Tag: stinging_nettle

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Nettle Mulled White Wine

We are coming to the end of the year 2021. We have grown so many nettles, cooked many dishes out of it, drank countless cups of nettle tea and nettle beer, used nettle for dying, we fertilized our plants with it, we got to know its historical uses, like magic spells, clothes, and furthermore its healing powers.

If everyone would have known nettle’s healing properties, it would be the most produced crop worldwide like cane sugar, corn, wheat, apples and potatoes. There would be too many healthy people on this planet. Imagine a world where there is no allergy, no high blood pressure, no anemia, no hormone imbalances, no dandruff, no baldness, no vitamin deficiency, no digestion problems, no joint pain and no cancer. It’s hard to believe that a common weed can solve all these problems, isn’t it? But the common stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) is capable of all these things.

Now, let’s prepare the year’s last nettle beverage: Nettle Mulled White Wine.

Ingredients:

  • A bottle of white wine (750 ml)
  • 2 cups of water
  • 3 tablespoons of dried nettle leaf
  • ½ cup of sugar
  • A small piece of ginger (the size depends on how much you like the taste), chopped
  • 1 organic lemon, sliced
  • 1 organic orange, sliced
  • 6-8 cloves
  • 3-4 cinnamon sticks
  • 3-4 star anise

Preparation:

Combine wine and water, bring them to boil. Add the nettle, ginger and sugar. Let them simmer when you add lemon and orange. Cook for about 15 minutes, then give it the spices. Remove from heat. Strain it into mugs and enjoy this healing warm drink!

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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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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 your Hair

Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) is a nutritional powerhouse. More than 100 chemical components have been identified in nettle, including minerals (iron, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, manganese, copper) as well as the vitamins A, C, K, and B. Nettle also contains phytonutrients: chlorophyll, beta-carotene, lutein, quercetin, all of which are incredible for hair, nails and skin. Because of its nourishing, diuretic and anti-inflammatory properties, nettle is a natural beautifier herb to skin, nails and hair. 

Let’s have a closer look at how nettle can help your hair!

Nettle enhances blood circulation, so your hair roots get more supply of nutrients and oxygen. It has super antioxidants that help to get rid of hair-damaging compounds. Carotenoids, flavonoids and vitamin C in nettle act like a shield and protect hair from damaging free radicals. This stinging herb can inhibit the formation of DHT – the hormone that causes male and female baldness. Because of its astringent nature, nettle can get rid of oily scalp, dandruff, and reduce irritation and itchiness. Its anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties keep the scalp in good health.

Nettle is a safe and natural way to stop hair loss and make hair healthy and glossy. Drinking nettle tea may also help battle hair loss, as iron can help with circulation to the scalp, in turn fueling hair growth. Nettles will also help with an imbalance of sebum (the oil that your pores produce) which can make a difference if you suffer from dandruff or dry scalp.

You don’t need to buy expensive artificial products and pills to grow your hair faster. It’s easy and beneficial to make your own homemade nettle hair tonic.

Ingredients:

  • 5 tablespoons of dried nettle
  • 2 cups of water
  • A few drops of your favourite essential oil (tea tree oil or rosemary oil works the best)
  • A bottle for storing

Preparation:

Bring water to a boil and then pour over the herb, letting it steep for 20 minutes. If it cooled, strain it, and add your essential oil. Pour your hair tonic into a bottle. To use, pour over your hair in the shower and massage or comb in, let it sit for 5-10 minutes, then rinse.

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Magical Nettle

Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) has been used for many things by many cultures in history. Food, medicine, beer, paper, fabric…and even magic. Nettle can be used as an anti-aging tonic that can purify the blood. It is also thought to help break curses and spells.

The healing powers of stinging nettle are steeped in folklore. In the fairy tale of “The Wild Swans” by Hans Christian Andersen, the heroine must weave a coat of nettle to save her brothers from a curse that turned them into swans. It has been said that stings from the nettle can prevent sorcery. Nettle is a good protective plant that is considered good at breaking spells and jinxes.

According to the Anglo-Saxon “Nine Herbs Charm“, recorded in the 10th century, nettle was used as a protection against “elf-shot” (mysterious pains in humans or livestock caused by the arrows of the Elvin folk) and “flying venom” (believed at the time to be one of the four primary causes of illness). In Norse myth, nettle is associated with Thor, the God of Thunder; and with Loki, the trickster god, whose magical fishing net is made from this plant. In Celtic lore, thick stands of nettle indicate that there are fairy dwellings close by, and the sting of the nettle protects against fairy mischief, black magic, and other forms of sorcery.

