack. Parents were strict back in the day and if one was a youthful toker, they likely didn’t share it with their parental units.

That doesn’t mean that the folks never tried it themselves, though, and the potential is there that with all the legalization going down, the science coming up and stigmas falling by the wayside, that they may have not only opened their minds, but perhaps have returned to or started up with the plant you’ve been so careful to not mention at the dinner table.

If you’ve been experiencing this kind of tension for years or if you just want to be able to talk freely with your family, there’s a good chance that the time has come. Especially if you suspect that the rents are ingesting cannabis themselves. Perhaps it’s even time for you to break out your stash and have that first sesh as an adult with them.

Approach gently. Cannabis is such a hot topic these days that there’s bound to be a topic for you to springboard off. From new local laws to the recent passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, which legalized hemp in the U.S. once again, broach the topic from a non-personal point of view, explore legislation and get a feel for the room.

If you’re met with stony silence, don’t go for the family sized joint you prepared in advance. Instead, keep the conversation positive, talk about the benefits of cannabis and let it go if things get weird. If you’re a die-hard weed activist, you may want to keep pushing, but just know that pulling out paraphernalia in that type of situation isn’t going to end well for anyone.

If the conversation flows, however, and it sounds like they have been paying attention to all the big news stories on cannabis, the industry and continued expansion, start the potential smoke session alk with some questions, like, “Did you smoke pot in college?” “How long has it been?” And the big one, “Do you want to try it with me? I think it would be a good bonding session for us…”

It may get nervous in there if it’s been years since the parents tried marijuana, so don’t push if the initial answer is “No,” or “Not yet.” You’ll have planted a seed and will have certainly made for an interesting conversation after you leave for the day. If you do get through and the sesh goes down, kudos! You’ve broken into a new form of communication and enrichment with your parents and your interactions moving forward from that day on.

Likelihood & Ramifications: Canada Wants To Classify CBD As A Health Supplement

Nicole Skrobin

-

January 3, 2019

0

Likelihood & Ramifications: Canada Wants To Classify CBD As A Health Supplement

Medical cannabis has been legal in Canada for well over a decade. This past October, it was federally legalized, thus, making it recreationally legal. However, cannabis-infused edibles are currently illegal in Canada, whereas, they’re legal in many U.S. states. Despite cannabis-infused edibles being illegal in Canada, they’re moving towards categorizing Cannabidiol (CBD) as a natural health food product alongside other vitamins. The progress Canada is making in this specific area is vastly different than that of the U.S. though, especially after the U.S. FDA recently made their stance very clear about the treatment of CBD-based products. Keep reading to learn more about the likelihood of legal CBD-infused health food products in Canada, America’s stance on treating CBD as a health food product, and potential changes that could occur in the future.

Current Legality of CBD-infused Health Food Products in Canada:

Overall, CBD is viewed and treated as a natural medicinal and therapeutic substance by numerous Canadian consumers, physicians, and even lawmakers. Regardless of this support, not long ago, it was illegal for CBD to be in a food product or natural health food product in Canada. According to Health Canada, before cannabis was federally legalized this past October, products containing CBD were deemed illegal unless they were approved for medicinal purposes. Now that recreational cannabis is legal, products containing CBD are regulated like traditional cannabis products.

Currently, cannabis-infused edibles remain illegal in Canada. There have been many ongoing discussions about cannabis edibles with most of them focusing on recreational edibles rather than medicinal ones. Due to cannabis-infused edibles’ benefits and the work of Canadian activists, it’s likely that Canada will make cannabis-infused edibles legal in the future. The country also plans on eventually allowing different dispensaries to sell cannabis edibles.

In general, though, the Canadian Health Food Association is primarily focused on the medicinal and therapeutic benefits of cannabis edibles. Their focus is the same about CBD-infused health food products as well. This led to the Canadian Health Food Association recently reaching out to the government about lessening CBD restrictions, which is very different than the current situation in the U.S.

Legality of and Stance on CBD-infused Health Food Products in America:

In America, various physicians, researchers, and lawmakers understand and support the usage of CBD for medicinal and therapeutic purposes. When it comes to cannabis-infused edibles though, they’re legal in certain U.S. states based on their designated cannabis program. This is one major difference between Canada and the U.S. However, an even larger difference is how CBD is viewed and treated in each North American country. For instance, Canada is moving in the direction of treating CBD products as health supplements and eventually allowing for the sale of CBD health food products. Whereas, the U.S. is far from moving in this direction.

In addition, cannabis remains a Schedule I illegal substance in the U.S. The plant is very complex, especially because it contains various cannabinoids including CBD, which is completely non-psychoactive, non-toxic, and non-addictive. Since CBD is beneficial for people’s health and well-being, numerous individuals believe it should be treated as a dietary supplement or vitamin. To this day, throughout the U.S., numerous head shops, health food stores, and independent health & wellness clinics sell various CBD products as dietary supplements. Unfortunately for the sellers, this is technically illegal.

