Cannabis 101 Part 2

Sponsored by:

Winchester B&B
https://winchesterbedandbreakfast.com/

What Is THC (Marijuana)?

THC is the most common and well-known cannabinoid found in the marijuana plant. Often associated with its psychoactive properties, THC can be very helpful in different medical applications. THC’s pain-relieving properties make it effective for patients managing their chronic pain.

What Health Conditions Can THC Help?
Besides chronic pain, THC can also help:
Ease stomach discomfort through the reduction of nausea and vomiting
Stimulate appetite in older patients and those experiencing chemotherapy for cancer treatment
Those who suffer from chronic stomach issues such as Crohn’s disease irritable bowel syndrome
Reduce muscle spasms, helping patients with conditions such as Parkinson’s disease control        excessive muscle movement

What Role Do Other Marijuana Cannabinoids Play?
Cannabis is much more effective in the whole plant as opposed to when one cannabinoid is used in isolation. It’s the interactions taking place among the various cannabinoids—called the entourage effect—that helps drive positive effects in the human body.

THC and CBD work in harmony on the endocannabinoid system in the body. For example, having a balance of THC and CBD in a strain of cannabis can allow for the highly successful pain-relieving aspects of THC with less of the psychoactive effect—because non-psychoactive CBD counteracts THC.

* Though THC and CBD are the most prominent compounds, many other cannabinoids such as tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) and cannabichromene (CBC) can provide a range of benefits. Studies have found THCA to have anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, anti-emetic and antiproliferative properties, while CBC appears to be an effective antimicrobial, anti-viral, anti-depressant and analgesic compound.

Article by:
Dr Pierre Milot, PhD, PhD (tc)
Life Transition / Therapeutic Counsellor
Grief Recovery Specialist – Clinical Hypnotherapist
Winchester Ontario
Tel: 613 774 4389
www.coaching4life.ca

Taking Care of You: Self-Care After Childbirth

Taking Care of You: Self-Care After Childbirth

By: Sheila Olson
Email: info@fitsheila.com

Your new baby is a welcome and beloved addition to your family that you’ve been looking forward to for a long time. It’s not exactly what you expected, though. Exhaustion, loneliness, and depression have crept up on you. In fact, according to PostpartumDepression.org, nearly 70-80 percent of women will experience some period of “baby blues,” and postpartum depression (PPD) may affect up to 20 percent of women.

If you think or are unsure if you have PPD, contact your doctor right away. However, stress and being overwhelmed are common challenges for new mothers, mostly caused by forgetting your own needs while caring for your baby. Your family needs you to be healthy and regain your strength. It’s time to take better care of yourself. Here are some ways to address these issues.

Reducing Stress

Stress will have a negative effect on both your mental and physical health. Start by doing some daily practices to reduce stress.

●       Practice deep breathing. While it may be challenging in these early days, you can always take a few minutes, even while caring for your child, to practice deep breathing in the midst of struggles. Just a few deep breaths can calm your anxiety and slow a racing heartbeat. Once you are in this zone, it is easy to do some meditation, but it also helps to design your own space to keep your mind relaxed.

●       Take a soothing bath. Place your baby in his carrier in a safe place nearby or bring the baby monitor in while you take a bath. Take a bubble bath and relax for 15-20 minutes.

●       Rest while your baby naps. You might be tempted to “get stuff done” whenever your baby is asleep, but every now and then, get in a bit of relaxation time. Put your little one down and watch a few minutes of TV or do a crossword puzzle or some reading. You can even also do relaxing household chores such as folding laundry.

●       Minimize all other commitments. This may be a time when you need to let go of a number of your normal commitments and duties. Make arrangements to have more downtime for you and your baby. Start saying “no” to things, such as visitors who want to see the baby.

Getting Rest and Support

Because your sleep time is limited, make sure you can fall asleep quickly and rest deeply until your baby needs you. To help, declutter your bedroom to create a soothing environment. You might want to get room-darkening curtains or blinds and a white noise machine. Before bed, avoid drinking lots of water, eating spicy and caffeinated foods, and getting blue light exposure from your smartphone or tablet. All these things can keep you up at night.

Moms today have less help than in the past with smaller extended families. To get enough time to rest, you may need to consider hiring help. Find a recommended childcare provider who is experienced with newborns to come in while you get some sleep or go out for a short break.

You should also find a support group. Talking to other new moms can ease your mind and help you deal with any “mommy guilt” you may be feeling. Motherhood can come with some complex emotional struggles. For example, in this article from Mom.me, writer Katy Anderson explains how becoming a stay-at-home parent made her “feel so lonely while I had my children around.” It helps to share your feelings with other moms who have been there. Here are tips from Babycenter.com on how to strengthen your support system.

