When I was preparing to headline the show for my last appearance in professional sports, I was training 5 hours a day, 6 days a week. A sore body is inevitable when training this much, and my next training session was never far away. Being in this state for prolonged periods forces one to contemplate more deeply what choices to make when it comes to feeding the body - not only for the sake of performance, but also for one's everyday sense of well-being.

Protein helps the body rebuild itself, which is why most athletes supplement their diets with a protein powder. But not all powders are created equal.
 
It’s not just the quality of protein that you consume that is relevant, but how easily it can be digested by the body.
 
Years ago, I was sponsored by one of the largest sport supplement companies in the world, but as I began to educate myself on nutrition and delve more deeply into the wonderful world of plants, it became obvious that there was no need to put anything artificial into my body – there is always something abundantly available in Nature that is superior to whatever can be made in a laboratory.

The powder made from this single plant was able to offer more nutritional benefits and without any of the artificial sweeteners, fillers or preservatives that I had previously been consuming. Once discovered, it is a no-brainer for any health-conscious human to make the switch over from the protein powders of yester-year; remnants of the body-building era, where myths abounded about what the body actually needed. Nowadays people are interested in being lean not bulky, in performance over aesthetics, and they care about where their products come from, how they are made, and the knock-on-effect on the planet due to their product choices.
 
Hemp protein powder is made from finely crushed shelled hemp seeds – just one of the many amazing products from this super plant.

Amino acids are the building blocks of protein, the chemical basis of all life processes. By fuelling their bodies with high quality protein before and after training, athletes significantly improve their recovery times.

The body is able to digest different types of protein with varying degrees of ease.
 
Since much of hemp’s protein resembles that found in human blood, hemp protein is very easily digested and assimilated. 65% percent of the protein content found in hemp is called “edestin”, a high-quality globulin protein (this is the highest percentage of edestin found in the plant kingdom). Edestin proteins are pre-cursors to such vital bodily components as hemoglobin, hormones, enzymes and antibodies. Edestin facilitates digestion.

​Hemp protein provides the essential fatty acids omega-3 and omega-6 in a healthy 3:1 ratio. Most diets are overly high in levels of omega 6’s and too low in omega 3’s, so this is a great way to balance that out.

Hemp is also one of the few sources of the rare gamma linolenic acid (GLA), a healthy, plant-derived omega-6 metabolized differently than other less healthy omega-6s.
 
GLA-rich foods like hemp have been observed to help people with:

• High blood pressure
• Obesity
• ADHD
• Skin allergies
• Diabetes and diabetic neuropathy
• Heart disease
• Multiple sclerosis
• Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)
• Rheumatoid arthritis

Hemp protein powder is also high in fibre, and rich in magnesium, iron, potassium, and zinc, so it’s no wonder athletes are making the switch - it was just a matter of discovering the amazing benefits and seeing through the misleading nutritional propaganda that we’ve been bombarded with for so long. As always, it is recommended to buy hemp protein powder made from organically grown hemp plants. HEMP POWER!

​As awareness of the health benefits of cannabidiol (CBD) increases every day, people are keen to understand more about what is the best way to take it.

CBD is a fat-soluble cannabinoid, meaning it breaks down and is stored in fat rather than water. Enter coconut oil, the Queen of healthy fats.
 
With over 80 percent saturated fat content, coconut oil is the perfect medium for CBD. (For comparison, butter has about 50% and olive oil only 20%).

Saturated fats are considered “healthy fats” due to their key role in supporting cardiovascular health, their proven ability to help improve immunity, and they even contribute to healthy brain functioning.

These are shorter than most other fats, so can be converted into energy immediately without having to go through any processing.  

In fact, these MCFAs are well worth noting for their health benefits even before being bound to CBD, as studies have shown they can significantly increase metabolic rates, leading to increased weight loss. Coconut oil is nature’s richest source of MCFAs.
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50 percent of the fat content in coconut oil is a fat rarely found in nature called lauric acid. Our bodies convert lauric acid into monolaurin, which has anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-protozoa properties. Coconut oil is the richest source of lauric acid on Earth, with breastmilk being the second highest provider.

​Long chain fatty acids (LCFAs) require special enzyme proteins to break them down, but MCFAs are directly metabolized by the body. For those seeking the best way to consume CBD, this translates as a relatively rapid release of the cannabinoid into our endocannabinoid system.
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The abundance and purity of the fat in coconut oil gives cannabinoids plenty of material to work with.

An added benefit of having CBD infused in coconut oil is the versatility it provides. As well as being able to eat it raw, mix it into your favorite hot drink or add it into your meals, it can also be applied topically. By rubbing it straight onto the body’s largest organ – the skin, CBD infused coconut oil can be used to effectively treat many skin conditions as well as provide local pain relief.​

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A cannabinoid found in the hemp plant, CBD works with the body's endocannabinoid system to help regulate homeostasis, improving a variety of biological processes including appetite, immune responses, mood, and sleep. 


Project CBD explains the science behind CBD's ability to reduce inflammation:

CBD’S ANTI-INFLAMMATORY EFFECTS ARE IN PART ATTRIBUTABLE TO ITS INHIBITION OF ADENOSINE REUPTAKE. BY DELAYING THE REUPTAKE OF THIS NEUROTRANSMITTER, CBD BOOSTS ADENOSINE LEVELS IN THE BRAIN, WHICH REGULATES ADENOSINE RECEPTOR ACTIVITY.

A1A and A2A adenosine receptors play significant roles in cardiovascular function, regulating myocardial oxygen consumption and coronary blood flow. These receptors have broad anti-inflammatory effects throughout the body."


The CBD binds to the fatty-acids in the coconut oil, which allows for superior absorption of the cannabinoid into the blood stream after being processed by the liver.

Announcing he felt the 100% organic supplement was "amazing for recovery after a tough training session", Yair added that the CBD Coconut Oil had benefited his rest at night. ​

Nick Osipczak, a former professional athlete (UFC) says, “CBD is perfect for athletes because it significantly speeds up recovery. Due to the intense and demanding training involved at the highest levels in sport, all athletes inevitably receive injuries at multiple points during their careers. CBD is anti-inflammatory, relieves pain and muscle spasms, and helps provide conditions for a deeper sleep. Some athletes are even using it to help with the anxiety that can come with competing at the highest level.

Elite athletes are generally well educated on nutrition – given the choice, with all other factors being equal, they will choose a natural supplement over a synthetic one every time.”

By connecting with cannabinoid receptors found on cells throughout the body, CBD interacts with the endocannabinoid system, helping it in striving to achieve homeostasis - the body’s natural state of balance.After the US Food and Drug Adminstration (FDA) shed light on the number of companies selling CBD products that contained inaccurate levels of the advertised cannabinoid, athletes are cautioned to use products only from trust-worthy suppliers.

“A lot of damage can be done to an athlete’s career after testing positive for a banned substance, and sometimes this is due to the negligence of the supplement manufacturer”, said Nick Osipczak. “I have known about the health benefits of hemp for many years. Athletes and their coaches deserve to be able to source CBD products that are 100% safe. My advice is to only buy CBD that has been grown organically, and that has been laboratory tested by independent bodies to ensure accurate CBD and THC content.”

With CBD set to become increasingly prevalent in sports from the start of 2018, it will be interesting to see the knock-on effect this has on the cannabis industry, as this is often the way supplements go on to become everyday house-hold products.