Author: Earl Butler

Like so many others, I was mystified by the spectacle of Royce Gracie winning the first Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). I knew I wanted to learn “that stuff” someday and I was fully committed to getting my black belt but sometimes other things took priority.  My life was full: I was working in San Francisco wearing a suite every day and preparing for the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT). Before I could blink it was 1995 and I am off to Seattle to attend my dream school the University of Washington for a Master’s in Business Administration.

Flash forward suddenly it is 1997 and I move back to the Bay Area fully committed to prioritizing my Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) journey.  A friend of mine told me he was training at a Gracie gym in Pleasant Hill, CA.  I decided to go watch a class, signed up that night and returned the next day to start the journey.

I can still remember my first class. It was a small group, just three of us. The trainers showed us the basic armbar from the guard position and a technique for escaping when someone is mounted: the Upa.   After practicing these drills, we were introduced to the active rolling (wrestling) that goes on during class. I can honestly tell you if you never been in a fight you have no idea how much energy it takes to just wrestle for five minutes! I was one tired person after that class but I was in love. That was first and last time I ever saw my two introductory classmates. I can’t even remember their names. People only got to know you if you stuck around and trained at least a good six months. And many showed up, like me enamored by the “Gracie” name, but it is glamourous at all.

Then BAM, when life seemed so good, I was rocked to my core to find out my mother was terminally ill with a form of leukemia called Multiple Myeloma. I took care of her until she passed.

Months later, and BJJ is still on my mind, getting that black belt in my soul. I had the pleasure and pain to have been around and train with some talented martial artists, all who in he ebb and flow are now black belts. Guys like:

Gil Castillo,

David Terrell,

Steve Heath,

Nick Ertl,

Jake Shields,

Gil Melendez,

Val Ignatov,

Marty Armendarez,

Casey Strand,

the late Alex Gong,

Richard Nero,

Tim Lajcik,

and a very young Nick Diaz.

In the early days you learned early and often that guys were going to beat you up good and techniques were top secret until or if you learned to defend and submit people. Think of going to a place everyday knowing that you were to be beaten unless you made movies up the learning curve. I was getting up everyday going to work at 4am, come home grab a nap or a bite to eat and head to the gym knowing that I was the low man until or if I quit, or took someone else’s spot by beating them. Remember, this was before the internet we all take for granted today. No Youtube videos or facebook groups, just a few online forums with verbal descriptions of technique and maybe a few hand drawn pictures. You would have had an easier time finding porn on-line then than a viable BJJ technique!

I think it took me literally a year before I could hit my first armbar while actively rolling. No one was spoon feeding you any technique people showed you once maybe twice since there were so few techniques. I remember being promoted to Blue belt (the second you can earn). You had to fight and win to get a promotion. I was elated.

Suddenly, and unexpectedly I had a fire in my home which was a total loss. Me and my Dad had to demolish everything in the house down to the studs and remodel the house. Once again, I had to step back from BJJ and take care of life. It took me 2.5 years to get the house back to where it could be occupied (that’s another story). I got back to training as I could and was once again rocked by the sudden death of my father.

Life and success are not linear, there is an ebb and flow to everything. I’ve lost loved ones, jobs, torn ligaments, had a herniated disc, torn nerves and lost everything in a fire.  It is all part of the ebb and flow of life. Despite all the ups and downs I’ve never loss focus on the goals that I set out to achieve. This September will make 23 years training in BJJ. I knew when I started down this path that I would never quit. Just because life throws a curve ball, don’t ever give up.

With the introduction of the internet to the general populace circa 1990 the world was introduced to the beginnings of the 24/7/365 data cycle.  I say data because everything on the world wide web can be raw and truly lacking context and obviously may not be real. Around 2004 the world was introduced to social media via companies like Myspace and Linkedin and coupled with the pervasive nature of the cellphone Skynet was online or rather we were now always in a world where no matter the time of day or night you could get on line. Via the internet or social media we were bombarded with tons of data and stimuli. It seems very innocent but the constant connectivity and stimuli and the medium can have negative effects on you physically and I’m not just talking about tendinitis of the thumb and neck pain, lol.

