What is CBD? and why we love it!
CBD is short for Cannabidiol, which is one of over a 100 naturally occurring compounds (cannabinoids) found in both the hemp and marijuana plant. These plants are both members of the Cannabis family ( think of them as members of the same family, both have a similar appearance, but each has a very different personality). Over recent years CBD oils have become increasingly popular as a natural way to improve health and well-being. In this blog post, we will discuss how CBD works, its benefits, and why we love it!
At Healing Alternatives we believe that everybody is born with an innate ability to heal themselves. The human bodies we have all been blessed with have numerous intricate systems that are constantly working in the background so we can naturally heal and function at our highest ability.
The Endocannabinoid System (The ECS), found in all humans and mammals is one of these systems and to understand how CBD works we need to understand how the endocannabinoid system works and what it does. The ECS's job is to oversee and ensure that some of our most important bodily functions work in harmony with one another. It is constantly working to achieve this incredibly fine balance between them. This balance is called homeostasis and when this happens we are all able to function at our very best.
Some of the functions which are impacted by the ECS are : The nervous system, stress and mood, the digestive system, appetite and metabolism, immune health and inflammatory response, skin health and sleep. We all need three important things to help to create a well-balanced and high-functioning ECS:
- Endocannabinoids,
- the receptors (CB1 and CB2),
- and metabolic enzymes.
Endocannabinoids are activated when something is wrong in the body. The endocannabinoids come from a type of fat called anandamide, also known as "the bliss chemical." Neurons in our brains contain cells that produce this chemical. Our CB1 receptors are found in the brain and nervous system. They help regulate your mood, emotions, movement, appetite, and memories. Our CB2 receptors are mostly found in our immune system and organs. They help to regulate pain and inflammation in your body.
Unfortunately for the majority of us our ECS's are not functioning as they should be. This is most likely due to a common endocannabinoid deficiency.
There are many reasons why someone might have an endocannabinoid deficiency. This can be caused by not producing enough natural endocannabinoids, not having enough CB1 or CB2 receptors, producing too many metabolic enzymes that break down most of the endocannabinoids, or a miscommunication between our endocannabinoids and our receptors. As a result, more of us are suffering from anxiety, stress and a lack of sleep which then manifests itself in other conditions. Early warning signs start with problems with the gut, skin problems and mild autoimmune conditions. If left unchecked then there is a high chance that these health problems will continue to develop into something more severe.
This is where CBD comes in, CBD is a natural plant compound or cannabinoid. That, when used regularly on its own or in combination with other plant-based compounds is able to provide our ECS with the support it needs to function properly by boosting our natural endocannabinoids.
CBD is not a miracle cure but it does provide vital support to allow our bodies to naturally deal with the hardships of everyday living, this is why we love it and it continues to be are cornerstone ingredient . At Healing Alternatives we firmly believe our bodies have been designed with the ability to self heal this is why we work tirelessly to create organic plant-based remedies to aid our bodies' natural ability to heal and self-regulate. All our CBD is extracted from the hemp plant. We then blend the CBD with numerous other complimentary plant ingredients to make our tinctures, balms, creams and bath salts.
If you have any questions regarding this Blog then please dont hesitate to contact us at info@healingalternatives.co.uk
