A recent article in the journal The Conversation, asked the question “Is walking enough exercise?”  Four out of five experts said yes. The one expert who said no, qualified his response by saying that walking is better than no exercise at all. He goes on to point out that, ideally, strength training and higher intensity exercise is ideal for good health. While strength training and higher intensity exercise along with moderate exercise is the ideal situation for many, the National Runners’ Health Study found that moderate-intensity walking and vigorous-intensity running resulted in similar... Read More

As a young adult, I taught multiple fitness classes and played recreational soccer.  At that time in my life that much physical activity was not only desired, it was a great way to expend my abundant energy.  As I’ve aged, I’ve noticed shifts in my physical activity levels and preferences. You may have noticed that, as you age, your interests have shifted as well. Changes in your activity level and interests are normal. As we age, there are some activities that become more difficult or risky.  For example, if you were a wrestler in your youth, you are not likely able to tolerate the physical... Read More

There is no perfect diet for everyone, in spite of what you might have heard.  It seems the human body can adapt to almost any diet and survive, even thrive!  Consider the diet of the Inuit, the people indigenous to polar locations such as Siberia, Alaska, Canada, and Greenland. Theirs is a mostly meat diet, and yet they are a hardy population who consume few to no vegetables in their diet. In the US, experts recommend a diet largely focused on healthy grains, fruits and vegetables.  Most Americans don’t get the recommended 5 servings per day, and even fewer eat the 5-9 servings that is considered... Read More

Dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, and endorphins are neurotransmitters that regulate our happiness.  A neurotransmitter is a messenger of neurologic information from one cell to another.  Being in a positive mental state has significant impact on our motivation, productivity, and wellbeing. Did you know you can intentionally cause neurotransmitters to flow? Let’s take a look at each one and how you can activate them to make yourself happy. Dopamine motivates us to take action toward goals, desires, and needs, and gives a surge of reinforcing pleasure when achieving them. Procrastination, self-doubt,... Read More

The Rocky Mountains are one of the things I love most about Colorado! Hiking the breath taking landscapes with endless trails filled with wildlife and breathing the fresh mountain air is an amazing way to connect with nature and refresh yourself! There’s something about being in nature and consuming Cannabis that really elevates the experience. One of my favorite things to do is consume Cannabis and hit the trail! Hiking is also an amazing way to be active. It’s an excellent activity to improve health and fitness by increasing muscle strength, endurance, raising your heart rate, and relieving... Read More

Did you know that November is Epilepsy Awareness Month?  November was declared National Epilepsy Awareness Month in 2003 to help end the stigma surrounding the condition and to generate education and understanding for those living with epilepsy. People all around the country get involved and show support for epilepsy awareness to help promote change for those who are affected. I am one of approximately 3.4 million people in the U.S. living with epilepsy and 65 million people worldwide. Those affected by the condition are more than those affected by autism spectrum disorders, Parkinson’s... Read More

The Precision Medicine Initiative, a long-term research endeavor involving the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and multiple other research centers, aims to understand how a person’s genetics, environment, and lifestyle can help determine the best way to prevent or treat disease.  Last year, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) changed the initiative’s name to the warmer and fuzzier, All of Us, and began testing for a 2018 launch in hopes of achieving its goal of gaining anonymous health information from one million Americans. Fitbit is the first wearable device company to get the... Read More

It’s been an exciting year in the cannabis and athletics industry. If you pay attention to the headlines in cannabis industry news publications like Sensi Magazine, Merry Jane, The Cannabist, Dope Magazine, and several others you may have noticed a rise in cannabis athletic related topics. Even many mainstream publications like Vogue are covering the rising industry that is CannaFitness. On top of an increase in news publications surrounding my favorite subject, consuming cannabis as an athlete or for overall health and wellness, there has been a rise in apparel companies promoting cannabis... Read More

Every morning, the first thing I do after getting out of bed is make coffee. The ritual of making it begins my entire morning routine. I really enjoy dark roasts. I absolutely love the aroma of a freshly brewed dark roast coffee. I even enjoy the smell of walking through the coffee aisle at the grocery store! I like my coffee black, with no cream or sugar. I’ve come to savor the bitterness and usually will have two or even three cups in the morning. I typically consume cannabis early in the morning too, which is why I was excited when I first found out about CBD infused coffee. I was first... Read More

Last weekend I had the pleasure of attending the world premier of the documentary exploring marijuana’s use and evolution as a plant and industry, “The Legend of 420”. The film was produced and directed by Emmy and Academy Award-nominated, Peter Spirer, with Rugged Entertainment and XLRator Media. The premier in Denver, now the hub for hemp and marijuana movie premiers known as Hollyweed, was made possible by Amy Bourlon-Hilterbran, the founder and CEO of Millennium Grown Broadcast Network. Millennium Grown brought this premier to Denver, and contains online content about marijuana and hemp... Read More

