Well, it’s winter. And cold season. Flu is spreading, along with yet another variant of COVID19. It seems timely to discuss ways to bolster your immune system against the onslaught of winter germs.
My core purpose as a Naturopath is to help foster wellness and health. It’s not about diagnosing and curing disease, but rather helping to discover pathways to becoming well. Looking at a being’s current state of health and discovering ways to help increase that health. How can the body work better, more efficiently? How can we better emotional and spiritual health to help that body become healthier?
So today we’ll discuss an herb whose purpose is just that: nourishing, replenishing, boosting. Nettles (Urtica dioica) are basically another common weed with amazing benefits. It has been used for over 2000 years, going back to ancient Egypt and biblical times .
This powerhouse plant has antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti ulcer, and analgesic properties (research here)
It has great anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and immunomodulatory properties ( research here)
and it is ultra packed with nutrition, including protein, healthy fats, vitamins, minerals, and trace elements (research here).
Remember the “apple a day keeps the doctor away” adage? Yeah, apples got NOTHING on nettles!
So… how do we get these unprecedented benefits?
Nettles are ubiquitous. They’re EVERYWHERE. They’re easily identifiable, but because they have hairy leaves that sting (no one who has been stung will ever forget it!), wild foraging these herbs requires preparation and caution. It’s way easier to purchase nettles, and, because they are common, they’re a relatively cheap herb to buy. If you’re environmentally and socially conscious, there are LOTS of sustainable, organic farms and herb companies that sell nettles in many forms, and for those of you who are budget conscious or want an easy, no-effort solution, Amazon and Google are full of options.
As for me, I take a daily dose of nettle tea. I infuse nettle leaves in cold water (to preserve all those phytochemicals and nutritive properties, as well as the sweetness), throw the infusion into my insulated coffee mug, and sip on it all morning. I’m a big tea person, so to me this tastes great. And when my body is fighting something or feeling stressed or low on energy, it tastes amazing.
For those of you who are reticent about tea (or think the tea tastes like “rotten dirt,” as a friend of mine opined), you can grind up dried nettles with other herbs (rosemary, sea salt, basil, oregano) and make a delicious sprinkle-able powder that you can throw on meals to enhance the taste and nutritive value. Easy peasy. Find the recipe here:
And, as always, I’m here for you! If you want the easiest solution with zero effort, schedule a “quick question” session with me and we can talk about options that will work for you, then I can send you direct links to products that will fit with your needs. Easy peasy!
Blessings,
Melanie