Although CBD has been deemed as an extremely safe substance by the World Health Organization, the U.S. FDA has been cracking down on companies that market and advertise different CBD products. The FDA has also made it clear that all CBD products aren’t included in the category of legal U.S. dietary supplements. Then, various warning letters sent out from the FDA to companies that market CBD as dietary supplements spoke volumes about the FDA’s stance on CBD. To provide some clarity about CBD being treated as a dietary supplement in the U.S., the FDA expressed that CBD products aren’t included in the category or definition of dietary supplements because CBD is the main topic of various public clinical investigations.

Necessary Steps to Make CBD-infused Health Food Products Legal in Canada:

Now, let’s transition back to Canada and their growing efforts in this area. Fortunately, different provinces, states, and entire countries are starting to accept the medicinal value of CBD-infused products, especially Canada, which has led to regulations that align with the acceptance of CBD.

Over the years, Health Canada has held conversations about permitting natural health products and health food products to contain CBD. For this to become a reality though, natural health products sold in Canada must meet these requirements:

Safe to consume as over-the-counter products
Don’t require individuals to have a prescription before purchasing them

If CBD ends up being regulated as a natural health food product, the cannabinoid would have to undergo strict guidelines and testing. Additionally, before a natural health product is approved, it must fulfill these criteria: accurate information and evidence about its effectiveness, safety, quality, and reasons for usage. According to Adam Gibson, other necessary steps would consist of the following:

“Then, after it is approved, you also have monitoring for adverse drug reactions, there are requirements to report that, and that gets put into a common system. So, you can monitor for drug-drug interactions, and develop that really robust system around health products.”

Health Canada also explained that the verdict of how a drug is classified as a prescription or not is assessed by its potential risks. The organization went on to mention that they need additional information about the cannabinoids’ safety and efficacy to determine dosage limits and other thresholds. The intention of this would be to distinguish which products are prescriptions and which ones aren’t.

The Frequent Growth of Canada’s CBD Market:

Moreover, Brightfield Group conducted a recent report, which stated that the CBD market is expected to surpass the cannabis market. Specifically, the CBD market will likely reach $22 billion USD by 2022. The demand for CBD-based products is huge, and it’ll only increase from here. Overall, the Canadian natural health industry is ready to get more involved with CBD. They’re aware of the growing demand for products containing this cannabinoid and CBD’s plethora of medicinal, therapeutic, and nutritional benefits.

So far, it has been projected that CBD-infused health food products and other natural health products will be available at many Canadian establishments including the shelves of various grocery stores and pharmacies. Thus, other businesses besides strictly regulated dispensaries will eventually get a piece of the Cannabidiol success pie.

Likelihood of the Legal Sale of CBD-infused Health Food Products:

As a result of CBD’s array of benefits, Health Canada has experienced pressure to change the classification of it. A lot of this pressure came from the Canadian Health Food Association, in particular. If Health Canada approves of CBD-infused health food products, Cannabidiol would be placed in the same category as Vitamin D, echinacea, and other health supplements.

Additionally, Trina Fraser, an Ottawa Canada-based lawyer believes that CBD-infused health food products will be sold at Canadian drug stores and pharmacies in the years to come. Once CBD-infused health food products are approved, the Canadian CBD market will significantly boom. Not only will pharmacies receive a green light to sell CBD-infused natural health products, but also drug stores, clinics, and possibly convenience stores.

Overall, CBD-infused health food products would need to gain pre-market approval from Health Canada first. If they do gain approval, it’s likely that many Canadian grocery stories, pharmacies, clinics, and drug stores will be able to legal sell these kinds of CBD-based food products. Then, Cannabidiol will be treated the same as vitamins, echinacea, and other health supplements.

From here, it’s possible that other countries like America will follow suit and regulate CBD as another natural health food product. But first, the U.S. FDA would have to move cannabis and CBD out of its Schedule I classification and reduce restrictions on the cannabinoid. Stay tuned to find out when Health Canada approves of the legal sale of CBD-infused health food products and the progress America may make in the future!

California Renters’ Dilemma: What To Do When You Can’t Smoke In Your Own Home

Mary Schumacher

-

January 2, 2019

0

California Renters’ Dilemma: What To Do When You Can’t Smoke In Your Own Home

In November, the property manager of MiraBella Apartments in Palm Springs sent a memo to the residents: “We have been noticing recently that the smell of marijuana has become increasingly noticeable on the premises of MiraBella,” wrote Kevin Millard, the complex’s community director. “We have also been receiving complaints from many residents about the smell of marijuana.”’

The letter went on to say that exceptions to the non-smoking rule would be considered for medical marijuana card holders. However, the buzz-killing memo is a harsh reminder for renters in California that even though weed is legal, it’s still not tolerated in many locations, especially those being rented out.

Seventeen million people rent in California and it’s guaranteed that a large percentage of them use cannabis. Some leases are simply no smoking, but others aren’t tolerant of any usage. Of course there are always tinctures, edibles, salves and even quickly dissipating vape pens with which to fly under the radar, but sometimes a toker simply wants their flowers.

The California Apartment Association has a lot to do with the anti-pot rules. Their standard lease language does not allow for growing or using cannabis, period. “Owners had consistently used this type of lease language even under medical use,” said Debra Carlton, head of public policy for the Association. “[Landlords] can prohibit the smoking of cannabis and, of course, tobacco as well, because it’s always been a challenge for owners when neighboring tenants complain.”

