Although not a ‘real’ tea, Nettle Tea is tasty and is absolutely fabulous for you if you’ve been under a little (or a lot) of stress recently. Any type of stress depletes our bodies’ health reserves. Nettle Tea puts the oomph right back into life: Increasing energy and helping you sleep better.
Adrenal burn-out? Then Nettle Tea is the tea for you.
As you may know by now, or are just learning as you’ve only just arrived, I’m a huge fan of tea. Black tea, green tea, white or red, herb teas and tisanes, hot or cold. Yep, tea just does it for me. (Now I’m not adverse to a nice glass of vino too…just incase you thought I might be a fanatic!)
Anyhoos, if I haven’t bent your ear about Nettle Tea yet, you are in for a treat. And if I have, then it’s time to review.
Nettle is a herb. Aka Stinging Nettle, Urtica Dioica. Aha, now you know it. Don’t worry the tea doesn’t sting. Always the first question I’m asked when I suggest it.
Nettles grow prolifically, which means you can find them anywhere. At this time of year, you’ll find them ready dried and ready to go in your local healthy food or nutrition center. They are harvested in spring, wearing your Marigolds! (For my US peeps, that means wear heavy duty rubber gloves.) Hang them upside down to dry and use them in place of your regular tea. But for today, we are going to use teabags, because I didn’t get harvesting this year. Next year…
So, obviously you are wondering why I’d want to drink Nettle Tea instead of my usual Tetley’s British Blend with a nice splash of milk. Because (insert drumroll…) Nettle Tea is so amazingly good for you. As well as being a pleasant replacement for green tea as it tastes quite similar, Nettle Tea is chock-a-block full of nutrients. And these nutrients include all sorts of trace minerals. And all this is absolutely fabulous for your adrenals.
Your adrenals are like little hats that sit on top of your kidneys. So, you have two. They are part of the endocrine system, which is the hormonal messenger system of the body. When we are under stress of any kind, the adrenals get to work. Heard of adrenaline? Yep, that’s the major hormone the adrenals send into the body. Adrenaline boosts the fight or flight response in our bodies. That’s the urge to get going that has us not sleeping well, agitated and down right anxious.
Our busy lifestyle and constant interruptions leads to adrenal fatigue. And that’s where Nettle Tea comes in to play. A couple of cups of Nettle Tea each day and we are back on track in a month or so.
How to make Nettle Tea: follow the instructions on the packet. Or if using fresh, then fill up your teapot and cover with boiling water. Steep for at least 10 minutes up to around 20. Strain, drink. Good! Tons more Tea Info click here.
If you don’t like the taste as much as I do, add a little lemon or honey, or both. You can make up a strong mason jar full at night time, pop it in the fridge and then drink it cold the next day. Add sparkling water and some fruit and you’ve got yourself a pleasant Nettle Tea Spritzer.
So, to sum up, without going into tons of details, Nettle Tea is good for your health if you are or have been under stress. It’s a ‘food grade’ herb, so you can drink as much as you like (as long as you aren’t allergic to it). Oh, and it’s really useful to drink if you have Hayfever. In fact, there’s lots of things that Nettle Tea is good for.
Need more energy and to sleep better? Drink Nettle Tea.
Never heard of Nettle Tea but it sounds like it has some wonderful qualities. Just wonder about the taste. Is it bitter? You mention adding honey, but how much honey will be needed to make it palatable?
Thanks.
I love the taste, but I don’t have a real sweet tooth. It is a little bitter, rather like green tea. So, if you like green tea, you’ll probably love it. I’d start with a teaspoon of honey in a cup and see how it goes. Agave is an alternate that works too. And if the taste really bothers you, try maple syrup. It will add a smokiness which I’ve found a hit with people.
Do try and let me know.
Wow I had no idea tea could be so powerful. I felt like i just took an A&P class. I foresee a nettle tea purchase in my near future. I love the idea of having ice tea in the morning as this August has been quite hot.
thanks for sharing
LOL! I have to hold back my enthusiasm sometimes! Yes, tea can be powerful. There’s also the psychological aspects. My tea making in the morning is a ritual that sets the foundation of my day.
Do let me know how you enjoy it. I like that you are considering a cool start to the last days of Summer.
I am interested to know more about allergies. My allergies are out of control right now, and one of the high counts in the air is stinging nettle….. I’d be very curious to know if I am allergic to drinking it, or only to the pollen…. any insights on this?
Interesting. Allergies to Stinging Nettle tea is rare as in fact it’s a natural anti-histamine, but we are all so complex that there isn’t a definitive answer.
I suggest the following:
◦Try making a strong tea with stinging nettles and butterbur and drinking it daily. Both herbs are reputed to perform as well as antihistamines, without the drowsiness. Start with one cup and see how it goes. If your allergies worsen, then we need to steer you towards some other herbs.
◦Eliminate dairy from your diet to avoid immune-system irritation. I know, that’s a hard one, but there are some soy and rice substitutes for ice-cream that are really yummy!
◦Increase your intake of omega-3 fatty acids, for example wild Alaskan salmon, freshly ground flaxseeds or fish oil supplements.
◦Eat plenty of antioxidant-rich fruits such as berries and cherries to help modify the body’s inflammatory response.
◦You may also want to try nasal douching with a warm saline solution (purchase a neti bottle from your health food store) and drink plenty of water to keep nasal passages hydrated and to flush out your system.
Do let me know how it goes.
Hi Jacqueline- I haven’t had nettle tea in a while. Thanks for reminding me of all the benefits! I’d like to see you do a video of harvesting the teas:-) great addition to any self care routine! You’re the best! xoDana
Personally I don’t like Green Tea but I was surprised by the taste of Nettle Tea. It’s got a mild taste and I really enjoy drinking it.
Often people don’t enjoy green tea as they make it with boiling water. This brings out the bitterness. Let the water go off the boil for 5 minutes and try with a little lemon, and you may find you enjoy it more. But keep drinking that Nettle! xox