How to mitigate stress with diet and exercise

Given everything that’s going on in the world at the moment, and the disruptions caused to our everyday lives and routines, it is perfectly understandable and even healthy to feel stressed and anxious. But, while we can’t wave a magic wand and eliminate it altogether, there are things we can do to make it a little less all-encompassing, enabling you to be more relaxed and focused.

Chronic stress and the feeling of having no control can often result in anxiety. This sort of bad stress, compared to the stress caused by things like a passionate kiss or playing a game of tennis, can be very damaging to the central nervous system. This can result in poor sleep and disruption of neuroplasticity, which can make it mentally hard to function.

However, even the overwhelming stresses and anxiety caused by situations like we currently find ourselves facing can be mitigated to some extent by diet and physical activity.

While cannabis extracts have been used for thousands of years, we are only now understanding the science behind the powers the plant holds, and how it interacts with our central and peripheral nervous system. The body’s Endocannabinoid system, which was only discovered in 1992, acts to maintain homeostasis, or a stable equilibrium for the endocrine system and cells within the body. It helps to regulate things like sleep, inflammation, pain and mood. An even more recent discovery is that CBD and other phytocannabinoids interact with this system to modify and enhance natural levels of endocannabinoids in the body.

But CBD should not be seen as a ‘cure’ to anxiety and stress. Eating a healthy diet, incorporating daily exercise and getting enough sleep can all help to reduce stress and play a role in our biological and chemical state by affecting the brains neurotransmitters like serotonin and norepinephrine.