All in all, it’s about not disturbing the neighbors. Some cultivars of cannabis have extremely strong aromas and not everyone is down with the skunky, diesel smells of dank ass marijuana. And the last thing an apartment building wants is a mass exodus of non-smokers when their leases are up. It’s understandable, but still smacks of unfairness. Cannabis is legal. The People have spoken. And it’s just another reason why smoking lounges are necessary all over the place in legal states.

For now, apartment dwellers in California would do well to keep their usage on the down-low. Being loud and proud can get one evicted in the worst case scenario, and even with dank edibles to assist, moving is no joke and you won’t have a good recommendation for the next place. The smartest thing to do is keep your cards close to your chest when renting in a non-smoking habitat when you’re a cannabis imbiber.

5 New Year’s Resolutions That Are Actually Doable

Maria Loreto

-

January 2, 2019

0

5 New Year’s Resolutions That Are Actually Doable

New Year’s is a great time to set up some new goals and to plan for your future. Even though some resolutions are hard to maintain, setting up goals and objectives is a good way of motivating yourself and to figure out what you want for the new year.

The most common New Year’s resolutions are always pretty vague: losing weight, studying more and getting a better job are always popular and worthy objectives. The problem is that they’re too broad and complex. By setting up concrete and achievable goals with a simple plan that you can track, you’ll actually have a shot of accomplishing these objectives. Check out five New Year’s resolutions that are useful and achievable for the coming year:

Learn a new skill

https://giphy.com/gifs/community-nbc-ken-jeong-9dFvgd4ID6ne0

Learning new things can help you feel motivated and excited, be that if it’s learning a new language or a sport. This is a very popular resolution that can also get complicated and easily forgotten if you don’t have a plan to follow. During the first days of the year be sure to sign up to online courses or to pay for a service; doing this makes you accountable for your new hobby, pushing you to learn the new skill while you’re inspired and interested.

Quit a bad habit

https://giphy.com/gifs/WWE-wwe-wrestling-3oFzlXPvXYZ4q8VQOs

Whether you want to quit smoking or reduce your alcohol intake, it’s important to set realistic milestones and to think about the long term plan. According to James Clear, expert on human habits and potential, you should replace bad habits with other habits that are more positive, finding something that fills out that same function in your life. If you want to quit smoking, replace the habit with chewing gum or with a fiddling toy, progressively decreasing your intake and looking to achieve the most realistic and better results.

Cultivate your relationships

https://giphy.com/gifs/friends-tv-lfmYxOkGpNtEk

The holidays remind us of how busy we are and how tough it can be to make time for your family and friends. If you want to see your parents more often then plan for your trips and getaways ahead of time to get the best deals possible and ensure that you won’t forget later on.

Reduce your social media use

https://giphy.com/gifs/adweek-nyc-statue-sRKapTSzny9ToDODxI

Reducing your social media and cellphone use is a valid objective that can be much harder than you expect. Family therapist Kate Stoddard spoke with The Huffington Post and said that when you look through your social media feed you should spend 10 seconds on each post, deciding if you want to keep going or not. The more time you spend on each post the less mindless the whole act becomes. “You get to control how and why you use it, not the other way around,” says Stoddard.

Cook more often

https://giphy.com/gifs/paddingtonbear-cooking-chef-l4tV2ZqvrLAHD896o

Cooking is a time consuming activity that can get very boring, but it’s also a necessary one that can help you stay healthy and save money. Psychologist Ryan Kelly says that in order to cook more you need to set some goals, scheduling your weeks in advance and declaring how many times you’ll be eating out and how many days you’ll be cooking in. “It’s likely that the stress relief of saving some money and the pride of cooking healthy meals will increase the likelihood of success,” says Kelly.

Jack Herer: The Strain, The Legend, The Emperor Of Hemp

Mary Schumacher

-

January 2, 2019

0

Jack Herer: The Strain, The Legend, The Emperor Of Hemp

Jack Herer may be an uplifting, sativa dominant strain that’s popular pretty much everywhere, but the reason it exists is the man himself, Jack, the Hemperor. More than simply an inspiration for some dank weed, this legendary figurehead of the hemp and marijuana movement was the inspiration for activists across the globe. While those same cannabis activists celebrated this month when the 2018 Farm Bill effectively legalized industrial hemp, none of that would’ve been possible with Herer’s early trailblazing.

In 1973, Herer came out with the infamous coloring book, G.R.A.S.S.: Great Revolutionary American Standard System. The pot-centric offering went viral before going viral was a thing and spawned countless letters from hippies and activists who wanted to share more information about the plant itself with Jack and his cohorts.

Those letters kicked the once Goldwater Republican into high gear. He and his partner Captain Ed Adair conceived of Herer’s soon-to-be seminal work: The Emperor Wears No Clothes. Practically required reading for all hemp and cannabis advocates, The Emperor is a mish-mash of cannabis facts, government and corporate corruption, the many, many, many uses for the hemp plant. It also included a big claim that would forever enmesh Herer with hemp.

