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Caffeine Cravings: Get Your Coffee Fix Naturally
Caffeine is without a doubt one of the most used and abused drugs on our planet. Obviously this issue may seem unimportant, because caffeine is so widely accepted in our fast paced society. More than one person has asked me about ways to naturally avoid a caffeine habit; shout out to my lovely colleagues Emma and Ja’Tovia, for reminding me to address this very important issue. FYI, caffeine is a DRUG, and a member of the class of methylxanthine chemicals. Unlike alcohol, which depresses the nervous system, caffeine stimulates it and increases blood pressure, heart rate, respiration, kidney function, amount of stomach acid, gastrointenstinal function (can act as a laxative), and brain activity. Overconsumption or even just regular ongoing consumption of caffeine can lead to heart problems, anxiety, inflammation in the stomach and intestines, irritability, and insomnia. Caffeine also depletes minerals in your body and blocks proper absorption of essential nutrients like calcium and iron which can later lead to osteoporosis, anemia etc. Beyond that if you over consume caffeine it can lead to birth defects, miscarriages, adrenal exhaustion and more.
Ok, so I’m sure after that long list of side effects you may be thinking about breaking up with your longterm fling, mr. coffee. I know he made you feel great, but the relationship obviously comes with some annoying and possibly life threatening side effects. So, why don’t I give you some tips on some other tall dark and handsome drinks you can date to find a suitable alternative. I promise you’ll find the one you are looking for somewhere in these recommendations, and you’ll be ready to make that breakup official.
If you are a die hard coffee drinker, it may be good to try herbal coffee drinks that give you the taste without the caffeine and supplement with things like spirulina to give yourself a natural energy boost. At the end of the day, none of us can neglect one of the most important functions to boost and regenerate our bodies, sleep. If you are sleep deprived and coasting on coffee to keep you going, it is going to have effects on your concentration, mood, and ability to loose weight. I run only on natural energy, and although nowadays people think I’m strange, it’s the best way to go because I can actually feel when I am tired and in need of serious rest. Rather than joining the slew of walking zombies drugged up on caffeine to “feel awake” I highly suggest you experience what it truly means to be energized by cutting out caffeine and (Gasp!) getting enough rest. Yeah, I said it. -XoXo Raw Girl
Spirulina is usually the first thing I recommend as a way to boost energy and replace caffeine. Just last week in the grocery store, for whatever reason an older woman asked me where the coffee beans were. I let her know that I don’t drink coffee, because I do not need to, and after a short conversation with me, she gave up on the coffee beans and headed instead to the supplement isle to pick up some spirulina. Adding spirulina to your juice or smoothie in the morning is not only going to boost your energy, it will also boost your immune system and give you a whopping dose of nutrients to keep you functioning optimal throughout the day. This is great for mothers who are always on-the-go and you can feed it to your kids too, and they will be less susceptible to catching common colds and other sicknesses at school. Remember that spirulina is potent so start with a teaspoon and work up the amount as you get used to it.
Herbal Coffee is a way to get the flavor of coffee without adding additional caffeine to your diet. These blends include herbs, nuts, etc. and so may give you a nutritional boost without spiking your energy. Of course you will have to experiment and find the brand that suits your taste buds the most. I discovered several brands online that sounded pretty good and come in a variety of flavors like Roastaroma, Pero, and Teeccino. Teeccino herbal coffee and other brands can usually be found in most health food stores and consists of ingredients like carob, barley, chicory root, dates, figs, roman seeds, almonds, and dandelion root.
Carob / Cacao Substitutes are interesting ways to get a dark beverage with some coffee-like qualities without going straight for the coffee beans. Carob actually has a deeper richness and depth of flavor and does contain vitamins and minerals along with the taste. You can try mixing carob powder hot water, non-dairy milk (like almond) , and sweetner of choice to make your own creamy carob coffee substitute, and do the same with cacao powder or nibs if hot chocolate gives you enough of a fix. Some people even try mixing cacao and carob together or mixing cacao with other herbal coffees. Great thing about carob: it forms alkaline in the body, while coffee is acidic.
Kombucha is one of my go-to drinks when I am exhausted or just want an energy boost to get through the day. I choose to go for the green kombucha that has spirulina in it, and it energizes me every time. If you can brew Kombucha in your home, more power to you. I’m too lazy, but I have recently found a locally brewed brand I am in love with and have experienced its immediate benefits which include keeping skin clear, cleansing liver, boosting energy, suppressing appetite and more. Sometimes if I have a bottle of kombucha in the morning I am bouncing off the walls and not even hungry until mid afternoon. It amazes me every time.
