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Nettle Powder

The health benefits of nettle (Urtica dioica) are absolutely amazing! We can use the roots, stems, leaves, flowers and seeds of nettle for different purposes. The leaves and stems are covered with stinging hairs that stop most people from using nettle. 

How to use nettle when you don’t want to touch them in the first place? And how can you add nettle to your eating plan if you don’t grow your own fresh stinging nettle? 

One of the practical forms of using nettle is leaf powder. The powder made of dried nettle leaves is actually a concentrated form of nutrients contained in these leaves that are rich in minerals (calcium, potassium, silica, sulfur, magnesium, iron, copper), vitamins (vitamin A, vitamin B2, vitamin B9, vitamin C, Vitamin D, vitamin K), amino acids, proteins, polysaccharides, plant pigments (chlorophyll, carotenoids), fatty acids, sterols, tannins and many other phytochemicals.  

Nettle leaf powder can be used as a nutrient-rich food additive in sauces, soups or salads, as well as a conditioning agent in cosmetic preparations, shampoos and hair masks. It is rich in green pigment, chlorophyll, so it is perfectly usable as natural food, cosmetic and soap colorant. Its high content of proteins, vitamins and minerals makes nettle leaf powder a great dietary supplement. It is often sold in capsule or tablet form as well. Nettle is well-known for its high iron content and it is often recommended to people suffering from iron deficiency.

You can use nettle leaf powder in cookies and biscuits as well. Sweet nettle may sound unusual, but worth a try. This nettle shortbread recipe is based on traditional Scottish shortbreads.

Nettle shortbread recipe

Ingredients:

  • 160 g butter at room temperature
  • 310 g flour
  • 70 g sugar
  • 3 tablespoons nettle leaf powder
  • ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 egg yolks

Preparation:

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
  2. Cut butter into small pieces.
  3. Mix the dry ingredients (flour, nettle powder, baking powder and sugar).
  4. Add butter and mix until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
  5. Add the egg yolks and form a ball of the dough. If you want a softer dough, add a tablespoon milk.
  6. Roll dough on parchment paper to about 1 cm thick. Cut into squares, triangles or use a decorative cutter.
  7. Bake for 15 – 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Enjoy this green shortbread with a cup of tea, while lying on the sofa with a book to read on the cold winter days!

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Wellness with Nettle Chips

12 June 2021 Global Wellness Day

With the slogan “One day can change your whole life“, we celebrate Global Wellness Day on the second Saturday of June every year as an international day. 

All of us would like to be healthier, to look better, and to live well both physically and spiritually. Living well is almost the entire world’s shared dream.

Today is about adopting nutrition, exercise, and healthy living by eating healthy, sleeping on time, and spending more time with loved ones. Wellness and healthy living is everything. Without good health, happiness, and peace, there is no point living and nothing really matters if we don’t have these key aspects of life in place or in our control.

Healthy food comes from natural ingredients. Today, try to cook your own meal. Try to go outside in nature, take a walk in the forest or by the river. Breath! Pay attention to herbs, as they are nature’s gift to us to restore and maintain our health. Illness takes a long time to develop, so medicinal plants take a long time as well to cure the illness. Be patient and give your body and soul a pause to relaxation and healing from everyday rush and stress.

Use nettle to clean your system and charge your batteries. Slow down a bit, have a cup of tea and enjoy the moment you spend with your family and friends. Let nettle tea detoxify your blood, clean your veins, upload you with lots of useful minerals like iron, magnesium, vitamin C, vitamin B6, vitamin K and other nutrients.

Fresh or processed nettle is recommended as a high-protein, low-calorie source of essential nutrients, minerals, and vitamins. Let’s try the easiest and most delicious Nettle Chips recipe!

Nettle Chips Recipe

1. Preheat your oven to its hottest setting, around 220˚C.

2. Line a baking sheet with greaseproof paper. Arrange the nettle leaves in a single layer and lightly spray them with olive oil. Turn the leaves over and spray the other side, then put the tray into the oven for 3-5 minutes, until the leaves are crisp, bright green and slightly translucent.

3. Season with salt and pepper, and eat.