Over the years since its legalization, CBD has become increasingly popular in the eyes of the Canadian population. Canadians are gradually discovering all the wonderful effects of CBD. Consequently, most of the stigma surrounding it in Canada has generally shifted to a more positive perspective.

While the positive boost has applied to most CBD products, some types of products have experienced much more growth in popularity than others. A prime example of this is full spectrum products. So, what exactly makes full spectrum CBD more special than other types of cannabidiol for Canadians to the extent that you’re likely to find full spectrum products at almost every dispensary in Canada?

How Does Full Spectrum CBD Work?

Before you learn what exactly makes full spectrum CBD so appealing to Canadians, you should first know what differentiates it from other types and how it works.

Understanding the concept of full spectrum is easy; in fact, the name itself is self-explanatory. To put it simply, full spectrum contains all of the compounds extractable from the hemp plant, and there are a lot!

The plant contains more than a hundred compounds that are similar in nature and working to CBD; however, not all of them can be considered as important. In fact, the two most important cannabinoids (compounds extracted from the hemp plant) are THC and CBD. Out of both of these, THC is famed for being a vital component of marijuana.

While full spectrum products do contain THC to a degree, there’s no reason to get alarmed. After all, it only contains 0.3% THC, which is the legal amount allowed in Canadian markets and is much less than the minimum amount required to get an individual high.

In summary, full spectrum products contain all the cannabinoids from the hemp plant, including THC and CBD; however, what exactly makes it unique? According to research, cannabidiol performs and displays its effects a lot better when paired with other cannabinoids from hemp.

It is also interesting to see that many users are choosing full spectrum products because they are the most unrefined or natural extract of the products available in Canadian markets. Another and perhaps more important reason for their popularity is the fact that full-spectrum products provide the entourage effect, which brings us to the next part of the question.

Why Do People In Canada Love Full Spectrum CBD So Much?

While there are still many speculations regarding the entourage effect of full spectrum CBD, many experts agree that the entourage effect exists mainly because every cannabinoid in the hemp plant is present in this type of product.

What exactly is the entourage effect? To state simply, whenever CBD is paired with CBN (another compound from hemp), THC, and all other hemp compounds, it creates a special relationship or balance known as the entourage effect. This means that while cannabidiol alone is beneficial for an individual, the combined ratio or the resulting entourage effect from the full spectrum variant will increase these benefits even further.

Furthermore, full spectrum CBD also contains another compound known as terpenes. Although it exists in every tree and plant, terpenes are mainly known for giving hemp the particular scent it’s known for.

However, the role of terpenes isn’t just limited to smell. It was found that terpenes in full-spectrum can interact with the endocannabinoid system within the human body to achieve the entourage effect more positively. While not every cannabinoids enthusiast loves the smell of the product, they cannot deny the fact that the presence of terpenes is vital to full spectrum and that the entourage effect would be unachievable without it.

With all said and done, full spectrum CBD because it is the most natural or raw form of cannabinoids extract available in the Canadian markets, and it also enhances the effects of all kinds of products exponentially due to all the other cannabinoids present in it. And this is precisely why it is considered a lot more beneficial and effective than other variants such as broad-spectrum or CBD isolate in Canada.

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Over 40% of all Americans have obesity, a disease that increases a person’s risk of experiencing other diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, and certain cancers.

Obesity can be a result of many factors, including genetics, lack of access to certain foods, and dietary and physical activity habits. Some data highlights that psychological factors like having depression can increase a person’s risk of developing obesity, as does taking certain medications as well.

Regardless of the cause of developing obesity, many healthcare providers are focused on ways to help people who are managing this disease attain a healthy weight to help support their overall health and wellness, one of which is developing effective weight loss aids backed by clinical trials, like Plenity.

Why weight loss can be difficult, and how prescription weight management aids may help

There is no single most effective method to promote weight loss. From following certain diets to exercising, there are various ways that people can support their weight goals. No matter what method a person adopts to promote a healthy weight, two factors must be met—you must consume fewer calories than you burn and you must focus on good quality food.

