Category: Business

Palms Pharmacy Adds Covid Testing; Vaccines Next

Stepping into the Palms Pharmacy in The Shoppes at The Pointe plaza in Tampa Palms, just south of the Bruce B. Downs Blvd. exit off I-75, you immediately see that it’s not your typical pharmacy.

Patients are often greeted by name, which has been the standard for the nearly five years since Palms Pharmacy first opened, and there’s usually little to no wait time to get prescriptions filled.

Members of the pharmacy staff — which has grown to eight employees, including the ever-smiling boss, Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) Shahida Choudhry — run prescriptions out to customers who have chosen curbside service.

In addition, the pharmacy is currently administering curbside Covid-19 rapid tests and Covid-19 antibody tests. Because Palms Pharmacy is unable to bill medical insurance, patients have to pay for the tests out of pocket, then request reimbursement from their insurance company.

“But, there’s no waiting in line for four hours,” Dr. Choudhry says, and she and her staff provide all the necessary information for you to easily submit a claim to your insurance company to be reimbursed.

And soon, Palms Pharmacy expects to begin administering the Covid-19 vaccine. To schedule an appointment or find out how to get on the interest list for a Covid-19 vaccine, please use the pharmacy’s secure text-only line to text the pharmacy staff at (727) 513-3210.

For those venturing inside, you might be surprised by the store’s fresh new look.

Glass shelves now show off niche products, such as locally grown honey from Pinellas County, Zumbar and Old Whaling Co. soaps, shower steamers and more, and fun snacks such as TeaPops and Fatty Sundays chocolate-covered pretzels.

Dr. Choudhry says the dramatic change in the pharmacy’s storefront can be attributed to a chance encounter on Instagram with Marcus Lemonis, the famous multimillionaire businessman and star of CNBC’s most popular reality television show, “The Profit.”

Thanks to some tips from multi-millionaire businessman Marcus Lemonis (top), the inside of Palms Pharmacy has a more open, comfortable look with glass shelving and better placement of the store’s ever-expanding product lines.

She says she was following the reality star’s Instagram Live one night with thousands of others, when Lemonis somehow noticed @PalmsPharmacy was watching, and called on Dr. Choudhry to share about her business. That was followed up with a separate Instagram Live session, where she was a featured guest to discuss her pharmacy with Lemonis, who assigned her homework and gave her tasks to help her improve her business.

She says Lemonis has assigned her a mentor that she checks in with quarterly. She’s also applied to be a guest on his hit TV show. “I learn a lot from him,” Dr. Choudhry says, “because he’s a business guy and I’m a pharmacist running a business.”

She says the pandemic caused Palms Pharmacy to have to pivot and get creative to keep its doors open. Back when hand sanitizer was hard to come by, the compounding pharmacist on her staff began making it. They would sell it to the store’s customers, but also donated quite a bit of it to first responders in the community.

Palms Pharmacy also found ways to both sell and donate personal protective equipment (or “PPE”) when it was hard to come by.

Throughout the pandemic, the pharmacy has stocked up on new essentials, such as disposable masks, anti-fogger spray for glasses, KN95 masks, and a spray to sanitize your reusable masks.

But, it’s not just those essentials that make a trip to Palms Pharmacy so worthwhile for its patients.

“We’re trying to make your pharmacy experience different,” Choudhry says. “It’s more concierge and boutique-like.”

She also says she adds one new product a week, plus you can still get all of the products you would expect to find and have been purchasing since the pharmacy first opened.

“We’ve expanded our line of Ortho Molecular specialty vitamins, for example,” she says, “and added more fun colors and patterns in our compression stockings.”

Palms Pharmacy will celebrate its fifth anniversary in Tampa Palms on April 15.

Dr. Choudhry opened the pharmacy in 2016, after 10 years as the pharmacist at the Publix in Tampa Palms. She loved her job and her customers, but her search for a better balance of her work and home life, where she had two small children, led her to starting her own business.

She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Pharmacy, then went on to receive her Pharm.D. degree in 2001, both from Long Island University in Brooklyn, NY.

Customer Service The Key

Palms Pharmacy has found success by offering exceptional customer service, above and beyond what you would typically expect from a pharmacy.

For example, the staff thrives on helping patients with especially complicated health or insurance issues, which are becoming more and more common these days. Dr. Choudhry says that when insurance companies decline to cover a patient’s medications, that’s when she picks up the phone.

