Maria Loreto
In partnership with The Fresh Toast
Thanksgiving is a time for tons of delicious food and drink. If you’re thinking of detoxing for a couple of days or a week, here’s how cannabis can help.
The holidays are known for a lot of things, among them, the copious amounts of decadent food and alcohol we consume. While there’s likely more celebration to come, the week after Thanksgiving is a good time to provide your body with a reset, taking a break from all things turkey and alcohol — at least until holiday parties kick in.
Detoxing is best approached with a light attitude, not as something you do to lose weight, but to give your body a break, the chance to ingest something healthy, regulating your digestive system and your mood. Cannabis can be used to boost this process.
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Well + Good spoke to Kristen Williams, one of the authors of “Coming Clean With Cannabis,” a cannabis cleanse guide. She explained some of the plant’s features and why it can help you get your cleanse on. “Cannabis enhances the endocannabinoid system, which keeps our bodies in a balanced state,” she said. These findings are supported by a variety of studies that link the endocannabinoid system to stress, sleep and gut health.
This imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants is called oxidative stress, and is something that cannabis is known to battle. Like other detox ingredients, THC, an important antioxidant, reduces this stress. When consumed as an edible or a tincture, the results should be magnified, especially since you’re not introducing other toxins like smoke and vapor to mess with your detoxification process.
There’s also CBD. While the compound has little research behind it, CBD has been shown to reduce inflammation and promote cardiovascular health, aspects that could be beneficial when applied to a detox.
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Detox practices vary from person to person, with some choosing more extreme measures than others. While some detoxes have earned a muddy reputation, a sensible detox that eliminates alcohol, smoking, and foods loaded up with fats while promoting exercise, drinking water and eating healthy foods can only lead to good results.
By adding some weed in the mix, you might maximize these benefits and have an easier time while you detox. At the very least, you’ll have some fun.
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