I was on the fore front of this movement and believe me I was up every workday at 4am to start my commute and using my protestant work ethic to try and rise up in the organization and make money. One day I got a call at work from my Father and he said: “Son there has been a small fire at the house.”  I immediately left work to go check on my family. When I got home the house was destroyed. I took the rest of the work week off and with my father’s help we worked on cleaning out the house so I could begin the rebuild.

When I went back to work, the Vice President of the business group I support was upset because she hadn’t gotten her monthly package I complete. I convened with our Chief Financial Officer to ask for his thoughts on my approach to addressing this issue. He said: “just tell her what happened, she should understand.” This was hard for me as I I like to keep my private life separate from work. Against my own judgement I attempted to talk with my business partner about my personal tragedy. What I got was basically a who cares where is my business package.

In that moment I recognized that no matter how much good work I had done up until this point this lady didn’t care about me or my wellbeing after losing everything in the fire. I asked for a week and proceed to get things back on track but my entire approach to work changed as I started coming in at 8 am instead of 5 am. I started leaving after eight hours unless I absolutely had to stay late. This brings me to the concept of La Dolce Far Niente.

 The Italians have a concept called “La Dolce Far Niente” which means “the sweetness of doing nothing”. This was the pivotal moment I learned how important “nothing” truly is. When I say nothing, I’m not talking about sitting at home watching television, passively zoning out on the internet. I’m referring to putting down the devices, stepping back from the latest streaming show, get over “dammit I’m missing the latest episode of Shameless”, even putting work down (yes, even when it’s your own business). I’m not telling you to forsake your responsibilities I’m saying that the Protestant work ethic and connectivity will be enhanced with a little “La Dolce Far Niente”. In my mind this is the concept of stopping and smelling the roses. No matter where you are in the world I believe there is something beautiful to appreciate whether it is a beautiful urban garden, a nature spring, or a beautiful piece of graffiti as I take breaks and walk at work now.

La Dolce Far Niente.

We live in the San Francisco Bay area and my wife often says: “when you get stressed out or anxious just look up.” She says it because in her mind there is always an amazing view to capture. People talk about being present which I agree, but when I’m talking about being present, I want to focus on enjoying the moment its entirety. Mind, body and spirit. If you are sitting in the park people watching don’t let your mind drift to what you should be doing but rather focus on the people you see in your line of sight. Find joy in that sweet nothing. Work and responsibilities are always going to be there but mastering the art of doing nothing could help your quality of life.

Although we currently offer CBD oil has an option  for several issues ranging from insomnia, microbiome, pain, anxiety and more, if you look at the research and role of the endocannabinoid system (ECS), I would encourage people with any aliment, but laos people like me with none, to consider the benefits of taking it daily. If you look at what the ECS does in the body, daily supplementation of CBD oil to feed the ECS is a great idea.

People take supplements every day for health purposes:

CBD is definitely a viable option for daily supplementation given it the various benefits that are being discovered via research like epilepsy, pain management, insomnia, etc. As I continue to learn about CBD and the ECS, I realize that it should be treated like a daily supplement versus a “pill” you take for your aliment.

Interestingly, my wife says that she has ZERO menopause symptoms, and her back pain has lessoned greatly taking CBD twice a day. And although I am not making any medial claims, I have parents that died young (heart attack and cancer) so taking this daily improves my own overall health.

Why wouldn’t you do that for those you love? We can help with the best dosing and strengths for you and your life, contact us!

Why might CBD help with IBS? Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a disorder of the colon that affects the intestinal tract and is often both a direct cause and the result of stress. Stress can cause a change in the composition of bacteria in the gut microbiome, causing flare ups like IBS. On the other hand, existing gut issues that cause IBS symptoms may also induce feelings of stress and anxiety. This is a direct result of the gut-brain connection. Both issues might be aided with the introduction of Cannabidiol (CBD).

IBS occurs when your colon does not contract normally and instead contracts at random, causing symptoms like abdominal pain, cramping, bloating, as well as chronic constipation and/or diarrhea. While everyone suffers from bowel changes now and then, if you have IBS, the symptoms are more severe, or occur more often.

