How I began using CBD…
I could start off this blog post with a very embarrassingly long list of all of my ailments past and present, but I’ll just start by saying that it really all began with my back. I have scoliosis, not a severe case by any means, something like a 18% curvature in my lower spine, not enough for corrective surgery, but enough to cause me chronic pain. The muscles running parallel to my spine could never be referred to as a “tenderloin” if you know what I mean. And once you have issues with one part of the spine, the rest of the spine tries to adjust, which causes me terrible neck pain, nerve pain, and accompanying migraines. I saw numerous neurologists, chiropractors, and homeopathic doctors, and the meds I was prescribed for my migraines made them worse, not better. After an ER visit for a migraine so bad I couldn’t function, I learned that a cocktail of Advil, Tylenol and Benedryl can help to relieve migraines. Unfortunately, that became my go-to whenever I had a bad headache and as a result, my stomach paid the consequences.
Fast forward 10 years later, and I am sitting in the gastroenterologists office receiving the results of my endoscopy. My stomach lining was inflamed and bleeding due to years of NSAID usage for my pain (anti-inflamatories such as Advil or Aleve). I was also suffering with a sudden onset of acid reflux and random IBS symptoms as well. I was a mess. I went home that day and made a promise to myself to quit the over-the-counter meds cold turkey. My diet was already pretty healthy, but I went from vegetarian to vegan, cutting out all dairy temporarily in an attempt to heal my gut, and stayed away from anything acidic to help with the acid reflux. But then the chronic back pain and the migraines came, and I no longer had a way to keep the pain at bay. Anxiety and insomnia soon followed. My mom, who had always been an advocate for natural healing, suggested I try white willow bark and CBD oil. She sent a few bottles of CBD oil to try that she had been using, and I was so excited to finally have relief. I took the CBD oil according to the instructions on the bottle and waited. And waited a little longer. And…NOTHING happened. I tried a few more times a couple weeks later and the same thing, I felt nothing. I was starting to think either CBD just didn’t work for me, or this was just some fancy placebo oil. I gave up, and there the bottle sat on my counter, gathering dust.
Turns out I was taking the oil ALL WRONG…
Around 6 months later I walked into one of those cannabis shops in Denver, you know the ones with the big green neon signs, and told the sweet older super chill man behind the counter that I needed something stronger because…
“CBD oil just doesn’t work for me.”
He gave me a quizzical look and said “well, how often do you take it?” to which I responded “um, maybe every couple of weeks, whenever I have really bad pain I guess”
And then he said, “okay, well, I think that’s your problem. When you first start taking CBD oil, you have to think of it as a supplement, more like a multi-vitamin you take every day. If you take a vitamin every couple of weeks it’s not going to do much, you have to take it every day so it can build up in your system. The idea is to micro dose the CBD oil a little each day until you find that sweet spot and then your endocannabinoid receptors can open up to receive the CBD. Right now, your receptors are probably closed. Also, it’s important to use the right CBD oil. It should be full-spectrum with the presence of THC, not enough THC to get you “high” just enough to open up the receptors so your body can use the CBD effectively”
My mind was blown. I had no idea our bodies were designed to use cannabinoids like that and that I had been using the oil all wrong. I always thought it was just a take as needed type of thing (like popping a few Advil when you have a headache). So, I bought a few bottles of the oil he recommended for pain and insomnia and gave it a try. First dose, I took the full recommended amount (1 full dropper full). I felt no pain relief but it made me sleepy and I slept like a baby that night. Took a little more the next night and still no pain relief but I felt super relaxed and again, slept like a baby. This went on for about a week until one night I took the same amount and was within an hour or so completely high as a kite. Now that my endocannabinoid system was awake and receiving, that full dose was just way too much for what my body needed. After sleeping it off, I realized my mistake…I was supposed to be micro dosing until my body got used to it to find the right amount. Instead I had just thrown myself into the deep end. So now I know to go slooooow and often until you find the right dosing. It’s a bit of a learning curve, but one that is worth it to find that sweet spot just for you (the lowest dosage amount with the highest effectiveness).
My FAVORITE Brand of CBD oil…
So now that I knew HOW to take CBD oil correctly, I wanted to find just the right brand for what I needed it for. I wanted pain relief without the mental high. I wanted to feel relaxed without getting the munchies and ending up in the kitchen pantry at midnight instead of tucked away sleeping soundly in my bed. I tried lots of different brands and some were too strong for me, some tasted so downright awful I couldn’t take it, and some were from brands I just didn’t trust. I had been hearing a lot about a woman-owned CBD company that was giving back to the community by donating to charities that support vulnerable women and children. I decided to check them out when I learned that their wellness philosophy is about pure quality and transparency. Far from the questionable gas station CBD products, or the pop up shop in your neighborhood selling “affordable” CBD oil; they are dedicated to providing quality, organic, US grown and manufactured CBD. The company is called NUVITA and they provide a certification of analysis for every product they sell.
