N E T T L E
A garbage bag that brought my cycle back
Nettle. Simply, one of my favorite herbs that has gotten my life back on track. I remember my first encounter with this plant as it left a “stinging” imprint on my skin. A dear sister friend (also a remarkable herbalist) had a massive patch of stinging nettle on her land. She harvested a garbage bag full for me. I took the nettle home and made nettle soup; fresh nettle, potatoes, veggie broth, onions, celery, water, salt. I had 3 bowls my first go around and followed with having it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Knowing now, nettle was helping me build blood, drying up dampness in my gut and asked me to “get my shit together and move on.” There were some challenging lessons this plant wanted me to grow through and still to this day I know I’m in for an up level when I sit with this plant.
Now, when my friend handed me the garbage bag full of nettle, my menstrual cycle was decently non-existence. I would have symptoms but didn’t fully bleed. This was from number of reasons; lifestyle, stress, living in a damp environment, lack of safety in self, and denying myself nutrients. Nettle is full of minerals, vitamins and nutrients! We’re talking… proteins, vitamin c, flavonoids, magnesium, chlorophyll, potassium, calcium, fiber and some vitamin b’s. Nettle is known for building blood while also detoxifying the blood. My cycle did come back with a full on lifestyle change which I love to give a decent amount of credit to that nettle soup for. Nettle is also known to support postpartum women in decreasing bleeding, lactation, and tightening and tonefying cell walls. Overall, nettle is the “green juice” for cleaning and building blood, drying up stagnation(diuretic), and supporting postpartum women. This plant is harvested in the spring time, timely to clean up the system post stagnation of winter.
Seasonal allergies. I like to tell clients to begin to take nettle mid to end of February to get ahead of the allergy responds. This can be through nettle tea or one of my favorite sweet medicine for kiddos “oxymels.” Where you steep the herb in equal parts honey and apple cider vinegar. After weeks of steeping you strain the liquid and take a table spoon daily. As you can see, nettle brings the lesson of boundaries, planning, getting moving towards health is wealth. Planning to make this medicine in mid January so that it can seep for 5-6 weeks and begin taking before the blooms. “Gotta think ahead of the game.” Nettle, loves creating boundaries to support our healthiest self.
I’m so grateful for the garbage bag of nettle that was gifted to me those years ago, offering me many keys to support my health. I feel nettle working on healthy inflammation responds in the body and truly filling the gaps of nutrients that I am missing. I see nettle tightening of leaks in the system, not just boundaries but tightening up fluids that are leaking: allergies, blood.
Oxymels- old folk medicine that pairs honey and apple cider vinegar infused with herbs. Honey- known for all it’s anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, wound healing and supporting with cough. Apple cider vinegar- hello gut health. These 2 working together to provide a soothing yet driving medicine with the herbs.
Oxymel:
16oz mason jar fill 3/4 full of dried nettle
Fill jar 1/2 full of honey
Remain half fill with Apple cider vinegar
Cover(I like to use wax paper in between lid and jar) supports with rusting.
Steep in a dark area for 4-6 weeks (I like to shake jar weekly)
Strain.
Keep liquid in a clean jar in the fridge. Stays good for 6 months.
1 tablespoon daily- can be added to hot water, bubbly drinks, mocktails
This medicine is great for kids. Sweetness from the honey makes it easier to get the herbs in.
Allergies, inflammation, gut health, blood building