What could be more delicious than a festive CBD gingerbread recipe that also kickstarts Veganuary?Gingerbread people are an oldie but a goodie, and in true Amma Life fashion, we’ve added an extra CBD twist to this tasty Christmas biscuit.You can make these ahead of Christmas Day, as long as you keep them in an airtight container they can last up to 3 weeks - if they haven’t already been eaten by then!
You can give these biscuits as a gift or hand them out on the big day. Or if you’ve not finished your Christmas shopping yet then we’ve got you covered - check out our top 5 CBD gifts to give this year.Let’s get down to the CBD gingerbread recipe. You’ll need:
- Dairy-free butter 75g
- 300g of plain flour
- 100g of dark muscovado sugar
- 1 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda
- 3 tablespoons of golden syrup
- 2 teaspoons of ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon of cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon of nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon of Amma Life 5% CBD Oil 500mg
- Decorative icing pens (check they’re vegan but most usually are)
- Person-shaped cookie cutter
Method: - Melt the butter, sugar and syrup gently in a pan. Be careful not to burn the butter.
- Take the butter, sugar and syrup mixture off the heat and allow to cool slightly before stirring in your CBD oil.
- Now it’s time for the dry ingredients so add your flour, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and ground ginger into a bowl. Use a sieve if you need to remove any lumps.
- Pour your liquid mixture into your dry ingredients and gently knead them together to form a dough.
- On a grease-proof baking tray, pat the dough into a rectangle and pop it into the fridge.
6. And now we wait. Chill your dough for at least 30 mins. The key thing to remember is not to overwork your dough. This way your biscuit won’t be too tough and will have a nice snap to it.
7. Once your dough is nice and firm, take it out of the fridge and, using another sheet of grease paper, lay it on top, roll out your dough to a 1/2 cm thickness, and shape them using your cutter. This way they won’t be too thick or brittle.
8. Heat your oven to 190 degrees / 170 degrees fan-assisted and bake for 10 to 12 mins.
9. Now that they’re cooked, wait for your biscuits to cool before piping on some festive decorations.
And they’re ready to be eaten! You’ll be sure to put smiles on your friend's and family's faces this Christmas and well into the New Year with this tried and tested festive CBD gingerbread recipe!
CBD - Before and After a Workout
For many of us, just getting to the gym is a miracle in itself, so once we’re there we want to make the most of our workout. How does CBD fit into this?
As there is very little scientific research into CBD and Sport, we have to rely on anecdotal evidence. However, the overwhelming consensus is that CBD improves concentration, focus, and stamina - all key components of an effective workout.CBD is also finding a natural home within the bodybuilding community, as it may promote the creation of muscle mass. The body produces certain catabolic hormones that, rather than building muscle, actually break it down. Chief amongst them is the stress hormone, cortisol. CBD is thought to be anti-catabolic because it decreases cortisol levels in the blood. It’s theorized that by decreasing cortisol, CBD may actually encourage the growth of muscle mass. As an aside, if using CBD as an anti-catabolic, stay clear of energy drinks containing caffeine, which increase cortisol levels in the body.
CBD may also give that extra boost to a work out by allowing athletes to push through the pain barrier. While pain is there for a reason, i.e. as a warning signal that we are reaching our physical limit, for some sports, pushing past this pain is necessary.
CBD, rather than reducing pain, seems to mediate our relationship with it. A recent study showed that cannabinoid drugs make pain less unpleasant and more tolerable. This subtle difference could be enough to transform an average sporting performance into an exceptional one.
And what about CBD and recovery? A common consequence of hard exercise is muscle stiffness and fatigue. CBD for DOMS (delayed onset of muscle soreness) is another area where anecdotal reports are positive. Inflammation is a necessary part of the recovery process, but excess inflammation can cause secondary muscle damage due to the release of free radicals from active neutrophils (white blood cells). It’s thought CBD’s anti-inflammatory and antioxidant nature, may help reduce this excess muscle soreness. Indeed, CBD topical creams, perfect for applying after a serious training session, are proving very popular with the sports community.