Jack’s entire premise was that hemp could save the world if we’d only let it and in his book he put a $100,000 “reward” for anyone who could prove him wrong. No one ever tried collecting on the offer.

Hemp for fuel, hemp for fiber, hemp for health, it was all in Jack’s radar and he preached the miracle of cannabis wherever he went and to anyone who wanted to listen. Activists sat for hours, smiling and listening, while Herer went over his key talking points. And if they hung around long enough, they’d even get a demo of how his creation, the “Double Barrel Double Venturi Ricocheting Vortex Effect Pipe works.” The pipe burns bowls evenly and to a perfect ash utilizing airflow.

Herer suffered a massive stroke and minor heart attack in July of 2000. Though it wasn’t a quick path to recovery of his speech, he credits the psychedelic mushroom Amanita muscaria with reconnecting pathways and prompting a good recovery. Jack was unstoppable, even post-stroke and was backstage, getting ready to preach his mission at the Hempstock Festival in Portland, Oregon in December of 2009 when he had another heart attack. He would pass away in April 2010 at the age of 70 from complications due to the cardiac arrest.

Herer’s gumption, wisdom, soul and passion for the plant will live on in the hearts that knew and admired him. The Emperor will remain a classic work of cannabis research and literature. Herer is a major reason that awareness rose around hemp and deserves recognition for inspiring those who worked on the 2018 Farm Bill, which paved the way to a more sustainable future. It only took a couple decades, but Herer might finally be proven correct all these years later.

Here’s A Healthy Winter Salad To Start The New Year Right

Ryan Ross

-

January 1, 2019

0

Here’s A Healthy Winter Salad To Start The New Year Right

Now that we officially made it out of 2018 alive, presumably with a little more to love around the middle, we can pat ourselves on the back for completing the final leg of the Eating Olympics: the New Year!

Glossy magazine covers have been showing their support of this time honored calorie-fest since October, featuring elaborate pie art, straight up pools of butter in various root vegetable purees, pumpkin pie spiced everything, and motivational headlines like “ Time to Indulge!”, “ The Holidays Are Here!”, “Top 40 Best Pies You Should Try!” And so we do. We eat all the pies.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BOfOvq1huMb

Then the shift comes. Right about…now. Your Instagram feed starts to feature hot yoga class discounts, skinny peppermint mochas, and the latest half-marathon registration. We are getting not-so-gentle reminders in our Facebook side bar that it’s officially time to fit into our normal clothes again.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BNkj4lshhBn

Titles like “Fat Free Cookie Indulgences!” or “How Not to Eat an Entire Wheel of Grocery-Store Brie” start working their way across the once white chocolate-covered and candy cane-striped magazines in check-out aisles. And I totally subscribe. I read all of the articles and start to plan out my three sips of eggnog I am allowing myself at the week-after-next’s post-holiday “holiday” party. I have to plan on eating all of the celery off of the vegetable platter before I even look at the bleu cheese dip. (I swear it looks at me first). I get it. Time to become a regular human being again instead of a calorie dumpster.

But, must we be so dramatic in swinging so far to the other side to overcompensate for our over indulgent eating?

I personally would love to be the gal that eats whatever she wants whenever she wants, but I am not a fembot, so yes, I fall into the category of winter wonderland of splurging. As a chef, and one that touts organic, colorful, nutrient dense, real, food fare, I can fall off the wagon around the holidays. Hard.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BJPHkqdgUA_

The fresh and leafy greens, herbs and edible petals aren’t growing right outside my door, the chickens have stopped laying their perfectly imperfect eggs, and the ground is too cold to dig up the last of the root vegetable. The over indulgent dishes of winter and the holidays have found me.

If I am being honest with myself, it is more of an emotional and lazy reaction I have to this season than actual desire for all of these rich treats. I can turn off my brain to the fundamentals of what brought me into the world of culinary in the first place; the challenges and creativity it takes to prepare tasty and healthful dishes has gone idle in my brain. For me, melting cheese all over everything is an “easy” way out. It is easy to rattle off holiday dishes that are sugary, delectably fattening, dense, without many — if any — nutritious elements. It actually feels like I am cheating when I menu plan this way. Congratulations, if you put heavy cream in absolutely everything. It tastes delicious and we can all be chefs! Woo hoo!

The truth is, my body actually enjoys dark green and cruciferous vegetables, 100% grass fed beef, vitamin D loaded mushrooms, blue green algae smoothies, all the teas, and bone broths, etc. It’s just that my efforts becomes a bit scarce — and my creativity stifled — by buttered mashed potatoes and sparkly Christmas cookie pin boards! My online algorithm-based advertising is pretty spot on this last week especially. You are correct, Amazon ads. I do want a Groupon to those hot yoga classes, and that sparkly dress isn’t exactly my thing, but I think Imma buy it anyway! And on top if it all, I don’t feel all that great after those cookie exchange party binges!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BNAJHzFhA77

It is my job to create menus. I was feeling particularly uninspired, tired and gross, and looking for some inspo before I started to prepare a big holiday-esque menu for a big guest cheffing gig I have coming up early in the New Year. As per usual, I called my mom to bounce some ideas off her. We were lobbing different dish ideas back and forth and we realized that we were getting full and lethargic just thinking about them. Mom suggested we shift our perspective. She reminded me that my dinner is bound to bring a table of about 60 guests who are just as stuffed and depleted as we are by the overindulgences of the family gatherings and holiday parties. Sugar, fat and salt should perhaps take a supporting role. We went back to the drawing board. How do we breath some life back into my menus without making us feel sluggish just thinking about them?

