Are you still among those who haven't tried CBD? Or perhaps you tried it but didn't get the expected results.
It can be canna-confusing!
In this blog, I will clarify what CBD oil is, how it can help you, and what dosage is recommended for each type of health challenge you may be experiencing.
Quick fun fact!
Did you know that Queen Victoria is reported to have taken an alcoholic extract of cannabis as relief for her pre-menstrual syndrome and childbirth pains? (1)
For thousands of years, the cannabis plant has been recognized for its medicinal properties, the first documented case of its use goes back to 2800 BC, when listed in the pharmacopoeia of Emperor Shen Nung, regarded as the father of Chinese medicine. (2)
CBD stands for Cannabidiol, the second most abundant compound found in the Cannabis plant species.
It isn't addictive and it doesn't produce any intoxicating effects, unlike the THC compound, which is the principal psychoactive constituent.
All cannabinoids act like special keys that fit into a lock on a protein and they can change how the lock works.
One important lock is called the CB1 receptor, and it's found all over the body, especially in the brain, where it affects things like movement, coordination, senses, emotions, memory, thinking, and other important functions.
CB2 receptors are like little helpers mostly found in the immune system. Even though all cannabinoids look similar, they do different things when they interact with these receptors.
When it comes to CBD, it doesn't affect CB1 and CB2 receptors much. That's why it doesn't make you feel "high" like THC does, which works with CB1 receptors.
That's also why recreational cannabis usually has more THC and less CBD.
THC has some good health effects, but it can also make people feel weird or spacey. That's why many people are interested in CBD, which doesn't have those strange effects.
Worried about the legalities of CBD?
Under European law, CBD isn't considered a narcotic drug and the Court of Justice of the European Union (CEJEU) approved its sale.
There is also no specific regulation governing CBD production, consumption, or sale in Spain (3).
As long as the THC levels are below 0,2% in CBD, it's not a problem.
Let's now take a look at how CBD can help us with a broad spectrum of mental, emotional and physical health complaints.
According to the Brazilian Journal of Psychiatry, the anxiety-reducing effects of CBD are similar to those of approved drugs to treat anxiety.
Researchers use a test called the simulated public speaking (SPS) model to measure anxiety levels when people have to speak in front of a video camera, as one of the biggest fears that people have is speaking in public.
Approximately 5% to 10% of people around the world have Social anxiety disorder (SAD) (4).
Researchers tested 24 patients with SAD using the SPS model. Half of the patients took CBD, and the other half took a placebo (fake medicine). The results showed that the CBD group had lower anxiety levels and felt better compared to the placebo group (5).
Healthy sleep is essential for your physical, mental and emotional health and a lot of people suffer from not sleeping enough.
It can be very debilitating and can affect your ability to perform at work, at home and in your relationships.
From my research, as of 2023, there is little evidence to support the improvement of sleep from taking CBD, however, if you can't sleep well due to stress, anxiety or pain, then this is where CBD can be a valuable remedy to help improve sleep.
As a side note, be sure to check out my free e-book and checklist with tips and techniques to help you sleep better: Free E-Book And Checklist: The Perfect Slumber Guide
Chronic pain is a big problem worldwide and people usually take painkillers just to manage and get through the day. The problem is that it usually comes with harmful side effects, such as blurred vision, constipation, headaches and mood changes.
In a 2019 study, 97 patients with chronic pain who had been taking opioids received CBD (6). Over half of the patients were able to reduce or stop taking opioids altogether. 94% of them reported that their quality of life got better.
A study published in 2022 reports promising effects in managing cancer in lab studies and some human trials. There is evidence to show that it may help with cancer pain and reduce the side effects of chemotherapy.
Researchers in the study looked at how CBD fights cancer (7). It seems to use different mechanisms, like activating certain receptors and causing cancer cell death, also known as apoptosis.
It can also stop tumours from spreading (metastasis) and make chemotherapy work better.
If you experience abdominal pain, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), Crohn's disease, constipation, bloating, malabsorption, diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite then you may find that CBD is helpful for you.
