Our Spring friend Nettle
Almost all of us are familiar with good old nettle, not least from having experienced a sting or two at some stage throughout life.
But do we really know of the deep gifts this plant has to impart and how to make best use of it?
As we very tentatively approach spring here in the UK, with a little snow to work our way through first, the new nettles are just starting to appear. This is the time to catch them, when they are at their most tender, juicy and sweet! From nettle soup to pesto, teas and tinctures, there is much healing to be gained from this so called 'weed'.
THE BENEFITS OF NETTLE
From an energetic perspective, nettle has a more masculine energy providing strength and structure, and strong boundaries. This is a plant that teaches you how to put healthy boundaries in place, and it makes its own boundaries known by giving you a sting if you get careless! This sense of boundary also applies to the physical body, as nettle is an amazing plant to help prevent and heal any kind of leakage from the body, for example incontinence or excess bleeding.
The strength and structure aspect of this nettle makes it a brilliant adaptogen, which means it helps with the management of stress, anxiety and fatigue, and the general ups and downs of daily life. It is also a strong nutritive, rich in nutrients, that help to build both the blood and the bones. It is rich in silica and iron, and contains more than 40 trace minerals in their most bioactive, bioavailable forms.
But nettle is also a deep cleanser and purifier, helping to flush out acidic waste. An acidic body (most people) is the perfect terrain for pathogenic activity and disease, while in a more alkaline environment promotes health.
Nettle stands apart in this respect, in its capacity to both deeply cleanse and nourish the body simultaneously. It helps to clean out and build up, which is the ultimate goal when working with food and plants, as even when deep cleansing is required to bring the body out of a toxic or diseased state, it is critical to deeply nourish at the same time.
Learning how to deeply cleanse and nourish simultaneously is an art, a daily practice that leads to long term health and vitality.
WOMEN’S HEALTH
When it comes to women’s health, nettle enhances egg production and helps rid the body of toxic estrogens that contribute to conditions such as fibroids and other reproductive disorders. Nettle also deeply supports the adrenals, which produce a large proportion of the sex hormones. Many women in their 20’s and 30’s get told they have entered peri-menopause, when the true cause of their suffering is adrenal fatigue. Nettle is also beautiful in pregnancy, as it provides the ideal nutrition for building a new human!
NETTLE IN THE KITCHEN
Nettle grows everywhere, so we have no excuse not be foraging for this incredible plant that has so much to give. Here are just a few ways you can bring nettle into your life.......
Nettle tea: Nettle tea is deeply centering, helping to restrain a scattered and distracted mind. It is ideal before sitting to meditate. Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of dried nettle per cup of boiling water, or up to 1 tablespoon for a stronger, more medicinal brew. The longer it sits, the stronger it will be. Nettle tea is lovely with a little fresh mint and ginger.
Nettle soup: Fresh nettles make a wonderfully rich soup. It works well with wild garlic, also emerging now! Click Here for my favourite nettle soup recipe!
Nettle pesto: Nettle pesto is a favourite! A little teaspoon is quite enough to bring richness and flavour to soups, vegetables, or a delicious gluten free pasta. It’s also a great way to get more nettles into children!
Click here for my nettle pesto recipe.
Nettle Juice: Juicing nettles is ideal for conditions such as anemia, whereas the dried version won't work so well for really building up the body in a highly medicinal way. By juicing you truly benefit from the iron, silica and large array of trace minerals that nettle has to offer. You don’t need to worry about the sting of the nettle, as once it is juiced the sting is gone. Just make sure to wear gloves to feed the nettle through the juicer.
Juice suggestion:
½ a cucumber
2 apples
2 cups of tightly packed nettles
1 inch knob of ginger
1 tablespoon lemon juice
When collecting nettles or any other plants, always approach the plant and ask permission first. Introduce yourself and say hello, and then once you feel an affinity with the plant, you can go ahead and pick. Plants are beings and the benefits you reap from them will be so much greater when you treat them with love and respect.
Wishing you much love, health & happiness,
Rebecca