Hemp plants, specifically its stalks, stems, and flowers, contain cannabidiol or CBD, a compound that has been intensively researched for years now. Several studies had already proved how CBD plays a critical role in preventing cancer, cardiovascular-related conditions, neurological disorders, and other fatal diseases, thanks to its anti-inflammatory benefits.
Due to its advantages in one’s well-being, more and more governments across the world are now embracing its health benefits and now legally allowing products generated from hemp plants. You can now use it for medical purposes, from topicals to edibles. Adding to that, here are three easy ways to enjoy the therapeutic benefits of CBD this cold season.
CBD Tea
Due to its calming effects, CBD-infused tea is becoming globally popular. In fact, ancient medicine wouldn’t be complete without it. You got it right! People have been intaking it for millennia!
If you’re into do-it-yourself, it’s always easy to check online stores that have dried, raw hemp flower for sale at reasonable prices, like the Discount Pharms. This online store has trusted vendors that can offer you boutique hemp and hemp flower biomass. If you want to curate your own hemp strain, they can help you with it too.
In preparing the tea, you have to dry the raw hemp material first before putting it to a cup of hot water. Unfortunately, the heat from the boiling water can only extract terpenes, not the cannabidiol. It’s less likely considered as the ‘CBD tea’ or a stand-alone CBD.
It’s not an issue, though. Terpenes still have a lot of health benefits, including the following:
- Treatment of pain
- Fungal and bacterial infections
- Inflammation
- Depression and Anxiety
- Addiction
- Epilepsy
- Cancer
If you want to enjoy the benefits of CBD, you’ll have to undergo an intricate, yet simple process. First, you have to heat the raw part of the hemp plant (scientifically called decarboxylation process), in your oven at 100° Celsius to extract and activate the cannabinoids.
After 20 minutes, increase the temperature to 115° Celsius and leave it that way for an hour. Summing it up, you’ll be baking the raw plant for 1hr and 20mins—20mins at 100° Celsius and 1hr at 115° Celsius.
Lastly, take the now-baked plant out and steep it in a cup of hot water. You can mix it together with full-fat milk (i.e., coconut), vanilla extract, honey, cinnamon, or loose leaf chai tea or other flavors. If you don’t like blending hemp flowers or leaves, you can add CBD milk into a cup of tea, instead. Either way, you are going to be mellowed out after you sip.
CBD Latte
Latte can only be made with espresso and steamed milk—says who? Get ready to experience the next-level latte with hemp extract! Yes, you can feel much better with CBD’s health benefits in your already wonderful cup of coffee greatness.
Reports claimed that after drinking a cup of hemp latte, you’d experience the following:
- No shakiness or caffeine jitters, headache, and nausea
- No negative influences on your emotions, like anxiety
- An overall feeling of relaxation and balance
- Improved energy
In making this latte, choose a milk source first. You can either use ready-made hemp milk or produce it by yourself. In making self-made hemp milk, use your preferred milk source, like coconut or oat, and mix the raw seeds with it, together with a little sea salt and honey. By contrast, others will only use hemp seeds and water with a little sweetener like vanilla extract.
Combine the milk of your choice with your preferred coffee grounds. You’ll be needing a little flavor from sea salt, as well as vanilla extract, date syrup or honey, or any other sweeteners of your choice. For more details, check Daintri’s recipe of this hemp latte. It’s totally a mug of bliss—creamy, a mixture of sweet and salty, yet super healthy!
Hot Chocolate or Strawberry CBD Smoothie
A chocolate drink might not sound dietary at all, but this Creamy Chocolate CBD Smoothie surely does! Let us tell you how free-ish is it. It’s grain-free, oil-free, refined sugar-free, soy-free, and gluten-free! And did we forget that it’s vegan, as well?
It’s super easy to do, too. You only have to combine all the ingredients, including almond milk, Medjool dates, unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder, hulled hemp seed, frozen banana, and cinnamon, in a blender until smooth.
Try to visit Oh She Glows. They made an elaborate recipe for this creamy chocolate hemp smoothie. If you have issues with buying costly pints of vegan chocolate, this smoothie will surely be your saving grace.
Alternatively, for people who don’t prefer chocolates (yes, they surprisingly exist), this strawberry hemp milkshake will get you covered. It’s also refined-sugar free as it uses frozen strawberry that gives the thick and creamy ice cream-like texture, instead of using ice cream like how traditional milkshakes are made. What’s more, it’s vegan and gluten-free, not to mention it’s rich in protein. It’s very healthy, so you drink to your heart’s content!
Takeaway
Hemp plants don’t only contain cannabidiol (CBD). They also have high levels of fiber, essential fatty acids, and several micronutrients. It’s also worth mentioning that despite being a plant-based source, hemp is a complete protein source. Meaning, they contain all the nine essential amino acids. Unfortunately, despite its benefits, other countries are still not open to legalizing it. Hopefully, everything will straighten out in the future.