A study published in 2013 highlighted the significance of treating inflammation in the gut using CBD (8)
A condition that results in issues in communication, social interaction, lack of interest and repetitive behaviours.
A study in 2021 reported a 2-year study of 33 children diagnosed with autism, who took an average daily dosage of 0.7 mg/kg/day of CBD for a median duration of 6.5 months.
The results found CBD helpful in managing autism-related behavioural problems without any significant side effects (9).
The above list is not exhaustive and CBD has the capacity to reduce complaints from a wide variety of symptoms.
Before taking any CBD, make sure that it is organic, without the use of herbicides or chemical fertilisers, such as the one from MELS.
This company makes organic CBD, and the crops are harvested once a year using ancient principles used by traditional herbalists.
Their CO2 extraction method means it's much gentler to extract and preserve the medicinal benefits.
An organic base oil of MCT (fractionated coconut) increases the absorption uptake making sure you achieve the most benefit.
If you've never taken CBD before, you're recommended to start with MELS TWO STRAIN or MELS FIVE STRAIN.
The two strain bottle holds two different varieties of cannabis and the five strains hold five different varieties of the plant.
To begin, use 1-4 drops per dose for the first few weeks. You can take it 2-3 times during the day, or just in the evening, depending on what you want to achieve. It's essential to increase the dose gradually, so your body's cannabinoid receptors have time to activate and fully benefit from the cannabinoids.
As a general guide, there are three different dosages for symptoms:
Microdose: 5 – 30 mg CBD per day. Can be effective for sleep, headaches, mood swings, nausea, PTSD, stress and metabolic syndrome.
Standard dose: 40 – 100 mg CBD per day. CBD has shown effectiveness for chronic pain, inflammation, autoimmune disorders, Borrelia, anxiety, depression, arthritis, some mental disorders, fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, inflammatory bowel disease and autism.
Macrodose: 50 – 800 mg CBD per day. People often use doses at this level for cancer, epilepsy, liver disease and other serious life-threatening conditions.
PERCENTAGES:
You'll notice different percentages: 5%, 10%, 20% and 40%
CBD oil's percentage can be figured out by dividing the amount of the product (like 10ml) by the CBD quantity (say 1000mg). 1000mg CBD equals 1ml. So, a 10ml CBD bottle with 1000mg CBD is 10% CBD (1ml is 10% of 10ml).
It's helpful when the product shows both the percentage and CBD quantity in mg, so you don't need to do the math. In the example above, a 10ml bottle holds about 240 drops. This means roughly 4mg CBD per drop (if it's 10% CBD). To reach the max recommended CBD dose, you'd need around 17 drops.
Just to give you an idea, 5% CBD is low strength, 10% is medium, and 20%+ is high dose. Prices of CBD products vary accordingly, so when you're comparing prices, make sure to check how much CBD is in it.
So, as an example, if you're interested in alleviating chronic pain with the standard dosage, the guide above recommends taking between 40 - 100mg per day. So you could take the 40% TWO STRAIN or FIVE STRAIN and take 2 drops a day to meet the lowest recommended amount. This way, it will last you much longer than buying CBD oil with lower concentration.
10% contains 5mg CBD per drop (also suitable for pets)
20% contains 10mg CBD per drop
40% contains 20mg CBD per drop
Disclaimer
CBD is not a substitute for a varied diet. To maintain proper health, you should follow a varied diet and lead a healthy lifestyle.
Do not use in children under 12 years of age, in pregnant women and nursing mothers. CBD should not be used simultaneously with antidepressants [SSRIs, SNRIs, MAO inhibitors], antiviral drugs in the case of HIV/AIDS infection or used as part of therapy after organ transplantation.
I hope you have found this article helpful and enjoyable!
RESOURCES:
(3) Is the sale of CBD legal in Spain? A publication by Mariscal Abogados
(4) Cleveland Clinic - Social Anxiety Disorder (Social Phobia)
(5) Cannabidiol, a Cannabis sativa constituent, as an anxiolytic drug
For years I had been trying to figure out the best type of water to drink...
