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In our latest chat, Pharmacist and Natural Wellness Expert Gina Ruffa dives into mental health: What are its root causes? Which natural remedies actually work? Read on to learn how internal and external factors influence anxiety and depression and the holistic steps to take to begin full-body healing today.

As we prepare to enter the official summer season, “getting into better shape” permeates many conversations, typically driven by a desire to lose weight and feel better throughout the long, sunlit days. But what if shedding winter weight for a leaner physical appearance and heightened energy levels isn’t entirely a product of diet and exercise? According to extensive research on sleep and insomnia, it’s not.

As we begin to retire phrases like “the new normal,” gradually pull down our masks and step into the light of full-capacity restaurants, the effects of COVID-19 beyond obvious physical health concerns linger. One of which is anxiety, with 4 in 10 adults reporting symptoms amid the pandemic.

Being born into a farming family in the 1960s was being absorbed by an ever-changing natural world, with calloused hands perpetually etched in soil and a sun-up-to-sun-down mentality bred from a sharp decline in U.S. farms from the 1930s Dust Bowl era. The Troyer family, however, set firm roots and today farm over 2,500 acres of produce, the latest of which is hemp.

We’re back with Pharmacist and Natural Wellness Expert Gina Ruffa, and today’s chat focuses on options for managing chronic pain, which estimates show roughly 28 percent of U.S. adults suffer from. Gina fills us in on lifestyle factors that may be contributing behind the scenes, and easy changes to make today.

It’s spring, which means warmer days, lighter evenings and a world dipped in vibrant colors. Unfortunately, seasonal allergy sufferers know on the flipside of green leaves and pastel flowers looms lengthy bouts of coughing, sneezing and itching. When OTC remedies aren’t effectively easing symptoms, one study shows CBD may be an alternative.

Today is National Epilepsy Awareness Day, a marker of a complex neurological condition that affects approximately 1.2 percent of the U.S. population. In recent years, cannabis has emerged as a potential solution to some of epilepsy’s most troubling symptoms, particularly for pediatric epilepsy patients.

Gut health: It’s one of the trendiest focal points in the health community, flanked by influencers sipping kombucha and writing off gluten and dairy. So where does the buzz stem from, how does CBD fit into the mix and do you really need to say goodbye to bread and cheese? We consulted with Pharmacist and Health and Nutrition Coach Gina Ruffa to learn more.

Today is the day! Bring on the cuddles, walkies and extra helpings of CBD pet treats because four years ago, I entered the world as one of the cutest bundles of joy my humans would ever lay eyes on.

As we enter a post-opioid era, many researchers and drug-averse consumers have related concerns with CBD products, concerned that even a natural alternative could replicate the problematic dependencies of the past few decades. A new study of CBD, however, shows just the opposite, finding a large dose of CBD did not alter reward-related regions of the brain in study participants.

By now, you’ve probably watched a few national news media interviews in which someone poses the burning question, “How long before things get back to normal?” To answer such a question definitively would require knowledge of many impossibly futuristic factors, but one guess has emerged between the seasonal lines of loosening restrictions: COVID-19 will likely become endemic.

It’s Presidents’ Day, a date selected in conjunction with our first ever president’s birthday: February 22, 1732. Beyond original policymaking, something notable George Washington also enjoyed was growing hemp at his Mount Vernon estate.

Who were the other presidents rumored to dabble in Farmulated's favorite plant?

2020 was certainly a year that emphasized the importance of preventive health care. While many of us took to Google to search how to boost our immune systems, what type of mask is best or how far a sneeze can travel, we may have neglected the issues beyond COVID-19. Here are six things Pharmacist Gina Ruffa says to pay attention to in 2021.

In an exhausting, double-edged exchange, pharmaceutical companies have made appeals for federal incentives to create new antibiotics just as the government encourages reduced antibiotic use to mitigate the hovering crisis. Thankfully, there’s good news on the horizon for consumers already grappling with a viral pandemic: A new study shows CBD can kill bacteria.

What’s in a name? For health-conscious Americans, that’s a loaded question. The hyper-aware ingredient curiosity began well before CBD’s reemergence in American culture. “Take 7-Up for instance. It used to have lithium in it,” Pharmacist Gina Ruffa noted, “and even with things like lithium, a mineral, people are just now finding out it has benefits.”

