Reflections - December 14, 2020

My Experience with Taking CBD

brighton butler equilibria CBD, my experience

Hey friends! Today’s post has been a long time coming and I’m really excited to put it together and share my full Equilibria slash CBD experience with you all. If you follow along on Stories, you see me talking about Equilibria all the time, and yes, they are a brand partner, but I also just love sharing about it because their CBD products really have made a huge impact since I started taking them just over a year ago. I was a little nervous initially to tell y’all I was taking CBD but after doing TONS of research and getting to know Equilibria, I felt super confident in taking it daily and bringing y’all on that ride with me.

When I first shared about Equilibria on Stories last year I got a million questions and the best way for me to answer them was in a Q&A blog post, which you can read here. But now that so much time has gone by and I’ve been able to observe how I personally responded to the CBD, I want to share even more about my personal experience and my personal dosage (pre-pregnancy) and all that!

What is CBD and What Can It Do?

Just to recap a bit in case anyone who isn’t familiar with CBD reads this post, I went over this pretty in-depth in my first CBD post, but to be clear, CBD is not weed/THC. CBD is a natural compound found in the cannabis plant – the parent plant of both marijuana and hemp. To help y’all further understand what that means, here’s a quick breakdown, but click over to my CBD Q&A for more.

Hemp and marijuana are kind of like siblings – they come from the same parent (the Cannabis Sativa plant), but they’re bred differently. Marijuana contains 5%-20% THC and is still considered federally illegal. Hemp is grown with less than 0.3% THC, so it can’t get you high, and it’s federally legal. What makes hemp-derived CBD completely and totally legal is the fact that it only has 0.3% or less of THC in it. Anything above that marker is what’s considered federally illegal.

Equilibria grows only industrial hemp on their farm and produces full-spectrum products, meaning there is hemp and THC in the CBD, but only less than 0.3%. Here’s how Equilibria explains that process:

“CBD works best when combined with other cannabinoids and terpenes found in the plant, including its more well-known sister THC. Full-spectrum (or “whole-plant”) oil produces the “ensemble effect” which maximizes therapeutic benefit. All Equilibria’s products are based around full-spectrum, phytocannabinoid-rich hemp flower extract.”

As for what it does and what it can help with, it’s honestly SO broad, which blows me away even more. For me, I started taking it because I was anxious and overwhelmed. I was planning a wedding, moving to a new city, trying to balance work and my personal life – it was just a very crazy season of life. On top of that, I wasn’t sleeping well so I was very intrigued when I initially read Liz Adams’ post sharing about her experience with it and thought maybe it could help me. (You can read all about why I started taking it and the beginning of my experience here btw).

The important thing to know here is it’s different for everyone. Some women take it to help balance hormones, some use it to help manage muscle and joint pain, some use it for sleep or to not feel anxious throughout the day. And everyone’s dosage is going to look different too. It can take some time to figure out what combination of soft gels and droppers to take, so know that what I do might not necessarily be your dosage, which is why I recommend speaking with one of the dosage specialists – a free service you can take advantage of when you order your CBD (more on that below!).

Why CBD Works for So Many *Different* Issues

If you’re anything like me, you may be wondering how on earth CBD can help with so many different issues. When I first met with the dosage specialist, this was one of my most pressing questions because it did not make sense to me.

Let me do my best to explain!

First, it’s important to know CBD actually mirrors a function our bodies already have. We have a system called the Endocannabinoid System. It “plays a crucial role in regulating a broad range of physiological processes that affect our everyday experience – our mood, our energy level, our intestinal fortitude, immune activity, blood pressure, bone density, glucose metabolism, how we experience pain, stress, hunger, and more.” (Grabbed from the Equilibria glossary section on their website.)

See the word cannabinoid in endocannabinoid? Well, CBD is made up of cannabinoids! So CBD is only giving our bodies more of what it already has to help it better manage all those physiological processes I mentioned above. And because the Endocannabinoid System helps to regulate such a broad range of physiological processes, it explains why CBD can help with so many different issues!

Why Equilibria CBD

It’s been so amazing to keep learning about Equilibria and the intention and thought they put into their products. Every time I look at their site or check out their IG I always learn something new, and y’all know I LOVE to learn about new things (sometimes too much LOL). When I read Liz’s article (the one I linked above) and personally talked to her about what was going on in my life and she brought up CBD, I knew I wouldn’t try it unless I felt 100% safe about where it came from and how it was made. Equilibria goes above and beyond to closely monitor every step of their production process and really gives me that sense of security.

Here’s the thing, the CBD industry is not regulated by the FDA so random companies can just pop up, get their CBD from who knows where and sell it to unknowing people. Crazy, right?! Equilibria did not want to do it that way. They put SO much effort into making sure their supply chain is fully traceable and they manage the farming and production process in-house, which means they grow all their own hemp on farms they own!!