Yerba Mate is another drink I go to if I am in a bind. I am VERY sensitive to caffeine, so I only drink this is I am really really sleep deprived and have to keep going. It is a tea that comes from South America and contains about half the caffeine of coffee. Keep in mind it still contains caffeine, just less, so if you are weaning yourself off of it completely, try not to get hooked on yerba perpetually.
Rooibos African Teas are my favorite black teas that have a deep dark flavor that is almost coffee-like, and also happen to be caffeine-free. They are sold everywhere from Starbucks to grocery stores, and you can experiment to find a brand you like.
Green Juice & Smoothies are my go-to energy boosters in the morning. I am a big advocate of vegetable juice as the best natural high ever. If your up for something new try starting your day with fresh vegetable juice and see how your energy begins to change. You can also do smoothies in the morning with spirulina fruit and non-dairy milks and get the same effect. Or add in some cacao powder and have an energizing chocolate shake. You may be surprised! After about a week you will probably feel good enough that your break-up with coffee will be official and you may not even have a desire to hook up with coffee ever again. Coffee-who?
Juice! Crimson Cleanser & The Benefits of Swiss Chard
This weekend I was inspired by a gorgeous vegan friend to begin a juice fast I’ve been avoiding. She’s on a 48 Day cleanse right now. Talk about gangsta. When you see how incredibly flawless her skin is, it all makes sense that she commits to this regimen at least once a year. I always know when my body is crying out for a detox. A sure giveaway is the quality of my skin starts to dull a bit. After a few stressful days in New York, eating a few things I shouldn’t have, and also having MAC makeup applied for a fashion show on my skin (which I’ve discovered makes me break out), juicing is the remedy my internal doctor can prescribe without hesitation. So, I’ve been juicing, and when the recipes are not boring, I will blog about them so you can follow my progress. It’s really good, especially in a juice fast to get out of your rut of familiar juice recipes and incorporate others, you never know how much your body needs what a particular veggie can offer. For this crimson juice, I used beet, which is a great blood cleanser and red swiss chard. Funny enough, beets and swiss chard are in the same family. If you know your vegetables, you should know that beet greens (the leaves above the root) look strikingly similar to red swiss chard leaves.
Swiss chard is a colorful dark leafy green that can have stalks that are green, white, red, orange, or yellow. This plant despite the misleading name originated in Sicily, and is one of the most antioxidant rich foods, like, on the planet. Definitely, a nutrient dense veggie, chard is packed with disease fighting antioxidants and also vitamin E, C, A, K, B6, zinc, magnesium, manganese, copper, potassium, iron, fiber, riboflavin and protein. Swiss chard is also great for diabetics or anyone at risk for diabetes because it contains acids that help to regulate the blood sugar levels in the body. This green is also great for people with eye problems and for hair growth. It contains a high dosage of lutein, an antioxidant that is essential for eye health, and biotin, and important vitamin that promotes hair growth and strength. The stems of swiss chard are full of glutamine, which is an amino acid that with give your immune system a boost and help you recover faster from major surgeries or injuries. Besides all the aforementioned benefits, it can also help your body maintain the proper bone density, and can prevent colon cancer. Not too shabby. The next time your carting your way past these rainbow colored greens, I highly recommend you grab a bunch and give them a try. If not, just for the sake of adding some variety to your diet. To get the full nutritional benefits eat them raw and toss them in a salad or juice them. -XoXo Raw Girl
Crimson Cleanser
1 whole head of celery
4 Red Swiss Chard leaves
1/2 beet
1/2 lemon
ginger
Juice all ingredients, strain and serve. Made me a little more than 32 oz of juice. Enjoy!
Need an Immunity Boost? Echinacea!
It’s around that time of the year when you really need get your guard up and prevent common colds and the flu. We’re transitioning into the fall season, and if you live on the East Coast of the United States then you can attest to the recent abrupt changes in weather from extremely humid to sudden very chilly nights and moderate day time temperatures. Needless to say it’s a great time of year to turn our natural healing abilities all the way on. So the past week has been quite a struggle for me. It started with a scratchy throat and feeling fatigue and it progressed into a sore throat. Then I completely lost my voice! I was definitely not stoked about that at all since I was scheduled to do a short presentation on nutrition for kids to welcome to them to the Kids Day at a local farmers market that same day….FAIL! It’s very rare that I actually get sick so given my symptoms I had to tap into my memory bank and pull out of my arsenal one superb herb which was just what the natural doctor ordered: echinacea! I swear, I took echinacea for the first time this season last night (I had to, I was sounding so terribly hoarse and feeling horrible) and I literally woke up this morning feeling like a million bucks, with voice intact and immunity boosted up.