Let’s remember to feed our bodies and to replenish our health. Let’s dust ourselves off, and hop back on that wagon of what we do know: seasonal, healthy, real, food.

Winter brings us flavors of citrus and its zest, pops of pomegranate pink, and sturdy berries, like currant and cranberry to liven up our cozy winter meals. Juniper, coriander and allspice brines, pressed seed oils and butters, salted, preserved and cured items. Eating seasonally in the winter means featuring these kind of items. It is the time to break into the properly stored, canned, jarred and preserved harvests and to demonstrate the sustainable nature of seasonal eating in the winter months.

The veil has lifted. Winter is a time for introspective, and reflection, and of course, yes, a little joyful indulgences along the way. We celebrate this season with cozy and warming meals. Being together with friends and family. Usually around a table sharing something tasty. We have had our delicious creamy everything, sweets and treats galore, and how boring to monitor every little bite after that, right?

I am ready to bring light, bright, and still luxurious dishes to the table. Nourishing, warming, thought provoking, and a little exotic too.

So step aside refined sugar and empty carbs, I will see you next year. What I want now is a few dishes to muse over with great conversation, family, and friends. And — oops! — a cocktail or two.

Grapefruit and Fennel Salad

(Feeds 4-6)

3 grapefruit, any kind you’d like. Peel and pith away, supreme or slice into disks. Remove any seeds you can.
2 fennel bulbs, sliced thinly, reserve fronds.
About 2 cups, very loosely packed, wintered greens and leaves; kale, Brussels sprout leaves, raddicio, anything sturdy.

Dressing:

2 limes
1 Tbsp honey
¼ cup avocado, olive, macadamia nut oil, or a blend
½ tsp sea salt

Whisk together, season to taste.

Topping:

¼ t sumac ( bulk herb, spice and tea sections typically)
¼ t poppy seed
hand full of pomegranate seeds
handful of macadamia nuts, roughly chopped

* NOTE once sliced, fennel will oxidize. Store in a bit of fresh citrus juice and cold water if you are not using immediately.

In a large bow, toss together grapefruit, fennel and fronds with your selected leafy and wintered veggies. Dress and garnish beautifully.

###

Chef Ryan Ross is a private chef who also runs Supper Corps, the name of her dinner party series that is hosted in uncommon spaces. She grew up in her mother’s organic health food store in Virginia, got her culinary degree from The Natural Gourmet Institute of NYC, and currently resides with her husband in the Skagit Valley of Washington. She is a recipe writer, product developer and has consulted for plant-based restaurants all over the world. She also won the “Light Makes Right” episode of Chopped on the Food Network.

4 Terrific Ways Marijuana Can Help You In The Gym

Terry Hacienda

-

January 1, 2019

0

4 Terrific Ways Marijuana Can Help You In The Gym

The Sixties counterculture mantra “Turn on, tune in, drop out” needs a fresh, 21^st century update. How about “Turn on, tune up, drop weight”? Forget the tired trope about lazy stoners, couch-locked in their living room eating Zesty Cheese Doritos while watching SpongeBob SquarePants reruns. The new trend is marrying marijuana with exercise.

“Marijuana relaxes me and allows me to go into a controlled, meditational place,” champion triathlete Clifford Drusinsky told Men’s Journal. “When I get high, I train smarter and focus on form.”

Don’t believe him? He’s not alone. Marijuana has become the drug of choice among surfers, rock climbers, snowboarders, football stars, hoops heroes, mixed-martial arts fighters and perhaps the greatest Olympic athlete in history.

But you don’t have to be an elite athlete. Weekend warriors are finding that cannabis not only aids in the actual workout, it is an amazingly effective post-workout tonic. Instead of drinking a post-race beer, try a low-dose edible or beverage. Your body will thank you … and you’ll likely be smiling a bit more.

As for weight loss? A 12-ounce bottle of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale has 175 calories. Let’s say you had two bottles of ale after an enjoyable 30-minute jog. Well, congratulations! You just added back all the calories you just burned off. Cannabis? Zero calories.

Looking for a way to partake and participate in athletics with a group of cannabis enthusiasts? Check out the 420 Games, which promotes the healthy and responsible use of cannabis. (Don’t worry beer lovers; the 420 Games events include craft brews after the competiton.)

NOTE: If you are using cannabis BEFORE your workout, it is highly recommended that you use a sativa strain. Indica strains, typically, are more effective for post-exercise recovery and relaxation.

Here are four reasons cannabis may be helpful to keep your body fit:

Stay In The Zone

Have you ever experienced the runners’ high? What you’re feeling is your endorphins kicking in. Think of exercising with cannabis a different way of getting a similar feeling.