“I know the doctors and the medical assistants,” she says. “I work with them to get their patients what they need, usually within the same day.”

This is in huge contrast to other pharmacies, especially the chains, which may take 7-10 days to come up with a solution when an insurance company won’t cover a particular medication.

That’s why Sandra Dwinell, a Tampa Palms resident, was overjoyed when she found out that her long-term pharmacist at Publix had opened her own business.

Being that she and her husband both have chronic health issues, her pharmacy experience is extremely important to her.

“I was almost in tears, I was so happy to find them,” Dwinell says. “I immediately moved all of our medications over.”

Dwinell adds that she has learned to always double-check what she’s been told by doctors with Palms Pharmacy. For example, when an allergist in Zephyrhills told her she had to go to a specific pharmacy in Zephyrhills for a test, Dr. Choudhry told Dwinell she could get the test for her and saved her the trip.

“It was no big deal,” Dwinell says. “She ordered it and I got it right there, five minutes from my home. They’re phenomenal.”

Not only that, but Dwinell adds that the staff is incredibly proactive, such as suggesting a high-quality prescription multivitamin that is completely covered by her insurance, saving her from having to pay for over-the-counter vitamins.

This willingness to go above and beyond is what makes Palms Pharmacy stand out to its customers, and keep people like Dwinell coming back.

In fact, Dwinell says most people don’t think of going to the pharmacy as something to look forward to, but between the products she enjoys shopping for — such as the boutique-type gift items in the store like bees wax candles, soaps and body lotions and even fancy teas — and being greeted as a friend, she does.

“Because I have so many allergies and health issues, I need someone who knows me,” Dwinell says. “They know my health issues and are interested in me and what’s going on with me and my medications. It’s like a partnership. They’re not treating (me like) a random number.”

Palms Pharmacy is located at 17008 Palm Pointe Dr., Tampa, and is open Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. For more information, call (813) 252-9063, text Palm Pharmacy’s secure text-only line at (727) 513-3210 or visit ThePalmsPharmacy.com. Follow Palms Pharmacy on Instagram and/or Facebook for announcements as to when the Covid-19 vaccine will be available.

Palms Pharmacy

Debra Model Management & School Teaches Model Behavior

Debra Jacobs has an eye for modeling talent, a keen sense of someone who will just leap off the page or screen or make an advertisement pop.

One would hope so because, as a model and modeling scout herself, plus previously running a modeling agency in Delaware, Jacobs now runs Debra Model Management & Modeling School, just a few miles south of Wesley Chapel in Tampa Palms.

Don’t be mistaken — despite its name, Debra Model Management is not a modeling agency, but a school, one that teaches both potential models and even those genuinely interested in learning all of the ins and outs, dos and don’ts of the modeling industry.

“Everywhere I go, people ask me how do I get (me or my child) into modeling?,” Jacobs says. That’s why I started this. I wanted people to have an affordable, transparent modeling management agency so they can really learn about this industry. That’s why this is a school, not an agency. They can learn modeling, they can learn fashion, and they can learn how to manage their careers. That’s what I’m teaching them here.”

Jacobs, whose first modeling gig was when she was just 15 years old, says she loves discovering new talent.

She has approached some of her clients to gauge their interest in modeling, including her newest client, Kannon Wengert, a two-year-old boy Jacobs saw at the Tampa Palms Publix and gave his mom, Rachel, her business card.

“We were just at the Publix pharmacy when Debra spotted us,” Rachel says. “I will say, it did seem kind of weird, but she was like, ‘He’s so cute. He should model.’ I had thought about it and did want to get him into some kind of modeling. Whenever I post pictures of him on social media, people are like, ‘He could be a model.’ But, I figured people were just being nice.”

After meeting with Jacobs, and learning about all her experience in the modeling industry, Rachel thought she would be a good fit for Kannon.

Debra Model Management offers a 10-week course that includes teaching runway techniques and other poses for photography sessions. The photos taken go into the student’s professional modeling portfolio. Jacobs also teaches proper nutrition, fashion dos and don’ts and the importance of self image.

“When I did my first ginormous fashion show,” Jacobs recalls, “it was in Washington, D.C., in Constitution Hall, and they just gave me a bunch of clothes and told me to go out there. I didn’t know what to do. In many modeling schools, they don’t tell you those things, like what goes on backstage and knowing where to go and what to do.”

