The All-Natural Remedies Our Abuelas Knew About First

From left to right: honey, aloe vera, garlic, and peppermint. Source: Unsplash.

From treating indigestion to arthritis, our moms, tias, and abuelas have always been at the forefront of using homeopathic remedies to cure us. And let's face it, there's nothing like feeling the love and care from our abuelas, moms, and tías that can cure just about anything. These age-old hacks have withstood the test of time, passed down from one generation to the next, and as it turns out – they actually work! As in, there’s scientific research to back them up. Not like they needed it, anyway.


It's a mystery how our abuelas knew so much, but we'll forever be grateful for these tried-and-true remedies that bring back fond childhood memories. Let's revisit some of these classic cures.

Honey & Lime

honey jar with a dripping honey dipper

Photo by Arwin Neil Baichoo on Unsplash

Sore throat? No worries, grab some honey and lime and mix them together for the best soothing medication out there. It’s sweet, it’s sour, and it’s going to help you! Do we recommend you use it as a chaser for a tequila shot? Absolutely. Rumor has it that tequila can help kick those pesky bacteria to the curb and give your throat some much-needed relief.

But don't just take our word for it - honey has been hailed since the good old days for its anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties, while lime brings a hefty dose of vitamin C to the party. Plus, the lime's acidic kick will help liquefy mucus and free you from congestion.

Arnica

wild arnica flower

Photo by Pixs Storage on Unsplash

Aching muscles? Our abuelas have long known the power of these tiny yellow flowers that grow freely in open fields. Once they are collected and dried up, you can add them to a pot of water and bring them to a boil to extract their potency. Add alcohol for additional strength, make a compress, then place the towel over the achy body area for relief.

This inflammation-reducing, blood flow improving superhero of natural remedies will have you feeling like a new person faster than you can say "sana, sana, colita de rana" (which, by the way, is also a magical cure-all according to abuela).

Garlic

fresh picked garlic bulbs

Foto de Shelley Pauls en Unsplash

Garlic for coughs is not exactly our top pick for natural remedies. But according to abuela, it's the bee's knees. Turns out garlic has some serious antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory properties that can help calm down your respiratory system and ease that pesky cough.

The recipe is as follows: cut up a head of garlic, a handful of radishes, an entire purple onion, and five ounces of lemon and honey. Mix them together and take a spoonful of this concoction three times a day. Beware the potency but get ready to feel so much better (and probably have stinky breath)!

Cannabis

cannabis bud

Foto de Elsa Olofsson en Unsplash

The craze about the powers of CBD has taken over the internet as the next best thing for anxiety, depression, and countless other body ailments. But our abuelas knew way back when that cannabis had the power to soothe aches and pains, especially those pesky hand cramps from years of hard work (or just aging). So what did they do? They infused their alcohol bottle with cannabis, and extracted CBD to rub onto their hands and soothe the pain of arthritis. The only thing we don’t have an explanation for is where they got the cannabis from…

Aloe Vera

aloe vera plant in a jar

Foto de Alexandra Tran en Unsplash

Aloe has grown in popularity among mainstream brands, but we remember our mamás growing Aloe Vera in their own backyard for personal use. Its hydrating properties make it popular in skincare products, while its anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties can aid in wound healing. Aloe Vera also has a soothing effect on the digestive tract and may boost the immune system.

From sunburn to hair health to indigestion, this plant seems to be a miracle plant for all ailments! We suggest peeling the skin and cutting it into strips, then placing them onto a plate and into your fridge for a nice, cooling relief after a sunburn. For indigestion, fix up a smoothie of peeled aloe, green apple, pineapple, and basil.

Peppermint

peppermint plant next to a kitchen sink

Foto de Al Kawasa en Unsplash

While coffee is revered as the drink of choice in Latine households, we recommend you opt for peppermint tea from time to time. Why? Peppermint can serve as a great digestive enzyme and help you with indigestion and stomach aches. Plus, who doesn't love a soothing cup of tea? So next time your belly’s feeling a little off, skip the java and reach for some minty goodness. Your gut will thank you.

This Viral Video Game Is Changing the Face of Voter Outreach

In 2024, voting campaigns have evolved greatly, to say the least. Creativity is now the name of the game and tongue-in-cheek humor is expertly leveraged to drive action. One example of that is Bop the Bigot, a revival of a viral game created in 2016 by Bazta Arpaio, an Arizona activist group, as part of a campaign to unseat Maricopa County’s Sheriff Joe Arpaio. Arpaio lost his re-election to Paul Penzone that year.

The game has now been updated for the current election cycle and relaunched by On Point Studios, with new features added to enable players to find out what’s on their ballot, confirm voter status, and register to vote.

Much like its former 2016 version, the game allows users to take out their political frustrations by virtually “bopping” GOP candidates in the head. It’s very similar to whack-a-mole, except the mole is replaced by former President Donald Trump, Ohio’s Senator J. D. Vance, and Kevin Roberts, President of the Heritage Foundation, which is spearheading Project 2025.

cartoon renditions of Donald Trump and J.D. Vance around a Bop the Bigot logoPromotional image provided by On Point Studios.

B. Loewe, Director of On Point Studios, came up with the concept for this game when working as the Communications Director at Bazta Arpaio in 2016, and is the executive producer of this revamped version. In the first version of the game, Bop the Bigot players used a chancla (flip flop) to “bop” the characters, tapping into Latino culture by leaning on the childhood experience of being set right by a flying chancla from a fed-up mother or grandmother.

This year, the chancla is replaced by a more current element, a green coconut, referencing Kamala Harris’ coconut tree meme. There are also side characters like “the couch,” cat ladies, and more coconuts. All references to jokes about Vice-Presidential candidate Vance, or insults Vance has made about women on the campaign trail.