I started with the full-spectrum CBD oil (their most popular product) which comes in 15ML, 30ML or 60ML sized bottles. I gave it a try and was instantly surprised by how good this stuff tastes. It is light and mild, not too heavy and oily with a pleasant almost floral taste. If you’ve tried a lot of different CBD oils, you know that some of that stuff is downright wretched. I only took a few drops, held them under my tongue and could feel the relaxing effects take hold within about 20 min (quicker than any other CBD oil I had tried). Based on the quality and the potency of it, I could tell that little bottle would last me awhile. Within an hour, my back pain was gone, my nausea was gone, my head was clear, I felt lighter and relaxed and more focused. I knew I had just discovered my new favorite brand of CBD oil.
Since that first bottle of the full-spectrum, I have also added their CBN and CBG products to my wellness arsenal for my whole family. My older teenage daughters both suffer with anxiety and insomnia, nausea, depression, hormonal issues, occassional IBS, or acne flair ups. My youngest has PCOS, so the full-spectrum helps her tremendously with period pain and PMS related moods, The CBN helps her with insomnia. My other daughter uses the CBG formula as a topical serum on her face for acne (it feels wonderful on your skin!) My husband, Corey, gets back pain especially when we are busy with projects around the farm that can be so demanding on our bodies. He now uses the full-spectrum for pain relief.
A special note for MEN: Before starting NUVITA, and around the time that COVID-19 reared its ugly head, Corey was starting to experience pretty bad anxiety (something he had never had before). He was stressed a lot of the time, worried and exhausted ALL OF THE TIME. Night time was the worst for him. He just could not shut off his brain and sleep soundly and would be awake tossing and turning all night long. When these symptoms persisted, he went in and got a blood test from his doctor to make sure everything was okay. His lab findings came back with low testosterone. A dreaded diagnosis for any man. The doctor wanted to start him on hormone therapy, but I asked him to hold off for just a little while and see if taking the CBD oil would help instead. He agreed and as a result, started sleeping regularly every night, was less stressed, had more energy and less aches and pains and low and behold, his next blood test showed his testosterone level above normal. Amazing.
Which product is right for YOU?
Here’s a quick guide for the different products NUVITA offers: (10% discount applied during checkout with this special link)
CBD – THIS IS OUR MOST POPULAR STARTER OIL FOR THOSE NEW TO CBD. IT HAS THE WIDEST THERAPEUTIC RANGE, REDUCES INFLAMMATION IN THE BODY, AND SHOWS PROMISE IN TREATING MOOD DISORDERS AND DEPRESSION.
HOW WE USE THIS: We take this one for anything and everything, but we especially love how it works wonders for anxiety and moods, period cramps, PMS symptoms, migraines, back pain, nausea, insomnia
CBG – KNOWN AS THE ‘STEM CELL’ OF ALL CANNABINOIDS, WITH LESS THAN 1% OF CBG NATURALLY OCCURING IN CANNABIS PLANTS. THIS FORMULA IS GEARED TOWARDS YOUR GUT HEALTH AND AIDS THOSE SUFFERING FROM IBS. CBG ENHANCES BRAIN FUNCTION AND ALSO WORKS AS A GREAT ACNE SPOT TREATMENT.
HOW WE USE THIS: I take this one for my stomach pain related to gastritis and random IBS type symptoms. My daughters love it for their their hormonal acne.
CBN – OUR MOST COVETED “SLEEP FORMULA”. BECAUSE OF THE STRONGER SEDATIVE EFFECTS OF CBN, IT ALSO MAKES FOR A GREAT NATURAL PAIN RELIEVER AND HELPS TREAT SEVERE MOOD DISORDERS AND/OR DEPRESSION.
HOW WE USE THIS: I suffer with insomnia, anxiety and pain before and during my period. This formula seems to balance out my moods, relieves pain and I sleep like a baby!
THC FREE – YOUR GO-TO FORMULA FOR WORK PLACES WITH A ZERO TOLERANCE RULE WHO REQUIRE DRUG TESTING. THIS IS ALSO GREAT FOR TOPICALS AND SERUMS.
HOW WE USE THIS: I have not tried the THC free version
PET – THIS ONE IS FORMULATED SPECIFICALLY FOR YOUR FURRY FRIENDS. IT REDUCES ANXIETY DUE TO VET VISITS, CAR RIDES, FIREWORKS… AND HELPS WITH RESTLESSNESS, IRRITABILITY & SEIZURES. ALSO A POWERFUL ANTI-INFLAMMATORY FOR PETS WITH CHRONIC PAIN WHO NEED IMMEDIATE RELIEF.
HOW WE USE THIS: I plan on using this formula for my dogs. Maggie has bad anxiety during car rides and sometimes can’t hold in her bowels because of it! Hazel gets nervous in new situations or with new dogs. This would be great to have during traveling to keep them calm and relaxed.
Drop me a line below and let me know if you have tried this brand and how it worked for you. You can also contact me at any time if you have any CBD related questions that I can help answer for you.