Echinacea is an herb which is native to North America and has been used for over 400 years to treat all sorts of immune system issues and other infections internally and externally as an overall “cure-all” plant. This herb has historically been used to treat scarlet fever, syphilis, malaria, blood poisoning, and diphtheria. However, in the 18th and 19th Century, echinacea use greatly declined after the introduction of antibiotics. There are nine species of echinacea but those that are most frequently used for therapeutic purposes are: echinacea angustifolia, echinacea pallida, and echinacea purpurea. Echinacea (of all species) is available in extracts, tinctures, tablets, capsules, and ointments. I usually drink it as a tea which you can find in your local health food store, or possibly even supermarket. Echinacea purpera is believed to be the most effective form of the herb.
Echinacea is like that friend you can count on when it gets down to the wire and you already went through all your contacts and absolutely NEED them to come through. Yes, it is there for you when you most need it by stimulating the immune system giving powerful results in a short period of time. It’s great for battling the onset of a cold, a sore throat, flu, etc. This brings me to an important side note: DO NOT take Echinacea for longer than 10 days at a time; the herb is so powerful and effective in boosting your immunity and giving fast results that if you take it too much it can actually weaken your immune response. Basically it gives the bugs too much time to evolve and adapt to your kick but echinacea attacks, so fall back before you give away your secret weapon.
Taking echinacea as soon as you feel a cold coming on from my experience can actually stop the symptoms from progressing to full out sickness, and if you take it while you are sick, clinical studies have shown that it can shorten the duration and severity of symptoms versus a control group who didn’t take it. Echinacea contains powerful substances which make it so useful and effective. These include polysaccharides, glycoproteins, alkamides, volatile oils, and flavonoids. These substances work together to increase the number of white blood cells, and boosts the activity of other immune cells. Echinacea is a go-to herb in treating cold, flu, and throat symptoms, but it can also be used externally to treat wounds and skin issues such as boils, rashes, and acne. Believe me, this stuff works! Remember, nature, is always our best medicine cabinet. Check echinacea out for yourself, and tell your friends and family about it too. – XoXo Nicola, Signing in for Raw Girl
The Amazing Benefits of Sprouting
So for one of the radio show episodes I got the opportunity to interview Annette Larkins, one of my anti-aging SHE-ROES previously featured on this blog. If you haven’t check out the post on Annette please do, she is a clear, living example of the power of raw foods. While gleaning every nugget of information and longevity secrets from her that I could, I asked her about superfoods. She’s not a fan of superfoods, (You guys know I totally am!), and she said that if I began eating more sprouts, I may feel I need less of those superfood supplements. Well, I’m always one to take the advice that works for me and run with it. I’m keeping my superfoods, but the past week I also started sprouting again in these sprout trays and yielded a couple baggies full of sprouts that I’ve been adding into salads. After doing some research on the benefits of sprouting, I see why Annette considers sprouts a superfood.
Sprouting is literally the process of taking a dormant seed to a live plant. During this germination process, any nutrients in the seed that hinder nutritional advantages of the food are removed. An example of this is something called phytic acid, which binds calcium, magnesium, iron, copper, and zinc and makes it harder for the body to absorb and irritates your digestive system! Sprouting gets rid of this and other nutrient blockers. It also boosts the digestibility of food. If nuts or legumes cause you gas, soaking or sprouting will alleviate that and make them both able to be consumed gas-free. This is due to the fact that when you sprout beans you break down the complex sugars that would cause the gas in the first place. Beyond being easier for the body to assimilate sprouts are superfoods because during the sprouting process their nutritional value skyrockets. More so than even full-grown plants, sprouts have the greatest concentration of vitamins, minerals, proteins, enzymes, and chemo-protectants with fight toxins, stop cells from mutating, and boost immunity.