But, it’s certainly not always easy. Jacobs admits that she faced obstacles. She remembers being rejected, and told she was too “short-waisted,” or all legs, she says. She remembers thinking how cruel that was to tell her, and says she has never forgotten it.

“That is why my company will never reject or give bad feedback to anyone who wants to model,” she says. “People are amazing when they are driven to do something, and won’t take no for an answer. Just because one person rejects you, that doesn’t mean that others won’t accept you.”

Mikayla Alexander, Ashley Lawrence and Kannon Wengert are some of the students at Debra Model Management & Modeling School.

Jacobs went on to model in New York City, and signed with agents in Philadelphia, Washington D.C., and Virginia. She walked runways for high fashion designers, and became a regular fashion model on QVC-TV out of their West Chester, PA, studios. She won a runway modeling competition and was named Washington D.C.’s Super Model of the Year.

One of her Debra Model Management clients, 23-year-old Ashley Lawrence, is getting into modeling because of Jacobs.

“I had been told I should model, but didn’t think I could until I met Debra,” Lawrence says. “It was a lot about getting through the right doors, and she has helped show me how to do that. And, just learning how to model the right way, in pictures and everything.”

Certainly, Jacobs has the experience and knowledge to impart to her students and clients. She has modeled for 40 years and counting, including what she considers to be her greatest accomplishment — modeling for the 1993-94 Ebony Fashion Fair, an event put on by Jet and Ebony magazines, in which they only pick 18 models to go on to tour 189 U.S. cities, the Bahamas and the Virgin Islands.

“I also was known as the model with the most changes,” Jacobs says with pride. “Eighteen changes each show.”

But, Jacobs is well educated in not only modeling, but also fashion. She holds a degree in Fashion Merchandising from Wesley College in Dover, DE, which is part of the coursework taught at Debra Model Management.

Helping Children A Passion

Jacobs says she is very passionate about not only helping children who have aspirations to model, act or perform, but also to give back by working with various charities that help more unfortunate children. Her plan is to get back into charity and community work, just as she did when she worked with abused and impoverished children in the court systems.

It’s easy to see what an immediate impact Jacobs has with kids and one has to look no further than 9-year-old Mikayla Alexander. “I love that she teaches me to be a great model and be a great actress,” Mikayla said. “I’ve learned how to eat better, like more fruits and vegetables, and I’ve also learned about positive self-image. I know all of that is very important now.”

“Isn’t she just so poised for her age?” Jacobs adds, beaming with obvious pride.

Jacobs also is proud to start the first — and currently, the only — modeling business in the New Tampa/Wesley Chapel area. She says she will always go above and beyond for her clients.

Since Debra Model Management is a both school and a management company, Jacobs is focused on helping each of her models realize their full potential, because once that happens, and they have what someone is looking for, they will be found, she says. Just like she was.

“When I tell people about all of my experience and accomplishments, I realize some may not believe me,” Jacobs says. “Because I’ve done a lot. But, I truly love modeling and the fashion industry. My business is geared towards those individuals who are excited about it, like I am. When you walk into my studio, I want you to feel like you’re in a modeling wonderland.”

Debra Model Management is located 5331 Primrose Lake Cir., Suite 245, in Tampa Palms. For more information, visit DebraModelManagement.com or email debramodelmanagement@gmail.com.

Debra Jacobs Model

Medi-Weightloss Of Lutz Promises Results & Long-Term Help!

Weight gain has been a common side effect of the Covid-19 pandemic, as exercise and other healthy habits have taken a back seat for many people.

Medi-Weightloss of Lutz owner Gerri Willett says the pandemic initially caused a lot of uncertainty for her small business, but ultimately has driven many new patients to the practice, located on S.R. 54, two miles west of where it meets S.R. 56 (near the Tampa Premium Outlets).

In the 15 years since it opened in 2006, Gerri says Medi-Weightloss of Lutz has helped patients lose nearly 130,000 pounds. It’s easy to get started, as completely free assessments are always offered.

Today, while there are 91 Medi-Weightloss locations nationwide, Gerri owns the locations in both Lutz and Brandon, operating the two as a local, family-owned business, which has been her passion for the past 15 years.

The success patients see when they try the Medi-Weightloss program is what continues to drive people to the practice.

