Cannabis and Women's Health

Cannabis is a hot topic in wellness these days, from CBD infused teas and kombuchas available at your local grocery store to gummies and tinctures. But there's more to cannabis than just CBD and THC — there are actually hundreds of cannabinoids, terpenes, and other active compounds found in hemp plants that can impact health. But what do they actually do and are they safe? Since I work mostly with women, I field a lot of questions about cannabis and women's health: Are there hormonal conditions cannabis may help with? Is it safe while trying to conceive, pregnant, or breastfeeding?

The answer is, we don't have the research either way. Which can be totally frustrating!

And then let's say you decide that cannabis is something you're interested in trying... where do you even start? What's the legal way to purchase and use it in your state? What form should you buy — tincture or gummies or salve or flower or what? What dosage? Which cannabinoids in which ratio? What does "full spectrum" mean? And what the heck is "purple kush"?!

I was confused too! So I invited Emily Kyle, a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Certified Holistic Cannabis Practitioner to join me on the podcast and talk through all of these issues and more.

Emily Kyle, MS, RDN, HCP, helps people sort through misinformation, conquer fears, and find support as someone interesting in learning how to use cannabis. After years of struggling to manage her own chronic pain, anxiety, depression, and severe mood swings with conventional treatment, she finally turned to the cannabis plant to find relief from her symptoms and was able to reclaim her daily joy and productivity because of it. Now she shares how to use cannabis safely and responsibly with others while breaking the long-held stigma of using cannabis.

This Week We Talk About:

• What is the endocannabinoid system (yes, it's a real thing!)
• Benefits of cannabis and women's health conditions it may be helpful in
• Why you should pay attention to cannabinoids, terpenes, strains and what "the entourage effect" is
• Different types of products and where to start
• Why "low and slow" is the way to go and what you can do if you take too much
• State regulations around online cannabis shopping and why clinical research has been hampered by lack of federal legality
• Why cannabis use is stigmatized while alcohol use and prescription drug use aren't
• How to avoid some of the common pitfalls of cannabis use like the "munchies"
• Emily's own experience being open about her cannabis use publicly and how it has evolved to her becoming a licensed grower

Mentioned in this episode

PCOS Meal Prep Made Easy Workshop – In this hour-long workshop, I break down what foods you want to include for PCOS and what you may want to consider avoiding or minimizing. Learn my simple 3-step formula for planning meals with PCOS, which includes learning how to eat to balance blood sugar.

Where to find Emily Kyle, MS, RDN, HCP

Emily's website: Emily Kyle Nutrition

Sign up for Emily's Newsletter (it's great!): Emily's Newsletter

Emily's Instagram: @emilykylenutrition

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