In addition to all of these jazzy reasons why sprouts are the bomb dot-com, in the 1920’s American Professor Edmond Szekely classified sprouted seeds and baby greens as the most beneficial foods, like on the planet, and recommended that 25% of daily food intake consisted of them. He called them: “life generating ‘bio-genic’ foods that offer the strongest support for cell regeneration.” Indeed sprouts can be a good source of omega-3’s, when grown to later stages when leaves are visible they have been proven to be effective in treating protein deficiency anemia, and their supply vitamin B complex and vitamin C can be increased by the process of sprouting from 100% to 2000%. Apparently the Chinese used to carry around mung beans, because of just this, and sprout them on long journey’s because the high vitamin C content in a highly absorbable form was enough to prevent scurvy. Sprouting also increases the amounts of carotene, and even just a good handful of sprouts has enough protein to ensure veggie lovers get their required protein intake without the fat, cholesterol, and calories that come with meat protein. Other nutrients available in sprouts include vitamins A,D, E, and K, iron, magnesium, niacin, phosphorus, potassium, ad zinc. If you have never tried sprouting, it is much easier than you think and you can incorporate sprouts into salads, meals, and green smoothies. You can use a mason jar, with a fancy sprouting lid if you have one, or (ghetto-fab version) use an onion bag or some sort of cheesecloth type of bag and cover top of jar by rubber banding in place. I have sprouting trays, which have various levels and allow the sprouts to be in the dark and holes to drain out water after rinsing. Among all of the options online, I couldn’t decide on a decent sprouting video, so google how to sprout, find one that you like, and get your sprout on! -XoXo Raw Girl
The Social Media Fast
Last Sunday I was feeling for spiritual and life reasons like I felt a fast coming on. Before I could clearly set that intention, at church my pastor spoke a word that rattled me up enough to try something new. Ever heard a sermon or talk and you feel like someone is speaking directly to you? This was the case last Sunday, and I had to stop myself from squirming in my seat, because then I’d be sure everyone would know the message was hitting home with me. My pastor was talking about fasting, and how for some giving up foods isn’t really that challenging (I squirmed), and that fasting is about SACRIFICE, and we should be creative in finding things that take up our time. During a spiritual fast then, we replace the things that were taking up our time with things that bring us closer to God (prayer, meditation, reflection etc).
He then went on to say he had ideas about some things that we could give up in our modern world that would cause more of a sacrifice. The first thing he suggested was social media. Imagine if you prayed or meditated as much as you were on Facebook. Interesting right? Obviously your relationship with God would strengthen tremendously, in that time you would’ve been lurking on pages, liking posts, and adding friends. As soon as the words social media escaped his mouth my heart skipped an extra beat and I was bordering on hyperventilating at the thought of giving up Facebook and Twitter. I mean, I’m a blogger for gosh sakes! Social media is one of my primary means of communication. At that moment I knew, there was my challenge. At first like any addict, I was like I’ll do two days, okay maybe three. Finally realizing that this actually may cause some sort of breakthrough for me I decided seven days seemed unfathomable, and therefore, I had to do it. I scheduled all of my blog posts posts for Raw Girl, and also posts for Facebook and Twitter in advance for the week. I ceased all the rest of my Facebooking and Tweeting on my personal pages and also was not allowed to read other peoples posts, read or reply to comments, or check any notifications.
What a revelation! It’s amazing how automatic the reflex to check Facebook and Twitter is for me. I had to literally catch myself mid-typing from going to the urls. LOL. By the end of day one, I was amazed at how productive I could be without the distractions of social media throughout the day. Now that I’ve passed the seven day test, my eyes are open to my bordering on addiction to all things social media and I am determined to continue limiting my time on social media pages. Maybe I’ll stick to checking only on certain days. One things for sure, we are in a new world where technology rules all, and it is up to us to create some balance, especially if we are determined to live a life that is in tune with Mother Earth and the Source that governs all. -XoXo Raw Girl
Juice! Lemon Asparagus Flusher & Benefits of the Aphrodisiac Asparagus
Got a little creative with the juice this morning. Had some asparagus and thought I’d throw it in my juice, and discovered afterwards that asparagus is great for detoxifying the body. Decided to make the juice with no apple, but it still had a refreshing mild taste and the lemon makes it more palatable.
Strangely enough this veggie is a member of the lily family. Due to its suggestive shape, it’s considered an aphrodisiac which can get you, um, a little excited to say the least as it increases libido. For all the grown folks check out my past post on raw aphrodisiacs if your naughty and want to eat something sexy. Besides its potential ability to leave you a little aroused, asparagus contain vitamin C, vitamin A (betacarotene), iron, potassium, manganese, selenium, fiber, protein, antioxidants, and is a particularly potent source of vitamin K which is necessary for the synthesis of a protein that strengthens your bone composition.