The green wave, a term used to reference the increasing acceptance and use of cannabis, has only spread since the onset of COVID-19. A recent study from Aclara Research shows approximately 20 percent of consumers are using more CBD products in response to the pandemic.

While massive retail chains are likely to make it past the one-year mark of an international health crisis, small businesses may not be so fortunate. As a brand new CBD company, we are so grateful to the loyal patrons who purchased our products in 2020, and in turn, have a few suggestions for spreading the “Shop Local” love.

How do you celebrate the promise of 2021 while away from friends and family? Our suggestion: a reverse New Year’s Eve.

Today we welcome Gina Ruffa, health and nutrition coach and registered pharmacist with over 37 years of experience. Gina will be contributing to the Farmulated CBD team as a natural wellness expert. 

Tensions are high! And I mean high. Have you ever had a standoff with the delivery human every day for weeks on end? Here's what happens.

It’s mid-December, which means the winter wellness jokes are in full swing: prepping your “winter body” with a few extra pounds, consuming Christmas cookies and hot cocoa as a form of self-care, sipping red wine by a fire to self-isolate from COVID-19. While these are all wonderful ways to celebrate the holiday season, putting health on the backburner until spring may not be so merry and bright.

If you already feel the strain of a lack of time and money amid the holiday season, then the compounding anxiety of maneuvering a health crisis has probably wreaked havoc on your expectant holiday cheer. Our tip for achieving a sense of peace and joy? CBD.

This holiday season, nix the weekends spent weaving through retail stores and #ShopLocal with Farmulated CBD. We've composed the Ultimate Gift-Giving Guide for friends and family who may be tricky to buy for.

If you are still planning on joining your loved ones for a delicious plate or two of grub, we’ve compiled a few options for how to enjoy a more relaxed, less hectic holiday of thankfulness.

It’s National Rural Health Day, a time to address the unique healthcare needs of about 15 percent of the U.S. population. While living in rural America certainly contributes to a peaceful, nature-oriented lifestyle, it also presents geographic challenges.

Following numerous studies on the exciting potential of CBD, new research from the Cleveland Clinic shows melatonin is a top alternative contender for staving off COVID-19. In a study of nearly 27,000 individuals, those consistently given melatonin were 28 percent less likely to test positive for the virus.

As U.S. biopharmaceutical company Pfizer pushes forward with a coronavirus vaccine currently shown to be 90 percent effective, ongoing medical research has unveiled the groundbreaking potential of CBD. 

In our K-9 companions, osteoarthritis not only causes physical strain, but also leaves them uneager to play and easily exhausted. The good news: A recent study led by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine shows CBD may be effective in treating dogs with arthritic pain.

When we envision farmers, we often see the picturesque tillage or the rough, dirt-etched palms, but not the marketing insight required to ensure a smooth transition from purchasing raw materials to bringing a successful, fairly priced product to market. Farmulated CBD Owner Mark Troyer, however, was raised on the full potential of agriculture.

When Pennsylvania took steps to legalize hemp growing in 2017—ushering in a comeback for what had been a staple crop in colonial times—Mark Troyer saw an opportunity.

Homeostasis is the body’s natural tendency to maintain equilibrium, or a stable internal environment. French Physiologist Claude Bernard originally called this the “internal milieu,” and noted the process was the sole reason for “a free and independent existence.” But what happens when these processes we so mindlessly rely on go awry?

Meet Chad Jantzi, Pharm D., who recently toured our Farmulated CBD facilities in Waterford, PA. Chad is a Corry, PA native and a current pharmacist at Your Hometown Pharmacy in Erie, PA.

A study being performed by two Israeli research and development companies suggests a mixture of CBD and terpenes could be at least two times more effective at reducing the inflammatory cytokine storms associated with COVID-19 as dexamethasone.

Ready to hit the open road with a more relaxed four-legged friend? Here are a few things you should consider before you pack your bags.

Along with the familiar physical aspects of aging—wrinkles, aches and pains, weight gain—one critical, often overlooked component of accumulating trips around the sun is increased inflammation. In fact, inflammation may not just be a side effect of getting older, but a contributing factor of how quickly our bodies age.

May is National Mental Health Awareness Month, a time to observe the complicated, often silent challenges mental illnesses pose. Studies conducted prior to the pandemic showed over 19 percent of U.S. adults suffer from mental illnesses, with anxiety disorders among the top-cited.