“Our patients refer their friends because they know we do a really a good job,” Gerri says.

The Medi-Weightloss program is supervised by Andrew Weitzman, M.D., who is Board-certified in Internal Medicine. The program combines diet and exercise with supplements, managed by a doctor, to help people lose weight and keep it off.

Like most businesses, Medi-Weightloss has had to make adaptations because of the Covid pandemic, creating virtually touch-free visits, while keeping its doors open to better circulate fresh air, providing clean pens, taking temperature checks, having hand sanitizer available and other precautionary measures.

“We also offer telemedicine,” says Gerri. “We do whatever you feel comfortable with, whether that’s telemedicine, or coming in to be weighed when we’re otherwise closed to patients, so you’re the only one in the office, or driving through the parking lot to pick up a prescription.”

The staff is compassionate and understanding, cheering their patients on to reach their goals.

“It can be very difficult for people to step foot into a weight-loss clinic because, a lot of times, they have already tried so many different things,” says Gerri. “People beat themselves up horribly about their weight.”

Whether it’s newfound weight gain as your body changes due to age, weight that was lost in the past but has crept back on, or pounds put on during the pandemic, Gerri says, “We want people to know we’ll figure it out and we’ll get them to be successful.”

How It Works

During the first phase of the program — also known as the acute or weight-loss phase — clients come in once a week.

After an initial consultation with weight measurements, blood work and an electrocardiogram (EKG), patients receive a binder to store educational handouts, recapping the information shared at each session. They also receive recipes for delicious, healthy meals, with ingredients that are easy to find. Patients also start a detailed journal to log their eating, drinking and sleeping data. They also receive vitamin supplements, a food scale to help with portion control and ketone sticks to detect their level of ketosis.

(Note: Physiologic Ketosis is a normal response to low glucose availability, such as low-carbohydrate diets or fasting.)

Medi-Weightloss has many ways to help during the weight-loss phase, including injections of Methionine Inositol Choline (MIC Combo) to put B12 vitamins and amino acids into the bloodstream, both of which help with fat metabolism, liver function and fat excretion. Patients also receive Vitamin B6 and B1 injections, which help reduce water retention and keep your energy up, while battling food cravings.

Dr. Weitzman says the goal is always to reduce medications that patients may be taking. “One of my favorite things is getting someone off of blood pressure medications,” he says. “You lose 20 pounds and, all of a sudden, your blood pressure goes down.”

After the acute phase of the program ends (once ca client reaches his/her target weight), they check in less often during the maintenance and wellness phases.

But, if a client should re-gain weight after completing the program, Gerri says there’s no reason to worry.

“Life happens and we are here to help,” she says. “It doesn’t mean you failed. It means you had stress in your life, or something happened. Just pop back into the program! There is no restart fee.”

Caring, Helpful Staff

Medi-Weightloss of Lutz has a staff of caring professionals who truly understand what it’s like to be in their patient’s shoes. In fact, some are former patients.

Erin Jones had lost her husband in 2010 and then, she says, “I ate for a year.”

In 2011, she started the Medi-Weightloss program and lost 50 pounds.

After that, she joined the team. Erin is now a full-time medical assistant and the office manager at Medi-Weightloss of Lutz and Brandon.

“Patients can take comfort in knowing that we’ve been down their road before and that we can truly say we know what they’re going through,” Erin says.

Medical assistant Patty Pinson has been with Medi-Weightloss for a decade and is a retired Registered Nurse (RN). Other Certified Medical Assistants (CMAs) include Karina Gonzalez and Alex Pierantoni, while Raquel Sanford manages the front office.

Dr. Weitzman is a Board-certified Medical Doctor who earned his Doctor of Medicine degree from Tel Aviv University in Tel Aviv, Israel, and completed his residency at Nassau University Medical Center in Long Island, NY. He operated a primary care practice in New York, then moved to Manatee County, before coming on board at Medi-Weightloss more than four years ago.

He says there actually are many similarities between primary care and weight loss.

“The main difference is that with primary care, you’re already treating a patient’s disease. Here, we’re working strictly with prevention.”

He stresses all three legs of the weight-loss process: diet, exercise and appetite suppression. “You must do all three in order to succeed,” Dr. Weitzman says.

