If you are concerned about the impact that medical marijuana may have on your diet, you’re not alone. You may be apprehensive about managing your diet while using medical marijuana, due to its notorious side effect of causing munchies. But we’ve got good news: You can use medical marijuana and maintain a healthy diet, and it’s not as difficult as you may think.
One of the many reasons people are apprehensive about trying any new medication, is because they’re unsure of how it’ll affect their diet. Those concerns are no different for people considering using medical marijuana for the first time.
This is especially the case due to how unfamiliar most people are with the concept of using cannabis for medicinal purposes. Many who are hesitant to try medical marijuana only see treatments with cannabis as a one-dimensional version of the common stereotypes (including giving you the munchies and keeping you on the couch).
However, there are enough cannabis products on the market to be able to use them to overcome a wide variety of medical conditions, without having to sacrifice your diet.
A few things to remember to successfully manage your diet while using medical marijuana products include:
Ingesting Medical Marijuana: Managing Sugar and Calorie Intake With Edibles and Tinctures
A big part of any strict diet is closely monitoring calories and sugar levels of products before eating them. Depending on how strict a patient’s diet is, they may not be able to consume certain medical marijuana products. Luckily patients in Ohio’s medical marijuana program have access to a broad selection of edibles and marijuana tinctures to choose from.
Understand the Nutrition Facts of Medical Marijuana Edibles
Similar to other snacks and treats, the nutritional value of medical marijuana edibles can have a big impact on a patient's health. When shopping for medical marijuana edibles, patients who are following a strict diet should pay close attention to the labels that come with their products because they offer the details that will inform whether or not it’s a smart purchase.
Luckily for patients in Ohio’s medical marijuana program, there’s a wide variety of medical marijuana edibles to choose from. Regardless of what any dietary restrictions a patient faces, finding a medical marijuana edible that falls within those restrictions is possible.
In order to find medical marijuana edibles with ingredients that work within their diets patients should check out edibles of all types. For instance, while some gummies may be high in sugar, there are likely to be edibles that are lower in sugar, like these cannabis-infused mints which can be found at Terrasana dispensaries.
Any edibles that are available for sale at medical marijuana dispensaries in Ohio have been approved for sale by a state-certified board committed to patient safety too, so patients can take comfort in knowing that there are no harmful ingredients used in the medical marijuana edibles they’re consuming.
Mix Medical Marijuana Tinctures with Your Favorite Foods
For medical marijuana patients who prefer not to treat their ailments with edibles, medical marijuana tinctures are a great alternative. Similar to edibles, there are a wide variety of tinctures to choose from.
One of the reasons tinctures have risen in popularity recently is because of the fact that they’re easier to manage in terms of dosage. That’s because they come with a dropper that allows patients to see exactly how much THC or CBD they’re getting with each drop which not only allows them to go back for more, but also provides them with the ability to see how much they add.
Those capabilities give patients unprecedented control over their dosage that’s nearly impossible to find with edibles or concentrates. Besides the fact that they offer patients more control over their dosage, medical marijuana tinctures can be easily infused into foods and drinks. They also serve as a low-calorie alternative to medical marijuana edibles. When adding them into foods, their effects are usually felt in about 30 minutes to a half an hour.
Managing Your Munchies While Using Medical Marijuana
Many people consider the munchies as an inevitable byproduct of using medical marijuana. While that may be a dealbreaker for some people considering medical marijuana as an option, it’s important to remember that there are a couple ways patients can help keep the munchies at bay.
Make Sure You’re Staying Hydrated
The first step in managing your munchies if you find yourself having them, is to keep some fresh H2O on hand. Sometimes, you don’t need a full meal so much as something in your stomach. Staying hydrated can help your cells continue providing you with energy, and reduce those hunger pangs that come with the munchies.
Keep Busy to Distract Yourself from Your Own Munchies
While it isn’t always possible, another tip is to stay busy, because distractions can keep you from thinking about that bag of Hot Fries sitting in your kitchen cabinet. Rather than diving into the Reese's peanut butter pumpkins leftover from Halloween, try going for a walk, chatting with a friend, or doing something that requires your hands to not be covered in Cheeto dust (like knitting, journaling or painting).
Go Ahead and Monch! Just Make Sure You’re Eating Something Healthy!
Sometimes succumbing to the munchies is okay - especially when there are healthy snacks available. And you can make sure you’re prepared by always having your fridge stocked with the good stuff! Some examples of snacks medical marijuana patients might want to keep stocked just in case the munchies do make a surprise appearance include celery, carrots, grapes, apples, oranges and nuts like cashews and pistachios for those who aren’t allergic. Dark chocolate is another option that is healthy in moderation and goes great with most strains of medical marijuana.
Some Patients Need an Appetite Stimulant—MMJ Can be a Solution
Most medical marijuana patients are familiar with the concept of the munchies, but for some patients that could be a benefit. Typically patients who are suffering from conditions like cancer have a hard time developing an appetite due to their chemotherapy and radiation treatments.
A lack of an appetite can make their fight against the disease more difficult due to a lack of calories which can cause a lack of muscle mass, increased fatigue and worsened mobility. Medical marijuana stimulates the appetites of patients because it possesses THC which activates a receptor found in body tissue called CB1.
Of course, there are certain strains of medical marijuana that are more effective at stimulating appetites than others. Most recent research indicates that indica strains are more likely to stimulate the appetite of patients than sativas are. For patients who are on the hunt for indica strains, Rise Dispensaries are currently offering generous discounts of Columbia Care medical marijuana products. Until November 11th, 2021, patients can get 10% off 1 product, 20% off 2 and 30% off 3.
To Find Out if Medical Marijuana Works for Your Diet, Make An Appointment With a Certified Medical Marijuana Physician Today
Given how new the concept of medical marijuana is to most Ohioans, it’s perfectly natural to have concerns about how it affects the diets of people who choose to use cannabis to treat medical conditions. Fortunately for anyone who has questions, Ohio Marijuana Card offers live support 6 days a week for people to ask any questions that concern them.
Additionally, patients have the ability to make appointments with certified medical marijuana physicians at their own convenience online. Taking that into consideration, there’s no need for dietary concerns to hold you back from experiencing the relief of medical marijuana, so make an appointment for a consultation today!
Doctors Who Care.
Relief You Can Trust.
Here at Ohio Marijuana Card, our goal is to help everyone achieve wellness safely and conveniently through increased access to medical marijuana. Our focus on education, inclusion, and acceptance will reduce the stigma for our patients by providing equal access to timely information and compassionate care.
If you have any questions, call us at (866) 457-5559, or simply book a medical marijuana evaluation to start getting relief you can trust today!
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