Marijuana or cannabis  has been used medicinally for thousands of years and offer many health benefits, particularly for inflammation and pain. CBD or cannabidiol is one of the medicinal compounds and it is legal in many countries.

• Chronic pain, anxiety, depression, insomnia
• Autoimmune diseases (inflammation, rheumatoid arthritis)
• Gut disorders (colitis, IBS, Leaky GutCrohn’s)
• Neurological conditions (Alzheimer’s, dementia, Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, Huntington’s, stroke, traumatic brain injury)
• Metabolic syndrome (diabetes, obesity)
• Neuropsychiatric illness (autism, ADHD, PTSD, alcoholism)
• Cardiovascular dysfunction (atherosclerosis, arrhythmia)
• Skin disease (acne, dermatitis, psoriasis)
• Some cancers

If you would prefer to watch my video all about cannabis and CBD here it is.

Cannabis plants contains lots of alkaloids or ‘active plant molecules like CBD, CBG, THC, CBC and more. Scientists are still discovering new compounds in cannabis.

THC is the compound which makes people high or ‘stoned’
Cannabidiol (CBD) is the more medical compound which offers the health benefits, although THC still plays a role if used in small amounts.

Cannabis Receptors and Endocannabinoids

There are 2 types of cannabis receptors (locks) in the body CB 1 and CB 2. CB1 is mainly in the brain and central nervous system and CB2 is in the rest of the body, particularly the immune cells.

We make our own endo-cannabinoids,  Anandamide and 2-Arachidonly Glycerol 2AG (keys) which go in the CB1 and CB2 receptors.

Anandamide is released in ‘exercise highs’ and ‘flow states’ Mediation causes the body to make more anandamide and CBD increases the pool of anandamide and 2AG. So CBD helps you make your own cannabinoids.

Does CBD work on its own?

By itself THC can only press the getting high button, which are the CB1 receptors.

CBD can’t bind the CB 2 receptors (the healing buttons) or CB1 itself,’ but it makes the CB2 receptor or ‘button sensitive’ so now the THC can press the CB2 button to switch on all the good effects

CBD also helps anandamide and 2AG press the CB2 button

CBD turns on detox genes in the gluthathione system or pathway by activating nrf-2. This natural detox system is also part of anti-ageing system in the body, which can also be activated by fasting. CBD also helps control inflammation by turning down inflammatory genes and turning up anti-inflammatory genes.

CBD can activate AMPK which is a protein or a ‘metabolic switch’. AMPK does lots of useful things including helping to close up leaky junctions like leaky gut. AMPK is activated during fasting and to some extent a ketogenic diet.

THC can only press the CB 2 healing button when CBD is there, THC can’t turn on genes or activate AMPK. So it is a myth that CBD can’t work without THC. But the THC being there does add more ooomf to the system .

CBD and the Brain

When a person is stressed or in fight or flight they DON’T heal, detox or digest properly. The GABA system is associated with relaxation.

Lots of toxins make people stressed by potentiating the GLUTAMATE pathway which then pushes the person into fight or flight. These toxins  are mercury, glyphosate and endotoxins.

This over excitement in the brain  encourages free radical production in the brain which causes  neuro-inflammation. This produces brain fog but also makes all other neurological conditions like Parkinson’s, Dementia and MS worse.

CBD helps balance the GABA – GLUTAMATE systems so this is why it is helpful for people with neurodegenerative conditions, adrenal fatigue and during a detox.

Thank you for reading – Please get in touch if you have any questions or want to book a consultation with me

The post How Can Cannabis Oil or CBD Help Me ? appeared first on Sara Pugh Pilates Hypnosis Nervous System Biochemistry Leeds.

Detoxification is a natural process inherent to the human body. It is a complicated biochemical process involving many reactions, a healthy liver, gut, kidneys and a means for the toxins to get out, which is by pooing, weeing or sweating them out. I haves implified it and given suggestions.