Stinging nettle is used in potions designed to transition a difficult situation into a nurturing one. The leaves can be burned to drive out negative energies or break curses.

Even J. K. Rowling was inspired by this herb. According to the Harry Potter Wiki, nettle was used in Potion-making: dried nettle was used in the Boil-Cure Potion and nettle was presumably the main ingredient of beverages like nettle wine and nettle tea. Nettle could also be made into a soup and was rumored to improve the glossiness of one’s hair. Nettle was covered in the Herbology lessons at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

The Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone film was released to cinemas in the United Kingdom and the United States on 16 November 2001. Exactly 20 years ago!

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Nettle for menopause

18th October  World Menopause Day

The World Health Organisation (WHO) and the International Menopause Society designated  18th October as World Menopause Day. The purpose of today is to raise awareness of menopause and chronic diseases that affect women after menopause.

It’s a normal, natural part of the aging process, yet many women are still worried about going through this change. Symptoms include irregular periods, hot flashes, sleep disturbances, vaginal dryness, breast tenderness, loss of libido and mood swings. These are all the results of unevenly changing levels of hormones in the body. Both high and low levels of estrogen can cause unbearable migraines in women. Hormonal changes after menopause may bring changes in bone density too.

But there are also things to celebrate in menopause: no more periods, PMS, or worrying about unwanted pregnancies. The aim is to see this time from a perspective of new possibilities: amazing personal growth, self-awareness, greater freedom and excitement.

Healers and wise women consider stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) a reliable friend, and one of the best herbs for menopause and hormonal health. Nettle infusion strengthens the adrenals, eases anxiety, increases energy, helps prevent night sweats, builds blood, protects bones and heart. Eating cooked nettle is another excellent way to gather its benefits.

The first craft beer brewed specifically for menopausal women has been developed in New Hampshire. The beer Libeeration combines Saphir hops with herbs that herbalists claim help ease symptoms associated with hormonal shifts. The beer contains nettle, motherwort, lemon balm, chamomile, mugwort, rose, chickweed and damiana. The result is a gruit style ale that’s golden straw in color with fruity, spicy, earthy flavors. And it weighs in at more than 6 percent ABV.

Let’s raise our glasses to women!

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Nettle soup for cool evenings

It’s autumn already. Days shorten and the temperature lowers day by day. We can still find some fresh nettle in the garden or in the wild to cook something delicious and nutritious to strengthen our immune system for the winter. If all the nettle had gone to sleep by this time, we can still use dried or frozen nettle we preserved during the growing season.

Let’s cook a heartwarming soup!

Ingredients:

  • 150 g of fresh/frozen nettle leaves rinsed or 2 cups dried leaves soaked in water for a few hours
  • 20 g of ginger finely chopped
  • 1 fennel root cut in pieces
  • 1 big sweet potato cut in pieces
  • 1 onion chopped in small pieces
  • ½ leek chopped in slices
  • 1 garlic clove finely chopped
  • 1 green apple cut in pieces
  • few drops of olive oil
  • salt/pepper to taste

Preparation:

Saute the ginger, onion, leek and garlic in a few drops of olive oil until they release their pleasant smell. Add the rest of the veggies and the nettle. Stir and cover with water, then bring to boil. When your ingredients are cooked, remove from fire and blend until you have a creamy texture.

Serving suggestions:

Add some spicy olive oil and a few drops of lemon to your plate. You can grill small pieces of Pleurotus mushrooms and add them to your soup as a crispy surprise. Alternatively, you can roast some pine nuts, or sunflower seeds/pumpkin seeds, or make some crouton from your old bread.

Bon appetit!

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Nettle in the Egg

8th October 2021 World Egg Day

World Egg Day is an annual international campaign every second Friday in October that promotes the nutritional benefits of eggs in our diet and honors the farmers who care for the poultry which supply them. For centuries, eggs have played a major role in feeding families around the globe. Eggs are one of nature’s highest quality sources of protein, and indeed contain many of the key ingredients for life. The proteins contained within eggs are highly important in the development of the brain and muscles, have a key role to play in disease prevention and contribute to general well-being.

The importance of nettle in the diet of poultry

Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica), as a superfood, is not only beneficial for humans, but birds too. Filled with essential nutrients and vitamins, as well as dietary fiber, it promotes health and a balanced diet for animals. 

Did you know that nettle addition was found to substantially increase broiler skin yellowness? Chicken with yellow skin is often seen as a sign of healthy food and good quality chicken. Nettle is good for the eggs too. The widely used curcumin is not the only option for farmers to add in chicken food to promote a better color for skin and egg yolk. Wild nettle is found everywhere and is cheaper than curcumin.