Diversity of abilities, we are taught, gives us the highest chance of producing the greatest outcome. A popular cannabis concept called the entourage effect also abides by this principle, theorizing that the interaction between multiple components of the cannabis plant creates the most powerful concoction of healing properties.

It’s National Public Health Week, which falls at a conflicting time given the state of our nation as we battle the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. But taking a moment to reflect on our overall health is critical, especially as many of us have a little – or in many cases, a lot—of extra time on our hands. For us at Farmulated, this is a time to assess where our products fit into the broader health landscape.

The mistreatment of chronic pain in the United States is what triggered the opioid addiction crisis, and what led health experts to seek alternative, nonaddictive treatments. Of these natural alternatives, CBD emerged as having the potential to treat the effects of chronic pain.

National Ag Week is a chance to recognize the farmers behind the products we buy. Farmers comprise less than 2 percent of the U.S. population, and a single farm feeds 166 people on average. Agriculture is responsible for nearly everything we consume and use on a daily basis, yet only in times of crisis such as the current COVID-19 pandemic does the impact of agriculture truly resonate.

Ten years ago, if you asked the average consumer if they were inclined to try CBD the response probably would have been a puzzled, “Try what?” As cannabis becomes commonplace across health products, beauty lines, and political discussions, we can’t help but wonder when and how this seemingly overnight transition in opinions occurred.

Out of all the wellness routines science says you should implement ASAP, a good night’s sleep is one of the most powerful. According to NIH Expert Michael Twery, getting adequate sleep “affects almost every tissue in our bodies.”¹

It’s the best day of the year! National Love Your Pet Day is today, and what better way to love your pet than to help improve their health, which, just like humans, includes stress management.

A Beginner’s Guide to Choosing CBD Isolate vs. Full-Spectrum Hemp Oil

 Making an Informed CBD Purchase

Making your first CBD purchase can be an intimidating experience, especially when faced with questions concerning the type of product, desired dosage, and the dizzying decision between CBD isolate or full-spectrum extract. To make the most informed purchase for your health needs, we have broken down some of the confusing product terminology so you can enter the CBD world with consumer confidence.

As gut health has been pushed to the forefront of modern health discussions, research has shown the bacterial microbiome once exclusively associated with digestive disorders is actually linked to whole-body health concerns. Everything from heart disease to acne to mental health conditions could be impacted by an unbalanced gut, or one in which the “bad” bacteria are not adequately controlled.¹

Along with cannabinoids like THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (cannabidiol), cannabis’ sticky resin glands secrete terpenes. These 5 carbon isoprene units are what make up essential oils. If you have taken an interest in the science behind hemp and marijuana, you have probably heard of terpenes and are aware of the important role they play in the character of each strain.

To all the deer in Northwest PA, here’s a tip: Stop running out in front of moving vehicles. I get it, it’s a rough season for you guys. The woods must be full of anxiety. First arrows fly past, now gunshots ring out, but let’s be honest.

If you are a pet owner, especially the owner of a pet with health issues, chances are you’ve heard the buzz about the positive effects of CBD oil. Perhaps you’ve read up on it and learned that CBD is believed to have a variety of medicinal and therapeutic properties. In contrast to THC, cannabis’s other primary component, you may have read that CBD will not get users high. Both of these statements are accurate. On the other hand, maybe you discovered www.farmulatedcbd.com and are hoping for answers. Either way, it’s great to have you here as we strive to share the best information available regarding CBD products and our four legged friends.

CBD research is in its infancy, and there is limited information about CBD specific effects. It should be noted, too, that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has only approved one CBD products for the treatment of two rare forms of epilepsy.

While some are searching for specialty stores and distributors, others simply want to know what people are using it for. More importantly, they want to know if it works. To shed some light on current research regarding its potential benefits, we’ve put together some of the latest studies and information.

Super-critical Co2 processing is widely accepted as the safest method of cannabinoid extraction today, both for consumers and those doing the processing. Other methods require hemp flower to be suspended in harsh solvents such as low-grade alcohol or butane which can irritate the lungs and leave behind contaminants such as chlorophyll. Not only do these introduce potential health risks to the consumer, they are extremely volatile substances which greatly increase the likelihood of accidents in the workplace. Co2 acts as a solvent without the dangers of being one.