Unfortunately, most people who have obesity and attempt to lose weight are simply not successful. One of the most common reasons why dieting fails is because hunger levels naturally increase when you eat fewer calories. For many, this makes it hard to keep up with calorie restriction, with many reverting back to their baseline calorie intake.

Therefore, finding a way to help people feel more satisfied while limiting their caloric intake could be a viable solution for attaining desired weight loss.

And that is where Plenity, a new weight loss solution, can come into play.

RELATED: Eating Habits to Lose Abdominal Fat As You Age, Say Dietitians.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

Plenity is an FDA-cleared weight management aid

Despite the evidence highlighting how having obesity is linked to a slew of negative health outcomes, only 2% of patients who are overweight or obese receive anti-obesity drug therapy.

“Access to treatment options for people with obesity is so low,” explains Nina Crowley, PhD, RDN, LD, Registered Dietitian and Health Psychologist in Charleston, SC. She emphasizes that having an option that is easy to take, lower in cost, and low risk may be “less intimidating to patients and more attractive for providers to prescribe” when making steps to manage obesity.

To address this gap in treatment options, an FDA-cleared aid for weight management called Plenity was created, and it is currently available via prescription.

“Plenity is taken as three capsules with 16 ounces (2 glasses) of water 20 minutes before lunch and dinner,” Crowley explained. It absorbs the water it’s taken with and mixes with the food eaten. “As you continue to use it, you feel fuller throughout the day. Being that it is not absorbed in the bloodstream, it is a safe way for people to achieve greater satiety at mealtimes,” she added.

“The particles can hold up to 100 times their weight in water and that’s what makes you feel full after consuming the pills,” says Lauren Harris-Pincus, MS, RDN, founder of NutritionStarringYOU.com and author of The Everything Easy Pre-Diabetes Cookbook.

Unlike with many weight loss supplements, the outcomes associated with using Plenity are not theoretical. According to a clinical trial published in Obesity, “59% of Plenity responders lost on average 10% of their body weight (22 pounds) in six months,” Crowley reported.

Finally, Crowley adds that the practice of taking Plenity is “paired with virtual support and a group where others taking Plenity can support each other.”

Adults with excess weight who have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 25–40 kg/m², are eligible for Plenity, so, for those who are in what Crowley calls the “‘treatment gap’ between the weight at which diet/exercise would be effective to help get to a ‘normal weight,'” Plenity may be a nice addition to other interventions (like diet and exercise) that are already implemented.

RELATED: Supplements That You Should Avoid, Say Physicians

Correction: A previous version of this story, titled “The #1 Best Supplement for Weight Loss, Says Study,” referred to Plenity as a weight loss supplement. As Plenity clarified, Plenity is not a supplement; it is a prescription weight management aid that is an FDA-cleared medical device. We have updated the article to reflect this clarification.

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A regular bedtime meditation practice can be an enjoyable way to end the day and a powerful tool for improving the quality of your sleep, reducing stress, calming anxiety and letting go of negative thoughts. But it’s not always easy to get into that meditative state when you are tired or stressed out from a long, busy day of work. Thankfully, there are many great tips and simple techniques to help make meditation before bed an easy and joyful part of your evening ritual.

Why you should practice meditation before bed

An evening meditation practice is a great way to improve your health, wind down from your day, let go of the worries and stresses of work, and rejuvenate your body and mind. Practicing meditation in the evening is best for people who can’t fit a practice in during the morning or afternoon hours because they have too much going on at home or at their jobs. It’s also ideal if you’re trying to fall asleep quickly after dinner so you don’t keep waking up throughout the night. If you do find yourself struggling with insomnia, practicing meditation before bed will help you fall asleep quickly and improve the quality of your sleep.

Benefits of bedtime meditation

Meditation is a great way to relax after a long day. It trains your brain to recognize that this new habit means moving towards sleep time, and it is an easy way to send your brain and body signals that the day is ending and that it’s time to get some relaxation and rest.

Meditation can help you throughout your day, not just at bedtime. It can help you deal with stress, anxiety, and other challenges throughout your day. Meditation helps you to be more aware of the moment, and therefore more present, even when you are not meditating.

