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Nettle Tea Blends

There is nothing better on a cold, wet, windy winter day, than a blanket and a steaming mug of herbal tea. Herbal teas are wonderful winter companions. Not only are they tasty they also have many benefits for your health. Making your own winter peace herbal tea blend is a simple task that can help you relax. This spicy tea is packed with iron and vitamin C, which when mixed together, are easily absorbed by your body.

  • 2 parts dried nettle leaves
  • 1 part rose hips
  • ½ part cinnamon (crushed)
  • ½ part chamomile flowers

For a fruity taste, you can add dried fruits as well (raisin, cranberry, apricot). Combine the herbs in a mason jar. Use one teaspoon of tea blend to a cup of boiling water. Let steep the herbs for 10 minutes, then strain and drink. Add honey if you like it sweet.

Enjoy!

Other Nettle Tea Blend suggestions: 

Sore Throat Tea:

  • 2 parts nettle
  • 1 part echinacea
  • 1 part thyme
  • ½ part sage

Hormone Balance Tea:

  • 3 parts nettle
  • 1 part raspberry leaf
  • ½ part lady’s mantle
  • ½ part sage

Be Happy Tea:

  • 2 parts nettle
  • 1 part St John’s Wort
  • ½ part hibiscus
  • ½ part peppermint

Good Night Tea:

  • 1 part nettle
  • 1 part lavender flowers
  • 1 part chamomile
  • ½ part dried hop cone

Make sure you always label your tea blends. Hope you enjoy this wintertime activity with dried herbs in your kitchen!

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Nettle for Athletes

23 July 2021 Olympic Games 2020

Games of the XXXII Olympiad and commonly known as Tokyo 2020, is an upcoming international multi-sport event. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was rescheduled to take place from 23 July to 8 August 2021 in Tokyo, Japan.

For many athletes, energy ebbs and flows. Some days you’re feeling on top of your game, but others you’re barely limping along. That’s pretty normal for most people, but athletes notice it more keenly because it can dramatically change their performance.

Athletes are among the heaviest users of complementary and alternative medicine. Unlike non-athletes, athletes may use it not just for prevention, treatment or rehabilitation from illness or injuries, but also for performance enhancement. 

Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) is the best friend of athletes. It is used for joint ailments, osteoarthritis (OA), musculoskeletal aches and pains. Nettle is a good blood purification, wound healer herb and a general tonic. Above all, a tasty food ingredient filled with essential nutrients.

Do you want the same health and energy as athletes have? Try this daily infusion to support your training and your life. Whether you make it a hot tea or a cold summer beverage, it will help you detoxify the body, help reduce inflammation all the while improving your energy levels.

Ingredients:

  • 1 part dried nettle 
  • 1 part dried oatstraw 
  • 1 part dried raspberry leaf 
  • 1/2 part dried rose hips or hibiscus 
  • 1/2 part dried tulsi (holy basil) leaf

Blend all herbs and store them in an airtight container. Be sure to label your blend. 

For a cup of tea, use 2 tablespoons of herb in a cup (250 ml) of water. Let the herbs steep in the water for 20 minutes if the water was hot or several hours if it was cold. Strain and enjoy.

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Nettle for Women’s Health

8th March International Women’s Day

Today, International Women’s Day is celebrated in many countries around the world. It is a day when women are recognized for their achievements without regard to divisions, whether national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic or political.

Women have been the keepers of healing ways and secrets of plant medicines. It is a part of their lineage and a “birthright”. I encourage everyone, especially ladies to learn as much as you can about how to care for yourself and your loved ones using gentle and effective means of treatment with herbs. In women’s health, there are a number of herbs that are essential: raspberry leaf, lady’s mantle, sage, yarrow and most importantly, nettle.

Nettle (Urtica dioica) has traditionally been combined with raspberry leaf in a tea. Nettle leaf is a great source of iron, vitamin C, vitamin B6, vitamin K and other nutrients. Nettle was particularly prized by women who wanted to restore and replenish themselves after giving birth. These traditional applications are still resonant among women today.

Numerous studies have found vitamin B6 to be effective for treating symptoms associated with PMS, and B6 has also been shown to help relieve morning sickness during pregnancy. Menstruating women need a constant supply of iron to counter the monthly loss from menstruation, and pregnant women need even more. Iron demands go up in pregnancy—a pregnant woman needs 27 mg per day versus 18 mg for a menstruating, non-pregnant female.

Not the leaf is the only part of nettle that is elementary for women’s health, but nettle seed and root also play an important role. Nettle seeds contain a vital lecithin component called choline, that is important for the developing baby’s brain health, particularly the parts of the brain that affect learning ability.

For women, the health benefits of nettle root and its actions on the body are similar to those of men: optimizing and regulating the endocrine (hormone) system. The active compound ß-sitosterol in the root is assisting the body in finding an optimized, healthy harmony.