Another new addition is that Harris’ laugh is immortalized as the game-over sound effect, an unexpected detail that adds even more humor and levity to the game.

cartoon renditions of Donald Trump, Kevin Roberts, and J.D. Vance around a Bop the Bigot logoPromotional image provided by On Point Studios.

Bop the Bigot, which is playable on desktop and mobile, is intended not just as a way to vent political frustrations, but also as a tool for activism and securing voter engagement.

For example, the game supports the work of Mexican Neidi Dominguez Zamorano, Founding Executive Director of the non-profit organization Organized Power in Numbers by using the “game over” screen to prompt players to donate to it and support their efforts.

Organized Power in Numbers is focused on empowering workers in the South and Southwest of the U.S. through collective action and comprehensive campaigns. Their mission is to create a large-scale movement that challenges the status quo and advocates for workers' rights, and racial and economic justice.

Currently, Dominguez Zamorano is leading worker outreach to 2 million working-class voters in the South and Southwest through doorknocking, texting, and calls with the help of local groups in North Carolina, Arizona, New Mexico, and more.

“We have been blown away by the enthusiastic reception for the video game. We knew we wanted to be part of its creative approach because our movement needs more fun and laughter. We need more ways to connect with nuestra gente so we can feel joy among all the absurdity we witness every day,” Dominguez Zamorano shared with Luz Media via email.

“Our people are gente trabajadora and we deserve to feel uplifted even in our toughest moments. We are deeply involved in the South and Southwest so we know what’s at stake in this election and we’re happy this can be a resource to mobilize, raise spirits, and get out the vote," she concluded.

Dominguez Zamorano is a committed activist for immigrants and workers' rights, known for her strategist skills and expertise. She played a key role in the campaign to win DACA and has also held roles in major campaigns, including as Deputy National States Director for Bernie Sanders' 2020 presidential campaign. In addition to her work with Organized Power in Numbers, Dominguez Zamorano is serving as a Senior Advisor to Mijente’s Fuera Trump Initiative.

Grassroots efforts like these have taken on new life in 2024, with Bop the Bigot adding to the larger, ongoing fight against political apathy and disinformation. Just as it did during the 2016 race, the video game uses humor to soften the serious task at hand—getting people to the polls.

"We want the game to be a fun and comical outlet for anyone who’s been insulted, frustrated, or harmed by Trump in the past and everyone who is ready to move forward as a country after election day," explained Loewe in a press release. "The proposals in Project 2025 and the beliefs of Trump and Vance aren’t just weird, they’re truly harmful. We wanted to give people a humorous and peaceful way to smack down their racism and sexism. We hope it makes people laugh and also feel empowered and motivated to get to the polls on or before election day."

With a mix of satire, sharp political critique, and nostalgia, the game is a call to action. The upcoming election, which is getting closer by the minute, has sparked fierce activism and creative yet grounded initiatives like these aim to ensure voters are engaged, especially young Latinos and disenfranchised groups.

hands holding up yellow protest signs that say Hands Off Our Bodies
Photo Credit: Gayatri Malhotra via Unsplash

Originally published in Common Dreams. Reprinted with permission.

The Latino electorate will prove decisive in securing reproductive freedom and abortion access through ballot measures around the country, particularly in states where Latinos are a significant portion of the electorate.

In November, abortion rights measures will appear on ballots across ten states, including Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Nevada, and New York, where Latinos make up a significant portion of the electorate. For decades, pundits and politicians have recycled long-held misconceptions about Latino voters and abortion access, citing our conservative and religious beliefs.

Anti-abortion extremists have long fueled these misconceptions through misinformation and disinformation campaigns targeting Latino communities with egregious lies and inflammatory rhetoric about abortion. Yet, polling, focus groups, and direct interactions with Latino communities have debunked these outdated tropes.

The Latino electorate will prove decisive in securing reproductive freedom and abortion access through ballot measures around the country, particularly in states where Latinos are a significant portion of the electorate.

For Latinos, the freedom to decide, a pillar of our American democracy, is critical. Meanwhile, Latinos are being hit directly with anti-abortion efforts that take away that freedom such as the six-week abortion ban put into effect by the Florida Supreme Court and the 1864 abortion ban upheld by the Arizona Supreme Court. In the wake of the Dobbs decision, people of color and Latinas have felt the impact of a lack of abortion access, an element of basic healthcare.

A 2023 report by the National Partnership for Women and Families estimated that nearly 6.5 million Latinas, or 42% of all Latinas of reproductive age in the country, live in a state that either had or was likely to ban abortion. Ironically, it will be abortion access and anti-choice efforts to restrict freedom of choice that will mobilize Latino voters this election.

In a poll conducted by three national reproductive justice organizations, 87% of Latinas named abortion and women’s rights as one of their top priorities as they head to the polls. Another battleground poll conducted by Somos PAC and BSP Research found that 61% of Latino registered voters expressed a more positive/favorable view of Kamala Harris after hearing that she will protect abortion rights, versus only 19% of Latinos who said they had a more negative view of Harris after hearing that.

In key states to secure the White House and both chambers, Latinos make up large chunks of the electorate: Arizona (25%), Colorado (15%), Florida (20%), Nevada (20%), and New York (12%). In the face of unprecedented attacks on basic healthcare access and targeted attempts by extremists to mislead and divide our community on this issue, this November Latinos will be key deciders on abortion access across the country.

Mari Urbina, Managing Director of Indivisible, Battleground Arizona Lead and former Harry Reid advisor.

Héctor Sánchez Barba is president and CEO of Mi Familia Vota (MFV).