As for the quality and purity level of their products, Equilibria only uses the hemp flower, which is where the purest CBD is found, to produce their CBD. Whereas it’s very common for other companies to use the stalk, stems and leaves – sources of CBD that do not test to be near as effective or pure.

AND, let’s not forget about the very unique opportunity to work with a CBD dosage specialist! I had never seen anything like this before and it really showed me that Equilibria was serious about helping people understand how CBD could best serve them.

Head to the EQ Support page if you want more info on the company and everything they’re doing to not only make an amazing product but for guidance on taking CBD, more CBD education, etc.

equilibria balance set, relief cream, capsule gels, dropper, CBD

My Experience + Dosage (Pre-Pregnancy)

Like I said above, everyone’s journey with CBD is going to look really different, however, I know it’s really helpful to hear about what it’s done for others. And now that I have a year+ of a story to share, I wanted to kinda go into my own experience more – rather than just listing facts about the company or CBD. Although I’m currently pregnant and not taking it, I wanted to talk about my specific dosage before getting pregnant and whether or not I plan to take it post-partum.

First up, I just can’t recommend talking to the dosage specialist enough! It’s honestly what helped me see a difference for myself and something I did within weeks of ordering Equilibira. The specialist will ask you about your lifestyle and your goals for taking CBD, so everything really is tailored to YOU! If you have any questions, aren’t sure how to utilize CBD, feel like you aren’t taking enough or too much, they can cover all of this. Y’all know I really like to talk things out and this process just gave me such peace of mind and I loved that it felt catered to me – because it is!

When I first started taking EQ, I was taking one 10 mg capsule in the morning and then 1 dropper at night. I didn’t really notice a difference until after I met with the dosage specialist. Again, everyone is different, but I ended up doubling my dosage (for both soft capsules and the dropper) and that’s when I noticed the positive effects. For me, that meant feeling less scattered and calmer, being able to fall asleep easier at night and just a lesser sense of overwhelm in general. You do not feel high or out of it in any way. It was interesting because I wasn’t sure if it was working but then I missed a couple days and could tell that anxiousness was creeping back in. Y’all know that feeling of heaviness you get with constant anxiety, like from the moment you wake up? I would get that if I wasn’t taking it so it was such physical proof to me that this product was amazing (for me).

I’d also add a soft gel to the nightly routine because it’s a slower release and helps not to just ease me into sleep, but keep me asleep. The specialist also suggested I microdose with the dropper throughout the day when I feel anxious or overwhelmed, which also made a difference for me. I liked having that option if it was a really crazy week or whatever. If you’re thinking about starting yourself, I’d recommend the “Balance Box” (I like the mint flavor best!) – it includes the capsules and the dropper.

Personally, I also use their Relief Cream for muscle pain and aches, especially after a big workout. It’s their topical cream that can help soothe muscles, tightness – even period cramps. If you want to add that to your subscription, check out the “Brilliance Box.

Once I knew I was pregnant, I stopped taking it just because there hasn’t been enough studies to know how harmful/not harmful it is on the baby and I obviously didn’t want to risk it. But let me tell y’all, I really miss it. I’m honestly so grateful for it, more so than ever, and I’m looking forward to getting back on it once I have approval from my doctor post-partum. I’ve had many girlfriends tell me about post-partum anxiety and just the newness of being a new mom, and how much Equilibria has helped them with that.

So even though I’m not currently taking it, I hope breaking down my specific dosage was helpful! I’ll probably consult with a dosage specialist again once I’m post-partum to see what they recommend for me at that time.

Final Notes on Equilibria & What to Do If You Want to Try It

I really want to stress that consistency is key when taking CBD! If you’re serious about improving whatever symptoms you’re experiencing or wanting to work on, be sure to get on a dosage plan with your assigned specialist (they’ll reach out to you after you purchase) and take it accordingly. I’d say you should start feeling some kind of difference within the first five days or so. If not, reach back out to your dosage specialist!

Equilibria

Daily CBD

Use code BRIGHTON for 15% OFF! If you’re just getting start, I recommend the “Balance Box”, which includes the capsules and the dropper.

I’d recommend subscribing to whatever works best for you so you’re not running out every 30 days. This way it’ll show up right to your door and you don’t even have to think about it. You can cancel or change the date on the subscription at any time too so if you get off schedule you have lots of flexibility. Honestly, with the difference these products have made in my life, I can’t imagine they wouldn’t also work for y’all too!

I really, really hope this is helpful to anyone looking into trying Equilibria or just CBD in general. It can feel like a big decision, which is why I wanted to take some of the heavy lifting out of it for you. Feel free to use code BRIGHTON at checkout on Equilibria’s site for 15% off your first order too if you decide to go for it!