“The endocannabinoid system works like endorphins,” according to Andrea Giuffrida, an endocannabinoid expert at the University of Texas Health Science Center. A study at the university demonstrated that after high-intensity running, people have elevated levels of naturally occurring endocannabinoids in their bloodstream. So, if endorphins help you push through an intense workout, these endocannabinoids could increase your pain threshold to do the same.

Studies in mice have shown that even small doses of THC increase motor activity — so a pre-run toke may result in a little boost in your pace. A French study discovered that when THC hits the brain, it produces more pregnenolone, the chemical that is a precursor to steroids produced by the body. This interaction may increase energy and reduce fatigue.

“It may help some athletes get into a zone and put their bodies through very tough physical activity,” says Mark Ware, a professor at Canada’s McGill University. “Many long-distance runners admit to using vaporizers or edibles before participating in a marathon, because the cannabis enables them to remove the monotony and stay in a steady rhythmic zone for keeping at a competitive running speed.”

Raise Metabolism

According to a study recorded in Men’s Journal: The compounds in marijuana may help raise metabolism, speed fat loss, and lower cholesterol.

“American Journal of Medicine researchers have discovered that pot smokers actually have 16 percent higher levels of fasting insulin in their bodies than those who abstain from marijuana. In addition, the study indicated that cannabis users have 17 percent lower insulin resistance levels as well as significantly smaller average waist circumferences than their non-smoking counterparts,” the report states.

Want more energy and increased weight loss? Then pay close attention to your controlled insulin levels.

Reduce Anxiety

“We have cannabinoid receptors throughout our brains, and when the THC hits those receptors, it triggers a system that reduces anxiety,” says Keith Humphries, a professor at Stanford School of Medicine and a former senior policy advisor at the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.

Researchers at Vanderbilt University discovered that cannabinoid receptors, through which marijuana enters your body, assist in regulating anxiety and the flight-or-fight response.

Muscle Recovery

Marijuana is an anti-inflammatory medicine. Pure and simple. The U.S. government owns Patent 6630507, which describes the antioxidant, neuroprotectant qualities of cannabis.

Here is what ultramarathoner Jeff Sperber told Runner’s World: “When you’ve been running for that long, you’ve got swelling muscles and aching joints, and you’re tired. You can take an Advil, which will help the swelling and inflammation, but it’s also very taxing on your liver. I can’t do that stuff and function as a normal human being. As a weed smoker, I can function.”

After a strenuous workout, you still will feel the burn. But cannabis will help ease the pain.

So hit the trail. Go to your yoga studio. Play tennis. Do whatever gets your heart pumping. Stay hydrated. And enjoy your cannabis. It does a body good.

10 Surprising Fitness Hacks For Your New Year Routine

Brendan Bures

-

December 31, 2018

0

10 Surprising Fitness Hacks For Your New Year Routine

Why even pretend otherwise: January fitness is a mix of holiday self-loathing and goals for a fresh start to the new year. That annual tradition of requesting workout gear for Christmas never seems to crack the formula. And trying the same failed workout strategy again this year isn’t persistence, it’s madness. If you didn’t kind of suspect that, you wouldn’t be reading this article.

Don’t worry—this is a shame-free zone. We’re here to help. Follow these 10 fitness hacks and this year, just maybe, you’ll break the rut.

Develop A Routine

A common mistake about returning to exercising is that should include some discomfort. No pain, no game, right? So you lock yourself into the gym for two hours a few times a week, staying until it hurts. Here’s a better approach: Small routine. Just 30 minutes of cardiovascular activity five times a week can do wonders. Don’t kill yourself just to live healthier.

Prepare Your Clothes

via GIPHY

Are you the type of person who likes working out first thing in the morning? But then you wake up and you’re cozy in your jammies and maybe just hit snooze once more. One habit of fit people: Sleeping in their workout clothes. This creates an expectation. This is also why you should carry a gym bag around all day if you plan a lunch break run or post-work gym session.

Plan Ahead With Your Jams

A study from Harper’s Fitness concluded that men waste about 21 minutes on non-exercise activities for every hour spent at the gym. Meanwhile, the same survey found that 55 percent of participants wasted time from their workout to pick the perfect song or playlist while working out. Don’t drag out the process. Choose ahead and plan a playlist that lasts exactly as long as you want to work out.

Make Fitness Entertaining

Before I seriously dove in, I considered running a dull, monotonous activity. I’m just jogging with nothing to occupy my brain begging me to quit? Then I discovered podcasts and it unlocked everything. Explore some of your topics of interest or find a great audiobook and promise only to listen while working out.

Gamify Your Workout

It’s pretty easy to poke fun at Fitbits and Apple Watches and every fitness app out there. But tracking your exercise with firm data points allows you to track the progress you’ve made and set up future goals. In short, they work.

Experiment With Ginger

via GIPHY

Exercise is a lifestyle. How you prepare and supplement your workout matters almost as much as the workout itself. A study in the Journal of Exercise Science and Fitness shoed that consuming a single teaspoon of ginger daily can help you lose about 4.1kg of body fat, over 10 weeks, if it’s combined with strength training. Remember: ginger is your friend.

