Fox Faves: Why I love CBD

Let me start by telling you this is not an April Fool’s joke! It is, however, the first post of a new section that includes my favorite things–specifically ones I’m often heard saying I’m “obsessed” with. Et, viola! CBD.

The Healers Podcast (I’ll rave about this podcast in another post!) recently released an episode about something I’m super passionate about and since I’m feeling all kinds of woo because the sun is shining in Omaha, (sorry Nebraska, part of you is still underwater) I am feeling extra lovey over my latest obsession: CBD oil.

First of all, I have to state that I am not getting high in case my family is reading this. Because I’m not, and that is super important to note for anyone who thinks I’m going to ramble about my favorite joint.

CBD oil. Let me back up for a second. I’ve been known to be really high-strung and rigid. In general, this is just part of who I am (bossy, focused, and not sorry about it) but there comes a point where my own desire to control everything is at odds with how the real world works. And that in and of itself stresses me out. I know, “let the universe flow over you”, “best-laid plans”, blah blah blah, I’ve heard it all and I don’t care, I can’t chill. It’s not me, and it never has been. I like going-going-going and usually, I end up going too fast.

So what? I thought this was about CBD. Yes, I know! Okay, I’m getting there I promise. You just have to know I’m a very tightly wound human, okay?? The thing about that is, despite my knowing this, I will simply refuse to acknowledge my limitations and generally have a giant panic attack and/or meltdown at any and all wrenches in my aforementioned plans.

Have a glass of wine you say and chill out?  Ahh, as much as I love wine, I’m not a casual wine drinker. It can give me a headache after one glass, or it makes me sleepy, and if I don’t like the wine itself it’s always a toss-up.

Instead, thanks to the trends, I’ve started taking CBD supplements. Initially, I was interested in taking up the cannabis hobby to help me just chill out, but the problems with this are also abundant. 1) you don’t know how you’re going to feel. As a recovering control freak, this is clearly not a good way to zen. 2) it’s illegal, and that’s annoying because I always get caught with literally anything that involves breaking a rule and I’m not about to compound my stressors. 3) I don’t actually love the feeling of being high. It’s a wildcard, and for some it makes them mellow out, for me, I just got paranoid and became so, so stupid.

But CBD oil has come up with celery juice as the latest fad, and in my curiosity, I bit. Specifically, because the packaging for a company that I stumbled upon on Instagram was on point. I know that’s not the best way to vet a company, but I am just a sucker for anyone who speaks the language of good marketing.

Anyway, I tried some CBD chocolates by Not Pot starting this summer. So I’m not totally new to this, but it’s coming up a lot lately, and since I’m already raving about it everywhere I go, I figured a post makes sense. And no this isn’t sponsored (lolzz like you would actually think that), I’m just a genuine fan.

At first, I tried them before bed, because I was scared of how I’d function at work, and what side effects there would be. Maybe it was a placebo, or maybe it was actually the CBD but the first week, I slept incredibly well. This is major, because for me, sleep is all or nothing, and in times of high stress, you guessed it—I’m running on nothing (think 12 am laydowns and 3 am wake-ups). No Bueno, especially because sleep is so crucial to ev-er-y-thing. After a week or so I tried them sporadically during the day, particularly when I had a busy afternoon of work, meetings, or a lot of forced socializing to do, and what I noticed was… nothing.

Heh?!

Yeah, I noticed nothing—as in, instead of getting extra worked up, instead of stressing that extra wee bit that sets me apart from a normal person’s level of stress, I felt just fine. I do not feel any physical effects from the CBD (not tingly, woozy, or anything irregular, TG). And that alone has been enough to make me a loyal subscriber (like on autopay and everything!).

Now what? Do I take it every day? I try to, but not with a religious fervor. Sometimes I need to have my self-lit fire under my ass so I can appreciate some of the urgency I’ve created for myself due to procrastination. But that’s more so I can remind myself why I shouldn’t procrastinate, instead of any other logical reason.

Not Pot switched over to gummies instead of chocolates which for me is a wash. The chocolates were a nice little dessert treat, but the gummies don’t melt. Both are tasty and have a nice calming effect. They help my brain stop racing through yellow lights. I still speed, I’m still me, I’m not high. I honestly just kind of feel like a version of me before #SundayScaries made their way into my life. It’s a bit of relief. And I didn’t know how much I needed that until after I tried this out.

I’m not like a zombie or anything… I still get stressed. I certainly still get fired up about plenty of stuff (UGH per my last email…). But when I can feel myself getting overwhelmed it’s helpful for me to have something that assists. Nothing makes stress disappear without actually dealing with your stressors, but it helps.

I prefer my CBD as something I eat/consume because it’s easy. Plain and simple. I’ve also tried a product and it’s been my go-to for when sleep eludes me. I used to take melatonin but it gave me weird dreams and made my body feel super groggy. Especially if I don’t drink enough water (which is hard because at the moment you realize you can’t sleep, it’s too late to drink more). But I’m still vetting the product, and need to compare it to another sample I’m testing. So more on that soon!

Okay, so that’s it. I have a loving relationship with CBD that feels much healthier than I’ve ever had with alcohol or retail therapy; because it’s such a small change in my regular habits. The Healers Podcast introduced me to the Poplar website. It’s an absolute dream! It’s so chic and stylish that I don’t feel shady about finding the next product I want to try. Poplar has done a lot of research to make sure the products are good quality. And it saves someone like me a lot of trouble in having to worry about snake oil products!

Also, when I messaged their chat to ask a question, the next morning the actual owner responded to me! This A) made me giddy, and B) was incredibly nice to see she is fully involved. It’s rare to see that in a company these days! Seriously, it’s the cutest! So go check it out. Or at least listen to the podcast episode so you can feel like you want to be besties with the founder (like I do).

If you use CBD  let me know! I want to hear what you’ve tried and what you think!

Cheers,