Are you looking to incorporate cannabidiol into your diet? You’re not alone. Whether it’s to alleviate specific symptoms or simply to improve overall health and wellness, people all over the world are looking to include cannabidiol and other cannabinoids in their daily diet.
Read on for a detailed look at how a cannabidiol diet could help you live a healthier, happier life.
Why include cannabidiol in your diet?
The cannabinoids have taken the spotlight in the world of health and wellness. Everyone from athletes to stay-at-home parents are looking to cannabinoids to lead healthier lifestyles.
In fact, some research even suggests that clinical endocannabinoid deficiency (or CECD) could be the cause of everything from migraines to irritable bowel syndrome, from chronic pain to depression.
For many, this is enough to justify looking for natural ways to incorporate CBD and other cannabinoids into their diet.
Which foods can naturally stimulate cannabinoid activity?
The most obvious way to incorporate more cannabinoids into your diet is to consume cannabis. However, you can also stimulate the endocannabinoid system (the body’s natural network of cannabinoid and endocannabinoid receptors) by eating more of the following foods:
| Hemp, chia and flax seeds | Studies suggest that omega fatty acids (especially omega 3 and 6) may help stimulate endocannabinoid activity. |
| Oggets, sardines, anchovies and nuts | All of these are full of essential fatty acids. |
| Chocolate | Cocoa powder has been shown to contain three types of N-acylethanolamines fatty acids that can mimic anandamide (an endocannabinoid produced naturally in the body) and activate cannabinoid receptors or naturally increase levels of anandamide. |
| Infusions, teas and herbs | Many spices, teas and herbs contain terpenes such as (beta-caryophyllene, pinene, limonene, linalool and others) that can stimulate the endocannabinoid system. |
Studies have also shown that alcohol can damage the endocannabinoid system
So stay away from alcohol if you’re interested in increasing your cannabinoid levels.
If you’re looking to reap the benefits of cannabidiol nutrition, make sure you take the time to evaluate your current eating habits
And make sure you consume plenty of fruits, vegetables, healthy proteins, and grains.
When introducing a new supplement into your diet, it’s important to do so seriously.
Cannabidiol, in particular, is a unique compound that affects everyone a little differentl
And people often have to experiment with different doses to find the “sweet spot” where they experience optimal relief/results.
If you’ve never used CBD before, but are interested in trying it as a general health supplement, we recommend starting with a low dose of a medium strength cannabidiol oil, such as our 5% or 10% cannabidiol oil.
Cannabidiol is non-toxic and generally well tolerated, so you can essentially take as much as you want, but there’s no reason to overdo it.
If you want to make cannabidiol a staple in your diet, you don’t have to rely on ready-made products like tinctures, edibles, and topicals.
Many people use cannabidiol-rich flowers or oils to infuse into their favorite dishes.
Cannabidiol is starting to make its way into a wide variety of products. One of the latest trends in the health food industry are cannabidiol vitamins and enriched dietary supplements.
Cannabidiol Hemp Seed Oil
(available in many concentrations of CBD), for example, takes all the benefits of hemp seed oil and combines them with the benefits of cannabidiol.
The result is a powerful supplement rich in linoleic and oleic acids (vital allies in promoting skin health), omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, gamma-linolenic acid (important for skin and women’s health), and, of course, Cannabidiol.
Cannabidiol oil is typically taken sublingually, where it is absorbed through the mucous membranes lining the inside of the mouth.
Cannabidiol found in homemade or store-bought edibles, on the other hand, is absorbed in the digestive tract.
Both sublingual administration and ingestion of cannabidiol are effective ways to take advantage of the unique benefits of this compound.
However, the different routes of administration mean that our bodies absorb CBD slightly differently
And may be better suited for different situations.
When taken sublingually, cannabidiol enters the bloodstream and begins to act on receptors throughout the body within 15-20 minutes.
Ingested cannabidiol, on the other hand, can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 1 hour to take effect
But offers a slower, more gradual release of cannabidiol into the bloodstream.
How to dose Cannabidiol in Cooking Recipes ?
Dosing Cannabidiol in your recipes can be difficult, which is why we suggest simplifying it as much as possible.
The best way to do this is to calculate how many servings of food you are preparing and then infuse your standard dose into each serving.
If, for example, you’re making 4 servings of soup, and you usually take 10 drops of CBD oil per day, use a total of 40 drops of cannabidiol in your recipe.
If you’ve never taken cannabidiol before, we suggest trying a medium strength CBD oil for at least a week to familiarize yourself with the compound and how it affects your body..
Then, once you’ve found a dose that works for you, take that same dose and use it in your own cooking.
If you feel like that dose isn’t working, gradually increase it until you get the effects you’re looking for.
Cooking with Cannabidiol Hemp Oil
Cooking with cannabidiol oil is the best way to start your journey into using cannabidiol in cooking. The process is simple:
- Measure your dose.
- Prepare your food as per your recipe.
- Add your cannabidiol oil when you see fit.
However, as detailed above, try to avoid bringing your CBD oil into direct contact with high heat.
So, if you want to make a cannabidiol pasta sauce or stir-fry, for example
You’d be better off adding cannabidiol oil at the end.
Cooking with cannabidiol flowers
Cooking with CBD flowers gives you much more control over your recipe and is much cheaper than adding store-bought cannabidiol oil every time. However, it’s much more hands-on, and can seem a little overwhelming for inexperienced pot cooks.
Here’s how to cook with cannabidiol cannabis flowers:
- Determine the amount of flower you need.
- Chop your flower and spread it evenly on a lined baking sheet. Decarbonize at 110-120°C for 30-40 minutes or until fragrant. Stir regularly to make sure the buds decarburize evenly and don’t burn.
- Heat your decarburized flower in the amount of oil or butter needed for your recipe. Let the mixture simmer on low heat for 3 hours to extract as many cannabinoids and other active compounds from the buds as possible.
- Drag off the oil or butter to remove any bits of the plant, allow to cool and use as required in your recipe.
Please note :If you cook with cannabidiol regularly, consider making large batches of cannabidiol oil or butter to save time.
Some Tips before you try your hand at cooking
- The cannabinoids, terpenes and flavonoids that give cannabis its unique aromas, flavors and effects are all very fragile compounds. When exposed to high temperatures, above about 120°C, these compounds begin to break down and evaporate into air. When preparing CBD edibles, we obviously want to preserve as many of these compounds as possible, so be sure to avoid exposing your cannabidiol (whether in flower form or store-bought oil) to excessive temperatures.
- Preparing cannabis oil and butter requires a bit of patience, as the ingredients must be infused at relatively low temperatures for several hours. Ideally, cook your CBD and oil/butter mixture over low heat for about 3 hours for a decent extraction.
- After the raw plant material has been infused into an oil or butter base, it will need to be strained through a fine filter, such as cheesecloth. This process requires patience as the infused solution slowly but surely drips into the container below. Try to resist the temptation to squeeze cheesecloth to speed up the process; although your patience may be thin, you will most likely push plant material into the solution if you do.