Fat stores toxins and anything which liberates fat will release toxins eg fasting, exercising, being ill or losing weight by adopting a lifestyle that works for you. Its just how biology works

Over time, our bodies accumulate a variety of toxins from our environment, cosmetics, plastic, food sources (eg methyl mercury from fish), inorganic mercury from tooth fillings. Inflammation inhibits detox and more toxins create inflammation.

SOME EXAMPLES OF TOXIN OVERLOAD SYMPTOMS

Mercury – Fatigue (slows down energy production), anxiety (ramps up fight or flight system via glutamate), thyroid issues.

Lead – Fatigue, mood disorders, headaches, high blood pressure

Plastics/pthaltes/fire retardants- Hormone disruption (thyroid) and estrogen mimetics (irritability, weight gain, brain fog, inflammation, some cancers)

Bacterial endotoxin (LPS) – From leaky gut, infected root canal. These are bits of broken up bacterial makes body think you have a full infection. Systemic inflammation, brain fog

Efficient detoxification depends on a series of seamless reactions that bind toxins to shuttle molecules and “escort” them out through a series of doors. The glutathione system is the most important of the detoxification systems and includes glutathione and the enzymes that work with it. The detoxification process proceeds in three parts or “phases”, Phase I, Phase II, and Phase III.

BRIEF BIOCHEMISTRY / ANATOMY OF HOW TO DETOX

1. The toxin needs to be pulled out of the cell (alpha lipoic acid helps) or released from fat (do something that burns fat)
2. Glutathione or other molecules bind the toxin and ‘tag it for removal. It gets put into bile. This means the liver needs to be healthy. Fatty liver, leaky liver, stressed liver or glutathione deficient liver will struggle
3. Enough bile needs to be made and this is dumped in the small intestine. There are specific ingredients needed to make the bile ‘flow’ like choline and cholesterol
4. If the gut is inflamed or cant get the bile + toxins out they get reabsorbed and stay in body
5. Using binders such as activated charcoal, xeolites, activated citrus pectin, clay and certain gums will bind to the toxins and then they get pooed out
6. The kidney is quite delicate so should only be allowed a little bit of the toxin load and not all toxins can come out in the wee and sweat.

This is relevant to everybody and it doesn’t mean you can’t use cosmetics, eat fish etc you just need to make sure the detox system is working properly at all phases.

It takes months to get the heavy metals out for example lead likes to go in bones so makes osteoporosis worse as it is liberated as the bones break down and also dumps lead in the blood stream.
Mercury inhibits pretty much all enzymes so goes all over the body.

Detoxing is important to consider BEFORE planning a baby

The hormone disruptors from plastics/household chemical hide in fat so when people fast, do a keto diet, go on a fitness kick etc the toxins come rushing out and either mess up the weight loss or give people fasting flu or keto flu, so they give up.

If you want to learn more about detoxification please get in touch

The post Are Toxins Making You Fat, Tired And Slow? appeared first on Sara Pugh Pilates Hypnosis Nervous System Biochemistry Leeds.

Ketosis is a perfectly safe metabolic state where the body has shifted from using glucose as the primary fuel source to ketone bodies (ketones). Ketone bodies are made from fat in the liver.

This happens when the liver glycogen (sugar)  stores are used up. The liver stores between 100 and 150g of glycogen or about 2000 kcal of ‘sugar’ energy .

Both carbohydrates (starch and sugar) and fats can be used as fuel. The body will preferentially use carbohydrates because of its easy access and fast absorption, although burning fat is less inflammatory.

When switching to use fat as fuel, a period of adaptation needs to take place. This is called becoming ‘fat adapted’ or ‘keto adapted’ as the body has to break down fat, make ketone bodies and use the ketone bodies. The length of it takes to become fat adapted depends on how dependent a person previously was on glucose and how well their body accepts this new fuel source.

Ketosis occurs either over a prolonged period of fasting or by restricting carbohydrate intake significantly to 20g or less a day (about 5% of daily calories from carbohydrates). Ketosis means your body is using ketone bodies as fuel so there are different levels of ketosis. A mild state of ketosis can be obtained during exercise, sleep (body is in a fasted state) and calorie restriction.