It can be confusing and frustrating when different types of water, like bottled, spring, mineral, reverse osmosis, alkaline, distilled and activated carbon-filtered, have both pros and cons.
So which is best for your health? How do you choose?
It's important to know...
After all, you drink 2 litres of it daily (hopefully!) and you're using it in your cooking, your cups of tea, giving it to your partner, kids, friends and animals.
I for one thought that spring water was best.
Since underground water filtering is a natural process where water passes through materials like rock, clay, soil, and sediments before coming out on the Earth's surface, to me it appeared as the best choice for drinking water.
But we actually have to be very careful when getting water from a spring...
A friend and I travelled 45 minutes by car to get water from a spring at Sierra Bernia, a mountain range in the province of Alicante.
After drinking this water, our lower backs hurt for days as our kidneys were protesting. The water was heavily laden with calcium and it was too much for our bodies to handle.
It took us a few days for the discomfort in our backs to completely disappear after ceasing to drink the mountain spring water.
I also used to travel a long way to reach Font de Gel in Vall De Laguar. It's a spring where hikers, bikers, and local residents gather to collect water.
But, even with this mineral-rich water, a thick layer of limescale formed in the kettle within a couple of days, indicating that the water is too hard.
The amount of calcium in your water can vary depending on where you live, and a lot of areas in Spain have very hard water.
The map of Spain below* shows areas of hardness. The grey colour is the softest and the red colour is the hardest water.
As you can see, the provinces of Valencia, Almeria and Baleares Islands have the highest levels of hard water.
Tap water has inorganic minerals, harmful microbes, bacteria, viruses, chlorine and other nasty chemicals...
So, you definitely don't want to be drinking that type of water because it can cause health complications.
You can read more about it here: Filtering Your Water To Optimize Your Health
I first discovered the idea of drinking distilled water when I read books by Dr John Christopher, a well-known herbal medicine doctor.
What put me off initially is that I had heard on multiple occasions that distilled water leaches minerals out of the body.
What I didn't know at the time was what type of minerals they were - which I reveal later to you...
A significant debate exists on the ideal type of water for many MANY years.
But then I came across Dr. Allen Banik's book, "The Choice is Clear" (1) about distilled water.
Something clicked and it all made sense...
According to Dr Allen Banik's book, consuming water with inorganic minerals, which is present in most types of water, can lead to various health issues such as arthritis, hardening of the arteries, kidney stones, gallstones, cataracts, glaucoma, hearing loss, diabetes, obesity, and emphysema.
Dr Allen Banik further explains that as rain falls on the ground, its purpose is to collect inorganic minerals and transport them to plants, allowing for assimilation.
Instead, plants must undergo a transformation process to make them suitable for our consumption.
In a nutshell, we get our optimal minerals from food, not from water.
Consuming hard water that contains high levels of inorganic minerals like magnesium, calcium, iron, and copper can lead to the deposition of these minerals in our joints, potentially causing arthritis.
Limescale is very hard to remove and only a water distiller will effectively do it.
You will not remove limescale by boiling it, or by filtering it using a Brita filter or any activated charcoal filter.
The purest form of water is distilled. That's why it's used in hospitals for flushing out surgical wounds and as a solvent for medications and intravenous methods.
Recent studies indicate that cholesterol plays a role in promoting the production and accumulation of amyloid beta (Abeta) in the brain. This buildup of Abeta is a significant characteristic associated with Alzheimer's disease.
The discovery (2) was a reduction of the accumulation of Abeta in rabbits who were given distilled water instead of tap water.
This is HUGE because it reveals that a simple lifestyle change of the quality of water we drink, benefits anyone with Alzheimer's disease.
The consumption of high water hardness with high water fluoride can result in the destruction of renal tubules, causing Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD).
A study in 2020 (3) discovered that introducing distilled water can greatly improve the condition and can lead to reversal if spotted in the early stages.
Therefore, distilled water is a powerful preventative method for kidney disease.
It makes you wonder, especially when both dogs and cats are prone to kidney disease.
