Trying to Live a Healthier Life? Cannabis Might Be Able to Help

The United States is notorious for having obscene obesity rates. Physical and mental health (or lack thereof) has become a more prominent conversation in the United States, and the year that everyone was stuck inside their home for months at a time. It can be really hard to try and live a healthier lifestyle, especially when it seems like the odds are stacked up against you. What I mean by that is that some people are living in constant, chronic pain that can make it hard for them to just get through daily life, let alone worry about their physical health.

For some people who live with chronic pain and other ailments, getting up and going to the gym is almost out of the question. Not to mention, poor sleeping habits can contribute to increased obesity rates, and it can be extremely difficult for people who are constantly losing sleep at night due to trying to manage their pain. To make things worse, people who are using cannabis to treat or manage their levels of chronic pain could be subject to one of marijuana’s most notorious side effects: the munchies. Having the munchies makes it really hard to say no to all the delicious snacks that are in your pantry or refrigerator. So if you have found that cannabis complicates your attempts to eat healthier and lose weight, know that you are not alone. In fact, many people struggle with this when using medical marijuana. 

When it comes to lifestyle choices, the pandemic did not really do us any favors. Many people gained weight over the long quarantine period due to being stuck in their home or apartment all day without access to a gym on the regular. In addition to that, stress eating is a real thing that a lot of people had to combat when stuck at home. Also, working from home allows us to live a much more sedentary lifestyle than before, which is the leading cause of people with obesity.

Some people like to shame others by saying that losing weight is easy with simple diet and exercise; however, more scientific studies and research has been done to conclude that these things may not be enough to outweigh the serious complications of a sedentary lifestyle. A report published recently even stated that 40 minutes of rigorous physical activity everyday is not enough to offset the health risks that are associated with so much sedentary time. So if you have heard people say that losing weight really involves eating healthy, I regret to inform you that they are correct. Losing weight can be made easier with more physical activity, but it really does start in the kitchen.

So what about those of us who struggle with chronic pain or other illnesses? It can be extremely difficult to maintain a healthy weight when dealing with other issues that make it hard to get through your daily life. For some people, it hurts to even move, let alone go on a 2 mile run after work or something like that. A study shows that 20% of adults in the United States live with some sort of chronic pain. That is insane! So for those people who rely on medical marijauana to make it through the day, I do not blame them. However, it is important to resist the munchies when you are trying to lose weight. When you are using medical marijuana, make sure that you have healthy snacks ready to go for when those late night munchies hit.