Stinging Nettles emerging from their winter’s sleep

I love change. You can actually say I crave change, which is very helpful since things are always changing. Hey, we live on a planet that is turning while revolving around the sun. When things appear stagnant or nothing new is happening, I start to get antsy, even a little blue. Basically, I yearn for adventure and new experiences. Luckily, Mother Nature provides me with some much needed change after a dormant winter.

One of my favorite things to do is walk the land in early spring, checking out what lovely plants have decided it’s time to emerge from their warm, safe protective earth. On my first spring walk this year, I was so excited to see Stinging Nettles (Urtica dioica) breaking through the surface. All the potential and possibilities that nettles represent simply flooded my mind. Nettles are the ideal spring tonic to awaken the body from its winter sleep. They nourish and support the entire body, particularly the endocrine, immune, urinary, respiratory, and circulatory systems. Eating and drinking nettles help increase your metabolism, while building the body and blood as it nourishes the kidneys and the adrenal glands.  Since Nettles are a tonic for the kidney, adrenal, and thyroid glands, they help increase and stabilize energy levels. Used regularly for several months, they can also limit or actually prevent hay fever and other allergies.

You can call nettles a superfood since they are so nutrient rich. They are an excellent source of minerals, vitamins and amino acids. They’re very high in calcium, magnesium, trace minerals and chlorophyll. Nettles are also high in chromium, cobalt, iron, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper and sulfur, as well as the B complexes, especially thiamine and riboflavin with rich supplies of niacin, protein, selenium, and vitamins C, D and K. Because of their dense concentration of minerals and amino acids, nettles help to build healthy bones, hair, skin, and teeth, as well as being an excellent tonic for pregnant, lactating, and menopausal women.

Not only are the greens incredibly good for you, they are delicious too. Right now, they are just peeking out of the ground but in a couple of weeks (perhaps earlier); I will harvest the tender tops and continue throughout the summer until they begin to set flowers. Once they start to flower, Nettles develop cystoliths in the leaves, which can irritate to the kidneys. I enjoy nettles in teas, soups and in my morning omelets. Some people even make nettle pesto; I can’t wait to try that this year. During the summer, I start to dry them so I can use them in teas during the winter and help my body abate spring allergy season.

It’s amazing how a simple walk outside can bring me such joy and promise of what lies ahead. As the daylight increases with guarantees of warmer days in the future, I will visit the land more frequently in joyful anticipation to see what change has happened since my last visit.

All information is shared for educational purposes only and has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.  This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.