Where's their main water supply coming from? Typically tap or filtered water, right?
If the results of the above-mentioned study show that distilled water can reverse the early stages of kidney disease or at the very least improve kidney function...
Then wouldn't it make sense to give it to your pets too?
If we didn't live in the age of pollution, then the ideal water to drink is rainwater, which is the result of nature's natural distillery.
Fortunately, you can distil pure water in the comfort of your own home.
So, how does the process work?
When boiled water turns into vapour, it leaves behind inorganic minerals, bacteria, viruses, heavy metals, and other contaminants.
This steam is then cooled and condensation occurs releasing pure water into an external container.
You will be shocked at the impurities and intoxicating stench of the remaining contaminants after a single distillation.
And you will see for yourself how important it is to properly filter your water...
Or else you will be consuming some or all of that which you see in it.
I have been drinking distilled water produced by the Megahome 316 bought from EcoVidaSolar...
And I can say with absolute integrity that it's the best and purest water I have ever tasted.
The company Ecovidasolar are extremely helpful and they answered any questions that I had.
Here are some pros and cons of the distiller:
After distilling the water, it's preferable to store it in a glass or steel container.
Personally, I use the Big Berkey filter, which I used before purchasing the Megahome.
This way, the water is kept in a stainless steel container with a convenient tap for easily filling glasses.
Big Berkey's carbon filters last for 10 years, which means that I don't need to buy replacement filters for the Megahome water distiller.
To enhance the water's mineral content and electrolytes, I often add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice or a slice of cucumber.
This is a cheaper water distiller from Megahome. The material is a bit different and you will not be able to distill seawater:
Some people have asked me some specs of the distiller, so here they are!
Capacity: 4 liters
Power consumption: 580W
Distiller dimensions: Maximum diameter: 23.5cm Height: 36 cm
Distiller net weight: 3.4kg
Distiller / PP bottle/accessories total gross weight: 5.2kg
Distiller / glass bottle / accessories total gross weight: 6kg
Voltages:
230V 50/60Hz
240V 50/60Hz
I would like to end this article with a quote from Dr. Clifford C. Denisson:
" Some health specialists believe we experience hardening of the arteries, arthritis, kidney stones, gall stones, vision problems (glaucoma and cataracts) loss of hearing, diabetes, obesity, emphysema and other ailments in greater intensities and more frequently when we consume polluted or contaminated water.
There’s no absolute medical proof that drinking distilled water will cure any of the infirmities that humans suffer,
But there are thousands of case histories of people who have enjoyed success in alleviating or overcoming these health problems when they began drinking distilled water exclusively.
Does it not make sense, therefore, to consume only pure water produced by a good quality distiller right in your own home?”
* Extra Notes
Tuandco kindly granted me permission to use the image showing the regions in Spain with hard water.
References
Vitamin D deficiency is common worldwide, even in sunny countries! In Spain, it is estimated that one third of the population may be deficient in vitamin D (1). In the UK, studies have shown a significant number of people with low vitamin D levels in their blood.
Just like plants need sunlight to grow, so it is true with humans for better health and wellbeing.
At least 75% of our vitamin D is produced in the liver via the conversion of sunlight. There are some foods that contain a fair amount of vitamin D, but most foods contain very little unless the vitamin has been added.
Rickets, a condition that affects bone development in children, causing the bones to grow weak, soft and a tendency towards deformities was eradicated in the Western World during the early 20th century by fortifying foods with vitamin D.
When I visited Iceland, I was told that all residents were recommended to take vitamin D by their physicians and health practitioners, due to the fact that you don't see the sun at all for 3 months and one can quite easily become depressed.
Read on to understand the importance of vitamin D, what the deficiency symptoms are and how to balance your vitamin D levels naturally.
In the truest sense of the form, vitamin D acts more like a hormone and is not a vitamin at all, as the body is capable of producing it in the liver. It is then stored in the liver and fatty tissues of the body.
Cholesterol (7-dehydrocholesterol) in the human skin synthesises vitamin D from being exposed to UV light from the sun.