What makes asparagus great for detox is the fact that it is a natural diuretic, which means it promotes the formation of urine in the kidneys and helps to flush the body out. I combined this juice with cucumber and celery and lemon, which are all great additions that make this juice a great addition to a detox plan, or just on a regular day when your feeling up to it. Asparagus also has a high amount of folate which is essential for pre-conception and early stages of pregnancy and can help to prevent birth defects, and contains inulin a compound that aids digestion and provides food for good bacteria in the body. Below is a nice summary of some additional benefits and the recipe for the juice. If you’re detoxing, need a boost to dull or acne prone skin, or juice want to try something new, I recommend juicing some asparagus. You can also of course eat asparagus steamed or raw. Whatever way you choose, I’m sure you’ll bring your sexy back, the veg way. -XoXo Raw Girl
Additional Benefits of Asparagus:
- Improves mood, fights depression
- Lowers cholesterol
- Stimulates milk production in nursing mothers
- Cleanses the body & aids in detoxification
- Prevents kidney stones
- Lowers blood pressure
- Stimulates hair growth (good superfood for hair loss)
- Prevents osteoporosis
- Reduces risk of heart disease
- Energizes and helps with chronic fatigue
Lemon Asparagus Flusher
1 Lemon
7-9 stalks of Asparagus
1 whole head of celery
1 Long English Cucumber or 1 Regular Cucumbers
Juice all ingredients, strain, serve, enjoy! 🙂
How to Break a Fast! Increasing Mindfulness & Maximizing Your Benefits
Dearest Readers:
If you have not check out past posts on Fasting please do. My personal go-to for the first day of breaking a fast is to eat simple liquid foods, like fresh fruit juices: watermelon juice, fresh pineapple juice, fresh squeezed orange juice, or vegetable broths (miso is usually my broth of choice because it is a light fermented food that promotes good bacteria). Depending on how long the fast–for instance if the fast was longer than 3 Days— I will stay on liquid/blended meals for two days and then begin to introduce solid fruits. When you introduce solids be sure to savor your food and chew thoroughly so it’s easier for your body to break it down. Savoring your food is a part of “mindfulness,” and includes taking a moment to enjoy the taste and flavors, and having a deep gratitude to the Source for providing your meal. Breaking your fast is crucial to retaining the benefits you worked hard for, and keeping your body in balance. Go slow, listen to your body, and plan ahead. -XoXo Raw Girl
So a friend of mine calls me the other day and says to me “Nicola I just love what you guys are doing with Raw Girl and you have inspired me so much that I’ve embarked on my own liquid fast.” I was ecstatic. There is nothing better than hearing that something that you are a part of has inspired another to take control of their health. When I asked her how long she had been fasting, she told me that she was on day eight! I felt so uplifted to hear the news, because I have been on extended fasts myself in the past and after day three it really becomes easy sailing from there. Not only that, there are tons of mental, physical, and spiritual breakthroughs which can occur during extended periods of fasting. She was amazed at her progress, just was a little unsure of how to incorporate solids back into her life. At this stage in the game, the biggest and probably most CRUCIAL step in maintaining the benefits of a fast is how to go about incorporating solid foods again.
Fasting of all sorts is an amazing way to take control of your health but also presents a great opportunity to improve your relationship to food. My own personal journey with fasting was born out of a need to address a serious binge eating problem that I would occasionally have due to what I thought was simply a psychological deficiency (but later found out it may have had more to do with a nutritional deficiency). Fasting was something that I just started to do because I was blown away by the benefits, but I wasn’t resourceful enough at the time to be strategic about the way that I introduced solid foods back into my life. Which, I quickly discovered through experience is a crucial element to reap the overall benefits of the fast.