Sally Morrison is a Medi-Weightloss patient who has found success. In the past nine months, she’s lost 90 pounds, just in time to celebrate her 70th birthday in early February.

Before Medi-Weightloss, Sally says she felt terrible. As a former nurse, she knew the consequences when she saw how bad her lab results were after a checkup, so she decided to make a change.

A friend had success with Medi-Weightloss, so Sally decided to try it, too.

“When I was in my 30s, I was an operating room nurse in the Army. I ran every day back then,” she says, “and I feel almost as good now as I did then.”

She says she had tried a different program about 10 years ago, but the weight crept back on. And, the clinic she went to had closed, which left her feeling abandoned.

This time around, Sally is confident she has the support and resources she needs to keep the weight off. “They’ve been my cheerleaders and my mentors,” she says. “I’ve had long talks with the doctor and he’s fabulous. They all are. I highly recommend people go there.”

To schedule a free assessment at Medi-Weighloss of Lutz (24420 S.R. 54, Lutz), call (813) 909-1700. The office is open five days a week: 6:30 a.m.-1 p.m. on Mon.; 9 a.m.-6 p.m. on Tues., 6:30 a.m.-1 p.m. on Wed; 1 p.m.-7 p.m. on Thur.; and 6:30 a.m.-1 p.m on Fri. More information is available at MediWeightloss.com/locations/lutz/.

Medi Weight Loss

F45 Training At The Grove Offers Super Workouts & Cleanliness

Kim Balfe can tell you all about how great the classes are at the F45 Training at The Grove studio that she owns with her husband Bob, or how wonderful their instructors are, how the members have raved about the workouts or even how successful the fitness facility has been since opening in the middle of the pandemic last summer. And she does.

But nowadays, she starts with this instead: F45 Training at The Grove is clean and safe.

Really, really clean and safe.

In today’s world, where Covid-19 has wreaked havoc on local businesses and hit gyms harder than most others — even delaying the opening of Wesley Chapel’s F45 Training a few months last spring — that’s pretty big news.

“Cleaning is always a priority, especially in a gym,” Kim says. “We feel we have a responsibility when it comes to the safety of our members. We want people to see that we take it seriously.”

*When you’re done at one station at F45 Training, it’s time to sanitize your equipment before moving on to the next one.*

How seriously? Kim completed a rigorous course, which she likened to getting a Ph.D, in order for F45 Training to receive facility accreditation from the Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC), which helps organizations and businesses respond to biological threats and biohazard situations through education and training.

A sticker will be displayed on the gym front window affirming their accreditation, and Pasco County reimbursed the cost of earning the designation. Getting the accreditation involved studying pages and pages of documents and learning all of the policies and procedures required to have a clean gym. Kim also says she attended a 10-hour class.

While cleanliness is much more at the forefront of most people’s minds these days — 20 percent of potential new members ask about the safety of returning to the gym — F45 has combined that with socially-distant classes that add to the safety measures. While some classes are more crowded for those that prefer it, a number of offerings, like the one we attended on a recent Thursday morning, had a surprising amount of room between participants. No one rotated stations before first disinfecting the equipment they had just used.

“We have one of the bigger F45s in the area,’’ Kim says of the 3,300-sq.-ft. facility, which also has showers. “There’s plenty of room.”

The cleanliness helped convince Kim Shephard to get back in the gym. The gym she usually works out at where she lives in New Tampa has been closed, and after almost a year off, it was time to get back to work. Shepard admits she starting putting on some weight during the pandemic, but it’s currently coming off and she says she has dropped five percent body fat since joining F45.

“It’s been a life changer for me,” says the 36-year-old Shephard. “I love it. I like the small classes, the trainers get to know you on a personal level and it really is a community. And the gym is super-duper clean.”

The F in F45 stands for Functional Training, which focuses on strengthening muscles you use for everyday activities and emphasizes core strength and stability. The 45 is how many minutes (almost) every workout lasts.

There are 2,700 different exercises and 36 different workouts as members move from station to station, with Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays focusing on cardio, and Tuesday and Thursdays for resistance training.

“Every single day is a totally different workout,” says Bob who (as does Kim) also partakes in many of the classes.

The classes all have names, like 22, Bears, Moon Hopper and All-Star. And, the classes also are universal. If you are doing the Angry Bird at The Grove location, then so are fitness members at F45s in Sacramento, San Antonio and Sydney, Australia (where the company was founded in 2011 by equities trader Rob Deutsch).