We need vitamin D for many different functions in our body:
The normal range of vitamin D is between 20 and 40 ng/ml, although this number can vary a bit.
Group studies show that pregnant women and babies are most at risk of vitamin D deficiency.
Studies have linked low vitamin D levels to a number of health issues (2):
How can you balance your vitamin D levels?
Exposure to sunlight is the best and most effective method to have adequate vitamin D levels.
Being exposed to the sun daily for 10- 15 minutes without sunscreen is recommended for fair-to-medium skin.
If you are darker toned skin, you may need to spend at least 40 minutes in the sun to get adequate exposure.
In the winter, when the sun is less potent, double the time may be needed.
The main food sources containing vitamin D are animal products, such as cod liver oil, mackerel, swordfish, sardines, tuna, beef liver, caviar and fortified cows milk.
If you're vegan, the best way to obtain vitamin D is through mushrooms and nut milks, such as oat milk fortified with vitamin D.
If you would like to add extra supplementation, this vegan vitamin D3 from Viridian on Naturitas.es is in liquid form and only 0,5ml a day is needed. Other ingredients contain sunflower seed oil and oil of orange - nothing else!
Yes, and there have been increasing reports of vitamin D overdose and poisoning. This can be due to the over-fortification of milk or prolonged use of vitamin D supplements.
In one case, a 62 year old man was hospitalised with a neurologic disorder and kidney failure. The patient reported that he had been on a slow-release multivitamin containing Vitamin D and Vitamin A prescribed by his physician (4). His blood levels had excess calcium (Hypercalcemia), a condition that can weaken bones, create kidney stones and create interferences in the functioning of the heart and brain.
Some symptoms of too much vitamin D include:
You can find out how what your vitamin D levels are like by having a blood test.
You can also get tested in your kinesiology session, where we can additionally test for other deficiencies, or if there is too much of a mineral or vitamin. Since the liver and the kidneys play a role in vitamin D, these organs can be strengthened and restored in the session, addressing any imbalances from a holistic point of view.
For more information, send me a message or visit the kinesiology section of this website.
RESOURCES
We all know that we should be drinking at least 2 litres a day for our health and well being, however, drinking the right type of water is the key to receiving optimal benefits.
Tap water doesn't mean it's safe to drink even though it meets safety guidelines.
Alicante has very hard water and has a high content of chlorine and cal, making the water taste very unpleasant, and you'll end up still feeling thirsty.
The consumption of tap water over time poses great risks to health as you shall read below.
Bottled water isn't that great either since chemicals from the plastic can leach into the water.
Avoid bottles made with BPA (Bisphenol A) which are chemical hormonal disruptors, they mimic oestrogen and are linked to reproductive health problems and certain types of cancers, such as breast, ovarian and prostate.
Heavy metals, such as:
Chemicals, such as:
The above list is not exhaustive, however, it gives an overall idea of how toxic our tap water actually is!
This rare black stone, mainly found in Shunga, Russia, has a unique composition containing fullerenes, which are a type of carbon nanostructure.
According to a 2017 review, carbon nanostructures can destroy harmful pathogens, such as bacteria and viruses.
Shungite has been used since ancient times to purify water and for its antioxidant properties.
It is used to reduce inflammation and ease physical ailments, including allergies, arthritis, kidney issues, fatigue, liver problems and more.
Anecdotally, it is reported to relieve stress, soak up negative energy and balance emotions.
I use shungite in the Big Berkey water filter in the bottom half and I also put it in my cat's drinking bowl, which at times becomes a fishing game to my amusement!
PFAS chemical in Spain https://buff.ly/3twfBMg
Water quality for consumption report 2019. Ministry of Health. https://buff.ly/3aXNwao
Study related to fluoride by Science Direct. https://buff.ly/3xqNBe6
Calcification of the pineal gland by webMD: https://buff.ly/3NKeYH9
Water Quality Association: https://www.wqa.org/Learn-About-Water/Common-Contaminants/Mercury
Review on the Antimicrobial Properties of Carbon Nanostructures, 2017. NIH. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5615720/