Meditation has been proven to improve overall health and wellness. According to research, regular practitioners experience lower blood pressure, improved immune function, reduced stress levels, increased self-confidence, better moods, and greater ability to cope with pain than non-practitioners.

In addition, studies show that meditation helps reduce anxiety and depression symptoms. There have been over 40 research studies that have found that those who practiced daily meditation and mindfulness had significantly fewer depressive episodes compared to those who didn’t. Other studies suggest that meditation reduces inflammation, which can contribute to heart disease and diabetes.

A study published in JAMA Internal Medicine found that people who practiced mindfulness meditation were more likely to see an improvement in sleep quality than those in a sleep education control group. Researchers found that those who completed a 2 hour mindfulness awareness program had less difficulty falling asleep, less fatigue and depression, and better quality of life at the end of the 6-week program.

How does meditation help you sleep?

When you meditate, a number of physiological changes occur. Some of these changes help you relax and improve your ability to fall asleep. Others help you regulate your autonomic nervous system, reducing how easily you’ll be awakened. According to researchers, meditation likely helps by increasing serotonin and the sleep hormone melatonin. It also activates parts of the brain that regulate sleep and reduce heart rate, blood pressure and other body functions.

How to start meditating before bed

1. Find a quiet place where you won’t be disturbed by noise, light or other people. You may find that meditating at night when there is less activity around you. If possible, try to find somewhere with no distractions at all so you don’t have to worry about being interrupted while trying to relax.
2. Turn off any phones or devices which might disturb you. This will allow you to focus on yourself without having to deal with anything else.
3. Try using some relaxing music in the background such as nature sounds like raindrops falling onto water or waves crashing against rocks. It doesn’t matter what type of music is used just as long as it helps you calm down and let go of everything around you. You could even use headphones if needed.
4. Choose a comfortable position. Sitting cross-legged on the floor works well because it allows you to sit comfortably without having to strain yourself too much. However, some people prefer lying down in their beds as they fall asleep. Others like to sit in a chair. Whatever feels right for you will probably feel more relaxing and restful.
5. Close your eyes or soften your gaze. This step isn’t essential, but it’s helpful to clear your mind of any thoughts or visual distractions.
6. Focus on one thing only. The key here is to keep your attention locked on one point of focus—it doesn’t matter what—rather than being distracted by thoughts or external stimuli such as sounds or lights.
7. Breathe slowly and deeply. Don’t force or create tension with your breath, but work on using a full diaphragmatic breathing pattern or other calming pranayama while you meditate. Breathe through your nose and let air flow freely into your lungs.

The best bedtime meditation techniques

Choosing a bedtime meditation method can be tricky. There are many options available, but you may find only one or two will be effective for you. Not sure where to start? Take our yoga quiz: What’s the Best Meditation Practice for You? If you try several and none seem to help, consider consulting a meditation expert or a certified yoga instructor for expert advice. As far as choosing a specific form of meditation goes, here are my recommendations based on the level of difficulty and the calming effect of the practice.

1. Mindfulness Meditation
   This type of meditation focuses on being aware of what is happening in each moment without judgment or attachment. Simply focus on the feelings and sensations that are arising in the present moment. If thoughts come to mind, gently acknowledge them, but don’t let them distract from focusing on your breath and body.
2. Breath Focused Meditation
   This type of meditation focuses on using mindful, slow, deep breathing as a way to relax, feel calm, and be focused. This basic yogic meditation practice can be done anywhere, anytime. Feel free to use this technique as you lay in bed or whenever you need to de-stress or to clear away negative energy that builds up over the course of the day.
3. Guided Meditation
   These 10 evening guided meditations will take you through various stages of relaxation as they guide you through deep breathing and other calming exercises. They’re perfect for beginners who want to learn how to relax with ease.
4. Mantra Chanting
   A mantra is sound repeated over and over again, like a prayer. There are many types of mantras and their repetition helps strengthen concentration, focus, and memory. You can also try repeating your chosen mantra silently to yourself when trying to fall asleep.
5. Deep Breathing Exercises
   Yoga has specific pranayama or breathing exercises that are calming and soothing to the body and mind. These can be used as evening meditation practice by maintaining your focus on the sensation of breath. Check out our list of 8 Yoga Breathing Techniques for Sleep.
6. Yoga Nidra
   This form of yoga involves lying still in savasana position. Your goal here is to clear away negative energy and stress so you can enter deeper states of consciousness. To do this, concentrate on your breathing and progressively relax each body part. It is best to use a yoga nidra recording like these YouTube videos.
7. Visualization
   This technique uses the imagination of colors, sounds, scents, feelings—anything that makes you happy, peaceful, and at ease. The goal is to fully immerse yourself in your imaginative experience.