Eating Healthy

If you breastfeed, you know that you must give your baby nutrition, but eating healthy is, of course, good for you, too! Choosing the right foods will not only help you lose the baby weight, it can also increase your energy and fight inflammation. Learn which foods benefit you (as well as your baby) from this post at Health.com

Remember that a healthy you is the best gift you can give your baby. If you need more help, read these self-care tips for new moms from Mom365.

Hemp & Marijuana: what makes hemp different from marijuana?

Article sponsored by:

Winchester Bed & Breakfast.

https://winchesterbedandbreakfast.com/

CBD and Marijuana are now mainstream and eventhough Cannabis is now legal in Canada, one big question remains: what is the difference between CBD and THC (the psychotropic element in Cannabis)?  Most people, not quite knowing the difference between the two, refrain from taking CBD in fear of getting a 'high', somehing they are afraid of or do not want.  CBD has marveleous medical properties and in this series of articles, I will try to explain their differences, how to use both of them, their medicinal properties, their possible side effects or their negative interactions with precription drugs.  So let's start with CBD.  

                                                                 CANABIS 101
                                                                        CBD vs THC

Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) are the two most prevalent compounds in marijuana, also known as cannabinoids (a cannabinoid is one of a class of diverse chemical compounds that acts on cannabinoid receptors in cells that alter neurotransmitter release in the brain.  The two most important are CB1 and CB2). Though they’re just two out of more than 100 cannabinoids found in cannabis, they’re present in the largest quantities across the different varieties of the cannabis plant. Here’s what you need to know about each compound, so you can choose the marijuana strains and products that will give you the effects you need.

What Is CBD?

CBD is a non-psychoactive cannabinoid. Unlike THC, it can be derived from industrial hemp, but it’s often much more potent when it is derived from marijuana. We now know that CBD lacks the psychoactive effects of THC because it doesn’t bind with the same receptors in the endocannabinoid system (ECS).  

* CBD has little affinity for the two cannabinoid receptors.  Instead, it acts as an indirect antagonist of cannabinoid agonist.  This means that CBD acts to suppress the CB1 and CB2 activating qualities of cannabinoids like THC.  

CBD also has the ability to reduce the high caused by THC. For this reason many people, even those who prefer cannabis with a high THC percentage, keep a CBD product like a tincture close by, in case they consume too much THC and want the intense high to go away quickly.

What Health Conditions Can CBD Help?

Folks who suffer from skin disorders such as psoriasis and eczema tend to treat their conditions with CBD-rich topicals such as creams, balms and salves.

CBD is an anti-emetic, meaning it can reduce nausea and vomiting. Cancer sufferers who deal with nausea in relation to chemotherapy could turn to CBD to quell this symptoms.

CBD also has the ability to reduce seizures and muscle convulsion or spasms, making it effective in helping patients with seizures or muscle spasms caused by conditions such as Parkinson’s disease.

CBD is successful at promoting healthy bone growth and can help reduce vascular tension and artery blockage.

Studies show that CBD can also help reduce blood sugar, making it helpful for patients with diabetes or other conditions that require monitoring blood sugar levels such as hypoglycemia.

For anxiety sufferers, CBD has been shown to reduce the condition for people who have general anxiety disorders or conditions such as PTSD.

In my next article, I will talk about THC and its benefits.

Article written by:                                                                    

Dr Pierre Milot, PhD, PhD (tc)          

Life Transition / Therapeutic Counsellor  /  CBD Sales Consultant

Grief Recovery Specialist – Clinical Hypnotherapist

Winchester Ontario
Tel: 613 774 4389
www.coaching4life.ca

Schools Falls Short When it Comes to Helping Students in Grief

http://theconversation.com/schools-fall-short-when-it-comes-to-helping-students-in-grief-heres-how-they-can-improve-106913

Dr Pierre Milot, PhD, PhD (tc)
Life Transition / Therapeutic Counsellor

Grief Recovery Specialist – Clinical Hypnotherapist
Winchester Ontario
Tel: 613 774 4389
www.coaching4life.ca

The Day I'll Stop Grieving

https://johnpavlovitz.com/2015/10/31/the-day-ill-finally-stop-grieving/?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=facebook_page&utm_medium=John+Pavlovitz&fbclid=IwAR0EBgOZiDEXKiGDt2PibesdwR-k6hxm7pceYgNv2hWP1hROY82wgSAeT-k

Dr Pierre Milot, Ph.D., Ph.D. (tc)
Winchester, Ontario Canada
www.coaching4life.ca
Tel: 613 774 4389