I took CBD oil for two weeks straight, and here’s how it made me feel

March 31, 2019 at 04:00AM by CWC Whenever a wellness ingredient becomes mainstream, I have to try it in any and all forms possible (I’m looking at you, turmeric). Now, the buzziest ingredient in town is the all-hailed CBD, AKA cannabidiol. So I have to wonder: With its many accolades, how does CBD oil make you feel? CBD is the major, non-psychoactive cannabinoid complex from the cannabis plant that offers significant health benefits. I’ve explored these benefits via skin-care products, body wash, and in my workout recovery routine—but I’ve yet to take it internally, which many say is the most direct way to absorb it. Taking CBD oil has been studied to have pain-relieving, inflammatory-fighting, and anxiety-reducing prowess, so ingesting it on the reg seems as though it might not be the worst idea in the world. “A daily dose of CBD will rebalance imbalances within the body and, depending on the specific individual, the benefits manifest themselves differently,” explains Emily Heitman, co-founder, COO and CMO of Leef Organics. “As a regulator and a modulator, CBD acts in a dynamic and comprehensive fashion to get to the root of individual issues. I believe it should be part of everyone’s daily routine for maintenance and preventative support.” As for how it actually makes you feel, it’s more of a subtle effect. “CBD is used and repurposed by your body in the way you need it most, so the feeling by each individual tends to be a bit different,” says Heitman. “However, I think

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Wormwood is an ancient herb with lots of health promise—here’s what to know before trying it

March 30, 2019 at 02:00PM by CWC Ah, yes. Wormwood. Your go-to supplement. JK. Unless you’re well-versed in Traditional Chinese Medicine, wormwood (also known as qinghao) probably doesn’t have much name recognition. For starters, it’s an herb with a strong bitter flavor. It’s also the main ingredient in vermouth and absinthe, the alcoholic drink responsible for that wild club scene in Girls Trip.  The plant been used medicinally for thousands of years, with recorded uses in the Roman Empire as well as during the Han Dynasty in China. Traditional uses include treating malaria, helping grow hair, and even promoting a longer lifespan. Current researchers are exploring its potential efficacy in treating diseases like Crohn’s disease and malaria. And though research is sparse and more clinical human trials are needed, there are some possible wormwood benefits that make it worth having on your herbal radar. 1. It could help stimulate digestion Traditionally, wormwood has been used to help digestion, and a small 2014 study found evidence to support this practice. The control group of 14 participants drank water mixed a sugar placebo, while 12 people drank water mixed with a wormwood extract (another 12 ingested water with gentian, another bitter herb). The study suggests that ingesting wormwood elicits the cephalic phase response, AKA how your body responds to nerve signals telling you it’s time to eat (it’s why you salivate when you see, smell, or taste food). This response also leads to increased stomach enzyme production, which creates better conditions for

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What to know about ultra-marathons and what it takes to finish one

March 30, 2019 at 12:00PM by CWC Athletic Equation co-founder Alexander Papadopoulos and his wife and two daughters have been organizing ultra marathons—any race longer than 26.2 miles—for over a decade. But, three years ago, Papadopoulos’ daughter Katie, who was seven at the time, caught him off guard with a pointed question: Why aren’t there any women in your races? Papadopoulos wasn’t sure how to respond. He knew most ultra marathoners were men—roughly 70 percent for 50-milers and between 85 and 90 percent for 100-mile races. Papadopoulos points out that men were given a head start; even as recently as the 1970s, women weren’t allowed to run marathons in the Olympics. Swedish competitive ultra-runner Ida Nilsson agrees. “It wasn’t that long ago that you couldn’t run a marathon,” she says. But both are in agreement that they definitely think more women should give it a shot. “It is so amazing to be out there exploring on your feet all these amazing trails all over the world,” says Courtney Dauwalter—who not only runs ultras but, like Nilsson, routinely flat-out wins them. “More and more women are running and also being more competitive, so I think we will see an improvement of the number of women running ultras in the next ten years,” Nilsson says. This month, Katie’s vision came to life through the No Man’s 50K, held in Triangle, Virginia. “It was great. In the morning the trails were muddy and we ended up with blue skies the last couple hours,”

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