When our bodies go into a fasting state, especially for prolonged periods of time longer than three days, then the digestive system goes to sleep. All of the energy that the body was using to digest the foods that you’ve been constantly eating suddenly is now diverted into a deeper cleansing of the body. It’s sort of like that extra time you suddenly have during spring break (if you’re in school) and you get to finally get into the nooks and crannies of your living space to clean everything out that you didn’t have the time to get to before. The biggest mistake that people make when breaking fast is eating a big, hard to digest meal. To your digestive system, It’s a lot like being awakened from a deep soothing slumber with a bucket of ice being thrown at you. Not gentle, and um…not easy to digest. Again, your system has been diverted from its usual digesting duties, and its very important that it is gently reintroduced to simple easy to digest foods like simple fruits or vegetables. This is in order to give the digestive system time to start producing the enzymes again needed to get the job done which had ceased to be produced upon fasting. Failure to do this can result in the digestive lining becoming irritated and even damaged if this process is not respected.
Here are a few rules of thumb and tips for breaking a fast correctly:
- You should spend at least 1 day breaking fast for every 3 days of fasting
- Write out a “breaking the fast” plan and be ready to implement( Buy food before hand and have a systematic plan in place to avoid eating whatever is available/overeating)
- Drink lots of water between meals
- LISTEN TO YOUR BODY. If you are still feeling full when it comes time to eat again, don’t force yourself to eat, just drink some juice or some water and let your body do its thing.
This is very important, so I will reiterate: spend at least 1 day breaking a fast for every 3 days that you fast. After all the hard work and discipline you’ve exercised in fasting, it’s so worth the extra push to break fast correctly, and in the process renew your appreciation for the food you are consuming. Fasting has been such an amazing journey for me, which is ongoing and ever evolving. Since I began, the process has dramatically improved my relationship with my food and portion sizes. Learning how to be truly mindful with my food has played a big role in that. I encourage you to plan a customized fast which fits your needs; there are so many options for you to choose from that will increase your energy, vitality, and health! – Nicola, Signing in for Raw Girl
For more on Fasting check out these past posts:
Smoothie! Strawberry “Milkshake” & Nutritional Benefits of Honey Dew Melon
Have you ever had a random craving that literally makes you go Hmmm? This weekend I wanted dessert, and not just any dessert, I really felt like having a strawberry milkshake. I have no idea why, I think I just wanted something kind of creamy, and sweet. So I got to work in the kitchen and made one, and decided to add in an unexpectedly good ingredient, honey dew melon.
Honey dew melon is one of the those fruits that is usually included as an afterthought. At least for me it is. We see it all the time in fruit salads, but it usually doesn’t get as much love as its sweeter and more colorful counterpart, the cantaloupe. Well given the fact that this melon provides you more than half the RDA of Vitamin C, you may want to pay a little more R.E.S.P.E.C.T. to good old honey dew. Vitamin C helps to boost our bodies’ collagen production, so we can avoid botox and keep our skin firm and youthful naturally! Honey dew is also a great source of vitamin B6 which helps to maintain healthy nervous and immune systems, potassium which is important for our bodies metabolic functioning, carries oxygen to the brain, can lower blood pressure, and folate. Folate boosts our brain function, preventing conditions like Alzheimer’s disease, and is especially helpful for pregnant women as it can help to prevent birth defects or complications during pregnancy. Below’s the recipe for the “milkshake.” Remember when you have cravings for junk food, there is ALWAYS a creative way to satisfy it and get some great nutrition in your body to boot! Never give in, there’s always something healthy that tastes better than junk food feels. -XoXo Raw Girl
Strawberry Milkshake
Ingredients:
Almond Milk (Make raw by soaking almonds the night before, then blending skin-less almonds next day w/ filtered water and optional sweetener like organic maple syrup. For VEGAN version just use your favorite brand)
6-8 Frozen strawberries
2 bananas
1/8 honey dew melon (1 wedge)
Add all fruit to blender, pour in almond milk. I usually pour in almond milk to start to about 1/3 or 1/2 of the level of the fruit in the blender if I want a thicker consistency. Add in more almond milk if you prefer less creamy. Blend, Serve, Enjoy! 🙂
Bring in the Tea Season w/ a Sting!: Nutrition Packed Nettle
The fall is approaching and I’ve been getting that familiar urge I always get around this time of year which gets me through the coming winter months; it’s tea time! So I knew it was time to write about one of my favorite herbs ever, Stinging nettle!A prehistoric plant that has received critical acclaim, Stinging nettle (Urtic Diocia), has been used for ages for a number of different uses. A flowering plant of the Urtica family, the stinging nettle is naturally found in Europe, Africa, Asia, and North America. Urtica Dioica specifically is the most commonly recognized and used species of nettle. It has been used as the material for the uniforms of German soldiers in the first world war, as well being used worldwide in many rituals and superstitions for health, luck, and protection.