For many, these symptoms can severely limit your social interactions, travel, work options, and relationships. While there is no cure for irritable bowel syndrome, doctors have found that changes in lifestyle such as physical exercise, diet changes, more fiber, and stress management can help treat symptoms of IBS.

Understanding how stress can lead to IBS symptoms can begin by examining the “second brain”—our digestive system. Scientists have found that the gut has so many nerves in the walls of the digestive system that send signals back and forth to the brain, that it acts as a “second brain.”

The types of bacteria in our gut determine which signals are sent, which can impact our physical health, our mood, and even the way we think. This connection between the gut and brain is called the gut-brain axis.

Because of this connection, it is critical that the gut microbiome, the community of bacteria and other microbes, remains balanced and healthy so that the digestive tract functions effectively. With a healthy gut microbiome, we feel less anxiety and stress, and subsequently have fewer IBS symptoms.

It’s also important to remember that this connection runs both ways, so stress and anxiety can cause changes in the gut microbiome, resulting in the growth of undesirable bacteria that can lead to inflammation and increased risk for disease, including gastrointestinal disorders like IBS.

Because IBS can be caused both by an unhealthy gut microbiome and chronic stress and anxiety, it makes sense that treatment involves both stress management and dietary changes to improve the gut microbiome. If you feel chronic stress, your doctor may recommend stress management techniques, physical exercise, or therapy. Reducing stress can help lessen anxiety.

Dr Edward Russo a leader in CBD research says:

“Well, yes it does in a very important way. There’s been some very interesting work done recently that shows that the microbiome, which is a collection of natural bacterium in the gut, has a great deal to do with our health overall. Whether someone has problems with inflammation or not, it provides neurotransmitters that go to the brain, effects our moods in a very key way, it’s very involved in autoimmune diseases. What was found is that THC actually stimulates production of some of the more beneficial bacterium and suppresses the disease-causing bacteria like clostridia that produces severe diarrhea syndrome.”

There is an emerging area of research in its infancy that has shown CBD can benefit the microbiome in conjunction with the endocannabidiol system (ECS) that we previously discussed in our blog. With all the upcoming benefits of CBD if you suffer from IBS wouldn’t getting on a CBD protocol be worth a try? Contact us, we can help make a healthy choice!

The reproductive system, the respiratory system, the nervous system, the cardiovascular system, the skeletal system, the endocrine system; these are physiological systems that we are all most likely aware and reasonably familiar with. Our reproductive system is for sexual enjoyment and reproduction; our respiratory system is for breathing; our nervous system is our brain and nerves; our cardiovascular system pumps blood around our body; the skeletal system contains our bones and allows us to stand up; the endocrine system is responsible for our hormones.

We would like to believe we know everything about the human body. We do not, we keep learning more, and in 1990 as a by-product of trying to understand how Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) effects the body, the largest neurotransmitter system in the body– the endocannabinoid systems (ECS) was discovered.

Why is this important? This system is literally involved in virtually every aspect of our physical and emotional health.

The endocannabinoids and their receptors are found throughout the body for example in the brain, organs, connective tissues, glands, etc.

In each location, the ECS performs different task, but the goal is always homeostasis which is a fancy word for balance or equilibrium in a dynamic environment. The human bodies internal temperature is a great example of homeostasis. When an individual is healthy, his or her body temperature is at 98.6 degree Fahrenheit. The body can control temperature by making or releasing heat depending on the external conditions and the signals being transmitted internally across the ECS. Another example is your blood pressure and heart rate.

The endocannabinoid systems plays and integral part in maintaining this balancing act. Like it is essential to exercise, or eat high quality nutritionally dense food to maintain our bodies, it is crucial to make sure we care, exercise and maintain our ECS systems. One of the ways to care for your ECS is to regularly feed it food grade cannabidiol (CBD) that is organically grown, free of pesticides, herbicides, solvents and heavy metals.  We have that, contact us for more information as to the best product for you.