Tips for a successful bedtime meditation

• Start simple. Once you decide to start learning meditation, make sure you pick something simple first. Don’t worry about memorizing complicated phrases or following complex instructions. Instead, stick to basic concepts like mindfulness or focusing on your breath. Consider guided meditations—these are audio recordings where someone guides you through various techniques. Error on the side of making it as easy as possible to get started.
• Start small. Try just 5 minutes per day. As you become familiar with this process, increase the length of time until eventually you reach 20 minutes. Just start off slow and build up from there.
• When you feel ready, add another calming activity into your nightly routine. Maybe you’d like to do yoga after your session of deep relaxation? Or perhaps you enjoy listening to music while you relax? Whatever works for you is fine. Just remember to always end your sessions with a few moments of silence so you can fully absorb all the positive effects of your meditation.
• Remember, no matter what kind of meditation you choose, the key is consistency. At the same time, don’t beat yourself up if you miss a session or two.
• Schedule a time. Make sure you set aside enough time each evening so that you won’t feel rushed or forget to practice. This will also give you more motivation to integrate it into a bedtime routine.
• Create a ritual. Rituals often serve as powerful tools for relaxation because they create order and structure within our lives. They provide us with something we look forward to doing and helps us unwind at the end of the day. Consider lighting candles, burning incense, ringing a bell or gong, or infusing a calming essential oil before you sit. Make all of your meditation preparations a mindful ritual to prime your mind for introspection.
• Know what works best for you. There’s no one-size-fits all approach to getting into the zone of deep relaxation. Some people find they’re more relaxed with music playing in the background, while others prefer silence or white noise from their headphones. Find out which method feels most comfortable for you and incorporate it into your practice.
• If you have poor sleep habits, don’t expect to be able to get better simply by adding an hour of meditation to your daily schedule. You need to change some other aspects of your lifestyle if you want to improve how much restorative power your body receives at night. Start slowly and pay attention to any changes you notice. Over time, you should experience improved quality of sleep.

Conclusion

Meditating at night is a great way to wind down after the day. It can help you fall asleep faster, improve quality of sleep, reduce anxiety, depression, and pain levels. There are many different techniques you can explore to find what works best for your personality and experience. All in all, there’s no reason why we shouldn’t try out a few minutes of meditation at the end of your day.

Please note: yoga and meditation are not substitutes for proper medical care. If you have chronic insomnia or a sleep disorder, please consult with a licensed medical professional.

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The brain is the most complex organ in our body. From the physical actions of movement, balance, control and co-ordination, the life essential functions of breathing, swallowing, blood pressure and heart beat, to the mental controlling of speech, memory, intelligence, decision making and even helping to shape personality and create the essence of who we are as a person; the brain is in charge of everything that happens inside our body.

As we navigate through life, just as our body grows and changes so too does our brain. And of course we all want to be able to reach our full potential and to live the most purposeful, satisfying, and successful life we possibly can. Dr. Barbara Koltuska-Haskin is a practicing neuropsychologist and author of the book How My Brain Works: A Guide to Understanding It Better and Keeping It Healthy. In her book she explains in easy-to-understand language the range of neuropsychological evaluation processes she uses on the wide variety of clients she has helped and then guides us through a series of tips to help build and to maintain optimum brain health as we navigate our way through life.

Dr Barbara has kindly shared an extract with us from her chapter all about menopause and memory, something I know many of you, including myself, are interested in.