Is Ketosis Safe?

It’s important to not confuse ketosis with medical ketoacidosis, like with untreated Type 1 diabetes which causes the pH levels in the blood to drop and become acidic.

Nutritional ketosis is perfectly safe and a great metabolic state to be in. This process is perfectly normal and is an adaptive response. During periods of famine, going into ketosis enabled humans  to survive and maintain vitality. Instead of relying on glucose for fuel we can to use our own body fat and thrive instead of starving to death.

Ketone bodies have the following properties;

• Suppress appetite
• Are muscle sparing
• Are great brain fuel
• Possess anti-inflammatory properties.

Is it Unnatural To Be On a Ketogenic Diet?

The Inuit in Northern America have no available source of glucose in their habitat and their diet is consists of  mainly fatty fish and meat. The Masai tribe in Africa live on pasture lands and drink raw milk and eat the animals they farm. There is a very low occurrence of disease, obesity and cancer in these indigenous people and they live on ketogenic diet. Fat in of itself is actually a lot better for us, as long as it is not eaten at the same time as carbohydrates, due to something called the ‘Randle Cycle’.

The indigenous people with their unprocessed high animal product diets were perfectly healthy until hey came in contact with refined sugars/starches and processed seed oils from the West. After that cases of tooth decay, obesity, heart disease and diabetes sky rocketed.

In summary there are many benefits to being in ketosis and this is why there are some many benefits associated with fasting and a ketogenic or low carb diet.

Thank you for reading

The post What is Ketosis? Is Ketosis Safe? appeared first on Sara Pugh Pilates Hypnosis Nervous System Biochemistry Leeds.

An interesting brain fact;
“All sensory or movement input is processed on the OPPOSITE side of the brain, except smell’

So what about this left / right thing?
Why do I care?
How can it help me?
How can it improve my mood or performance?

Like anything else in the body balance is key, the same applies to the brain, may unpleasant things such as pain, anxiety, over-eating, depression come from imbalances in the brain. When we talk about the cortex people often just think of the frontal lobes and personality. A left brained person being more logical, linear and mathematical and a right brained person being more creative and emotional.

There is a lot more than this! There are other lobes to consider
– Frontal lobe – Movement, consciousness, behaviors
– Parietal lobe – Sensory and meaning
– Temporal lobe – Sound, memory and personality
– Occipital lobe – Visuals, sight
– Mesencephalon – Reflexes, wakefulness, OCD, making neurotransmitters

Left brain looks at the text, right brain looks at the context

Some of the positive attributes of the left cortex are its happier, stimulates the immune system, controls tone on the left side and voluntary movement on the right, processes sensory information from the right side of the body, some sound from right ear . It is curious, but impulsive. It regulates approach behaviors such as happy, angry, surprise and fright, which are both a good and bad thing. It also has a role in controlling pain on its own side of the body and is involved in intricate precise movements.

Right side is more cautious, but intuitive and creative. It manages the immune system by inhibiting it. It likes novelty and is good at understanding metaphors. It regulates retreat behaviors like disgust, sad, fearful and flight. The right side controls pain and muscle tone on its own side and voluntary movement on the left. The right brain processes big movements of the body in relation to the environment so important in sport. The right brain doesn’t ‘worry’, which is a good and bad thing.

So what will we being doing in this workshop?

Playing games with numbers and visuals
Using audio and binaurals, metronomes and bone conduction head phones
Smelling things
Moving around
Balancing
Understanding there are ways to control anger and worry
Sensory activities

The post Workshop in January 2016 on Right and Left Brain appeared first on Sara Pugh Pilates Hypnosis Nervous System Biochemistry Leeds.

The aim of the book is to provide you with simple ‘do it at home’ exercises and ideas to get out of pain. There will be short explanations on the theory behind the method, as well as myth busters on pain and metabolism.

The post My book will be ready in 2015 appeared first on Sara Pugh Pilates Hypnosis Nervous System Biochemistry Leeds.