Nettles have incredibly powerful and beneficial medicinal and dietary properties, and are very nutritionally dense. Not only is it very rich in chlorophyll (great for overall health), but nettles are abundant with fatty acids and amino acids. As far as minerals , nettles has calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, sulfur, and zinc for a powerful combination of minerals that are vital to the body’s functions. A vitamin B powerhouse, nettles contain vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5 along with vitamins C, E, K and folate. Nettles are packed with a host of essential phytonutrients such as lycopene, beta-carotene, caffeic acid, acetic acid, and betaine.
These naturally occurring plant compounds (phytonutrients) help prevent and treat many of the diseases in humans by preventing and reducing free-radical-induced damage to your cells and DNA. With these nutritionally powerful properties, there’s no wonder nettles carries a sharp reputation for overall good health as a dietary supplement (pun intended because they can actually sting).
There is a saying that goes: “The sting of the nettle is but nothing compared to the pains that it heals.” Indeed this herb has healing power. As a tea, nettles can be used to treat a number of diseases and inflammations of the urinary system. Nettles can be used to treat anemia, asthma, allergies such as hay fever and allergic rhinitis, benign prostatic hyperplasia, cancer, diabetes, goiter, kidney problems, and malabsorption syndrome. It’s great for the kidneys, helping to expel gravel from the bladder, and dissolve kidney stones. Nettles stimulates the kidneys to excrete more water, helping to purify the blood of toxins, metabolic wastes, eliminating viruses and bacterial infections. Also, due to the decreases the tea causes in blood sugar levels, and subsequently the glycemic level, it is great as a tea for diabetics. The tea actually cleans out the entire intestinal tract, and activates the body’s natural defense mechanisms. Other uses and benefits include helping with high blood pressure, anemia, skin inflammation, and more. With all of the apparent uses for nettles, there’s no wonder why this herb is such a hit with so many people who are aware of its benefits- and even more- it tastes great! Below are a few ways you can use nettles to add great flavor and abundant health to your life one tea cup at a time. – XoXo Nicola, Signing in for Raw Girl
- Herbal tea/tisane: Soak fresh or dried nettle leaves in boiled water. For a more concentrated, infused drink, use more nettles and make sure they are finely crushed, then let them sit while covered and boiling for a good ten minutes. This can be served either hot or cold.
- Nettle Tincture: For a healthy and youthful hair and scalp, 6-7 fresh leaves or 2 spoons of dried plant in a half a liter of alcohol for 10 days will make a concoction that will revitalize your hair, eliminating dandruff and leaving hair silky and fresh. Rub this at the root of the scalp.
- Nettle Juice:For a powerful addition to your daily routine, nettle juice will provide a host of healthy and powerful benefits if added to your juicing regiment. Just take the leaves and the stem and place them in the juicer. Filter the paste that results from this process and you will be left with a juice that is to be kept cold in the fridge in a dark container. Consume a half a glass before the most important meals of the day to regulate arterial pressure and straighten the blood vessels. If you suffer from renal insufficiency and you want those kidneys to kick it back into high gear, drink one glass of this every day after waking up for 20-30 days and you’ll be feeling a major change. Drink 1-2 glasses of nettle juice every day for 2 weeks if you suffer from anemia and de-mineralization.
Blog Giveaway! Win a copy of MAIN STREET Vegan by Victoria Moran
Dearest Subscribers:
Because I heart you so much I want to start giving you perks for being committed Raw Girl readers. This is going to be the first of many awesome Raw Girl giveaways! To enter you must be a subscriber of the blog and fan of the Raw Girl Facebook page. This book is best for vegans-in-transition but anyone can benefit from it, I learned a lot. Are you new to veganism? Need some great tips on how to start? I read Main Street Vegan and I so wished it was around years ago when I went VEG. Victoria Moran covers EVERYTHING you need to know in a personable and entertaining way.
Email a photo can be simple, cute, or creative, whatever you like, along with 60 words or less of why you have decided to go vegan or stay committed to a vegan lifestyle to rawgirltoxicworld@gmail.com. I’ll narrow it down to three top entrants and we’ll let the voting begin for one day only via the Facebook page! Raw Girl fans will vote with likes who is the winner of the book. To be eligible, email your entry by midnight on Tuesday, September 4th, 2012 . Finalists will be notified on Saturday, September 8th.
More goodies on the way! -XoXo Raw Girl