Having recently made a personal commitment to achieve a better work life balance, I find myself feeling encouraged to talk about stress, mental health, and even share a bit about my own life’s stressors. Mental health is very important, and the stress of life’s bountiful challenges can take a toll on it very quickly. Gary Vaynerchuk is quoted as saying, “Everybody has shit”, and he’s right. We all have our own shit in our lives we have to deal with. It can often be easy to get caught up in it, to the point you may not consider other people are going through their own shit, so keep that... Read More

It’s long been known that improving your physical fitness is associated with living a longer life. Studies show that past age 65, your walking speed at your natural pace is a surprisingly reliable predictor of survival. The study looked at the natural gait speed of more than 34,000 participants age 65 and older from nine previous studies. These studies followed outcomes for 12 years or more, in which time almost half of the participants died. They found a consistent effect of how long people lived and whether they had a faster or slower gait speed. Those who walked naturally at 2.2 miles... Read More

Women and Wellness go hand in hand. Women are traditionally more attune with their overall health and wellness needs for themselves, as well as their loved ones. I recently had the pleasure of attending my first Ellementa monthly meeting in Denver, this past August. Ellementa is a women-owned national startup building network, and resource for women interested in learning about cannabis wellness. They meet monthly in their locations to discuss health, wellness, and cannabis, with the goal of reaching and educating women. The group aims to release the stigma surrounding the plant, and hopes to empower... Read More

For me, marijuana has always been a means of mental stress relief. Before I became a cannabis athlete, I consumed marijuana regularly to help with anxiety and stress. Before moving to Colorado, from Missouri in 2015, my life consisted of 60-70 hour work weeks in corporate finance, and if I wasn’t in the actual office, I was at a dinner, or an auction, or some other event related to my work. The success was nice, but the stress was overwhelming. After long days and/or nights at the office, I would come home and calm my nervous system with the relaxing smoke of marijuana. Being in Missouri at the... Read More

As the COO of Marijuana Fitness Nutrition, or MJFITNUT, I am very proud to announce the unveiling of our brand evolution with our site redesign of mjfitnut.com having officially launched on September 1st! Since it’s inception in January of 2017, we have quickly become one of the most recognized brands in CannaFitness, or cannabis and athletics. Below is a short list of accomplishments the brand has been able to achieve so far this year. World’s First and only Weekly CannaFitness Column here on Leaf of the Week World’s Largest CannaFitness Content Creation, Distribution, and Promotion Network World’s... Read More

As a Cannabis Athlete and someone who believes health is wealth, I’m consistently looking at my nutritional intake and hemp seeds are one of the most nutritious seeds in the world. My friend and professional MMA fighter, Adam Meredith, also consumes hemp as one of his primary protein sources. They are a complete protein and contain all of the essential amino acids our bodies need to survive, including the 10 we must get from our diet. They are also packed full of vitamins, enzymes, and have a perfect ratio of essential fats omega 3 and 6. Hemp seeds are easily digestible and have no known allergens.... Read More

Between work, practice, and competitions, some of which you have to travel for, all while taking care of family life at home, it can be difficult to find time for nutritious whole food meals when you’re always on the go. The easiest way to solve this issue is by doing some simple meal prepping, which is what we’re going to talk about today. After reading this you’ll walk away with a few easy strategies that will not only save you time in the kitchen, but your mind and body will thank you for providing it with the natural medicine of whole foods. By incorporating natural whole foods into... Read More

For me, the morning is the most important part of my day. I like to wake up early, around 5:00 or 6:00, to enjoy the sunrise and peacefulness the morning has to offer. This time sets my mind and body for the rest of the day, so I try to make it as productive and beneficial to get it started on good vibes. However, I wake up daily to one of my cats crawling all over me and meowing in my face until I get out of bed. He really likes his snacks and to be let outside on the deck to watch the birds. I then start the coffee and consume cannabis. I suffer from idiopathic epilepsy with grand mal seizures,... Read More

If you’ve ever been to CrossFit, you’ve done a HIIT workout.  HIIT is the acronym for high intensity interval training.   The concept has been around for a long time, but recent research suggests that a HIIT workout may help people of any age become healthier. A new study of old mice that ran on treadmills found that they can tolerate high-intensity interval training, and rapidly gain fitness and strength, even if they start off frail and sedentary. HIIT is characterized by abbreviated, intense bouts of cardiovascular exercise alternating short periods of intense anaerobic exercise... Read More

Everyone who has worked out in a fitness center or Crossfit class, with a personal trainer or on your own, read an article or even talked with a gym rat – knows about the core. “Strengthen your core,”  “Work on your core,” “Feel it in your core.”  But what does it mean to say you are working your core? The core is usually used interchangeably with your abs, but the core is much more than just your abs. Think of your core muscles as the central link in a chain connecting your upper and lower body.  The muscle groups that make up your core include the rectus abdominis, erector spinae... Read More