DIY Herbal Hack at Home

Do it Yourself Hacks for your Plants at Home

Yo yo yo what up Compton Health Bar Fam? Today’s blog is very special because it’s all about taking our herbal blends to the next level. As most of you know, here at Compton Health Bar we offer premade formulas such as Get Yo Greens or The Compton Detox. We also offer custom blends tailored to specific concerns and goals. The intention of today’s blog is to provide you with hacks so that you can take any sort of blend to the next level. So read on, fam. By the end of this blog, we at CHB want you to feel empowered and educated to take control of your herbs and your life!

A lot of us Latinx folks grew up with hierbitas in the home. Perhaps your abue’ gave you a tesito to soothe a sore throat, treat a tummy ache or to calm your nerves after a susto. I want to remind you of these roots because it is in our blood to gravitate towards plants and the gifts they offer us. If herbs intimidate or overwhelm you, have no fear! Allow me to break down some easily accessible plants for y’all. Let’s demystify them together, shall we?

Common Household Plants and How to Use Them

• Ginger Root – Not just for eating with sushi. You can peel the root and then cut it up into pieces. Throw it into some boiling water and get yo’ sip on to relieve bloating and gas. Additionally, if you’re down, you can chew on a peeled piece if you have a sore throat. It will soothe it every time. This tastes spicy. I know us Latinos love spicy shieet so don’t front like you won’t like ginger!
• Mint Leaves– Rinse and throw the leaves into some boiling water. Turn the water off immediately. Cover the water and let the leaves steep for about ten minutes. This creates a soothing infusion that will help bloating, gas and even acid reflux. This will taste like it smells– nice and minty. Bonus points for fresh breath. 
• Basil Leaves– Not just for Italian cooking! You can actually chew on these raw. Sprinkle some salt on top and eat 2-3 leaves to help with any stomach pain, digestive issue, lactose issues, or even gastritis. Abuelita Lolita used to give Basil leaves to baby Dani to treat any empacho.
• Chamomile Flowers– I typically see these at the meat market in the plastic bag in the same section as other seasonings. This is a must have in any home. This is soothing on another level. It soothes inflammation. It soothes tummy aches. It soothes nerves! You can even soak a cloth in some Chamomile tea and apply it to your eye as a warm compress to treat styes at home. You can even rinse your hair with it for some low lights. FYI, the tea basically tastes the way it smells.
• Agua de Jamaica– Hold the sugar please. This beverage can help to cleanse the kidneys. It has helped yo homie B Money proactively treat bladder issues. It also helps expel excess fluid from the body. In other words, sip this for urinary health but also to lose that water weight. When my suegra makes Agua de jamaica, I ask her for a warm batch before she cools it and adds the sugar. The tea tastes tangy and sour and I love it!
• Aloe Vera– Cut open the leaf and rub the sap on your skin for a hydrating DIY beauty mask at home. Rub it onto a sunburn or mild household burn (like when you fight with your curling iron and the curling iron wins). I also like to put the sap along with water and lime juice into a blender and drink a shot when I am constipated. It gets everything moving. TMI? Anywho, the lime gives it some flavor.
• Coconut Oil– You can try oil pulling for headaches or oral health. It also makes a great natural body moisturizer. (Do not use it as a face moisturizer if you are acne prone.) You can use it with disposable razors to shave your legs. Less is more when you try this. Additionally, coconut oil makes a great natural lube. It can break down the integrity of condoms, however. So if you are in a relationship where you rely on condoms as your form of birth control, then this may not be the best lube option for you. 

Ok homies. Now that we have looked over easily accessible plants and how they can benefit us in so many aspects of life, let’s get to some of the fancier stuff. I’m talking the blends from Compton Health Bar! I want you to feel comfortable and confident around these custom blends. 

How to Customize CHB Blends

Now, during the consultation, the herbal mixologists will explain the blends to you and how they will benefit your unique concerns and goals. That’s all dope. However, once you take the blends home, how can you ensure that you do your part to consume them as often as you are supposed to? In other words, how can you make sure that these healthy AF blends are palatable, or fun to drink?  Taste is so subjective and personal. Pero don’t even tripas. Ya homie B Money is here with some DIY hacks on how to easily fit these blends in your everyday life.

• As a reminder, you can simply mix the blends with water and chug. This is the fastest way to enjoy. Something to keep in mind if you are on-the-go a lot. I personally love to drink it out of a mason jar with a lid and a reusable straw. The straw helps me to chug it faster. This may help if you are still getting used to the taste. 
• Experiment with water temperatures. Do you like your blends in hot water like a tea? Do you like them ice cold? Perhaps room temperature. Experiment with the water temperature to see how you enjoy your blend best. The more you enjoy it, the more likely you are to stick with it.
• Anti-inflammatory Formula– You can customize this in a couple of ways. For instance, you can add this blend to a smoothie with frozen pineapple chunks for some tropical flavor. Or, you can lemon or lime to this blend for a puckery kick.
• Compton Detox–  Lemon and/or cayenne pepper can be added for a deeper cleanse. Bonus, it makes the blend tastes like Lucas candy. Lucas taste without the lead? I’m down.
• Beauty Blend– Great tasting when added to a berry smoothie. Berries add flavor and fiber, without adding too much sugar.
• Mucus and Blood Cleanse – Lemon or lime can come to the rescue with this one. That will help to tone down the fishy notes in this ocean forward herbal blend.
• Men’s Formula- Add bacon. Just kidding! It goes great with pineapple chunks. It also pairs well with celery juice. 

Tying It All Together

In the end, I think we can all agree that plants will support our goals of being healthier and feeling better. Whether you ingest blends from Compton Health Bar, fresh plants from your yard or local market, or teas in a French Press– there are a million and one ways to personalize the way you consume plants. How do you prefer to fit more plants and herbs into your lifestyle? Do you have a favorite hack that we missed? Let us know in the comments. Let’s keep each other accountable for our health as a raza and as a community. Which was your favorite hack that you can’t wait to try? We’d love to read in the comments as well. Until next week. Peace!