The only class that is longer than 45 minutes is Saturday’s class, which is an hour-long hybrid, called Hollywood, which F45 calls its pinnacle showcase, and is sometimes accompanied by a live DJ.

“Saturday is the big fun day,” Kim says. “It’s my favorite day.”

F45 remains one of the hottest fitness franchises in the world, with more than 1,750 studios in 45 countries, including more than 650 in the U.S. It is part of a trend towards high-tech fitness boutiques which offer more personalized care than the traditional big-box gyms.

As an example, an experienced fitness participant can take part in the same class as a newcomer, and the trainers take special care to make sure the experience is enjoyable for both, by offering those who can’t physically perform certain exercises a less-challenging alternative option.

“Sometimes people come in and know nothing and have never been in a gym before,“ says head trainer Zach Johnston. “We’re here to guide and help them. F45 is very scalable. There are some advanced movements, but they can all be regressed down.”

*There’s plenty of room for social distancing at F45 Training at The Grove. To the far right, head trainer Zach Johnston helps a client work on the proper form during a recent class.*

Large television monitors show how to do every move, and Zach and his team will help if any of the exercises are too much for you.

Zach, who has a Bachelor of Science in Biological Health Science and a Master of Science degree in Exercise Science from the University of South Florida, is beyond qualified to train people, and says he chose F45 because he loves the concept of functional workouts, as well as the community that the fitness facility is building.

“I feel like people love coming in,” he says, “and I don’t think they even think about Covid. I think people see the certification and know it’s safe here.”

F45 Wesley Chapel also has recurring challenges, nutritional coaching and meal plans via F45’s app and other perks — to further differentiate itself from the fitness pack. It’s another community-building benefit that F45 Training at The Grove strives to achieve.

Bob and Kim say they love the social aspect of F45. The company has a slick website, highly-active Facebook and Instagram pages — which can be a good place to find specials — and stays in touch with its members via text. Doing so helps build camaraderie amongst those trying to get and stay in shape, and also offers the kind of accountability that is difficult for many to have working out on their own.

“For a lot of people, this is all about being healthy and staying in shape, to strengthen their immune systems and their mental health,” Kim says. “And, for many of them, this is their getaway. We’re glad we can be that for them.”

Best of all, you can give it a try for free. F45 Training offers one free week of classes for prospective members.

F45 Training at The Grove (6207 Wesley Grove Blvd., Suite 102) offers classes at 5, 6, 7 and 9 a.m. weekday mornings, and at 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. weekday evenings. Saturday classes are at 7, 8:15 and 9:30 a.m., and Sunday classes are at 8 and 9 a.m. For more info, call (813) 683-5222, or visit F45Ttraining.com/TheGroveAtWesleyChapel/home.

Covid-19 F45

Your CBD Store On S.R. 54 Keeps Adding New, Healthy Options

Debbie Brooks says she started taking CBD years ago to relieve the pain in her feet from neuropathy, following chemotherapy treatments for her cancer.

Long before CBD, or cannabidiol, became more mainstream, Brooks, who is 61 years old and lives in Webster, FL, had to search smoke shops for CBD relief, which seemed to vary from shop to shop.

“It was never the same every time,” she says. “Sometimes, I swear I thought it was just olive oil.”

Brooks eventually discovered Lisa Feigel, who owned a Your CBD Store franchise in Englewood, FL, located two hours away, but who offered online ordering. The CBD products she received from Feigel were better, never failed and provided consistent relief.

So, when Feigel opened her second location in Wesley Chapel, which has been open since August of 2019 in the Freedom Plaza on S.R. 54 — despite an hour drive — Brooks became one of her first, and most regular customers.

“Lisa is great,” Cook says. “She has so much knowledge, it’s almost like she’s a scientist. And they have so many great products that always help.”

Cook’s story is a familiar one to Feigel, who says that many of her customers come to her looking for reliable relief for a number of symptoms, ranging from pain and muscle aches to anxiety and insomnia.

“They don’t want to become reliant on opioids,” Lisa says.

Your CBD Store is a boutique, and doesn’t stock hundreds of items that promise to do a million different things. It focuses on what CBD does best by providing relief, relaxation and, sometimes, a much-needed respite from your daily grind.