Weights First, Cardio Second

Most of us think about hitting the treadmill or bike as a warm-up before working out. But as celebrity trainer Lacey Stone told Daily Burn, “It’s vital that you lift before your cardio workouts, because you will have the most power and the most strength to lift heavier loads, which in turn will make you stronger.” That muscle will help you burn more fat and your cardio afterwards won’t suffer from the weight training.

Shorter Breaks

If your goal is to burn fat, then maintain a higher heart rate is key. As Men’s Fitness writes, “The first method is simply to burn as many calories as possible, in which almost continuous exercise with little to no rest between sets (such as circuit training) is ideal.” The magazine also suggests alternating sets that work different parts of the body.

Set Goals, Then Reward Yourself

via GIPHY

As much as we pretend otherwise, working out for health benefits alone isn’t enough to get most of us off the couch. So instead of wasting money on an expensive gym membership, save the money you would’ve spent to buy yourself that will keep you going when you otherwise wouldn’t.

Dance, Dance, Dance

It isn’t just a fun activity to participate in while at the club. “Dancing provides physical, psychological, and social benefits galore,” as Berkeley Wellness concluded. The publication added, “It has been shown to reduce depression, anxiety, and stress and boost self-esteem, body image, coping ability, and overall sense of well-being, with the benefits lasting over time.” So if everything else isn’t working, the answer is simple: dance, dance, dance.

Here’s How Working Out Too Much Can Cause Weight Gain

Amy Hansen

-

December 30, 2018

0

Here’s How Working Out Too Much Can Cause Weight Gain

It’s that time of year, when people start planning their workout routine to accommodate extra caloric intake over the holidays; when thinking shifts from moderate exercise to overkill. But what if we told you that putting more effort into your workouts could actually be sabotaging your weight loss plan?

It’s true.

Extra effort in the gym can cause something called adrenal fatigue, which includes symptoms like exhaustion,digestive problems, body aches, restless sleep, and lightheadedness.

Personal trainer Liz Letchford, MS, ATC tells POPSUGAR that putting your body through more strenuous exercise is not the way to go:

Exercising at a high intensity for an extended period of time, especially in addition to the stress of work, life, relationships, and body image, can throw you into adrenal fatigue.

She says the body can only respond so much to the “fight or flight” mode of exercise, “especially high-intensity, long-duration exercise. This throws your hormones out of balance, causing fatigue, poor performance, fogginess, and weight gain, especially around your middle.”

https://giphy.com/gifs/fitness-amy-schumer-fitspo-10JTWlYFj5t3Us

In other words weight gain, which happens when you throw your hormones out of whack.

Her advice? “Stick to long duration/low intensity, or short duration/high intensity.” Enough of the high intensity/long-ass workouts.

And you can forget about trying to get in multiple workouts a day, she tells POPSUGAR.

Stay away from two-a-days as part of your normal workout regimen, and take those rest days. Your body needs it to recover from all of the breaking down that has been happening during workouts.

Letchford says if you do end up overworking yourself, you can readjust yourself with intensity/duration reduction and proper nutrition. But, guys, you’re body is better off not sweating the holidays all together. Go about your normal workout routine and relax a little. That’s what this time of year is ultimately all about: peace, remember?

Flavored E-Cigarettes Are Fueling Dangerous Increase In Tobacco Use

Leah Ranney

-

December 29, 2018

0

Flavored E-Cigarettes Are Fueling Dangerous Increase In Tobacco Use

An upsurge in e-cigarette use among middle and high school students occurred nationally between 2011 and 2018, with nearly 21 of every 100 high school students surveyed reporting e-cigarette use in the past 30 days, according to data from experts at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

This trend is not by chance. Tobacco companies have spent billions of dollars annually on tobacco product advertisement, according to a Federal Trade Commission report, and have used appealing packaging, culturally tailored brand names and advertisements that appear to target specific minorities and youth. The colorful packaging and other strategies employed by the industry contribute to lower harm perceptions of these products and higher susceptibility to use among young people, according to researchers at the Center for Global Tobacco Control, Harvard School of Public Health and recent research on cigarillo packaging I conducted with my research team.

The FDA has announced efforts to impose restrictions on flavored e-cigarettes and tobacco products. FDA recognizes the high rates of e-cigarette use among young people as a public health concern, and sees the urgent need for stricter product access.

Part of the agency’s plans call for restricting young people under the age of 18 from accessing flavored e-cigarettes via retail establishments and online websites. The FDA is seeking to have retailers move flavored e-cigarette products – excluding mint- and menthol-flavored products – to age-restricted areas in stores, and the FDA is proposing to heighten practices for age verification online. Agency officials have also called for removing e-cigarette products that are marketed to kids, among other measures.

And with the announcement that tobacco giant Altria paid US$13 billion for a 35 percent stake in Juul, the vaping company that uses flavors to market its e-cigarettes, the need to impose youth restrictions on flavored tobacco products takes on even more urgency.

