CBD has become increasingly more accepted and well known and more recently has been an incredible asset to athletes around the world. With this being said, many patients of mine as well as customers have reached out personally to question me about what products to take, when to take them and just how much they should be taking. These are all great questions we all would want to know before indulging physically, mentally and of course financially into the world of CBD and what it has to offer. CBD is not a quick fix, nor is a cheap solution to any problem. I took a lot of time and research and did my best to come up with a blog that one could either print out or keep referring back to. I make myself available, through email, text, or phone call, for any additional questions or concerns you might have.
1. CBD is not cheap. From growing, to harvesting to extraction to bottling and branding is a long, expensive, tedious process.
2. It is very important to buy USA grown, and manufactured hemp/CBD products due to the un-regulated CBD market.
3. Each product should be able to provide you a COA, or a certificate of analysis. This will tell you exactly what is in, the product you are buying and taking. It will also tell you if it is free of pesticides and any other harmful products.
4. Taking CBD should be part of a routine, part of a lifestyle if you will. This is no different than taking daily vitamins. CBD is most effective after about the third week of taking it consistently. You can not take Vitamin D once and expect to have the strongest bones. Many people expect an instant solution and that is just not how CBD works in the body. Now, some topicals do work very quickly and that is a realistic expectation. Ingestibles is a whole different story.
5. Decide whether or not you want THC in your cbd. Broad Spectrum if you DO NOT want THC and Full Spectrum if the 0.03% allowed is okay with you. Taking full spectrum THC regularly CAN show a positive drug test, even know it does not give you a mental HIGH. Make sure you know the difference between your CBD's. There are broad spectrum, full spectrum and isolate. Isolate is just CBD without all the other terpenes that assist in pain relief.
Now that we have established a few important things that you should know about CBD, it is important to tell everyone the different ways in which you can consume CBD: A lot of these are simply preference:
1. Gummies- This is a easy chewable, fast way to consume CBD. They have vegan options and less sugar options. For someone who can not consume any sugar, this may not be the best option for you.
- Now, if you do like gummies. Here are your options for a daily schedule. You could take a morning gummy (with vitamins, with turmeric, immunity etc..) Gummies come with other additives like I mentioned in parenthesis.
- A morning gummy or two, an afternoon gummy if needed to hold you over and a night gummy. Night gummies usually have other sleep additives like melatonin, valerian root, chamomile etc. to assist with sleep along with CBD and CBN.
2. Oil Tinctures- Oil tinctures are oil based. It does not mix well with liquids. This is meant to put under your tongue for about 45 seconds. Broad spectrum oil with flavor can taste good, but Full spectrum usually has a harsher, more hemp taste to it. Some patients really love the oil drops under the tongue and others do not like the oil consistency. It's a personal preference.
- If you like Oil Tinctures. A daily option may be one serving in the morning and a sleep oil tincture at night. For an afternoon option if needed to hold you over, you could take a gummy, or something else with cbd in it like tea or coffee, or a drink that has CBD in it. Oil tinctures come in a variety of flavors.
3. Water Soluble Tinctures- Water soluble tinctures are exactly what it sounds like. These are tinctures that dissolve well in water or any other liquid. It will not lie on the top of a glass like oil would. It is better absorbed by the body, because it is already broken down into tiny nano particles so that your digestive system does not need to do any work and your body absorbs every bit of it. The consistency is more water like, thin and can be added to any of your favorite beverages.
- If you like water soluble Tinctures, a daily option may be one serving in the morning and a sleep oil tincture at night. For an afternoon option if needed to hold you over, you could take a gummy, or something else with cbd in it like tea or coffee, or a drink that has CBD in it. Water soluble tinctures come in a variety of flavors.
4. Softgels/Capsules- Some people like taking softgels or capsules with their daily vitamins. A lot of my older patients like taking cbd in a way where they can't taste anything. This is definitely the way to go.
5. Nowadays you can find almost anything infused with CBD-
Examples include:
Chocolates, edible treats, drinks, coffee, tea, honey, vapes, flower for smoking, (wax, shatter, butter and crystal) for vaporization, lollipops, mints, gum and there is a many more to add to this list.
Whatever your method or preference is, it is important to take it regularly. Start off with a smaller dose and increase as needed.
On our website, we have added in a dosage calculator so you can find out just how much you should be taking based on weight and pain level. Once you have determined the amount, I would suggest to divide that number by 3. A morning dose, an afternoon dose and a night dose. Then decide how you want to take it.
For example:
(My CBD regimine) - Option 1
- 2 softgels with curcumin in the AM = 40mg
- 2 gummies mid afternoon = 40mg
- CBD tea/honey at night (if needed I add some PM oil in my tea) = 40mg
- 120 mg a day is my average dosage that works for me
Option 2:
- 2 gummies in the morning
- tea/coffee in the early afternoon
- 2 gummies at night
Option 3:
- tincture in my water
- tincture in my protein shake
- tincture before bed in my tea
The possibilities of how to take, or mix and match how you want to take CBD is endless and completely up to the individual. Increase or decrease dosage as needed. These are just some examples.
Here is an example of an athletes routine I provided him
Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. My email is vbaldini@victoryleaf.com. I have provided this blog as a cheat sheet. Something you can always go back and refer to, not only for yourself, but for others who may ask you questions about CBD. Knowledge is power and the more educated we all get on what CBD is and how it works, the more comfortable and the more trust people will have in the product.
Victoryleaf.com
All of our products are made from US grown hemp and manufactured in GMP and FDA regulated facilities. Our CBD is organic, non-GMO, pesticide and animal cruelty free and 100% natural. VictoryLeaf only uses nano-sized, water soluble tincture in all of our products which ensures you get the milligrams that are promised, for optimal absorption by your body.
https://victoryleaf.com/collections/victory-leaf/products/nano-cbd-water-soluble-tinture-600mg
https://victoryleaf.com/collections/victory-leaf/products/performance-relief-cream-2000mg
https://victoryleaf.com/collections/victory-leaf/products/melatonin-cbd-softgels-pm
https://victoryleaf.com/collections/victory-leaf/products/curcumin-cbd-softgels-am
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