As CBD has become more accepted and popular, Lisa says she doesn’t have to educate customers who correlate it with marijuana as much as she did in the past. CBD is derived from hemp, which is a variety of cannabis (as is marijuana), but with less than 0.3% of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the ingredient that gets you “high.” However, CBD still retains all of the health benefits of cannabis.

CBD products are offered as full spectrum, which are generally stronger and contain no more than the legal limit of 0.3% THC, and broad spectrum, which have no THC at all.

In the last year, Feigel has added a number of new, popular items to her inventory, such as CBG- and CBN-infused gummies (above), tinctures and water solubles.

CBG, or cannabigerol, and CBN, or cannabinol, are relatively new to the CBD product world and are currently undergoing intensive scientific study. CBN is THC-free and helps cause a drowsy effect that can aid with sleeping, while CBG is touted more for its potential therapeutic and anti-inflammatory effects. Feigel calls it the “super momma of cannabinoids.”

“Anxiety and insomnia are the biggest two concerns when people come into the store,” Feigel says, adding that those two things can lead to depression and other maladies. “It’s like a domino effect.”

CBD, Lisa says, helps bring your mental state and body back into balance.

“We all have about 150 different cannabinoids in our system already,” Lisa says, but sometimes, outside forces — injury, stress from work, illness, etc. — can disrupt the production of them. CBD will bind with the CB1 and CB2 cannabinoid receptors in our brains to help bring the body back into balance, or homeostasis.

“It’s just a natural supplement we’re putting back into our system,” she says. This can be done via tinctures (like an eyedropper, placed right under the tongue), water soluble (which dissolve in water) products, edible gummies and even vapes.

Your CBD store offers pet products in any form, including peanut butter- and bacon-flavored treats and biscuits, for dogs who get freaked out by the sound of thunder and fireworks or have separation or other anxiety.

CBD has many uses and benefits. Your CBD store offers pet products in any form, including peanut butter- and bacon-flavored treats and biscuits, for dogs who get freaked out by the sound of thunder and fireworks or have separation or other anxiety. Feigel says she gives CBD to her 103-pound yellow Labrador retriever for car trips to the groomer, as well as to help reduce her rescue shih-tzu’s seizures. And, for the first time, the store even now has CBD cat treats.

There also are award-winning skincare products and topical creams for aches and pains (Neighborhood News publisher Gary Nager is a fan), and even a new Maxine & Morgan line for women’s wellness, such as for menstrual cramps. There’s also a CBD coffee creamer available.

One of the newest products is a Raw Hemp CBG Flower, which contains high-levels of CBG. It offers flexibility in that can be smoked or even used in cooking and for making smoothies and tea, to name a few.

“It’s all due to the Your CBD Store franchise, which is always striving for more and better products,” Lisa says. “And, there’s still so many things coming out on the horizon.”

Lisa says she was drawn to the power of CBD due to her own fibromyalgia, and has used it for other things as well.

Her daughter Ashley, who manages the Wesley Chapel location, uses CBD for joint pain and anxiety. Even Lisa’s mom, who didn’t know anything about CBD when Lisa became a franchise owner and joked that her daughter was now a “drug dealer,” is now an avid user of the topical creams, which help with her arthritis.

SunMed CBD is the exclusive supplier to Your CBD Stores. The company has its own farms in Denver, CO, where they grow hemp, and the processing of those plants takes place in Florida.

Lisa and her staff hope that customers will choose CBD products over opioids and other addictive and sometimes dangerous drugs prescribed by doctors. They will help you find the right doses and forms of CBD for you, and best way to maximize its effects.

Those effects are wide-ranging, says Debbie Brooks. She had stopped taking any CBD for a few weeks because of the long drive and busy schedule taking care of her elderly parents. But once off it, she realized that it did more than just reduce her pain, it had been helping her handle all the stress in her life. So, she says, it was back to Wesley Chapel for more relief.

“It helped in more aspects of my life than I even realized,” Cook says. “It’s well worth the travel, just for the great staff and the expertise Lisa has. She is just amazing.”

Your CBD Store Wesley Chapel is located at 30044 S.R. 54. It is open Monday.-Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday. It is closed on Sunday. For more information, call (813) 536-0119, visit CBDrx4u.com/find-us/Florida/Wesley-Chapel or search “YourCBDStoreWesleyChapel” on Facebook.

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