Flavors change perception of risk

Studies have suggested that flavoring tobacco and other smoking products leads to a perception that they are not as dangerous. Bartlomiej Magierowski/Shutterstock.com

Using a survey of young adults aged 18 to 26 recruited through an online crowd-sourcing tool, our group of researchers at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine found in a study published in PLOS ONE that cigarillo pack flavor descriptors, such as grape and sweet, and colors such as pink and purple resulted in more favorable product perceptions among young adults. These pack attributes had a greater impact on how people who had never used cigarillos perceived product flavor and taste, compared to current cigarillo users, and people who have previously used them.

Further, we conducted a systematic review of all the scientific literature through April 2016 examining the impact of flavors on tobacco product perceptions and use behaviors. Important findings from this study, published in Tobacco Control, suggested that flavored tobacco products have a strong appeal to youth and young adults because of the variety and availability of flavors; that flavors are a reason for use; and that flavors play a primary role in the use of e-cigarettes, little cigars and cigarillos, and hookah among younger people.

Two studies within our systematic review found that packs containing flavor descriptions were more likely to be rated as having a lower health risk. Another study of smokeless tobacco packs in the United States found that young adults were more likely than older adults to report that packs without flavor descriptions would contain more dangerous chemicals. Research is clear that flavored tobacco products have the potential to undermine progress gained to reduce youth tobacco use in the United States.

Importance of flavors in product use

Research and survey data have shown that tobacco habits in this age group are changing. Youth cigarette smoking rates have declined substantially in recent years, with the National Youth Tobacco Survey showing current use of cigarettes declining from 15.8 percent in 2011 to 7.6 percent in 2017 among high school students, according to data from experts at the CDC and FDA. Meanwhile, e-cigarettes were the most commonly used product in that population in both middle and high school students in the survey data.

While traditional cigarette smoking has declined, patterns of dual (that is, use of two or more tobacco products in 30 days) and poly tobacco use (or the use of three or more tobacco products in 30 days) have emerged. In 2013, in a survey of North Carolina high school students, almost 30 percent reported use of any tobacco product, according to a study from our team published in 2015 in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.

Within this sample, 19.1 percent used multiple tobacco products, compared with just 10.6 percent of the sample who were single product tobacco users. Youth predominately used cigarettes in combination with little cigars and cigarillos, or cigarettes with e-cigarettes. While there is substantial racial variation in multiple tobacco use patterns over time, in 2015, e-cigarettes were the most commonly used tobacco product among single product users across all racial groups, according to one of our studies published in Nicotine Tobacco Research.

Using data from the 2015 North Carolina Youth Tobacco Survey, we found in a study published earlier this year in Preventing Chronic Disease that among survey respondents who were not susceptible to smoking cigarettes, 26 percent were at “high risk” for future e-cigarette use; 11.3 percent were classified as “susceptible” to using e-cigarettes; 10.4 percent had already tried an e-cigarette; and 4.5 percent were current e-cigarette users.

Using school enrollment figures, we estimated that 55,725 high school students in our home state of North Carolina were at low-risk of smoking cigarettes, but at high risk for e-cigarette use – which meant that they were susceptible to using e-cigarettes, had experimented with e-cigarettes, or currently used e-cigarettes. On a national scale, these findings are a considerable public health problem.

Specifically, high school students who believed that e-cigarettes and secondhand e-cigarette vapor were not harmful, or only somewhat harmful, were more likely to be susceptible to using e-cigarettes than students who thought e-cigarettes and secondhand e-cigarette vapor were harmful, our study found.

Moreover, exposure to e-cigarette vapor in indoor or outdoor public places was associated with greater odds of being susceptible to using e-cigarettes. This could mean that restricting secondhand exposure to vapor of e-cigarettes in public places, such as in school buildings, stores, restaurants, school grounds and parks, and mass media efforts to educate youth about the harms of e-cigarette use could be just as necessary as restricting access to these products.

We know that adolescents and teenagers are very vulnerable to the influence of tobacco marketing. The use of appealing packages and flavors has a significant impact on young people, causing them to perceive these tobacco products as less harmful and, in turn, making them more likely to experiment and continue using tobacco products. As research on the impact of flavored tobacco products builds, I look forward to increased action to help prevent youth tobacco use.

Leah Ranney, Director of Tobacco Prevention and Evaluation, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

The Fresh ToastThe most trusted name in cannabis

Current Legality of CBD-infused Health Food Products in Canada:

Legality of and Stance on CBD-infused Health Food Products in America:

Necessary Steps to Make CBD-infused Health Food Products Legal in Canada:

The Frequent Growth of Canada’s CBD Market:

Likelihood of the Legal Sale of CBD-infused Health Food Products:

Learn a new skill

Quit a bad habit

Cultivate your relationships

Reduce your social media use

Cook more often

Grapefruit and Fennel Salad

Dressing:

Topping:

Stay In The Zone

Raise Metabolism

Reduce Anxiety

Muscle Recovery

Develop A Routine

Prepare Your Clothes

Plan Ahead With Your Jams

Make Fitness Entertaining

Gamify Your Workout

Experiment With Ginger

Weights First, Cardio Second

Shorter Breaks

Set Goals, Then Reward Yourself

Dance, Dance, Dance

Flavors change perception of risk

Importance of flavors in product use

Don't Miss Your Weekly Dose of The Fresh Toast.