Chapter 16 – Menopause and Memory

Memory and other cognitive problems experienced by women during menopause are real and appear to be more acute during the first year following the final menstrual period (Weber, M. T. et al. 2013). The changes in hormones and natural decline of estrogen affect all women’s bodies, including their brains. Learning and memory are associated with those regions of the brain (hippocampus and prefrontal cortex) that are rich in estrogen receptors. Women may complain of “fuzzy thinking” (Northrup, C. 2002) or “cotton head,” an inability to think straight, organizational problems, attention/concentration problems, mood swings, and depression. These usually aren’t symptoms of dementia, and usually memory does return to normal for the person’s age. However, about 5 percent of women above the age of sixty have some form of dementia. After the age of seventy, it’s 12 percent, and the percentage is higher as you get older. I strongly agree with Dr. Northrup, who said, “Women need to know that statistical data on dementia cannot predict whether any particular woman will develop memory problems.” (Northrup 2002, p. 566).

“I may have the beginning of dementia.”

Janet was a fifty-three-year-old nurse, tall and elegantly dressed, who was referred to me by her physician. Visibly anxious, she stated with tearful eyes and trembling voice, “I may have the beginning of dementia.” When asked detailed questions about her current problems, she reported that she had been forgetful for the past few months and was making stupid mistakes at work. She didn’t have a family history of Alzheimer’s dementia or any other forms of dementia. However, the husband of her best friend was recently diagnosed with the early stage of Alzheimer’s dementia. She noticed him having memory problems, and she was afraid that she could be experiencing some of these problems as well.

After talking to her for a while to make her feel more comfortable, I explained that memory complaints aren’t necessarily memory problems and told her what kind of testing we would be doing to address her concerns. I mentioned that most patients with dementias have problems with judgment and insight, and they tend to be in denial about their memory and other cognitive problems. They’re mostly brought for evaluation by family members who see changes in their functioning. These changes are frequently not obvious to the patients themselves.

This made her feel more comfortable and eager to start testing. She mentioned that she had been menopausal for the past year and wondered if this might have something to do with her difficulty with cognitive functioning.

After testing was completed, it turned out that her memory was generally within the normal range for her age group, and her verbal memory was even above the normal range. She exhaled with relief. I explained to her that some menopausal women experience memory and cognitive problems, especially for the first year, but it usually comes back to normal. Therefore, her memory may have been somewhat higher before menopause, but at present, there was no reason for her to worry. She was advised that we got good baseline results for her memory functioning, and if she had concerns in the future, she could return for retesting. She might also benefit from therapy to help her deal with anxiety and stress at work. She called several weeks later thanking me and telling me that she was doing much better.

Janet’s story isn’t that uncommon.

In my clinical practice, I see several middle-aged women a year who are experiencing memory problems and are afraid they’re having the beginnings of dementia. The fear of losing their mind and being unable to function in the future causes them sadness, depression, and insomnia and significantly affects their quality of life. So if you experience this problem, instead of dwelling on the unknown, you can discuss with your physician or other health care provider whether you can benefit from completing a neuropsychological evaluation. The memory tests have specific norms for every age. The evaluation will help to find out if, in fact, you have memory problems or merely memory complaints and what kind of memory, verbal, or visual or which memory processes, retentive memory or encoding, are affected. This specific information will allow the neuropsychologist to give you detailed information as to what you can do to improve your overall functioning and the quality of your life.

Please remember this:

Most of the time you can improve your brain functioning, even after a major neurological event or illness.

You simply need to find the best and most effective way of doing it with the help of your health care professionals. Take the example of Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor, a neuroscientist who recovered quite well after a massive stroke and wrote a fascinating book, My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist’s Personal Journey (2008).

Where Can I Find Out More?

Dr Barbara’s book ‘How My Brain Works: A Guide to Understanding It Better and Keeping It Healthy’ is available in either paperback or eBook format from Amazon https://www.amazon.com/How-My-Brain-Works-Understanding/dp/1948749610

You can also find out more about Dr Barbara’s work here – https://www.drkoltuska.com/

*collaborative post

Author Bio

Dr. Barbara Koltuska-Haskin is a neuropsychologist in private practice in Albuquerque, NM. In addition to her research and academic teaching background, she has over 30 years of clinical experience.

She is a classically trained mezzo-soprano with a deep love for organic gardening.

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