Nettle supplementation increases the egg quality besides strengthening the immune system of laying hens. Yolk color is an important quality trait of eggs. Natural pigment sources are preferred by consumers. Nettle and egg are the two main essential gifts from nature.

Have you ever made a nettle omelette? This recipe is worth trying 🙂

Ingredients for the filling:

  • Fresh nettle tops, a large colander filled to the brim or dried nettle leaves soaked in water for a few hours
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion, halved and cut in rings
  • Salt and pepper

Roughly chop the nettles. Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the onion and let cook till it becomes translucent. Add the nettle tops, stir and cover with a lid. Cook until the nettles are wilted, season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Ingredients for the omelet per person:

  • Olive oil for frying
  • 2 -3 eggs
  • Salt and pepper
  • finely grated parmesan cheese

Beat the eggs with a fork in a bowl. Season the eggs with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a frying pan. Pour in the eggs and as the omelet begins to cook, use a spatula to draw the eggs from the side to the middle and allow the uncooked eggs to run beneath. Repeat this a few times. Sprinkle the parmesan on top and let the omelet cook till just set but still soft. Put a generous helping of the nettles on one half of the omelet and fold it over. Let the omelet slide on a plate.

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Heart Protection with Nettle

29 September 2021 World Heart Day

Today, 29 September is World Heart Day, created by the World Heart Federation to raise awareness on heart health. World Heart Day informs people around the globe that cardiovascular disease (CVD), including heart disease and stroke, is the world’s leading cause of death claiming 17.9 million lives each year, and highlights the actions that individuals can take to prevent and control CVD. It aims to drive action to educate people that by controlling risk factors such as tobacco use, unhealthy diet and physical inactivity, at least 80% of premature deaths from heart disease and stroke could be avoided.

There are many synthetic medicines available on the market, though they might cause side effects that need to be treated by other drugs and this undesired cycle goes on and on. Fortunately, modern science is rediscovering the health benefits of traditionally used herbs. Nettle (Urtica dioica) is one of the most studied medicinal plants that have the ability to positively affect the heart. 

Research has revealed that frequent consumption of stinging nettle tea can help lower systolic blood pressure and relieve tension and stress on the cardiovascular system. Nettle offers a variety of active compounds many of which also act as antioxidants inside your body.

Nettle contains vitamins and minerals that are regarded as heart protectors. The plant is a source of vitamins A and C, beta carotene, and other carotenoids. Because of its high content of vitamin C and iron, which help the body boost red blood cell (RBC) production, it may help prevent anemia. Nettle also contains the flavonoids quercetin and kaempferol, which can help lower blood pressure and reduce the risk for cardiovascular disease. Nettle is a source of iron and potassium, tea made from this stinging plant may help to relax blood vessels and aid in healthy circulation.

It also helps to rebalance the body by acting as a tonic for the blood by balancing blood pH and safely flushing waste from the body. 

Enjoy a cup of tea made with fresh or dried nettle leaves. Or add a few drops of nettle tonic to your beverage to purify your blood!

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How to cure snoring naturally with nettle?

Snoring often goes unnoticed as a disease, but it is not taken seriously. Snoring is a risky habit! 75% of people who snore suffer from obstructive sleep apnea. It means their breathing gets disrupted for short periods when they sleep. This increases their risk of developing heart disease. Therefore, it is essential to treat this condition not only because of the person’s health but also because it poses risk to their marriages! In most of the cases, the spouse of a snoring partner sleeps in a separate bedroom! So, if you snore, take help of herbs.

Drinking tea – especially before falling asleep – can alleviate snoring. Nettle, lime blossom, sage and arnica should be particularly suitable. Sage is used for general respiratory problems. Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) tea is especially recommended if snoring is caused by pollen allergy. If the mucous membranes are swollen and you cannot breathe freely through your nose, nettle is a great help. Nettle leaves are a known antihistamine. When your sinus passage gets inflamed due to allergies of upper respiratory tract infections such as cold or sinusitis, you may snore a lot. Nettle leaf tea can be one of the best home remedies for snoring of such type.

Nettle leaf tea has bioflavonoids in it which opens up the sinuses and stabilizes white blood cells that make histamine. Just ensure to have dried nettle leaves for your tea.

To make nettle leaf tea for snoring, you‘ll need:

  • 1 tsp dried nettle leaf
  • 1 cup boiling water

Place the dried nettle leaves in a pot. Pour boiling water over it. Steep for 5 minutes. Strain and drink. Have 3 cups of nettle leaf tea daily.

Nettle is diuretic in nature. You may have to get up in the middle of the night to urinate.

Have a good snore-free sleep!